Process window optimizer
AssigneeASML Netherlands B.V.
InventorsStefan Hunsche, Venugopal Vellanki
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Abstract
A defect prediction method for a device manufacturing process involving processing a pattern onto a substrate, the method comprising: identifying a processing window limiting pattern (PWLP) from the pattern; determining a processing parameter under which the PWLP is processed; and determining or predicting, using the processing parameter, existence, probability of existence, a characteristic, or a combination thereof, of a defect produced from the PWLP with the device manufacturing process.
Claims20
A defect determination or prediction method for a device manufacturing process involving processing a pattern onto a substrate, the method comprising:
- identifying a processing window limiting pattern (PWLP) from the pattern;
- determining a processing parameter under which the processing window limiting pattern is processed;
- and
- determining or predicting, using the processing parameter and the computer, existence, probability of existence, a characteristic, or a combination thereof, of a defect produced from the processing window limiting pattern with the device manufacturing process.
A method of manufacturing a device involving processing a pattern onto a substrate or onto a die of the substrate, the method comprising:
- determining a processing parameter before processing the substrate or the die;
- predicting or determining existence of a defect, probability of existence of a defect, a characteristic of a defect, or a combination thereof, using the processing parameter before processing the substrate or the die, and using a characteristic of the substrate or the die, a characteristic of the geometry of a pattern to be processed onto the substrate or the die, or both;
- adjusting the processing parameter based on the prediction or determination so as to eliminate, reduce the probability of or reduce the severity of, the defect.
A defect determination, prediction or classification method for a lithographic process, wherein the method comprises a step of determining or predicting existence, probability of existence, a characteristic, or a combination thereof, of a defect using a simulation of at least a part of the lithographic process.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.