Back to results
US 11,029,594 B2Granted
Optimization of a lithography apparatus or patterning process based on selected aberration
AssigneeASML Netherlands B.V.
InventorsSteven George Hansen, Kateryna Stanislavovna Lyakhova, Paulus Jacobus Maria Van Adrichem
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method including obtaining a selected component of optical aberration of or for a lithography apparatus, under a processing condition; computing an approximate of a cost function, based on the selected component; and producing an adjustment of the lithography apparatus or a patterning process that uses the lithography apparatus, based on the approximate of the cost function.
Claims21
A method comprising:
- obtaining a selected component of optical aberration of or for a lithography apparatus, under a processing condition;
- computing, by a hardware computer system, an approximate of a cost function, based on the selected component of optical aberration;
- producing an adjustment for the lithography apparatus or a patterning process that uses the lithography apparatus, based on the approximate of the cost function;
- and
- outputting the adjustment, or data derived therefrom, for use in or with the lithography apparatus or the patterning process that uses the lithography apparatus,
- wherein the cost function is a function of a plurality of design variables that represent one or more characteristics of the patterning process, wherein:
- producing an adjustment of the lithography apparatus or the patterning process comprises producing an adjustment of one or more of the design variables until a certain termination condition is satisfied, and/or
- the selected component of optical aberration is among the design variables, and/or
- the selected component of optical aberration is a function of one or more of the design variables.
6 more elements
A method comprising:
- obtaining a selected component of optical aberration of or for a lithography apparatus, under a processing condition;
- computing, by a hardware computer system, an approximate of a cost function, based on the selected component of optical aberration;
- producing an adjustment for the lithography apparatus or a patterning process that uses the lithography apparatus, based on the approximate of the cost function;
- and
- outputting the adjustment, or data derived therefrom, for use in or with the lithography apparatus or the patterning process that uses the lithography apparatus,
- wherein computing the approximate of the cost function comprises computing an approximate of a metric the cost function represents,
- wherein computing the approximate of the metric comprises:
- for each of a plurality of selected components of optical aberration, determining a largest value of a pattern characteristic in a group of patterns, caused by that selected component;
- and
- averaging the largest values caused by all the selected components.
7 more elements
A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions therein, the instructions, when executed by a computer system, configured to cause the computer system to at least:
- obtain a selected component of optical aberration of or for a lithography apparatus, under a processing condition;
- compute an approximate of a cost function, based on the selected component of optical aberration;
- produce an adjustment for the lithography apparatus or a patterning process that uses the lithography apparatus, based on the approximate of the cost function;
- and
- output the adjustment, or data derived therefrom, for use in or with the lithography apparatus or the patterning process that uses the lithography apparatus
- wherein the cost function is a function of a plurality of design variables that represent one or more characteristics of the patterning process, wherein:
- producing an adjustment of the lithography apparatus or the patterning process comprises producing an adjustment of one or more of the design variables until a certain termination condition is satisfied, and/or
- the selected component of optical aberration is among the design variables, and/or
- the selected component of optical aberration is a function of one or more of the design variables.
6 more elements
A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions therein, the instructions, when executed by a computer system, configured to cause the computer system to at least:
- obtain a selected component of optical aberration of or for a lithography apparatus, under a processing condition;
- compute an approximate of a cost function, based on the selected component of optical aberration;
- produce an adjustment for the lithography apparatus or a patterning process that uses the lithography apparatus, based on the approximate of the cost function;
- and
- output the adjustment, or data derived therefrom, for use in or with the lithography apparatus or the patterning process that uses the lithography apparatus,
- wherein computation of the approximate of the cost function comprises computation of an approximate of a metric the cost function represents,
- wherein computation of the approximate of the metric comprises:
- for each of a plurality of selected components of optical aberration, determination of a largest value of a pattern characteristic in a group of patterns, caused by that selected component;
- and
- averaging of the largest values caused by all the selected components.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.