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:
Jun. 16, 2015

Filed:

Nov. 19, 2013
Applicant:

International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US);

Inventors:

Stephen E. Greco, Lagrangeville, NY (US);

Ian P. Stobert, Hopewell Junction, NY (US);

Rasit O. Topaloglu, Poughkeepsie, NY (US);

Attorneys:
Primary Examiner:
Assistant Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
G06F 17/50 (2006.01); H01L 21/66 (2006.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
G06F 17/5068 (2013.01); H01L 22/12 (2013.01); H01L 22/20 (2013.01);
Abstract

A method of determining focal planes during a photolithographic exposure of a wafer surface is provided. The method may include receiving data corresponding to a surface topography of the wafer surface and determining, based on the received data corresponding to the surface topography, a plurality of regions having substantially different topographies. Reticle design data is received for exposure on the wafer surface, whereby, from the received reticle design data, reticle design data subsets that are each allocated to a corresponding one of the determined plurality of regions are generated. A best fit focal plane is then generated for each of the determined plurality of regions.


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