Smart subfield method for E-beam lithography
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsPei-Shiang Chen, Hung-Chun Wang, Jeng-Horng Chen, Cheng-Hung Chen, Shih-Chi Wang, Nian-Fuh Cheng, Chia-Chi Lin
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Abstract
The present disclosure provides a method of improving a layer to layer overlay error by an electron beam lithography system. The method includes generating a smart boundary of two subfields at the first pattern layer and obeying the smart boundary at all consecutive pattern layers. The same subfield is exposed by the same electron beam writer at all pattern layers. The overlay error caused by the different electron beam at different layer is improved.
Claims20
A method of patterning a substrate, comprising:
- receiving an integrated circuit (IC) design layout data comprising at least one main feature;
- modifying the at least one main feature using an electron proximity correction (EPC) technique;
- stripping the at least one EPC modified main feature into a plurality of subfields;
- converting the at least one EPC modified main feature to a plurality of electron beam writer formatted features;
- and
- writing the plurality of electron beam writer formatted features onto the substrate by an electron beam writer.
A method of exposing a substrate, comprising:
- receiving an integrated circuit (IC) design layout data comprising at least one main feature;
- performing an electron proximity correction (EPC) to the at least one main feature;
- stripping the at least one EPC modified main feature into a plurality of subfields;
- converting the at least one EPC modified main feature to a plurality of electron beam writer format data;
- and
- writing the electron beam writer format data on a substrate by an electron beam writer.
A method of patterning a substrate, comprising:
- depositing a resist film on a substrate;
- receiving a pattern including a plurality of polygons;
- receiving a beam path mapping for an electron beam writer;
- modifying at least one edge of one of the plurality of polygons so that the polygon fits into one beam path to form a modified pattern, wherein the plurality of polygons further includes a plurality of subfields;
- converting the modified pattern to a plurality of electron beam formats prior to exposing, wherein each of the subfields is assigned with one of the electron beam formats;
- exposing the resist film deposited on the substrate by the electron beam writer using the modified pattern;
- and
- developing the exposed resist film to form a resist pattern on the substrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.