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US RE43,643 E1Granted
Lithographic manufacturing process, lithographic projection apparatus, and device manufactured thereby
AssigneeASML Netherlands B.V.
InventorJozef Maria Finders
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A lithographic manufacturing process is disclosed in which first information of a lithographic transfer function of a first lithographic projection apparatus is obtained. The information is compared with second information of a reference lithographic transfer function (e.g. of a second lithographic projection apparatus). The difference between the first and second information is calculated. Then, the change of machine settings for the first lithographic projection apparatus, needed to minimize the difference, is calculated and applied to the first lithographic projection apparatus. In an exemplary application, a match between the first and second lithographic projection apparatus of any pitch-dependency of feature errors is improved.
Claims42
A lithographic apparatus comprising:
- a radiation system an illuminator configured to provide manipulate a projection beam of radiation, said radiation system illuminator having an exposure energy setting and an illumination setting;
- a support structure configured to support hold a patterning structure, the patterning structure serves configured to pattern the projection beam according to a desired pattern;
- a substrate table configured to hold a substrate;
- a projection system configured to project the patterned beam onto a target portion of the substrate;
- a memory device that provides information on spatial-frequency dependence of a lithographic transfer function of the lithographic apparatus and information on spatial-frequency dependence of a referencelithographic transfer function;
- and
- a processor configured to calculate (A) a difference between the information on spatial-frequency dependence of the lithographic transfer function of the lithographic apparatus spatial-frequency dependence on pitch of a feature error of a projected image by the lithographic apparatus at three or more pitches and reference information on spatial-frequency dependence of the reference lithographic transfer function at said three or more pitches on said spatial-frequency dependence on pitch, and (B) a change of at least one of said exposure energy settingand, or said illumination setting, or both said exposure energy setting and said illumination setting, to reduce said difference.
4 more elements
A lithographic apparatus comprising:
- a radiation system an illuminator configured to provide manipulate a beam of radiation;
- a support structure configured to support hold a patterning structure, the patterning structure serves configured to pattern the beam of radiation according to a desired pattern;
- a substrate table configured to hold a substrate;
- a projection system configured to project the patterned beam onto a target portion of the substrate;
- a memory device that provides information on spatial-frequency dependence of a lithographic transfer function of the lithographic apparatus and information on spatial-frequency dependence of a referencelithographic transfer function;
- and
- a processor configured to calculate
- (A) a difference between the information on spatial-frequency dependence of the lithographic transfer function of the lithographic apparatus on pitch of feature error of a projected image by the lithographic apparatus at three or more pitches and reference information on spatial-frequency dependence of the reference lithographic transfer function at said three or more pitches on said spatial-frequency dependence on pitch and
- (B) a change of at least one machine setting of the lithographic apparatus to reduce said difference.
6 more elements
A lithographic apparatus comprising:
- means for providing a beam of radiation;
- means for endowing the beam of radiation with a pattern in its cross-section;
- means for projecting the a patterned beam of radiation onto a target portion of a layer of radiation-sensitive material;
- means for obtaining information on spatial-frequency dependence of a lithographic transfer function of the apparatus on pitch of a feature error of a projected image by the lithographic apparatus at three or more pitches;
- and
- means for calculating a change of at least one machine settings setting of the lithographic apparatus based on a relation between (A) the information on spatial-frequency dependence of the lithographic transfer function of the apparatus on pitch of a feature error and (B) reference information at said three or more pitches on spatial-frequency dependence of a reference lithographic transfer function said spatial-frequency dependence on pitch.
3 more elements
A lithographic apparatus comprising:
- means for providing a beam of radiation, said means having an exposure energy setting and an illumination setting;
- means for supporting patterning structure, the patterning structure serving to pattern the beam of radiation according to a desired pattern;
- means for projecting the patterned beam onto a target portion of a substrate;
- memory means for providing information on spatial-frequency dependence of a lithographic transfer function of the lithographic apparatus and information on spatial-frequency dependence of a reference lithographic transfer function;
- and
- means for calculating, based on a relation between the information on spatial-frequency dependence of lithographic transfer function of the apparatus and information on spatial-frequency dependence of the reference lithographic transfer function, a change to be applied to at least one of the exposure energy setting and the illumination setting.
3 more elements
A lithographic apparatus comprising:
- an illuminator configured to manipulate a beam of radiation, said illuminator having an exposure energy setting and an illumination setting;
- a support structure configured to hold a patterning structure, the patterning structure configured to pattern the beam according to a desired pattern;
- a substrate table configured to hold a substrate;
- a projection system configured to project the patterned beam onto a target portion of the substrate;
- a memory device that provides information on spatial-frequency dependence of a lithographic, transfer function of the lithographic apparatus and information on spatial-frequency dependence of a reference lithographic transfer function;
- and
- a processor configured to calculate (A) a difference between the information on spatial-frequency dependence of the lithographic transfer function of the lithographic apparatus and reference information on spatial-frequency dependence of the reference lithographic transfer function, and (B) a change of at least one of said exposure energy setting, or said illumination setting, or both said exposure energy setting and said illumination setting, to reduce said difference.
4 more elements
A lithographic apparatus comprising:
- an illuminator configured to manipulate a beam of radiation;
- a support structure configured to hold a patterning structure, the patterning structure configured to pattern the beam of radiation according to a desired pattern;
- a substrate table configured to hold a substrate:
- a projection system configured to project the patterned beam onto a target portion of the substrate;
- a memory device that provides information on spatial-frequency dependence of a lithographic transfer function of the lithographic apparatus and information on spatial-frequency dependence of a reference lithographic transfer function;
- and
- a processor configured to calculate
- (A) a difference between the information on spatial-frequency dependence of the lithographic transfer function of the lithographic apparatus and information on spatial-frequency dependence of the reference lithographic transfer function, and
- (B) a change of at least one machine setting of the lithographic apparatus to reduce said difference.
6 more elements
A lithographic apparatus comprising:
- means for projecting a patterned beam of radiation onto a target portion of a layer of radiation-sensitive material;
- means for obtaining information on spatial-frequency dependence of a lithographic transfer function of the apparatus;
- and
- means for calculating a change of machine settings of the lithographic apparatus based on a relation between (A) the information on spatial-frequency dependence of the lithographic transfer function of the apparatus and (B) information on spatial-frequency dependence of a reference lithographic transfer function.
1 more element
A lithographic apparatus comprising:
- means for manipulating a beam of radiation, said means having an exposure energy setting and an illumination setting;
- means for holding a patterning structure, the patterning structure configured to pattern the beam of radiation according to a desired pattern;
- means for projecting the patterned beam onto a target portion of a substrate;
- memory means for providing information on spatial-frequency dependence of a lithographic transfer function of the lithographic apparatus and information on spatial-frequency dependence of a reference lithographic transfer function;
- and
- means for calculating, based on a relation between the information on spatial-frequency dependence of lithographic transfer function of the apparatus and information on spatial-frequency dependence of the reference lithographic transfer function, a change to be applied to at least one of the exposure energy setting, or the illumination setting, or both the exposure energy setting and the illumination setting.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.