Effect of scanner illumination and lens transmittance signatures on OPC accuracy

Hsu-Ting Huang; Apo Sezginer; Jacek K. Tyminski

doi:10.1117/12.824277

11 May 2009 Effect of scanner illumination and lens transmittance signatures on OPC accuracy

Hsu-Ting Huang, Apo Sezginer, Jacek K. Tyminski

Proceedings Volume 7379, Photomask and Next-Generation Lithography Mask Technology XVI; 737910 (2009) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.824277
Event: Photomask and NGL Mask Technology XVI, 2009, Yokohama, Japan

Abstract

We quantify the OPC accuracy improvement obtained by including the stepper signatures in the OPC model. The analysis takes into account the complete cycle of OPC model calibration, OPC execution, and image verification of the OPCed photomask. We use the Nikon Scanner Signature File (NSSF) version 1.5 for the NSR-S610C immersion scanner; and an OPC model that accounts for vectorial imaging, the polarization map of the illumination, and the pupil Jones matrix map of the projection optics. We verify that the OPC model closely agrees with a commercial lithography simulator. We use a 42 nm half-pitch NAND-flash layout to illustrate our point. Post-OPC CD errors obtained when excluding information about the stepper signature are 11.9 nm (max) and 2.8 nm (RMS). These values drop to 1.9 nm (max) and 0.7 nm (RMS) when the NSSF is included in the OPC model. In practice, OPC models are calibrated using CD measurements taken on printed test patterns, which are affected by the scanner signature. OPC model calibration indirectly and partially captures the scanner signature; however, including the NSSF directly in the model increases accuracy. In addition, the number of edge-placement errors (EPE) exceeding 1 nm dropped by an order of magnitude when the NSSF was directly included in the OPC model, as compared to capturing the same information incompletely using the model calibration instead.

Citation Download Citation

Hsu-Ting Huang, Apo Sezginer, and Jacek K. Tyminski "Effect of scanner illumination and lens transmittance signatures on OPC accuracy", Proc. SPIE 7379, Photomask and Next-Generation Lithography Mask Technology XVI, 737910 (11 May 2009); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.824277

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available