Method and system for forming a pattern on a reticle using charged particle beam lithography

• US 9,341,936 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2014
• Issued: 05/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: D2S, Inc.
• Original Assignee: D2S, Inc.
• Inventors: Fujimura, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): YOUNG, CHRISTOPHER G
• Application Number:
  US14/177,688
• Publication Number:
  US 20140158916A1
• Time in Patent Office: 826 Days
• Field of Search: 430/5, 430/30, 430/296, 430/942, 716/53
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 1/20 Masks or mask blanks for imaging by charged particle beam [CPB] radiation, e.g. by electron beam; Preparation thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 1/70 Adapting basic layout or design of masks to lithographic process requirements, e.g., second iteration correction of mask patterns for imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2119/18 Manufacturability analysis or optimisation for manufacturability
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/20 Design optimisation, verification or simulation optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/39 Circuit design at the physical level physical level design for reconfigurable circuits G06F30/347
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/392 Floor-planning or layout, e.g. partitioning or placement
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/398 Design verification or optimisation, e.g. using design rule check [DRC], layout versus schematics [LVS] or finite element methods [FEM] optical proximity correction [OPC] design processes G03F1/36
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/31764 Dividing into sub-patterns
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/31769 Proximity effect correction
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/31774 Multi-beam
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/31776 Shaped beam
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3026 Patterning strategy
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3174 Particle-beam lithography, e.g. electron beam lithography

Abstract

A method and system for fracturing or mask data preparation is disclosed in which a desired substrate pattern for a substrate is input. A plurality of charged particle beam shots is then determined which will form a reticle pattern on a reticle, where the reticle pattern will produce a substrate pattern on the substrate using an optical lithography process, wherein the substrate pattern is within a predetermined tolerance of the desired substrate pattern. A similar method and a similar system for forming a pattern on a reticle are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for fracturing or mask data preparation for charged particle beam lithography, the method comprising:

inputting a desired substrate pattern for a substrate; and

determining a plurality of charged particle beam shots that form a reticle pattern on a reticle, wherein the reticle pattern will produce a substrate pattern on the substrate using an optical lithography process, wherein the substrate pattern is within a predetermined tolerance of the desired substrate pattern, and

wherein the determining is performed using one or more computing hardware processors.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining comprises calculating a substrate aerial image.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the calculating of the substrate aerial image comprises using lithography simulation.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising calculating a calculated substrate pattern from the substrate aerial image.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the calculating of the calculated substrate pattern comprises simulating at least one of a group consisting of resist bake, resist development, and etch.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the calculating of the calculated substrate pattern comprises calculating a bias from the substrate aerial image.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining comprises calculating a calculated reticle pattern from the plurality of charged particle beam shots.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the calculating of the calculated reticle pattern comprises using charged particle beam simulation.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the charged particle beam simulation includes at least one of a group consisting of forward scattering, backward scattering, resist diffusion, Coulomb effect, fogging, loading and resist charging.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein a shot in the plurality of charged particle beam shots comprises a multi-beam shot.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein a shot in the plurality of charged particle beam shots comprises a variable shaped beam (VSB) shot.

12. A method for forming a pattern on a reticle using charged particle beam lithography, the method comprising:

inputting a desired substrate pattern for a substrate;

determining a plurality of charged particle beam shots that form a reticle pattern on the reticle, wherein the reticle pattern will produce a substrate pattern on the substrate using an optical lithography process, wherein the substrate pattern is within a predetermined tolerance of the desired substrate pattern; and

forming the reticle pattern with the plurality of charged particle beam shots.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the determining comprises calculating a substrate aerial image.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the calculating of the substrate aerial image comprises using lithography simulation.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising calculating a calculated substrate pattern from the substrate aerial image.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the calculating of the calculated substrate pattern comprises simulating at least one of a group consisting of resist bake, resist development, and etch.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the calculating of the calculated substrate pattern comprises calculating a bias from the substrate aerial image.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein the determining comprises calculating a calculated reticle pattern from the plurality of charged particle beam shots.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the calculating of the calculated reticle pattern comprises using charged particle beam simulation.

20. The method of claim 12 wherein a shot in the plurality of charged particle beam shots comprises a multi-beam shot.

21. A system for forming a pattern on a reticle using charged particle beam lithography, the system comprising:

a means for inputting a desired substrate pattern for a substrate;

a means for determining a plurality of charged particle beam shots that form a reticle pattern on the reticle, wherein the reticle pattern will produce a substrate pattern on the substrate using an optical lithography process, wherein the substrate pattern is within a predetermined tolerance of the desired substrate pattern; and

a means for forming the reticle pattern on the reticle with the plurality of charged particle beam shots.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the means for determining performs lithography simulation to calculate a substrate aerial image on the substrate.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the means for determining calculates a calculated substrate pattern from the substrate aerial image.

24. The system of claim 21 wherein the means for determining performs charged particle beam simulation to calculate the reticle pattern.

25. The system of claim 21 wherein the means for forming the reticle pattern on the reticle is configured for multi-beam shots.