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US 2012/0070786 A1Published application
Method for monitoring photolithography process and monitor mark
OwnerChien-Min Wu, Chien-Chih Cheninventors
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Abstract
A method for monitoring a photolithography process includes providing a monitor mark having high sensitivity of the focus of the photolithography process, transferring the monitor mark together with the product patterns through the photolithography process onto a substrate, and measuring the deviation dimension of the monitor mark formed on the substrate to real-time monitor the focus of the photolithography process.
Claims9
A method for monitoring a photolithography process, comprising:
- (a) providing a photomask with a monitor mark, the monitor mark having at least a set of line-end monitor pattern;
- (b) providing a process parameter database of the photolithography process, the process parameter database comprising a relationship between an line-end shortening dimension of the set of the line-end monitor pattern formed by the photolithography process and a focus of the photolithography system;
- (c) performing the photolithography process for transferring a pattern of the photomask to the substrate to form at least a photolithography mark pattern on the substrate corresponding to the monitor mark;
- (d) measuring an line-end shortening dimension of the photolithography mark pattern to obtain a measuring result;
- (e) comparing the measuring result and the process parameter database to determine whether the deviation of the focus of the photolithography process occurs and to determine the scale of the deviation.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.