Photocopying – Projection printing and copying cameras – Illumination systems or details
Reexamination Certificate
2007-02-20
2007-02-20
Mathews, Alan (Department: 2851)
Photocopying
Projection printing and copying cameras
Illumination systems or details
C355S053000, C355S071000, C355S077000, C703S013000, C430S030000
Reexamination Certificate
active
10889216
ABSTRACT:
A method for optimizing the optical transfer of a mask pattern onto a substrate using a lithographic apparatus, the lithographic apparatus including an illuminator configured to illuminate the mask pattern, the method including determining a plurality of illumination arrangements for a pupil plane of the illuminator, each of the plurality of illumination arrangements being determined to improve a respective lithographic performance response parameter when illuminating the mask pattern; and adjusting an intensity of a first illumination arrangement of the plurality of illumination arrangements relative to a second illumination arrangement of the plurality of illumination arrangements, the mask pattern to be illuminated with the first and second illumination arrangements. The mask pattern may be illuminated at least once for each of the first and second illumination arrangements or all at once with at least the first illumination arrangement and the second illumination arrangement.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5305054 (1994-04-01), Suzuki et al.
patent: 5523193 (1996-06-01), Nelson
patent: 5680588 (1997-10-01), Gortych et al.
patent: 6049660 (2000-04-01), Ahn et al.
patent: 6452662 (2002-09-01), Mulkens et al.
patent: 6463403 (2002-10-01), Burdorf et al.
patent: 6466304 (2002-10-01), Smith
patent: 6671035 (2003-12-01), Eurlings et al.
patent: 6737662 (2004-05-01), Mulder et al.
patent: 2002/0035461 (2002-03-01), Chang et al.
patent: 2002/0045106 (2002-04-01), Baselmans et al.
patent: 2002/0062206 (2002-05-01), Liebchen
patent: 2002/0152452 (2002-10-01), Socha
patent: 2002/0167653 (2002-11-01), Mulkens et al.
patent: 2003/0038225 (2003-02-01), Mulder et al.
patent: 2003/0073013 (2003-04-01), Hsu et al.
patent: 2003/0082463 (2003-05-01), Laidig et al.
patent: 2003/0093251 (2003-05-01), Chang
patent: 2003/0223050 (2003-12-01), Fritze et al.
patent: 0 500 393 (1997-11-01), None
patent: 0 486 316 (2000-04-01), None
patent: 0 496 891 (2000-05-01), None
patent: 1 109 067 (2001-06-01), None
Burkhardt et al., “Illuminator Design for the Printing of Regular Contact Patterns,”Microelectronic Engineering, vol. 41, No. 42, 1998, pp. 91-96.
Chen et al., “Practical Method for Full-Chip Optical Proximity Correction,”SPIE, vol. 3051, 1997, pp. 790-803.
Chen et al., “Optical Proximity Correction for Intermediate-Pitch Features Using Sub-Resolution Scattering Bars,”Journal of Vacuum Science&Technology B, vol. 15, No. 6, Nov./Dec. 1997, pp. 2426-2433.
Flagello et al., “Lithographic Lens Testing: Analysis of Measured Aerial Images, Interferometric Data and Photoresist Measurements,”SPIE Microlithography Seminar, 1996.
Flagello et al., “Towards a Comprehensive Control of Full-Field Image Quality in Optical Photolithography,”SPIE Microlithography Seminar, Mar. 1997.
Gau et al., “Strategy to Manipulate the Optical Proximity Effect by Post-Exposure Bake Processing,”SPIE, vol. 3334, 1998, pp. 885-891.
Gau et al., “The Customized Illumination Aperture Filter for Low k1 Photolithography Process,”SPIE, vol. 4000, Mar. 2000, pp. 271-282.
Hsia et al., “Customized Off-Axis Illumination Aperture Filtering for Sub-0.18 μm KrF Lithography,”SPIE, vol. 3679, Mar. 1999, pp. 427-434.
Liu et al., “The Application of Alternating Phase-Shifting Masks to 140 nm Gate Patterning: Line Width Control Improvements and Design Optimization,”SPIE, vol. 3236, 1998, pp. 328-337.
Smith et al., “Illumination Pupil Filtering Using Modified Quadrupole Apertures,”SPIE, vol. 3334, 1998, pp. 384-394.
Suzuki et al., “Multilevel Imaging System Realizing k1=0.3 Lithography,”SPIE, vol. 3679, Mar. 1999, pp. 396-407.
Wong et al., “Level-Specific Lithography Optimization for 1-Gb DRAM,”IEEE Transactions on Semiconductor Manufacturing, vol. 13, No. 1, Feb. 2000, pp. 76-87.
ASML Netherlands B.V.
Mathews Alan
LandOfFree
Exposure with intensity balancing to mimic complex... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Exposure with intensity balancing to mimic complex..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Exposure with intensity balancing to mimic complex... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3831208