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.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 10, 2021
Filed:
Jun. 12, 2020
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd., Hsin-Chu, TW;
Yen-Cheng Lu, New Taipei, TW;
Chia-Hao Hsu, Hsinchu, TW;
Shinn-Sheng Yu, Hsinchu, TW;
Chia-Chen Chen, Hsinchu, TW;
Jeng-Horng Chen, Hsinchu, TW;
Anthony Yen, Hsinchu, TW;
TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD., Hsinchu, TW;
Abstract
Various methods are disclosed herein for reducing (or eliminating) printability of mask defects during lithography processes. An exemplary method includes performing a first lithography exposing process and a second lithography exposing process using a mask to respectively image a first set of polygons oriented substantially along a first direction and a second set of polygons oriented substantially along a second direction on a target. During the first lithography exposing process, a phase distribution of light diffracted from the mask is dynamically modulated to defocus any mask defect oriented at least partially along both the first direction and a third direction that is different than the first direction. During the second lithography exposing process, the phase distribution of light diffracted from the mask is dynamically modulated to defocus any mask defect oriented at least partially along both the second direction and a fourth direction that is different than the third direction.