Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Canon Denshi Kabushiki Kaisha

Tadashi Arai

Hiroshi Yamamoto

Hiroyuki Ishii

Koji Mikami

Ryo Nakayama

Ryuji Suzuki

Yuichi Gyoda

Shigeru Yoshida

Yasuo Hasegawa

Akira Kurosawa

Kimio Handa

Koichiro Tsujita

Katumi Yoshida

Toshio Hagiwara

Masachika Nishimura

Hiroaki Seino

Takehiko Ando

A mask data generation method includes obtaining data of a pattern including a plurality of pattern elements, dividing a region of the pattern into a plurality of sections so that each pattern element is arranged in each section by using the obtained data of the pattern and generating map data including information indicative of presence or absence of the pattern element in each section, setting one piece of mask individual information out of a plurality pieces of mask individual information for each section including the pattern element by using a constraint condition, which inhibits setting of same mask individual information in a constraint region including one section and surrounding sections thereof, and the map data, and generating the data of the plurality of masks corresponding to the plurality pieces of mask individual information by using the set mask individual information.

Mask data generation method

A method for generating a pattern includes defining a footprint of a main pattern in each cell, arranging a first cell and a second cell which has an auxiliary pattern outside the footprint of the main pattern, side by side in such a manner that the auxiliary pattern outside the footprint of the second cell is present in the footprint of the main pattern of the first cell, and generating the pattern of the mask by removing a pattern element of the auxiliary pattern outside the footprint of the second cell in a portion where the pattern element of the auxiliary pattern outside the footprint of the second cell is close to or overlaps with the main pattern in the first cell of the first cell and the second cell arranged side by side.

Method for generating pattern, storage medium, and information processing apparatus

A pattern generation method for generating a pattern of a cell used to generate a pattern of a mask using a computer, includes obtaining data of pattern of the cell, calculating image of the pattern of the cell to obtain an evaluation value of the image by repeatedly changing a parameter value of an exposure condition when the mask which has the pattern of the cell is illuminated to project image of the pattern of the cell onto a substrate to expose the substrate, and a parameter value of the pattern of the cell, and determining parameter value of the pattern of the cell when the evaluation value satisfies a predetermined evaluation standard.

Pattern generation method

A mask data generating method for generating data of a plurality of masks used in a plurality of exposures in which exposure light is irradiated onto a substrate using a mask, and then exposure light is irradiated onto the substrate using another mask. The method includes the steps of obtaining data for a pattern including a plurality of pattern elements, determining formulation of a disposition limitation condition for the pattern elements, analyzing the distance between the pattern elements, determining formulation of the distance limitation condition, and applying a first variable configured to express a number of pattern divisions and a second variable configured to express a distance related to all pattern elements in a cost function and thereby dividing the pattern.

Mask pattern generating method, storage medium, information processing apparatus for execution of the same, mask manufacturing method and device manufacturing method

A method being performed by a processor includes, acquiring data of patterns of a plurality of cells that include an identified pattern for which an evaluation value of an optical image falls outside a first allowable range among patterns in which each a pattern being single cell alone, creating the pattern of a mask by arranging the patterns of the plurality of cells that include the identified pattern, and evaluating an optical image of the identified pattern in the created pattern of the mask.

Method for evaluating optical image of pattern, recording medium, and information processing apparatus

The present invention provides a pattern formation method of forming a pattern on a substrate by partially removing a line and space pattern formed on the substrate, comprising a first formation step of forming a first layer including a plurality of first openings on the line and space pattern, a second step of forming, on the first layer, a second layer including a second opening for exposing one or more first openings, which are used to partially remove the line and space pattern, among the plurality of first openings, and a removing step of partially removing the line and space pattern through the second opening and the first opening, wherein the plurality of first openings are located on a plurality of lines of the line and space pattern.

Pattern formation method that includes partially removing line and space pattern

A method for generating a pattern of a mask includes obtaining data of a plurality of polygons representing a plurality of pattern elements, grouping polygons which overlap or contact with each other among the plural polygons in one group, not setting an evaluation position for evaluating an image of a pattern of the one group on a line segment of sides which overlap or contact with each other among sides of the polygon of the one group, and setting an evaluation position at a portion except for the line segment, and repeating calculating the image of the pattern of the one group, evaluating the calculated image at the set evaluation position, and correcting the pattern based on a result of the evaluating, and generating the pattern of the mask based on a result of the repeating step.

