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AssigneeASML Netherlands B.V.
InventorsMichael Matthew M. CROUSE, Youri Johannes Laurentius Maria VAN DOMMELEN, Peng LIU, Hua-Yu LIU, Aiqin JIANG, Wenjin HUANG
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A computer-implemented method for improving a lithographic process for imaging a portion of a design layout onto a substrate using a lithographic projection apparatus comprising an illumination source and projection optics, the method including computing a multi-variable cost function of a plurality of design variables that are characteristics of the lithographic process, at least some of the design variables being characteristics of the illumination source and the design layout, the computing of the multi-variable cost function accounting for lens heating effects; and reconfiguring the characteristics of the lithographic process by adjusting the design variables until a predefined termination condition is satisfied.
A computer-implemented method for improving a lithographic process for imaging a portion of a design layout onto a substrate using a lithographic projection apparatus comprising an illumination source and projection optics, the method comprising:
The method of claim 20, wherein the simplified reticle is selected from a group consisting of an estimated reticle transmission, a measured average transmission of a physical mask, a clip from a reticle, and a plurality of discrete portions of a reticle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.