Cymer, Inc.

Asml Netherlands B.v.

Willard Earl Conley

Joshua Jon Thornes

Eric Anders Mason

Gregory Allen Rechtsteiner

Omar Zurita

Duan-Fu Stephen Hsu

Paulus Jacobus Maria Van Adrichem

Tsann-Bim Chiou

Cheng-Hsien Hsieh

Wei-An Hsieh

A set of the pulses of light in a light beam is passed through a mask toward a wafer during a single exposure pass; at least a first aerial image and a second aerial image on the wafer based on pulses of light in the set of pulses that pass through the mask is generated during a single exposure pass, the first aerial image is at a first plane on the wafer and the second aerial image is at a second plane on the wafer, the first plane and the second plane being spatially distinct from each other and separated from each other by a separation distance along the direction of propagation; and a three-dimensional semiconductor component is formed.

Forming multiple aerial images in a single lithography exposure pass

Systems, methods, and computer programs for increasing a contrast for a lithography system are disclosed. In one aspect, a method of optimizing a process for imaging a feature on a substrate using a photolithography system is disclosed, the method including obtaining an optical spectrum of a light beam for the imaging, wherein the light beam includes pulses having a plurality of different wavelengths, and narrowing the optical spectrum of the pulses of the light beam for the imaging to improve a quality metric of the imaging.

Method and apparatus for imaging using narrowed bandwidth

A method to improve a lithographic process of imaging a portion of a design layout onto a substrate using a lithographic apparatus, the method including: computing a multi-variable cost function, the multi-variable cost function being a function a plurality of design variables that represent characteristics of the lithographic process; and reconfiguring one or more of the characteristics of the lithographic process by adjusting one or more of the design variables until a certain termination condition is satisfied; wherein a bandwidth of a radiation source of the lithographic apparatus is allowed to change during the reconfiguration.

Optimization of source and bandwidth for new and existing patterning devices

A photolithography method includes producing, from an optical source, a pulsed light beam; and scanning the pulsed light beam across a substrate of a lithography exposure apparatus to expose the substrate with the pulsed light beam including exposing each sub-area of the substrate with the pulsed light beam. A sub-area is a portion of a total area of the substrate. For each sub-area of the substrate, a lithography performance parameter associated with the sub-area of the substrate is received; the received lithography performance parameter is analyzed, and, based on the analysis, a first spectral feature of the pulsed light beam is modified and a second spectral feature of the pulsed light beam is maintained.

Wafer-based light source parameter control

A spectral feature of a pulsed light beam produced by an optical source is controlled by a method. The method includes producing a pulsed light beam at a pulse repetition rate; directing the pulsed light beam toward a substrate received in a lithography exposure apparatus to expose the substrate to the pulsed light beam; modifying a pulse repetition rate of the pulsed light beam as it is exposing the substrate. The method includes determining an amount of adjustment to a spectral feature of the pulsed light beam, the adjustment amount compensating for a variation in the spectral feature of the pulsed light beam that correlates to the modification of the pulse repetition rate of the pulsed light beam. The method includes changing the spectral feature of the pulsed light beam by the determined adjustment amount as the substrate is exposed to thereby compensate for the variation in the spectral feature.

Control of a spectral feature of a pulsed light beam

A method includes producing a pulsed light beam; directing the pulsed light beam toward a substrate mounted to a stage of a lithography exposure apparatus; scanning a pulsed light beam and the substrate relative to each other, including projecting the pulsed light beam onto each sub-area of the substrate and moving one or more of the pulsed light beam and the substrate relative to each other; determining a value of a vibration of the stage for each sub-area of a substrate; for each sub-area of the substrate, determining an amount of adjustment to a bandwidth of the pulsed light beam, the adjustment amount compensating for a variation in the stage vibration so as to maintain a focus blur within a predetermined range of values across the substrate; and changing the bandwidth of the pulsed light beam by the determined adjustment amount to thereby compensate for the stage vibration variations.

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San Diego, CA, United States of America

Willard Earl Conley