Metrology method and system and lithographic system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024241454-A1
Application number	US-202418619839-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 28, 2024
Priority date	Sep 28, 2021
Publication date	Jul 18, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for measuring a parameter of interest from a target and associated apparatuses. The method comprises obtaining measurement acquisition data relating to measurement of a target on a production substrate during a manufacturing phase; obtaining a calibration correction database and/or a trained model having been trained on said calibration correction database, operable to correct for effects in the measurement acquisition data; correcting for effects in the measurement acquisition data using first correction data from said calibration correction database and/or using said trained model so as to obtain corrected measurement data and/or a corrected parameter of interest which is/are corrected for at least said effects; and updating said calibration correction data and/or said trained model with said corrected measurement data and/or corrected parameter of interest.

First claim

1 . A method for measuring a parameter of interest, comprising:
obtaining measurement acquisition data relating to measurement of a target on a production substrate during a manufacturing phase; obtaining a calibration correction database and/or a trained model having been trained on said calibration correction database, operable to correct for effects in the measurement acquisition data; correcting for effects in the measurement acquisition data using first correction data from said calibration correction database and/or using said trained model so as to obtain corrected measurement data and/or a corrected parameter of interest which is/are corrected for at least said effects; and updating said calibration correction data and/or said trained model with said corrected measurement data and/or corrected parameter of interest.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said effects in the measurement acquisition data comprise at least finite-size effects.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said effects in the measurement acquisition data comprise at least sensor effects relating to the sensor optics used to acquire the measurement acquisition data.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said updating step is performed for each target measured, or each target which satisfies at least one criterion.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said updating step is performed as an inline update such that the updated calibration correction database and/or updated trained model is used for each subsequent measurement acquisition.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said calibration correction database comprises different correction data for different target positions with respect to sensor optics used in measuring the target.

7 . The method of claim 1 , comprising building one or more subset calibration correction databases, each of which comprise one or more proper subsets of the calibration correction database.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said correcting step comprises:
using the first correction data and/or trained model to obtain said corrected measurement data; and using the corrected measurement data to determine the parameter of interest.

9 . The method of claim 1 , comprising applying said trained model to said measurement acquisition data to directly determine said parameter of interest.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the parameter of interest is aligned position.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the parameter of interest is overlay or focus.

12 . A computer program comprising program instructions operable to perform the method of claim 1 , when run on a suitable apparatus.

13 . A device comprising:
a non-transient computer program carrier comprising the computer program of claim 12 ; and one or more processors operable to run said computer program.

14 . The device of claim 13 , wherein the device is a metrology device.

15 . The device of claim 13 , wherein the device is an exposure apparatus that comprises a metrology device comprising the non-transient computer program carrier and the one or more processors.

16 . An exposure apparatus comprising:
a patterning device support for supporting a patterning device; a substrate support for supporting a substrate; and a metrology device being operable to perform the method of claim 1 .

17 . The exposure apparatus of claim 16 , being operable to use an aligned position value in control for one or both of:
said substrate support and/or a substrate supported thereon, and said patterning device support and/or a patterning device supported thereon.

Assignees

• Asml Netherlands Bv

Inventors

• Huisman Simon Reinald
• Goorden Sebastianus Adrianus
• Belt Harm Jan Willem
• Alpeggiani Filippo
• Setija Irwan Dani
• Pellemans Henricus Petrus Maria

Classifications

• G03F9/7088

  Alignment mark detection, e.g. TTR, TTL, off-axis detection, array detector, video detection · CPC title

• G03F9/7049

  Technique, e.g. interferometric · CPC title

• G03F7/70725

  control · CPC title

• G03F7/70641

  Focus · CPC title

• G03F7/70633

  Overlay, i.e. relative alignment between patterns printed by separate exposures in different layers, or in the same layer in multiple exposures or stitching · CPC title