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:
Jan. 28, 2014
Filed:
Sep. 23, 2011
Robert John Socha, Campbell, CA (US);
Robert John Socha, Campbell, CA (US);
ASML Masktools B.V., Veldhoven, NL;
Abstract
A method of decomposing a target pattern having features to be imaged on a substrate so as to allow said features to be imaged in a multi-exposure process. The method includes the steps of: segmenting a plurality of the features into a plurality of polygons; determining the image log slope (ILS) value for each of the plurality of polygons; determining the polygon having the minimum ILS value, and defining a mask containing the polygon; convolving the defined mask with an eigen function of a transmission cross coefficient so as to generate an interference map, where the transmission cross coefficient defines the illumination system to be utilized to image the target pattern; and, assigning a phase to the polygon based on the value of the interference map at a location corresponding to the polygon, where the phase defines which exposure in said multi-exposure process the polygon is assigned.