Photocopying – Projection printing and copying cameras – Illumination systems or details
Reexamination Certificate
2006-04-18
2006-04-18
Mathews, Alan (Department: 2851)
Photocopying
Projection printing and copying cameras
Illumination systems or details
C355S053000, C355S071000, C355S077000, C703S013000, C430S030000
Reexamination Certificate
active
07030966
ABSTRACT:
A method for optimizing the illumination conditions of a lithographic apparatus by computer simulation, the lithographic apparatus including an illuminator and a projection system, includes defining a lithographic pattern to be printed on the substrate, selecting a simulation model, selecting a grid of source points in a pupil plane of the illuminator, calculating separate responses for individual source points, each of the responses representing a result of a single or series of simulations using the simulation model, and adjusting an illumination arrangement based on analysis of accumulated results of the separate calculations.
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: 6839125 (2005-01-01), Hansen
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: 2003/0073013 (2003-04-01), Hsu et al.
patent: 2003/0082463 (2003-05-01), Laidig et al.
patent: 2003/0093251 (2003-05-01), Chang
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.
U.S. Appl. No. 10/705,234, filed Nov. 12, 2003, Liebchen.
ASML Netherlands B.V.
Mathews Alan
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw & Pittman LLP
LandOfFree
Lithographic apparatus and method for optimizing an... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Lithographic apparatus and method for optimizing an..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Lithographic apparatus and method for optimizing an... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3574404