Method and apparatus for determining an overlay error

• US 9,704,810 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2012
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ASML Netherlands BV (ASML Holding NV)
• Original Assignee: ASML Netherlands BV (ASML Holding NV)
• Inventors: Den Boef, Arie Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Nghiem, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ngo, Peter
• Application Number:
  US13/570,765
• Publication Number:
  US 20130054186A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,797 Days
• Field of Search: 702150
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70633 Overlay, i.e. relative alignment between patterns printed by separate exposures in different layers, or in the same layer in multiple exposures or stitching
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2223/5442 comprising non digital, non alphanumeric information, e.g. symbols
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2223/54426 for alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2223/54453 for use prior to dicing
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2223/5446 Located in scribe lines
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/544 Marks applied to semiconductor devices or parts, e.g. registration marks, alignment structures, wafer maps test patterns for characterising or monitoring manufacturing processes H01L22/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00

Abstract

A method of, and associated apparatuses for, determining an overlay error resultant from structure defects such as asymmetry. The method comprises measuring scattering properties of a first target comprising a first structure and a second structure, constructing a model of the first structure using the measured scattering properties, the model comprising a first model structure corresponding to the first structure, modifying the model by overlaying the first model structure with an intermediate model structure, further modifying the model by replacing the intermediate model structure with a second model structure, corresponding to the second structure, calculating a second defect-induced overlay error between the first model structure and the second model structure, the first and second model structures being overlaid with respect to each other in the further modified model and determining an overlay error in a second target using the calculated second defect-induced overlay error.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

measuring first scattering properties based on a first radiation detected from a first structure prior to formation of a second structure on the first structure;

constructing a first model structure based on the first scattering properties, the first model structure corresponding to the first structure;

overlaying the first model structure with an intermediate model structure;

calculating a first defect-induced overlay error between the first model structure and the intermediate model structure;

measuring second scattering properties based on a second radiation detected from the first and second structures, the second radiation being different from the first radiation;

constructing a second model structure based on the second radiation detected from the first and second structures and the first defect-induced overlay error;

replacing the intermediate model structure with the second model structure, the second model structure corresponding to the second structure;

calculating a second defect-induced overlay error between the first model structure and the second model structure, the first and second model structures being overlaid with respect to each other;

correcting an overlay measurement of a target based on the second defect-induced overlay error during production of the target using a lithography apparatus; and

adjusting a parameter of the lithography apparatus based on the second defect-induced overlay error to reduce overlay errors during production of a subsequent target using the lithography apparatus.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting an optimum parameter for the overlay measurement of the target based on the second defect-induced overlay error.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the intermediate model structure is constructed to be free from defects.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

defining a positional parameter of the first model structure to compensate for a defect in the first model structure; and

positioning the first and intermediate model structures relative to each other based on the defined positional parameter.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the replacing of the intermediate model structure with a second model structure comprises placing the second model structure in a same position as the intermediate model relative to the first model structure.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and intermediate model structures are overlaid relative to each other with zero offset.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

repeating the overlaying of the first model structure with the intermediate model structure for predetermined non-zero offsets, each of the predetermined non-zero offsets being different from each other;

repeating the calculating of the second defect-induced overlay error for each of the predetermined non-zero offsets to generate a plurality of second defect-induced overlay errors; and

the correcting of the overlay measurement of the target comprises selecting one second defect-induced overlay error from among the plurality of second defect-induced errors with closest correspondence to a measured overlay error of the target.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the calculating of the second defect-induced overlay error comprises calculating one or more parameters corresponding to defects in the second structure.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the calculating of the one or more parameters comprises minimizing the mean square error (ε

) defined as;

ε

=∥

Δ

OV_m−

Δ

OV_L1−

Σ

_i=1^Mp_iS_i,L2∥

²

wherein;

Δ

OV_m is a sum of variations in overlay measurements between different scattering property measurement recipes;

Δ

OV_L1 is a sum of variations in overlay calculations between the different scattering property measurement recipes corresponding to defects in the first structure; and

