公开(公告)号：US11797748B2

公开(公告)日：2023-10-24

申请号：US17418102

申请日：2019-11-18

Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.

Inventor： Quan Zhang ,  Yong-Ju Cho ,  Zhangnan Zhu ,  Boyang Huang ,  Been-Der Chen

IPC: G06F30/30 ,  G03F7/00 ,  G06F30/398 ,  G03F1/36 ,  G03F1/70 ,  G03F1/44 ,  G06F119/18

CPC classification number: G06F30/398 ,  G03F1/36 ,  G03F1/70 ,  G03F7/70441 ,  G03F1/44 ,  G06F2119/18

Abstract: A method for generating a mask pattern to be employed in a patterning process. The method including obtaining (i) a first feature patch including a first polygon portion of an initial mask pattern, and (ii) a second feature patch including a second polygon portion of the initial mask pattern; adjusting the second polygon portion at a patch boundary between the first feature patch and the second feature patch such that a difference between the first polygon portion and the second polygon portion at the patch boundary is reduced; and combining the first polygon portion and the adjusted second polygon portion at the patch boundary to form the mask pattern.

公开(公告)号：US11580289B2

公开(公告)日：2023-02-14

申请号：US17297801

申请日：2019-10-29

Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.

Inventor： Roshni Biswas ,  Rafael C. Howell ,  Cuiping Zhang ,  Ningning Jia ,  Jingjing Liu ,  Quan Zhang

IPC: G06F30/30 ,  G03F7/20 ,  G06F30/398 ,  G06F30/392 ,  G06F119/18

Abstract: A method for determining a patterning device pattern. The method includes obtaining (i) an initial patterning device pattern having at least one feature, and (ii) a desired feature size of the at least one feature, obtaining, based on a patterning process model, the initial patterning device pattern and a target pattern for a substrate, a difference value between a predicted pattern of the substrate image by the initial patterning device and the target pattern for the substrate, determining a penalty value related the manufacturability of the at least one feature, wherein the penalty value varies as a function of the size of the at least one feature, and determining the patterning device pattern based on the initial patterning device pattern and the desired feature size such that a sum of the difference value and the penalty value is reduced.

公开(公告)号：US11734490B2

公开(公告)日：2023-08-22

申请号：US17564837

申请日：2021-12-29

Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.

Inventor： Quan Zhang ,  Been-Der Chen ,  Rafael C. Howell ,  Jing Su ,  Yi Zou ,  Yen-Wen Lu

IPC: G06F30/30 ,  G03F1/30 ,  G03F7/20 ,  G06F30/398 ,  G03F1/36 ,  G03F1/70 ,  G03F7/00 ,  G06F119/18

CPC classification number: G06F30/398 ,  G03F1/36 ,  G03F1/70 ,  G03F7/70441 ,  G03F7/705 ,  G06F2119/18

Abstract: A method to determine a curvilinear pattern of a patterning device that includes obtaining (i) an initial image of the patterning device corresponding to a target pattern to be printed on a substrate subjected to a patterning process, and (ii) a process model configured to predict a pattern on the substrate from the initial image, generating, by a hardware computer system, an enhanced image from the initial image, generating, by the hardware computer system, a level set image using the enhanced image, and iteratively determining, by the hardware computer system, a curvilinear pattern for the patterning device based on the level set image, the process model, and a cost function, where the cost function (e.g., EPE) determines a difference between a predicted pattern and the target pattern, where the difference is iteratively reduced.

公开(公告)号：US11232249B2

公开(公告)日：2022-01-25

申请号：US16976492

申请日：2019-02-28

Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.

Inventor： Quan Zhang ,  Been-Der Chen ,  Rafael C. Howell ,  Jing Su ,  Yi Zou ,  Yen-Wen Lu

IPC: G06F30/30 ,  G03F1/30 ,  G03F7/20 ,  G06F30/398 ,  G03F1/36 ,  G03F1/70 ,  G06F119/18

Abstract: A method to determine a curvilinear pattern of a patterning device that includes obtaining (i) an initial image of the patterning device corresponding to a target pattern to be printed on a substrate subjected to a patterning process, and (ii) a process model configured to predict a pattern on the substrate from the initial image, generating, by a hardware computer system, an enhanced image from the initial image, generating, by the hardware computer system, a level set image using the enhanced image, and iteratively determining, by the hardware computer system, a curvilinear pattern for the patterning device based on the level set image, the process model, and a cost function, where the cost function (e.g., EPE) determines a difference between a predicted pattern and the target pattern, where the difference is iteratively reduced.

公开(公告)号：US11972194B2

公开(公告)日：2024-04-30

申请号：US18089848

申请日：2022-12-28

Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.

Inventor： Roshni Biswas ,  Rafael C. Howell ,  Cuiping Zhang ,  Ningning Jia ,  Jingjing Liu ,  Quan Zhang

IPC: G06F30/30 ,  G03F7/00 ,  G03F7/20 ,  G06F30/392 ,  G06F30/398 ,  G06F119/18

CPC classification number: G06F30/398 ,  G03F7/70441 ,  G03F7/705 ,  G03F7/70625 ,  G06F30/392 ,  G06F2119/18

Abstract: A method for determining a patterning device pattern. The method includes obtaining (i) an initial patterning device pattern having at least one feature, and (ii) a desired feature size of the at least one feature, obtaining, based on a patterning process model, the initial patterning device pattern and a target pattern for a substrate, a difference value between a predicted pattern of the substrate image by the initial patterning device and the target pattern for the substrate, determining a penalty value related the manufacturability of the at least one feature, wherein the penalty value varies as a function of the size of the at least one feature, and determining the patterning device pattern based on the initial patterning device pattern and the desired feature size such that a sum of the difference value and the penalty value is reduced.