Asml Netherlands B.v.

Takumi Technology Corporation

Other

Youping Zhang

Maurits Van Der Schaar

Yi Zou

Maxime Philippe Frederic Genin

Chi-Hsiang Fan

Yana Cheng

Chenxi Lin

Cyrus Emil Tabery

Arie Jeffrey Den Boef

Jun Ye

Yen-Wen Lu

Hakki Ergün Cekli

Weinong Lai

Simon Philip Spencer Hastings

Weixuan Hu

Boris Menchtchikov

Yu Long Cao

Richard Johannes Franciscus Van Haren

Hugo Augustinus Joseph Cramer

Paul Christiaan Hinnen

Franciscus Godefridus Casper Bijnen

Hendrik Jan Hidde Smilde

Robert John Socha

Thomas Theeuwes

Adriaan Johan Van Leest

Anagnostis Tsiatmas

Hanying Feng

Te-Chih Huang

Edo Maria Hulsebos

Alok Verma

Eric Richard Kent

Jen-Shiang Wang

Henricus Johannes Lambertus Megens

Omer Abubaker Omer Adam

Jing Su

Guangqing Chen

Marc Jurian Kea

Masashi Ishibashi

Ralph Timotheus Huijgen

Shufeng Bai

Liping Ren

Jan Wouter Bijlsma

Cong Wu

Marcel Theodorus Maria Van Kessel

Paul Anthony Tuffy

Gertjan Zwartjes

Everhardus Cornelis Mos

Wim Tjibbo Tel

Patrick Warnaar

Hong M Chen

Luoqi Chen

Feng Chen

Hua-Yu Liu

Martin Ebert

Armen Kroyan

Xing Lan Liu

Daan Maurits Slotboom

Jiangwei Li

Abraham Slachter

Victor Emanuel Calado

Min-Chun Tsai

Vivek Kumar Jain

Davit Harutyunyan

Jay Jianhui Chen

Fei Yan

Tzu-Chao Chen

Matthijs Cox

Etsuya Morita

Vadim Yourievich Timoshkov

Zhi-Pan Li

Nicolaas Petrus Marcus Brantjes

Koen Wilhelmus Cornelis Adrianus Van Der Straten

Adrianus Ligtenberg

Feng Xiao

Wangshi Zhao

Maxim Philippe Frederic Genin

Wei Peng

Danying Li

Abdalmohsen Elmalk

Hua Xu

Kui-Jun Huang

A method of hot spot ranking for a patterning process. The method includes obtaining (i) a set of hot spots of a patterning process, (ii) measured values of one or more parameters of the patterning process corresponding to the set of hot spots, and (ii) simulated values of the one or more parameters of the patterning process corresponding to the set of hot spots; determining a measurement feedback based on the measured values and the simulated values of the one or more parameters of the patterning process; and determining, via simulation of a process model of the patterning process, a ranking of a hot spot within the set of hot spots based on the measurement feedback.

Determining hot spot ranking based on wafer measurement

A method for predicting yield relating to a process of manufacturing semiconductor devices on a substrate, the method including: obtaining a trained first model which translates modeled parameters into a yield parameter, the modeled parameters including: a) a geometrical parameter associated with one or more selected from: a geometric characteristic, dimension or position of a device element manufactured by the process and b) a trained free parameter; obtaining process parameter data including data regarding a process parameter characterizing the process; converting the process parameter data into values of the geometrical parameter; and predicting the yield parameter using the trained first model and the values of the geometrical parameter.

Method to predict yield of a device manufacturing process

A method for analyzing a process, the method including obtaining a multi-dimensional probability density function representing an expected distribution of values for a plurality of process parameters; obtaining a performance function relating values of the process parameters to a performance metric of the process; and using the performance function to map the probability density function to a performance probability function having the process parameters as arguments.

Method of manufacturing devices

Methods for training a process model and determining ranking of simulated patterns (e.g., corresponding to hot spots). A method involves obtaining a training data set including: (i) a simulated pattern associated with a mask pattern to be printed on a substrate, (ii) inspection data of a printed pattern imaged on the substrate using the mask pattern, and (iii) measured values of a parameter of the patterning process applied during imaging of the mask pattern on the substrate; and training a machine learning model for the patterning process based on the training data set to predict a difference in a characteristic of the simulated pattern and the printed pattern. The trained machine learning model can be used for determining a ranking of hot spots. In another method a model is trained based on measurement data to predict ranking of the hot spots.

Determining pattern ranking based on measurement feedback from printed substrate

A measurement apparatus and method for determining a substrate grid describing a deformation of a substrate prior to exposure of the substrate in a lithographic apparatus configured to fabricate one or more features on the substrate. Position data for a plurality of first features and/or a plurality of second features on the substrate is obtained. Asymmetry data for at least a feature of the plurality of first features and/or the plurality of second features is obtained. The substrate grid based on the position data and the asymmetry data is determined. The substrate grid and asymmetry data are passed to the lithographic apparatus for controlling at least part of an exposure process to fabricate one or more features on the substrate.

