Impact of scanner signatures on optical proximity correction

Jacek K. Tyminski; Tomoyuki Matsuyama; Yen-Liang Lu; Jun-Cheng Lai; Kao-Tun Chen; Yung-Ching Mai; Irene Su; George Bailey

doi:10.1117/12.845061

3 March 2010 Impact of scanner signatures on optical proximity correction

Jacek K. Tyminski, Tomoyuki Matsuyama, Yen-Liang Lu, Jun-Cheng Lai, Kao-Tun Chen, Yung-Ching Mai, Irene Su, George Bailey

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 7640, Optical Microlithography XXIII; 76400V (2010) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.845061
Event: SPIE Advanced Lithography, 2010, San Jose, California, United States

Abstract

Low pass filtering of mask diffraction orders, in the projection tools used in microelectronics industry, leads to a range of optical proximity effects, OPEs, impacting integrated circuit pattern images. These predictable OPEs can be corrected with various, model-based optical proximity correction methodologies, OPCs , the success of which strongly depends on the completeness of the imaging models they use. The image formation in scanners is driven by the illuminator settings and the projection lens NA, and modified by the scanner engineering impacts due to: 1) the illuminator signature, i.e. the distributions of illuminator field amplitude and phase, 2) the projection lens signatures representing projection lens aberration residue and the flare, and 3) the reticle and the wafer scan synchronization signatures. For 4x nm integrated circuits, these scanner impacts modify the critical dimensions of the pattern images at the level comparable to the required image tolerances. Therefore, to reach the required accuracy, the OPC models have to imbed the scanner illuminator, projection lens, and synchronization signatures. To study their effects on imaging, we set up imaging models without and with scanner signatures, and we used them to predict OPEs and to conduct the OPC of a poly gate level of 4x nm flash memory. This report presents analysis of the scanner signature impacts on OPEs and OPCs of critical patterns in the flash memory gate levels.

Citation Download Citation

Jacek K. Tyminski, Tomoyuki Matsuyama, Yen-Liang Lu, Jun-Cheng Lai, Kao-Tun Chen, Yung-Ching Mai, Irene Su, and George Bailey "Impact of scanner signatures on optical proximity correction", Proc. SPIE 7640, Optical Microlithography XXIII, 76400V (3 March 2010); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.845061

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