The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.

The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.

Date of Patent:
Apr. 21, 2020

Filed:

Dec. 21, 2016
Applicant:

Asml Netherlands B.v., Veldhoven, NL;

Inventors:

Wim Tjibbo Tel, Helmond, NL;

Thomas I. Wallow, San Carlos, CA (US);

Assignee:

ASML NETHERLANDS B.V., Veldhoven, NL;

Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
G03B 27/32 (2006.01); G03F 7/20 (2006.01); G06F 17/50 (2006.01); H01L 21/033 (2006.01); G03F 1/36 (2012.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
G03F 7/70425 (2013.01); G03F 1/36 (2013.01); G03F 7/705 (2013.01); G03F 7/70325 (2013.01); G03F 7/70433 (2013.01); G06F 17/5068 (2013.01); H01L 21/0334 (2013.01); G03F 7/70441 (2013.01);
Abstract

Provided is a process including: obtaining a layout specifying, at least in part, a pattern to be transferred to a substrate via a patterning process and an etch process; and modifying, with one or more processors, the layout to include an etch-assist feature that is larger than a resolution limit of the patterning process and smaller than a resolution limit of the etch process, the etch-assist feature being configured to reduce a bias of the patterning process or the etch process, to reduce an etch induced shift of a feature in the layout due to the etch process, or to expand a process window of another patterning process.


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