Measurement apparatus and a method for determining a substrate grid

A method for determining a correction relating to a performance metric of a semiconductor manufacturing process, the method including: obtaining a set of pre-process metrology data; processing the set of pre-process metrology data by decomposing the pre-process metrology data into one or more components which: a) correlate to the performance metric; or b) are at least partially correctable by a control process which is part of the semiconductor manufacturing process; and applying a trained model to the processed set of pre-process metrology data to determine the correction for the semiconductor manufacturing process.

Method for controlling a manufacturing process and associated apparatuses

A method for determining a root cause affecting yield in a process for manufacturing devices on a substrate, the method including: obtaining yield distribution data including a distribution of a yield parameter across the substrate or part thereof; obtaining sets of metrology data, each set including a spatial variation of a process parameter over the substrate or part thereof corresponding to a different layer of the substrate; comparing the yield distribution data and metrology data based on a similarity metric describing a spatial similarity between the yield distribution data and an individual set out of the sets of the metrology data; and determining a first similar set of metrology data out of the sets of metrology data, being the first set of metrology data in terms of processing order for the corresponding layers, which is determined to be similar to the yield distribution data.

Method for determining root cause affecting yield in a semiconductor manufacturing process

A method for determining an etch profile is described. The method includes determining a masking layer profile. Loading information can be determined. The loading information indicates dependence of an etch rate for the masking layer profile on a quantity and pattern of material being etched. Flux information can be determined. The flux information indicates dependence of the etch rate on an intensity and a spread angle of radiation incident on the masking layer profile. Re-deposition information can be determined. The re-deposition information indicates dependence of the etch rate on an amount of material removed from the masking layer profile that is re-deposited back on the masking layer profile. An output etch profile for the layer of the wafer is determined based on the loading information, the flux information, and/or the re-deposition information.

Method for determining an etch profile of a layer of a wafer for a simulation system

A method includes projecting an illumination beam of radiation onto a metrology target on a substrate, detecting radiation reflected from the metrology target on the substrate, and determining a characteristic of a feature on the substrate based on the detected radiation, wherein a polarization state of the detected radiation is controllably selected to optimize a quality of the detected radiation.

Method and apparatus for illumination adjustment

A method, system and program for determining a position of a feature referenced to a substrate. The method includes measuring a position of the feature, receiving an intended placement of the feature and determining an estimate of a placement error based on knowledge of a relative position of a first reference feature referenced to a first layer on a substrate with respect to a second reference feature referenced to a second layer on a substrate. The updated position may be used to position the layer of the substrate having the feature, or another layer of the substrate, or another layer of another substrate.

Method of determining a position of a feature

There is disclosed a method of measuring a process parameter for a manufacturing process involving lithography. In a disclosed arrangement the method comprises performing first and second measurements of overlay error in a region on a substrate, and obtaining a measure of the process parameter based on the first and second measurements of overlay error. The first measurement of overlay error is designed to be more sensitive to a perturbation in the process parameter than the second measurement of overlay error by a known amount.

Measuring a process parameter for a manufacturing process involving lithography

A method for determining a stack configuration for a substrate subjected to a patterning process. The method includes obtaining (i) measurement data of a stack configuration with location information on a printed substrate, (ii) a substrate model configured to predict a stack characteristic based on a location of the substrate, and (iii) a stack map including a plurality of stack configurations based on the substrate model. The method iteratively determines values of model parameters of the substrate model based on a fitting between the measurement data and the plurality of stack configurations of the stack map, and predicts an optimum stack configuration at a particular location based on the substrate model using the values of the model parameters.

Method for determining stack configuration of substrate

A method of measuring a parameter of a patterning process, the method including obtaining a measurement of a substrate processed by a patterning process, with a first metrology target measurement recipe; obtaining a measurement of the substrate with a second, different metrology target measurement recipe, wherein measurements using the first and second metrology target measurement recipes have their own distinct sensitivity to a metrology target structural asymmetry of the patterning process; and determining a value of the parameter by a weighted combination of the measurements of the substrate using the first and second metrology target measurement recipes, wherein the weighting reduces or eliminates the effect of the metrology target structural geometric asymmetry on the parameter of the patterning process determined from the measurements using the first and second metrology target measurement recipes.

Metrology using a plurality of metrology target measurement recipes

A substrate has first and second target structures formed thereon by a lithographic process. Each target structure has two-dimensional periodic structure formed in a single material layer on a substrate using first and second lithographic steps, wherein, in the first target structure, features defined in the second lithographic step are displaced relative to features defined in the first lithographic step by a first bias amount that is close to one half of a spatial period of the features formed in the first lithographic step, and, in the second target structure, features defined in the second lithographic step are displaced relative to features defined in the first lithographic step by a second bias amount close to one half of said spatial period and different to the first bias amount. An angle-resolved scatter spectrum of the first target structure and an angle-resolved scatter spectrum of the second target structure is obtained, and a measurement of a parameter of a lithographic process is derived from the measurements using asymmetry found in the scatter spectra of the first and second target structures.

Method and apparatus for measuring a parameter of a lithographic process, substrate and patterning devices for use in the method

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Fremont, CA, United States of America

Youping Zhang