S_i,L2 is a sensitivity of the variations in the overlay calculations between the different scattering property measurement recipes due to the one or more parameters.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the calculating of the second defect-induced overlay error further comprises calculating one or more parameters corresponding to defects in the first structure.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the correcting of the overlay measurement of the target comprises calculating a difference between the second defect-induced overlay error and a measured overlay error of the target.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising repeating the calculating of the second defect-induced overlay error for a plurality of parameter values of the first or second model structure for a plurality of scattering property measurement recipes.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising correcting the overlay measurement at a plurality of pixels in a pupil plane of an angular resolved scatterometer.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second defect-induced overlay errors are resultant from process-induced asymmetries in the first structure and from process-induced asymmetries in the first and second structures, respectively.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program instructions stored thereon, execution of which by a processor causes the processor to perform operations comprising:

measuring first scattering properties based on a first radiation detected from a first structure prior to formation of a second structure on the first structure;

constructing a first model structure based on the first scattering properties, the first model structure corresponding to the first structure;

overlaying the first model structure with an intermediate model structure;

calculating a first defect-induced overlay error between the first model structure and the intermediate model structure;

measuring second scattering properties based on a second radiation detected from the first and second structures, the second radiation being different from the first radiation;

constructing a second model structure based on the second radiation detected from the first and second structures and the first defect-induced overlay error;

replacing the intermediate model structure with the second model structure, the second model structure corresponding to the second structure;

calculating a second defect-induced overlay error between the first model structure and the second model structure, the first and second model structures being overlaid with respect to each other;

correcting an overlay measurement of a target based on the second defect-induced overlay error during production of the target using a lithography apparatus; and

adjusting a parameter of the lithography apparatus based on the second defect-induced overlay error to reduce an overlay error during production of a subsequent target using the lithography apparatus.

16. A lithographic system comprising:

a lithography apparatus comprising;

an illumination system configured to illuminate a pattern, and

a projection system configured to project an image of the pattern onto a substrate; and

an inspection apparatus comprising;

an optical system configured to illuminate a first structure and a second structure positioned on the first structure;

a detector configured to;

measure first scattering properties based on a first radiation detected from the first structure prior to formation of the second structure on the first structure, and

measure second scattering properties based on a second radiation detected from the first and second structures, the second radiation being different from the first radiation; and

a processor configured to;

construct a first model structure based on the first scattering properties, the first model structure corresponding to the first structure;

overlay the first model structure with an intermediate model structure;

calculate a first defect-induced overlay error between the first model structure and the intermediate model structure;

construct a second model structure based on the second radiation detected from the first and second structures and the first defect-induced overlay error;

replace the intermediate model structure with the second model structure corresponding to the second structure;

calculate a second defect-induced overlay error between the first model structure and the second model structure;

correct an overlay measurement of a target based on the second defect-induced overlay error during production of the target using a lithography apparatus; and

adjust a parameter of the lithography apparatus based on the second defect-induced overlay error to reduce an overlay error during production of a subsequent target using the lithography apparatus.

17. An inspection apparatus comprising:

an optical system configured to illuminate a first structure and a second structure positioned on the first structure;

a detector configured to;

measure first scattering properties based on a first radiation detected from the first structure prior to formation of the second structure, and

measure second scattering properties based on a second radiation detected from the first and second structures, the second radiation being different from the first radiation; and

a processor configured to;

construct a first model structure based on the first scattering properties, the first model structure corresponding to the first structure;

overlay the first model structure with an intermediate model structure;

calculate a first defect-induced overlay error between the first model structure and the intermediate model structure;

construct a second model structure based on the second radiation detected from the first and second structures and the first defect-induced overlay error;

replace the intermediate model structure with the second model structure corresponding to the second structure;

calculate a second defect-induced overlay error between the first model structure and the second model structure;

correct an overlay measurement of a target based on the second defect-induced overlay error during production of the target using a lithography apparatus; and

adjust a parameter of the lithography apparatus based on the second defect-induced overlay error to reduce an overlay error during production of a subsequent target using the lithography apparatus.

18. The inspection apparatus of claim 17, wherein the processor is further configured to select an optimum parameter for the overlay measurement of the target based on the second defect-induced overlay error.

19. The inspection apparatus of claim 17, wherein the processor is further configured to:

define a positional parameter of the first model structure to compensate for a defect in the first model structure; and

position the first and intermediate model structures relative to each other based on the defined positional parameter.

20. The inspection apparatus of claim 17, wherein the processor is further configured to construct the second model structure based on the first defect-induced overlay error and the second scattering properties.