Asml Netherlands B.v.

Mu Feng

Jen-Shiang Wang

Qian Zhao

Yongfa Fan

Leiwu Zheng

Jiao Liang

Lei Wang

Yen-Wen Lu

Rafael C Howell

Alvin Jianjiang Wang

Qiang Zhang

Mir Farrokh Shayegan Salek

Yunbo Guo

Chang An Wang

Pengcheng Yang

Jiao Huang

Yunan Zheng

Hongfei Shi

Yi-Yin Chen

Jinze Wang

Dianwen Zhu

Zhu Wang

Feng Yang

A method involving determining an etch bias for a pattern to be etched using an etch step of a patterning process based on an etch bias model, the etch bias model including a formula having a variable associated with a spatial property of the pattern or with an etch plasma species concentration of the etch step, and including a mathematical term including a natural exponential function to the power of a parameter that is fitted or based on an etch time of the etch step; and adjusting the patterning process based on the determined etch bias.

Etch bias characterization and method of using the same

Systems and methods for reducing prediction uncertainty in a prediction model associated with a patterning process are described. These may be used in calibrating a process model associated with the patterning process, for example. Reducing the uncertainty in the prediction model may include determining a prediction uncertainty parameter based on prediction data. The prediction data may be determined using the prediction model. The prediction model may have been calibrated with calibration data. The prediction uncertainty parameter may be associated with variation in the prediction data. Reducing the uncertainty in the prediction model may include selecting a subset of process data based on the prediction uncertainty parameter; and recalibrating the prediction model using the calibration data and the selected subset of the process data.

Prediction data selection for model calibration to reduce model prediction uncertainty

Systems and methods for determining one or more characteristic metrics for a portion of a pattern on a substrate are described. Pattern information for the pattern on the substrate is received. The pattern on the substrate has first and second portions. The first portion of the pattern is blocked, for example with a geometrical block mask, based on the pattern information, such that the second portion of the pattern remains unblocked. The one or more metrics are determined for the unblocked second portion of the pattern. In some embodiments, the first and second portions of the pattern correspond to different exposures in a semiconductor lithography process. The semiconductor lithography process may be a multiple patterning technology process, for example, such as a double patterning process, a triple patterning process, or a spacer double patterning process.

Determining metrics for a portion of a pattern on a substrate

A method for improving a process model for a patterning process, the method including obtaining a) a measured contour from an image capture device, and b) a simulated contour generated from a simulation of the process model. The method also includes aligning the measured contour with the simulated contour by determining an offset between the measured contour and the simulated contour. The process model is calibrated to reduce a difference, computed based on the determined offset, between the simulated contour and the measured contour.

Method for improving a process for a patterning process

Methods of constructing a process model for simulating a characteristic of a product of lithography from patterns produced under different processing conditions. The methods use a deviation between the variation of the simulated characteristic and the variation of the measured characteristic to adjust a parameter of the process model.

Methods of tuning process models

A method for determining measurement data of a printed pattern on a substrate. The method involves obtaining (i) images of the substrate including a printed pattern corresponding to a reference pattern, (ii) an averaged image of the images, and (iii) a composite contour based on the averaged image. Further, the composite contour is aligned with respect to a reference contour of the reference pattern and contours are extracted from the images based on both the aligned composite contour and the output of die-to-database alignment of the composite contour. Further, the method determines a plurality of pattern measurements based on the contours and the measurement data corresponding to the printed patterns based on the plurality of the pattern measurements. Further, the method determines a one or more process variations such as stochastic variation, inter-die variation, intra-die variation and/or total variation.

Method for determining stochastic variation of printed patterns

A method for accelerating calibration of a fabrication process model, the method including performing one or more iterations of: defining one or more fabrication process model terms; receiving predetermined information related to the one or more fabrication process model terms; generating a fabrication process model based on the predetermined information, the fabrication process model configured to generate one or more predictions related to a metrology gauge; determining whether a prediction related to a dimension of a gauge is within a predetermined threshold of the gauge as measured on a post-fabrication process substrate; and responsive to the prediction not breaching the predetermined threshold, optimizing the one or more fabrication process terms such that the prediction related to the dimension of the gauge is within the predetermined threshold of the gauge as measured on the post-fabrication process substrate.

Instant tuning method for accelerating resist and etch model calibration

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Mu Feng