Methods, systems and computer program products configured to adjust a critical dimension of reticle patterns used to fabricate semiconductor devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10224178-B2
Application number	US-201715599552-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 19, 2017
Priority date	Sep 20, 2016
Publication date	Mar 5, 2019
Grant date	Mar 5, 2019

Abstract

A method of adjusting a critical dimension of a reticle patterns in a reticle used to fabricate semiconductor devices can include determining respective values for a critical dimension of a plurality of reticle patterns in an image of the reticle and providing an atmospheric plasma to a first reticle pattern included in the plurality of reticle patterns, the first reticle pattern having a first value for the critical dimension that is different than a target value for the critical dimension. The atmospheric plasma may not be provided to second reticle patterns included in the plurality of reticle patterns, the second reticle patterns having a second value for the critical dimension that is about equal to the target value.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A method of correcting a critical dimension of reticle patterns, comprising:
obtaining an image of the reticle patterns;
obtaining first critical dimensions of the reticle patterns in the image, wherein obtaining the first critical dimensions comprises detecting the first critical dimensions and determining a mean value of the first critical dimensions;
obtaining a detection map of the first critical dimensions;
comparing the mean value of the first critical dimensions with a target value corresponding to a second critical dimension;
obtaining a correction map that comprises difference values between the first critical dimensions in the detection map and the target value; and
locally providing plasma to the reticle patterns with the first critical dimensions to change at least one of the first critical dimensions to the second critical dimension,
wherein locally providing plasma to the reticle patterns comprises independently providing a plasma gun to generate plasma to selectively form a thin layer on the reticle patterns at each position on a substrate corresponding to cells when the mean value is greater than the target value based on the correction map.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the thin layer comprises a silicon oxide layer, and
each second critical dimension corresponds to a distance between facing surfaces of the silicon oxide layer formed on opposite sidewalls of the reticle patterns.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein locally providing the plasma comprises etching the reticle patterns based on the correction map, when the mean value is less than the target value to provide etched reticle patterns, and
each second critical dimension corresponds to a distance between the etched reticle patterns.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining the first critical dimensions further comprises calculating a dispersion value of the first critical dimensions, and
the method further comprises determining whether to correct the first critical dimensions, based on the dispersion value.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plasma comprises atmospheric pressure plasma or remote plasma.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the first critical dimensions comprises a bright field critical dimension corresponding to a distance between the reticle patterns.

7. A method of fabricating a reticle, comprising:
forming a thin layer on a substrate;
forming mask patterns on the thin layer;
etching the thin layer using the mask patterns as an etch mask to form reticle patterns on the substrate;
obtaining an image of the reticle patterns;
obtaining first critical dimensions of the reticle patterns in the image, wherein obtaining the first critical dimensions comprises detecting the first critical dimensions and determining a mean value of the first critical dimensions;
obtaining a detection map of the first critical dimensions;
comparing values of the first critical dimensions with a target value corresponding to a second critical dimension;
obtaining a correction map that comprises difference values between the first critical dimensions of the reticle patterns in the detection map and the target value; and
locally providing plasma to the reticle patterns with the first critical dimensions to change at least one of the first critical dimensions to the second critical dimension,
wherein locally providing plasma to the reticle patterns comprises independently providing a plasma gun to generate plasma to selectively form a thin layer on the reticle patterns at each position on the substrate corresponding to cells when the mean value is greater than the target value based on the correction map.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the mask patterns are formed according to a reference map.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein locally providing the plasma comprises providing an atmospheric pressure plasma on the reticle patterns.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein obtaining the mean value of the first critical dimensions further comprises:
determining a dispersion value of the first critical dimensions; and
determining whether to correct the first critical dimensions, based on the dispersion value.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the thin layer is a metal layer.

12. A method of correcting a critical dimension of a reticle pattern, comprising:
obtaining a mean value of critical dimensions of a reticle pattern in an image, wherein obtaining the mean value of critical dimensions comprises obtaining a detection map of critical dimensions of the reticle pattern, and wherein the critical dimensions of the reticle pattern correspond to distances between reticle patterns in the image;
comparing the mean value of critical dimensions with a target value;
obtaining a correction map comprising difference values between critical dimensions in the detection map and the target value; and
locally depositing a thin layer on the reticle pattern to correct at least one of the critical dimensions, when the mean value of critical dimensions is greater than the target value,
wherein locally depositing the thin layer on the reticle pattern comprises independently providing a plasma gun to locally generate plasma to selectively form the thin layer on the reticle pattern at each position on a substrate corresponding to cells when the mean value of critical dimensions is greater than the target value based on the correction map.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein locally depositing the thin layer comprises providing an atmospheric pressure plasma on the reticle pattern to form the thin layer on the reticle pattern.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
etching the reticle pattern based on the correction map, when the mean value of the critical dimensions is less than the target value.

Assignees

• Jung Yongseok
• Kwon Sungwon
• Kim Heebom
• Lee Donggun
• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Jung Yongseok
• Kwon Sungwon
• Kim Heebom
• Lee Donggun

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

• G06F30/00

  Computer-aided design [CAD] · CPC title

• H10P74/23

  characterised by multiple measurements, corrections, marking or sorting processes · CPC title

• H10P74/203

  Structural properties, e.g. testing or measuring thicknesses, line widths, warpage, bond strengths or physical defects · CPC title

• H10P50/71

  using masks for conductive or resistive materials · CPC title