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:
Aug. 18, 2015

Filed:

Sep. 22, 2011
Applicant:

Luoqi Chen, Saratoga, CA (US);

Inventor:

Luoqi Chen, Saratoga, CA (US);

Assignee:

ASML NETHERLANDS B.V., Veldhoven, NL;

Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
G03B 27/68 (2006.01); G03B 27/32 (2006.01); G03F 7/20 (2006.01); H01L 21/027 (2006.01); G03B 27/54 (2006.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
G03F 7/70566 (2013.01); G03F 7/705 (2013.01); G03F 7/70125 (2013.01); H01L 21/027 (2013.01); G03F 7/20 (2013.01);
Abstract

A lithographic simulation process is described, where each source point in a preselected group of source points at a pupil plane of an illumination source is represented by one or more variable parameters, wherein at least some of the variable parameters characterize a polarization state at the source point. One or both of the preselected group of source points in the illumination source and a representation of the design layout are iteratively reconfigured based on a computed gradient of a cost function with respect to the one or more variable parameters until a desired lithographic response is obtained, wherein the cost function comprises an aerial image intensity of a representation of the design layout projected using the preselected group of source points. Physical hardware to implement the source polarization variation is also described.


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