Rule-based deployment of assist features
AssigneeASML Netherlands B.V.
InventorsDuan-Fu Stephen HSU, Kurt E. WAMPLER
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Several methods of reducing one or more pattern displacement errors, contrast loss, best focus shift, tilt of a Bossung curve of a portion of a design layout used in a patterning process for imaging that portion onto a substrate using a lithographic apparatus. The methods include determining or adjusting one or more characteristics of one or more assist features using the one or more rules based on one or more parameters selected from a group consisting of: one or more characteristics of one or more design features in the portion, one or more characteristics of the patterning process, one or more characteristics of the lithographic apparatus, and/or a combination selected from the foregoing.
Claims15
A method to improve a patterning process of imaging a portion of a design layout onto a substrate using a lithographic apparatus, the method comprising:
- obtaining one or more rules configured to determine one or more characteristics of one or more assist features based on one or more parameters selected from a group consisting of:
- one or more characteristics of one or more design features in the portion, one or more characteristics of the patterning process, one or more characteristics of the lithographic apparatus, and/or a combination selected from the foregoing;
- determining, by a hardware computer using the one or more rules, a distance between the one or more assist features and one of a pair of edges of the one or more design features, based on a spacing between the pair of edges such that the one or more assist features are asymmetrical with respect to the pair of edges;
- and
- placing the one or more assist features onto a patterning device.
A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having one or more rules recorded thereon, wherein the one or more rules determine one or more characteristics of one or more assist features based on one or more parameters selected from a group consisting of:
- one or more characteristics of one or more design features in a portion of a design layout, one or more characteristics of a patterning process, one or more characteristics of a lithographic apparatus, and/or a combination selected from the foregoing;
- wherein the one or more assist features are asymmetrical with respect to a pair of edges of the one or more design features.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.