Pattern estimating method and pattern forming method
AssigneeKabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
InventorsKei Hayasaki, Shinichi Ito, Fumio Komatsu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pattern estimating method, wherein during exposure for forming the device pattern, a latent image of a monitor pattern which has the same pitch as an L/S pattern as the device pattern and has a narrower line width than the L/S pattern is formed in a mark area, after developing the device pattern, probing light is applied from a monitor head to the monitor pattern, and under the conditions for preventing generation of diffracted light of first-order or more, the intensity of zero-order light reflected from the monitor pattern is detected, so that the size of the device pattern is estimated on the basis of the prestored relationship between the device pattern size and the zero-order diffracted light intensity.
Claims20
A pattern estimating method for estimating a size of a device pattern which is formed by exposing a resist film on a to-be-processed substrate by a mask including a device pattern image, developing the device pattern, and estimating the size of the device pattern, comprising the steps of:
- designing a monitor pattern by cutting part of the device pattern, by designing an element area using the cut part or partially changing the size of the cut part, and by repeatedly arranging the element area to form the monitor pattern;
- exposing the resist film by the mask including both the device pattern and the monitor pattern;
- detecting the intensity of diffracted light which is reflected from the developed monitor pattern when light of a predetermined wavelength has been applied to the developed monitor pattern, after the exposed resist film is developed;
- and
- estimating the size of the developed device pattern according to the intensity of the detected diffracted light on the basis of a predetermined relationship between a diffracted light intensity and a device pattern size.
A pattern forming method for forming a device pattern by exposing a resist film on a to-be-processed substrate by a mask including a device pattern, developing the exposed resist film for a certain period, and forming a device pattern, comprising the steps of:
- designing a monitor pattern by cutting part of the device pattern, by designing an element area using the cut part area or partially changing the size of the cut part, and by repeatedly arranging the element area to form the monitor pattern;
- exposing the resist film by the mask including both the device pattern and the monitor pattern;
- detecting the intensity of diffracted light which is reflected from the developing monitor pattern when light of a predetermined wavelength has been applied to the developing monitor pattern, while exposed the resist film is developing;
- estimating the size of the developing device pattern according to the intensity of the detected diffracted light on the basis of a predetermined relationship between a diffracted light intensity and a device pattern size;
- and
- stopping development when the estimated size of the device pattern has reached a desired value.
A pattern forming method for forming a device pattern by exposing a plurality of chip areas of a resist film on a to-be-processed substrate by the mask including a device pattern, heating and developing them to form a device pattern in each of the chip areas, comprising the steps of:
- exposing each of the chip areas of the resist film on the to-be-processed substrate to form a latent image monitor area, a development monitor area, and the device pattern in said each chip area;
- measuring the intensity of light of a predetermined wavelength which is reflected from the latent image monitor area in said each chip area when the light is applied to the latent image monitor area between the heating process after exposure and the development process;
- extracting that one of the chip areas on the to-be-processed substrate, which has been processed under typical conditions, on the basis of the measurement results;
- and
- stopping development on the basis of a change in the intensity of light of a predetermined wavelength which is reflected from the development monitor area in the extracted chip area when the light has been applied to the development monitor area during development for forming the device patterns.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.