公开(公告)号：US20220163899A1

公开(公告)日：2022-05-26

申请号：US17434802

申请日：2020-02-10

申请人： ASML Nethlands B. V. ,  Cymer, LLC

发明人： Willard Earl CONLEY ,  Joshua Jon THORNES ,  Duan-Fu Stephen HSU

IPC分类号： G03F7/20

摘要： Systems, methods, and computer programs for increasing a contrast for a lithography system are disclosed. In one aspect, a method of optimizing a process for imaging a feature on a substrate using a photolithography system is disclosed, the method including obtaining an optical spectrum of a light beam for the imaging, wherein the light beam includes pulses having a plurality of different wavelengths, and narrowing the optical spectrum of the pulses of the light beam for the imaging to improve a quality metric of the imaging.

公开(公告)号：US20210349404A1

公开(公告)日：2021-11-11

申请号：US17283056

申请日：2019-10-11

申请人： ASML NETHERLANDS B.V. ,  CYMER, LLC

发明人： Willard Earl CONLEY ,  Joshua Jon THORNES ,  Duan-Fu Stephen HSU ,  Gregory Allen RECHTSTEINER

IPC分类号： G03F7/20

摘要： Systems, methods, and computer programs for increasing a depth of focus for a lithography system are disclosed. In one aspect, a method includes providing an optical spectrum, a mask pattern, and a pupil design, that together are configured to provide the lithography system with a depth of focus. The method also includes iteratively varying the optical spectrum and an assist feature in the mask pattern to provide a modified optical spectrum and a modified mask pattern that increases the depth of focus. The method further includes configuring a component of the lithography system based on the modified optical spectrum and the modified mask pattern that increases the depth of focus.

公开(公告)号：US20240045341A1

公开(公告)日：2024-02-08

申请号：US18266246

申请日：2021-12-09

申请人： ASML NETHERLANDS B.V. ,  Cymer, LLC

发明人： Willard Earl CONLEY ,  Duan-Fu Stephen HSU ,  Joshua Jon THORNES ,  Johannes Jacobus Matheus BASELMANS

IPC分类号： G03F7/00 ,  G03F7/20

CPC分类号： G03F7/70575 ,  G03F7/70583 ,  G03F7/70025 ,  G03F7/2004

摘要： A method for improving a lithographic process of imaging a portion of a design layout onto a substrate using a lithographic apparatus. The method includes computing a multi-variable cost function that is a function of: (i) a plurality of design variables that affect characteristics of the lithographic process and (ii) a radiation bandwidth of a radiation source of the lithographic apparatus; and reconfiguring one or more of the characteristics (e.g., EPE, image contrast, resist, etc.) of the lithographic process by adjusting one or more of the design variables (e.g., source, mask layout, bandwidth, etc.) until a termination condition is satisfied. The termination condition includes a speckle characteristic (e.g., a speckle contrast) maintained within a speckle specification associated with the radiation source and also maintaining an image contrast associated with the lithographic process within a desired range. The speckle characteristic being a function of the radiation bandwidth.

公开(公告)号：US20230010700A1

公开(公告)日：2023-01-12

申请号：US17780287

申请日：2020-11-05

申请人： CYMER, LLC ,  ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.

发明人： Willard Earl CONLEY ,  Duan-Fu Stephen HSU

IPC分类号： G03F7/20

摘要： Enhancing target features of a pattern imaged onto a substrate. This may include adding one or more assist features to a patterning device pattern in one or more locations adjacent to one or more target features in the patterning device pattern. The one or more assist features are added based on two or more different focus positions in the substrate. This can also include shifting the patterning device pattern and/or a design layout based on the two or more different focus positions and the one or more added assist features. This may be useful for improving across slit asymmetry. Adding the one or more assist features to the pattern and shifting the pattern and/or the design layout enhances the target features by reducing a shift caused by across slit asymmetry for a slit of a multifocal lithographic imaging apparatus. This may reduce the shift across an entire imaging field.

公开(公告)号：US20180356734A1

公开(公告)日：2018-12-13

申请号：US15781970

申请日：2016-11-30

申请人： CYMER, LLC ,  ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.

发明人： Willard Earl CONLEY ,  Wei-An HSIEH ,  Tsann-Bim CHIOU ,  Jason SHIEN

IPC分类号： G03F7/20 ,  G03F1/36

CPC分类号： G03F7/70125 ,  G03F1/36 ,  G03F7/701 ,  G03F7/70258 ,  G03F7/70441 ,  G03F7/705 ,  G03F7/70625

摘要： A method to improve a lithographic process of imaging a portion of a design layout onto a substrate using a lithographic apparatus, the method including: computing a multi-variable cost function, the multi-variable cost function being a function a plurality of design variables that represent characteristics of the lithographic process; and reconfiguring one or more of the characteristics of the lithographic process by adjusting one or more of the design variables until a certain termination condition is satisfied; wherein a bandwidth of a radiation source of the lithographic apparatus is allowed to change during the reconfiguration.