Instant tuning method for accelerating resist and etch model calibration

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11314172-B2
Application number	US-201916977137-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 7, 2019
Priority date	Mar 20, 2018
Publication date	Apr 26, 2022
Grant date	Apr 26, 2022

Abstract

A method for accelerating calibration of a fabrication process model, the method including performing one or more iterations of: defining one or more fabrication process model terms; receiving predetermined information related to the one or more fabrication process model terms; generating a fabrication process model based on the predetermined information, the fabrication process model configured to generate one or more predictions related to a metrology gauge; determining whether a prediction related to a dimension of a gauge is within a predetermined threshold of the gauge as measured on a post-fabrication process substrate; and responsive to the prediction not breaching the predetermined threshold, optimizing the one or more fabrication process terms such that the prediction related to the dimension of the gauge is within the predetermined threshold of the gauge as measured on the post-fabrication process substrate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for accelerating calibration of a fabrication process model, the method comprising performing one or more iterations of the following operations until a prediction by the fabrication process model related to a dimension of a metrology gauge is within a predetermined threshold of a dimension of the metrology gauge as measured on a post-fabrication process substrate:
defining one or more fabrication process model terms;
receiving predetermined information related to the one or more fabrication process model terms;
generating, by a hardware computer system, the fabrication process model based on the predetermined information, the fabrication process model configured to generate one or more predictions related to the metrology gauge; and
determining whether a prediction related to a dimension of the metrology gauge is within a predetermined threshold of a dimension of the metrology gauge as previously measured on a post-fabrication process substrate.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fabrication process model comprises a resist model.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising determining whether the prediction related to the dimension of the metrology gauge is within a predetermined threshold of the dimension of the metrology gauge as previously measured on a post-develop resist.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fabrication process model comprises an etch model.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein individual ones of the one or more fabrication process model terms comprise a coefficient corresponding to a standard deviation of a Gaussian vector, and wherein the predetermined information comprises a predetermined Gaussian blur applied to the standard deviation of the Gaussian vector.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining an effect caused by a cross contribution of two or more fabrication process model terms by determining a product of the two or more fabrication process model terms.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the fabrication process model comprises a resist model, wherein the resist model terms comprise loading and acid distribution in the resist, and wherein determining a cross contribution of loading and acid distribution in the resist comprises determining a product of resist model terms corresponding to the loading and the acid distribution.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metrology gauge corresponding to the metrology measurement includes a unique identification parameter, wherein the unique identification parameter is determined based on a fabrication process pattern and a predetermined fabrication processing ambit, wherein a fabrication process model optimization corresponding to the unique identification parameter is stored in a database, and wherein the method further comprises:
determining whether a unique identification parameter corresponding to a metrology gauge of a given fabrication process pattern exists in the database; and
responsive to the unique identification parameter corresponding to the gauge of the given fabrication process pattern being present in the database, generating the fabrication process model using the fabrication process model optimization corresponding to the unique identification parameter.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining a particular fabrication process term of the one or more fabrication process model terms that is more heavily weighted in the fabrication process model than the remaining fabrication process terms of the one or more fabrication process model terms.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining one or more effects caused by one or more different fabrication process models, the determination including determining which effects commonly express prominence within each of the one or more different fabrication process models.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the one or more different fabrication process models comprises one or more different resist models, and wherein the effect caused by the one or more different resist models includes resist shrinkage.

12. A computer program product comprising one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media having computer-executable instructions therein, the instructions, upon execution by a computer system, configured to cause the computer system to at least:
perform one or more iterations of the following operations until a prediction by a fabrication process model related to a dimension of a metrology gauge is within a predetermined threshold of a dimension of the metrology gauge as measured on a post-fabrication process substrate:
define one or more fabrication process model terms;
receive predetermined information related to the one or more fabrication process model terms;
generate the fabrication process model based on the predetermined information, the fabrication process model configured to generate one or more predictions related to the metrology gauge; and
determine whether a prediction related to a dimension of the metrology gauge is within a predetermined threshold of a dimension of the metrology gauge as previously measured on a post-fabrication process substrate.

13. The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein individual ones of the one or more fabrication process model terms comprise a coefficient corresponding to a standard deviation of a Gaussian vector, and wherein the predetermined information comprises a predetermined Gaussian blur applied to the standard deviation of the Gaussian vector.

14. The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the computer system to determine an effect caused by a cross contribution of two or more fabrication process model terms by determining a product of the two or more fabrication process model terms.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 , wherein the fabrication process model comprises a resist model, wherein the resist model terms comprise loading and acid distribution in the resist, and wherein determination of a cross contribution of loading and acid distribution in the resist comprises determination of a product of resist model terms corresponding to the loading and the acid distribution.

16. The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein the metrology gauge corresponding to the metrology measurement includes a unique identification parameter, wherein the unique identification parameter is determined based on a fabrication process pattern and a predetermined fabrication processing ambit, wherein a fabrication process model optimization corresponding to the unique identification parameter is stored in a database, and wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the computer system to:
determine whether a unique identification parameter corresponding to a metrology gauge of a given fabrication process pattern exists in the database; and
responsive to the unique identification parameter corresponding to the gauge of the given fabrication process pattern being present in the database, generate the fabrication process model using the fabrication process model optimization corresponding to the unique identification parameter.

17. The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the computer system to determine a particular fabrication process term of the one or more fabrication process model terms that is more heavily weighted in the fabrication process model than the remaining fabrication process terms of the one or more fabrication process model terms.

18. The

Assignees

• Asml Netherlands Bv

Inventors

• Shi Hongfei
• Wang Jinze
• Yang Pengcheng
• Wang Lei
• Feng Mu

Classifications

• G03F7/706839

  Modelling, e.g. modelling scattering or solving inverse problems · CPC title

• G03F7/705 Primary

  Modelling or simulating from physical phenomena up to complete wafer processes or whole workflow in wafer productions · CPC title

• G03F7/70625

  Dimensions, e.g. line width, critical dimension [CD], profile, sidewall angle or edge roughness · CPC title

• G03F7/70516 Primary

  Calibration of components of the microlithographic apparatus, e.g. light sources, addressable masks or detectors · CPC title