US 7,732,109 B2 · Method and system for improving critical dimension uniformity

Abstract

A method for improving critical dimension uniformity of a wafer includes exposing a plurality of mask patterns on a first plurality of substrates at predetermined locations with common splits conditions of focus and exposure dose for each of the first plurality of substrates to form a plurality of perturbed wafers; measuring a critical dimension of the plurality of mask patterns at each of the predetermined locations for each of the plurality of perturbed wafers; averaging the critical dimension measured at each of the predetermined locations over the plurality of perturbed wafers to form a perturbed critical dimension map; measuring a sidewall angle of the plurality of mask patterns; averaging the sidewall angle measured to form a perturbed sidewall angle map; and providing the perturbed critical dimension map and the perturbed sidewall angle map to an exposure tool.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A method for improving substrate critical dimension uniformity, the method comprising:

exposing a plurality of mask patterns on a first plurality of substrates at predetermined locations with common split conditions of focus ({Fj}) and exposure dose ({Ek}) for each of the first plurality of substrates to form a plurality of perturbed wafers;
measuring a critical dimension of the plurality of mask patterns at each of the predetermined locations for each of the plurality of perturbed wafers;
averaging the critical dimension measured at each of the predetermined locations over the plurality of perturbed wafers to form a perturbed critical dimension map;
measuring a sidewall angle of the plurality of mask patterns at each of the predetermined locations for each of the plurality of perturbed wafers;
averaging the sidewall angle measured at each of the predetermined locations over the plurality of perturbed wafers to form a perturbed sidewall angle map;
and
providing the perturbed critical dimension map and the perturbed sidewall angle map to an exposure tool.

4 more elements

A system for improving substrate critical dimension uniformity comprising:

exposing means for exposing a plurality of mask patterns on a first plurality of substrates at predetermined locations with common splits of focus ({Fj}) and exposure dose ({Ek}) for each of the first plurality of substrates to form a plurality of perturbed wafers;
measuring means for measuring a critical dimension of the plurality of mask patterns at each of the predetermined locations for each of the plurality of perturbed wafers;
averaging means for averaging the critical dimension measured at each of the predetermined locations over the plurality of perturbed wafers to form a perturbed critical dimension map;
measuring means for measuring a sidewall angle of the plurality of mask patterns at each of the predetermined locations for each of the plurality of perturbed wafers;
averaging means for averaging the sidewall angle measured at each of the predetermined locations over the plurality of perturbed wafers to form a perturbed sidewall angle map;
and
providing means for providing the perturbed critical dimension map and the perturbed sidewall angle map to an exposure tool.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and system for improving critical dimension uniformity

Life of this patent

Method and system for improving critical dimension uniformity

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims21