Lithographic method and arrangement for manufacturing a spacer

A lithographic arrangement comprising:

• an illumination system configured to provide a beam of radiation;
• a support constructed to support a patterning device, the patterning device serving to impart the beam of radiation with a pattern in its cross-section;
• a substrate table configured to hold a substrate;
• a projection system configured to project the patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of the substrate;
• and
• a controller,
• wherein the lithographic arrangement is constructed and arranged to:
• provide a first layer of material on a surface of the substrate;
• expose a part of the first layer of material to the beam of radiation in order to form a first pattern feature in the first layer of material, the first pattern feature having sidewalls;
• provide a second layer of material over the first pattern feature, the second layer of material providing a coating on sidewalls of the first pattern feature;
• remove a portion of the second layer of material, leaving a coating of the second layer of material on sidewalls of the first pattern feature;
• remove the first pattern feature formed from the first layer of material, leaving on the substrate at least a part of the second layer of material that formed a coating on sidewalls of that first pattern feature, the part of the second layer of material left on the substrate forming second pattern features in locations adjacent to the locations of sidewalls of the removed first pattern feature,
• wherein the controller is configured to receive information associated with a measurement of a previously formed second pattern feature, or a spacing between previously formed second pattern features, and, wherein the controller is configured to control at least a part of the lithographic arrangement in order to control the focal property of the beam of radiation to control a sidewall angle of the sidewalls of the first pattern feature to adjust a distance between two adjacent second pattern features respectively formed on two adjacent first pattern features, thereby affecting a dimension of the coating of the second layer of material on the sidewalls of the first pattern feature.

A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with instructions for performing a lithographic method comprising:

• providing a first layer of material on a surface of a substrate;
• exposing a part of the first layer of material to a beam of radiation in order to form a first pattern feature in the first layer of material, the first pattern feature having sidewalls;
• providing a second layer of material over the first pattern feature, the second layer of material providing a coating on sidewalls of the first pattern feature;
• removing a portion of the second layer of material, leaving a coating of the second layer of material on sidewalls of the first pattern feature;
• removing the first pattern feature formed from the first layer of material, leaving on the substrate at least a part of the second layer of material that formed a coating on sidewalls of that first pattern feature, the part of the second layer of material left on the substrate forming second pattern features in locations adjacent to the locations of sidewalls of the removed first pattern feature, and
• adjusting a distance between two adjacent second pattern features respectively formed on two adjacent first pattern features by controlling a focal property of the beam of radiation during exposure of the first layer of material so as to control a sidewall angle of said sidewalls, thereby affecting a dimension of the coating of the second layer of material on the sidewalls of the first pattern feature.

A processor of a lithographic arrangement arranged to perform a lithographic method, the processor comprising:

• software code for providing a first layer of material on a surface of a substrate;
• software code for exposing a part of the first layer of material to a beam of radiation in order to form a first pattern feature in the first layer of material, the first pattern feature having sidewalls;
• software code for providing a second layer of material over the first pattern feature, the second layer of material providing a coating on sidewalls of the first pattern feature;
• software code for removing a portion of the second layer of material, leaving a coating of the second layer of material on sidewalls of the first pattern feature;
• software code for removing the first pattern feature formed from the first layer of material, leaving on the substrate at least a part of the second layer of material that formed a coating on sidewalls of that first pattern feature, the part of the second layer of material left on the substrate forming second pattern features in locations adjacent to the locations of sidewalls of the removed first pattern feature, and
• software code for adjusting a distance between two adjacent second pattern features respectively formed on two adjacent first pattern features by controlling a focal property of the beam of radiation during exposure of the first layer of material so as to control a sidewall angle of said sidewalls, thereby affecting a dimension of the coating of the second layer of material on the sidewalls of the first pattern feature.