Characterizing kernel function in photolithography based on photoresist pattern

A method of determining a range of a kernel function of a lithographic system comprising:

• exposing, in said lithographic system, a photosensitive layer on a top surface of a substrate through a mask having a plurality of mask images of decreasing widths;
• developing said photosensitive layer to form a plurality of corresponding transferred images in said photosensitive layer;
• comparing widths of said transferred images with widths of corresponding mask images;
• and
• defining said range of said kernel function as a smallest transferred image width that equals a corresponding mask image width.

A method of determining a shape of an integral of a kernel function of a lithographic system comprising:

• exposing, in said lithographic system, a photosensitive layer on a top surface of a substrate through a mask having a mask image, said mask image being of sufficient width to ensure a transferred image will not exhibit foreshortening but will exhibit corner rounding in a region at a corner of said transferred image;
• developing said photosensitive layer to form said transferred image in said photosensitive coating;
• defining a reference point as an intersection of projected extensions of the edges of said transferred image;
• and
• measuring x and y distances from said reference point to a plurality of points along said transferred image in said region of corner rounding to form a set value numerical evaluation of said integral of said kernel function.

A method of determining a shape of an integral of a kernel function of a lithographic system comprising:

• exposing, in said lithographic system, a photosensitive layer on a top surface of a substrate through a mask having a plurality of mask images of decreasing widths;
• developing said photosensitive layer to form a plurality of corresponding transferred images in said photosensitive layer;
• comparing widths of said transferred images with widths of corresponding mask images to determine line width narrowing;
• and
• forming a set value numerical evaluation of said integral of said kernel function based on said line width narrowing.

A method of determining a shape of an integral of a kernel function of a lithographic system comprising:

• exposing, in said lithographic system, a photosensitive layer on a top surface of a substrate through a mask having a plurality of mask images of decreasing widths, said mask image being of sufficient width to ensure first transferred images will not exhibit foreshortening but will exhibit corner rounding in a region at a corner of said transferred image;
• developing said photosensitive layer to form said transferred image in said photosensitive coating;
• defining a reference point as an intersection of projected extensions of the edges of said first transferred images;
• measuring x and y distances from said reference point to a plurality of points along said first transferred images in said region of corner rounding;
• comparing widths of second transferred images with widths of corresponding mask images to determine line width narrowing;
• and
• forming a set value numerical evaluation of said integral of said kernel function based on said line width narrowing and said measuring.

A method of determining a range of a kernel function of a lithographic system comprising:

• exposing, in said lithographic system, a photosensitive layer on a top surface of a substrate through a mask having a plurality of mask images of decreasing widths;
• developing said photosensitive layer to form a plurality of corresponding transferred images in said photosensitive layer;
• comparing widths of said transferred images with widths of corresponding mask images;
• and
• defining said range of said kernel function as half of a smallest transferred image width before line-end foreshortening occurs.