Kla Tencor Corporation

Stewart A Robertson

Mark Davis Smith

Pradeep Subrahmanyan

Myungjun Lee

John S Graves

A lithography system includes an illumination source, projection optical elements, and a pattern mask. The illumination source includes one or more illumination poles. The pattern mask includes a set of focus-sensitive mask elements distributed with a pitch and, is configured to diffract illumination from the one or more illumination poles. The pitch may be selected such that two diffraction orders of illumination associated with each of the one or more illumination poles are asymmetrically distributed in a pupil plane of the projection optical elements. Further, the projection optical elements may expose a sample with an image of the set of focus-sensitive pattern mask elements based on the two diffraction orders of illumination associated with each of the one or more illumination poles such that one or more printing characteristics is indicative of a position of the sample within a focal volume of the projection optical elements.

Systems and methods for focus-sensitive metrology targets

A method for setting processing parameters for fabricating an integrated circuit, by creating a mathematical model of a spin coated surface of a material over a non-flat substrate surface, where the mathematical model includes, a smoothing algorithm, where the smoothing algorithm uses as inputs only, a nominal thickness of the spin coated surface, a minimum thickness of the spin coated surface, and an interaction length, and a constraint that the spin coated surface cannot intersect the substrate surface, solving the mathematical model to determine the spin coated surface, and using the modeled spin coated surface to set the processing parameters for fabricating the integrated circuit.

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Cedar Park, TX, United States of America

Stewart A Robertson