Metrology method and apparatus
    1.
    发明授权

    公开(公告)号:US09903823B2

    公开(公告)日:2018-02-27

    申请号:US14945257

    申请日:2015-11-18

    Abstract: A method to determine an overlay error between a first structure and a second structure, wherein the first structure and second structures are on different layers on a substrate and are imaged onto the substrate by a lithographic process, the method comprising: obtaining an apparent overlay error; obtaining a systematic error caused by a factor other than misalignment of the first and second structures; and determining the overlay error by removing the systematic error from the apparent overlay error. The method may alternatively comprise obtaining apparent characteristics of diffraction orders of diffraction by an overlapping portion of the first and second structures; obtaining corrected characteristics of the diffraction orders; determining the overlay error from the corrected characteristics; and adjusting a characteristic of the lithographic process based on the overlay error.

    Method of determining critical-dimension-related properties, inspection apparatus and device manufacturing method

    公开(公告)号:US10180628B2

    公开(公告)日:2019-01-15

    申请号:US14892176

    申请日:2014-05-23

    Abstract: A method of determining a critical-dimension-related property, such as critical dimension (CD) or exposure dose, includes illuminating each of a plurality of periodic targets having different respective critical dimension biases, measuring intensity of radiation scattered by the targets, recognizing and extracting each grating from the image, determining a differential signal, and determining the CD-related property based on the differential signal, the CD biases and knowledge that the differential signal approximates to zero at a 1:1 line-to-space ratio of such periodic targets. Use of the determined CD-related property to control a lithography apparatus in lithographic processing of subsequent substrates. In order to use just two CD biases, a calibration may use measurements on a “golden wafer” (i.e. a reference substrate) to determine the intensity gradient for each of the CD pairs, with known CDs. Alternatively, the calibration can be based upon simulation of the sensitivity of intensity gradient to CD.

    METROLOGY METHOD AND APPARATUS
    4.
    发明申请
    METROLOGY METHOD AND APPARATUS 有权
    计量方法和装置

    公开(公告)号:US20160146740A1

    公开(公告)日:2016-05-26

    申请号:US14945257

    申请日:2015-11-18

    Abstract: A method to determine an overlay error between a first structure and a second structure, wherein the first structure and second structures are on different layers on a substrate and are imaged onto the substrate by a lithographic process, the method comprising: obtaining an apparent overlay error; obtaining a systematic error caused by a factor other than misalignment of the first and second structures; and determining the overlay error by removing the systematic error from the apparent overlay error. The method may alternatively comprise obtaining apparent characteristics of diffraction orders of diffraction by an overlapping portion of the first and second structures; obtaining corrected characteristics of the diffraction orders; determining the overlay error from the corrected characteristics; and adjusting a characteristic of the lithographic process based on the overlay error.

    Abstract translation: 一种确定第一结构和第二结构之间的覆盖误差的方法,其中所述第一结构和第二结构位于衬底上的不同层上,并通过光刻工艺成像到所述衬底上,所述方法包括:获得明显的重叠误差 ; 获得由除了第一和第二结构的未对准之外的因素引起的系统误差; 并通过从明显重叠错误中移除系统误差来确定覆盖误差。 该方法可以替代地包括通过第一和第二结构的重叠部分获得衍射衍射级数的明显特征; 获得衍射级的校正特性; 从校正的特征确定覆盖误差; 以及基于重叠误差来调整光刻处理的特性。

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