Tool mismatch reduction using aberration map of the tools
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsShih-Chuan Huang, Sheng-Min Wang, Shih-Ming Chang, Ken-Hsien Hsieh
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a method of tool matching, aberration maps of two or more optical systems of two or more scanner tools are determined. A photoresist pattern is generated by projecting a first layout pattern by an optical system of each one of the two or more scanner tools on a respective substrate. One or more Zernike coefficients of the two or more optical systems are adjusted based on the determined aberration maps of the two or more optical systems to minimize critical dimension (CD) variations in a first region of the photoresist patterns on each respective substrate.
Claims20
A method of tool matching, comprising:
- determining aberration maps of two or more optical systems of two or more scanner tools;
- adjusting one or more Zernike coefficients of the two or more optical systems, based on the determined aberration maps of the two or more optical systems, to minimize critical dimension (CD) variations between the two or more scanner tools;
- generating a photoresist pattern by projecting a first layout pattern on a respective substrate by an optical system of each one of the two or more scanner tools;
- determining if the CD variations in a first region of the photoresist patterns of the respective substrates are within a threshold value;
- and
- repeating the adjusting, the generating, and the determining if the CD variations are not within the threshold value in the first region.
A method of tool matching, comprising:
- determining aberration maps of two or more optical systems of two or more scanner tools;
- adjusting two or more Zernike coefficients of the two or more optical systems, based on the determined aberration maps of the two or more optical systems, to minimize critical dimension (CD) variations between the two or more scanner tools;
- first generating a first photoresist pattern by projecting a first layout pattern on a respective substrate by an optical system of each one of the two or more scanner tools;
- second generating a second photoresist pattern by projecting a second layout pattern on the respective substrate by the optical system of each one of the two or more scanner tools;
- determining if the CD variations in a first region of the first photoresist patterns and in a second region of the second photoresist patterns of the respective substrates are within a threshold value;
- and
- repeating the adjusting, the first generating, the second generating, and the determining if the CD variations are not within the threshold value in the first region and in the second region.
A method of tool matching, comprising:
- determining aberration maps of a first optical system of a first scanner tool and a second optical system of a second scanner tool;
- reducing critical dimension (CD) variations between the first scanner tool and the second scanner tool by adjusting one or more Zernike coefficients of the first optical system and the second optical system, based on the determined aberration maps of the first optical system of the first scanner tool and the second optical system of the second scanner tool;
- generating a photoresist pattern by projecting a layout pattern on a respective substrate by the first optical system of the first scanner tool and the second optical system of the second scanner tool;
- determining if the CD variations in a region of the photoresist patterns of the respective substrates are within a threshold value;
- and
- repeating the adjusting, the generating, and the determining if the CD variations are not within the threshold value in the region.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.