Mask pattern generation method

Data regarding a first corrected patterns on a single cell corrected such that an evaluation value of a pattern formed on a substrate after an image of a pattern of the single cell is projected onto a resist on the substrate and the resist is developed is obtained for each of a plurality of cells, a first evaluation value obtained by evaluating a projected image of the first corrected pattern on the single cell generated by the projection system is obtained for each of the cells, a second evaluation value obtained by, when the cells are arranged adjacent to one another, evaluating the projected images of the first corrected patterns on the cells is calculated, and creating a second corrected pattern by correcting the first corrected patterns on the cells arranged adjacent to one another such that the second evaluation value becomes close to the first evaluation value.

Method for creating mask data, program, information processing apparatus, and method for manufacturing mask

A method evaluating an imaging performance of a projection optical system according to a polarization state of light in a pupil of an illumination optical system for an exposure apparatus, comprises a representation step of numerically representing the polarization state in the pupil of the illumination optical system, an assumption step of virtually dividing the pupil of the illumination optical system into a plurality of partial regions, each of which includes a light incident region and a light non-incident region, and assuming individual polarization states for the plurality of partial regions so that one polarization state is assumed for the whole of each partial region based on the polarization state numerically represented in the representation step; and a calculation step of calculating the imaging performance of the projection optical system under a condition in which the plurality of partial regions have the polarization states individually assumed in the assumption step.

Evaluation method, adjustment method, exposure apparatus, and memory medium

The present invention provides a generation method of generating data of patterns of a plurality of masks used in an exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate, including a step of specifying, from a plurality of points on a grid having pattern elements to be formed on the substrate as intersections, an allowable point that allows a pattern to be transferred other than points of target pattern elements constituting a target pattern to be formed on the substrate, and a step of, for a pattern element group including a target pattern element whose distance to an adjacent target pattern element is shorter than a resolution limit of the exposure apparatus, grouping the adjacent target pattern elements on the grid a space between which is filled with the allowable point.

Generation method, storage medium and information processing apparatus

The present invention provides a generation method of generating data for a mask pattern to be used for an exposure apparatus including a projection optical system for projecting a mask pattern including a main pattern and auxiliary pattern onto a substrate, including a step of setting a generation condition under which the auxiliary pattern is generated, and a step of determining whether a value of an evaluation function describing an index which indicates a quality of an image of the mask pattern calculated, wherein if it is determined that the value of the evaluation function falls outside a tolerance range, the generation condition is changed to set a new generation condition.

Generation method, storage medium, and information processing apparatus

The present invention provides a decision method which decides a mask pattern used in an exposure apparatus comprising a projection optical system that projects a mask pattern including a main pattern and an auxiliary pattern onto a substrate, and an exposure condition in the exposure apparatus, the method including a step of calculating an image of a mask pattern formed on the substrate by the projection optical system while changing settings of the mask pattern and the exposure condition, and deciding the mask pattern and the exposure condition based on the image of the mask pattern, wherein the step includes determining whether or not to generate a new auxiliary pattern after the settings are changed.

Decision method, storage medium and information processing apparatus

A method of evaluating an imaging performance of a projection optical system, comprising a step of specifying a polarization change of the projection optical system, which represents a relationship between a polarization state of light impinging on the projection optical system and the polarization state of the light exiting from the projection optical system, a first calculation step of calculating a value of a parameter having a correlation with the polarization change of the projection optical system specified in the specifying step, and a second calculation step of calculating an index value representing the imaging performance in a state that the projection optical system has the polarization change specified in the specifying step, based on an amount of change in the index value representing the imaging performance upon changing the value of the parameter by a unit amount, and the value of the parameter calculated in the first calculation step.

Evaluation method, control method, exposure apparatus, and memory medium

A method of determining an exposure condition and a mask pattern includes: setting the exposure condition and the mask pattern; temporarily determining the mask pattern using a first evaluation function describing indices of quality of an image of the mask pattern, using the set exposure condition; calculating a value of a second evaluation function describing indices of quality of the image of the mask pattern, using the temporarily determined mask pattern and the set exposure condition; changing the exposure condition and the mask pattern based on the value of the calculated second evaluation function; and judging whether to execute a process of repeating the temporarily determining step and the calculating step. In the judging step, the mask pattern temporarily determined in the latest second step, and the exposure condition changed in the latest fourth step are determined as the mask pattern and the exposure condition, respectively.

Program storage medium and method for determining exposure condition and mask pattern

A scanning exposure apparatus which exposes a substrate is disclosed. The apparatus comprises an illumination system configured to illuminate an illumination region of an original, a projection optical system configured to project a pattern of the original onto the substrate, and a stop configured to shield a flare generating component of flare light which travels from the projection optical system to the substrate, and to pass the remaining component of the flare light. An aperture of the stop has a shape different from a shape of the illumination region, and the aperture of the stop includes a portion whose dimension in a first direction parallel to a scanning direction of the substrate changes in accordance with a distance from the center of the aperture in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

Growing community of inventors

Utsunomiya, Japan

Tadashi Arai