Method of simulating formation of lithography features by self-assembly of block copolymers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10127336-B2
Application number	US-201414890867-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 5, 2014
Priority date	May 30, 2013
Publication date	Nov 13, 2018
Grant date	Nov 13, 2018

Abstract

A method of determining an uncertainty in the position of a domain within a self-assembly block copolymer (BCP) feature. The method includes simulating a BCP feature, calculating a minimum energy position of a first domain within the simulated BCP feature, simulating the application of a potential that causes the position of the first domain to be displaced from the minimum energy position, simulating release of the potential back toward the minimum energy, recording a plurality of energies of the BCP feature during the release and recording at each of the plurality of energies a displacement of the first domain from the minimum energy position, calculating, from the recorded energies and recorded displacements, a probability distribution indicating a probability of the first domain being displaced from the minimum energy position, and, from the probability distribution, calculating an uncertainty in the position of the first domain within the BCP feature.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
performing a computer simulation, by a hardware processor system, of a self-assembly block copolymer feature, wherein the simulated block copolymer feature comprises a first domain comprising a first polymer type and a second domain comprising a second polymer type;
calculating a minimum energy position of the first domain within the simulated block copolymer feature, wherein the minimum energy position is the position of the first domain at a first energy state of the block copolymer feature, the first energy state being substantially at a minimum energy;
performing a computer simulation, by the hardware processor system, of the application of a potential to the block copolymer feature, wherein the potential causes the position of the first domain to be displaced from the minimum energy position;
performing a computer simulation, by the hardware processor system, of release of the potential, thereby allowing the energy of the block copolymer feature to relax to substantially the minimum energy;
recording a plurality of energies of the block copolymer feature as the block copolymer feature relaxes to substantially the minimum energy;
recording at each of the plurality of energies a displacement of the first domain from the minimum energy position;
calculating, from the recorded energies of the block copolymer feature and the recorded displacements of the first domain, a probability distribution indicating a probability of the first domain being displaced from the minimum energy position;
calculating, from the probability distribution, an uncertainty in the position of the first domain within the block copolymer feature; and
generating electronic data using the calculated uncertainty to enable fabrication of a pre-patterned substrate for block copolymer self-assembly and/or fabrication of a self-assembled block copolymer, where the electronic data, or information derived therefrom, is used in a fabrication process of a pre-patterned substrate for block copolymer self-assembly and/or in a process of self-assembly of block copolymer.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first domain is surrounded by the second domain.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining, from the uncertainty in the position of the first domain within the block copolymer feature, an uncertainty in the position of the first domain on a substrate.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising, as part of the fabrication process of a pre-patterned substrate for block copolymer self-assembly, using the calculated uncertainty in the position of the first domain on a substrate to design a recess pattern for pre-patterning a substrate.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein simulating the application of a potential comprises simulating an increase in a chemical potential of the block copolymer feature.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein calculating the probability distribution comprises assuming a Boltzmann distribution of energies of the block copolymer feature.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein calculating the uncertainty in the position of the first domain within the block copolymer feature comprises fitting a Gaussian distribution to the probability distribution.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein calculating the uncertainty in the position of the first domain within the block copolymer feature further comprises calculating a standard deviation of the Gaussian distribution.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the block copolymer feature is cylindrical.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first domain is cylindrical.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the minimum energy position is substantially at the geometric center of the block copolymer feature.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the block copolymer feature has a width of between 20 and 100 nanometers.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first domain has a width of between 5 and 50 nanometers.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, as part of the fabrication process of a pre-patterned substrate for block copolymer self-assembly, using the calculated uncertainty in the position of the first domain within the block copolymer feature to design a recess pattern for pre-patterning a substrate.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein designing the recess pattern for pre-patterning a substrate comprises simulating a lithographic process.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising pre-patterning a substrate based on the designed recess pattern.

17. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, as part of the process of self-assembly of block copolymer, designing an electronic or other device for manufacture using a self-assembly block copolymer based upon the calculated uncertainty in the position of the first domain within the block copolymer feature.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising forming a pattern of features which comprises the electronic or other device on a substrate according to the design using a self-assembly block copolymer.

19. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing, as part of the process of self-assembly of block copolymer, an electronic representation of the uncertainty in the position of the first domain within the block copolymer feature for use in designing and/or manufacturing a pattern of features on a substrate using a self-assembly block copolymer.

20. A method comprising:
performing a computer simulation, by a hardware processor system, of a self-assembly block copolymer feature, wherein the simulated block copolymer feature comprises a first domain comprising a first polymer type and a second domain comprising a second polymer type;
calculating a minimum energy position of the first domain within simulated the block copolymer feature, wherein the minimum energy position is the position of the first domain at a first energy state of the block copolymer feature, the first energy state being substantially a minimum energy;
performing a computer simulation, by the hardware processor system, of the application of a potential to the block copolymer feature, wherein the potential causes the position of the first domain to be displaced from the minimum energy position;
performing a computer simulation, by the hardware processor system, of release of the potential, thereby allowing the energy of the block copolymer feature to relax to substantially the minimum energy;
recording a plurality of energies of the block copolymer feature as the block copolymer feature relaxes to substantially the minimum energy;
recording at each of the plurality of energies a displacement of the first domain from the minimum energy position;
calculating, from the recorded energies of the block copolymer feature and the recorded displacements of the first domain, a probability distribution indicating a probability of the first domain being displaced from the minimum energy position;
calculating, from the probability distribution, an uncertainty in the position of the first domain within the block copolymer feature;
using the uncertainty in the position of the first domain within the self-assembly block copolymer feature to design a pattern of features; and
forming the pattern of features on a substrate according to the design using the self-assembly block copolymer.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable medium carrying a computer program comprising computer readable instructions configured to cause a hardware computer to:
perform a computer simulation of a self-assembl

Assignees

• Asml Netherlands Bv

Inventors

• Wuister Sander Frederik
• Druzhinina Tamara
• Van Male Jan
• Klein-Wolterink Joanne
• Ambesi Davide

Classifications

• G06F30/398

  Design verification or optimisation, e.g. using design rule check [DRC], layout versus schematics [LVS] or finite element methods [FEM] (optical proximity correction [OPC] design processes G03F1/36) · CPC title

• G06F2119/18

  Manufacturability analysis or optimisation for manufacturability · CPC title

• G06F30/20

  Design optimisation, verification or simulation (optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30) · CPC title

• G03F7/0002 Primary

  Lithographic processes using patterning methods other than those involving the exposure to radiation, e.g. by stamping · CPC title

• G06F17/5009 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic