US5998071A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method to monitor lens heating effects
Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co TSMC Ltd
•
Filing: 1998-03-26
•
Granted: 1999-12-07
•
Expires: 2018-03-26
Abstract
Abstract A low cost, fast method for evaluating the effects of lens heating in a step and repeat projection system is disclosed. The first step is to form a series of photoresist images on a single substrate in the same way as would be done during normal stepping and repeating. The first few images, located centrally, will be produced by a cool lens. As more images are generated, the lens gradually heats up so that the final few images, which are placed alongside the `cool` images, will be produced by a hot lens. Critical dimension bars are present in all image fields (at diagonally opposite corners and in the center), their size in the developed photoresist being an indication of the extent to which the focal plane has drifted. This is then used to compute correction factors for the manufacturer's scaling constants and/or to evaluate the extent, if any, of curvature of field in the projected images.
Inventors
- 👤 Mingchu King
- 👤 Chih-Chien Hung
- 👤 Shih-Shiung Cheu
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 08:57
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03F; G03F7/00; G03F7/70; G03F7/70483; G03F7/70591; G03F7/708; G03F7/70858; G03F7/70883; G03F7/70891
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
201 words
A method to monitor abnormal effects of lens heating, comprising: providing a substrate having a center and a periphery; coating the substrate with a layer of photoresist; while the lens is at room temperature, forming a first number of latent cool lens images in the photoresist, near the substrate center, by directing actinic radiation through a reticle that includes a resolution pattern, and through said lens; forming a second number of dummy images in the photoresist, near the substrate periphery, separated by a distance from the cool lens images, by directing actinic radiation through the lens at successive time intervals, thereby causing the lens to heat; without delay, forming a first number of latent hot lens images in the photoresist, near the substrate center and adjacent to the cool lens images, by directing actinic radiation through the reticle and through said lens; developing the photoresist whereby cool and hot developed images, that include critical dimension bars having widths, are formed from said latent images; and computing a bias due to lens heating by subtracting the widths of the critical dimension bars measured in the hot developed images from the widths of the critical dimension bars measured in the cool developed images.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
201 words
A method to monitor abnormal effects of lens heating, comprising: providing a substrate having a center and a periphery; coating the substrate with a layer of photoresist; while the lens is at room temperature, forming a first number of latent cool lens images in the photoresist, near the substrate center, by directing actinic radiation through a reticle that includes a resolution pattern, and through said lens; forming a second number of dummy images in the photoresist, near the substrate periphery, separated by a distance from the cool lens images, by directing actinic radiation through the lens at successive time intervals, thereby causing the lens to heat; without delay, forming a first number of latent hot lens images in the photoresist, near the substrate center and adjacent to the cool lens images, by directing actinic radiation through the reticle and through said lens; developing the photoresist whereby cool and hot developed images, that include critical dimension bars having widths, are formed from said latent images; and computing a bias due to lens heating by subtracting the widths of the critical dimension bars measured in the hot developed images from the widths of the critical dimension bars measured in the cool developed images.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said first number of latent hot lens images is between 1 and about 5.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said second number of dummy images is between 1 and about 12.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 1 wherein each of said successive time intervals is between about 1 and 30 seconds.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the resolution patterns further comprise critical dimension bars centrally located within said developed images as well as at diagonally opposite corners of said developed images.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the substrate is a silicon wafer.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said distance separating the dummy images from the cool latent images is more than about 3 mm.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 1 wherein causing the lens to heat further comprises raising its temperature by between about 0.05 and 0.3° C.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said coating of photoresist has a thickness that is between about 1.07 and 1.08 microns.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
246 words
A method to determine a lens heating correction factor for a photolithographic projection system having known scaling constants, comprising: providing a silicon wafer having a center and a periphery; coating the wafer with a layer of photoresist; while the lens is at room temperature, forming a first number of latent cool lens images in the photoresist, near the wafer center, by directing actinic radiation through a reticle that includes a resolution pattern, and through said lens; forming a second number of dummy images in the photoresist, near the wafer periphery, separated by a distance from the cool lens images, by directing actinic radiation through the lens at successive time intervals, thereby causing the lens to heat; without delay, forming a first number of latent hot lens images in the photoresist, near the wafer center and adjacent to the cool lens images, by directing actinic radiation through the reticle and through said lens; developing the photoresist whereby cool and hot developed images are formed, said developed images to include resolution patterns that comprise critical dimension bars, having a width, centrally located within the developed images as well as at diagonally opposite corners of the developed images; measuring the widths of all critical dimension bars; subtracting the widths measured in the hot developed images from the widths measured in the cool developed images thereby generating bias values, for each of said locations within the developed images; and from said bias values computing correction factors for said scaling constants.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
246 words
A method to determine a lens heating correction factor for a photolithographic projection system having known scaling constants, comprising: providing a silicon wafer having a center and a periphery; coating the wafer with a layer of photoresist; while the lens is at room temperature, forming a first number of latent cool lens images in the photoresist, near the wafer center, by directing actinic radiation through a reticle that includes a resolution pattern, and through said lens; forming a second number of dummy images in the photoresist, near the wafer periphery, separated by a distance from the cool lens images, by directing actinic radiation through the lens at successive time intervals, thereby causing the lens to heat; without delay, forming a first number of latent hot lens images in the photoresist, near the wafer center and adjacent to the cool lens images, by directing actinic radiation through the reticle and through said lens; developing the photoresist whereby cool and hot developed images are formed, said developed images to include resolution patterns that comprise critical dimension bars, having a width, centrally located within the developed images as well as at diagonally opposite corners of the developed images; measuring the widths of all critical dimension bars; subtracting the widths measured in the hot developed images from the widths measured in the cool developed images thereby generating bias values, for each of said locations within the developed images; and from said bias values computing correction factors for said scaling constants.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 10 wherein said first number of latent hot lens images is between 1 and about 5.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 10 wherein said second number of dummy images is between 1 and about 12.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 10 wherein each of said successive time intervals is between about 1 and 30 seconds.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 10 wherein said distance separating the dummy images from the cool latent images is more than about 3 mm.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 10 wherein causing the lens to heat further comprises raising its temperature by between about 0.05 and 0.3° C.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 10 wherein said coating of photoresist has a thickness that is between about 1.07 and 1.08 microns.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 10 further comprising deriving a linear equation that relates the multiplying factor to said bias values.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 10 wherein measuring the widths of all critical dimension bars further comprises using a scanning electron microscope of known magnification to generate a micrograph of the bars.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US5674650A
Cited
US5763143A
Cited
US5655110A
Cited
US5811211A
Cited
US5879843A
Cited
US5723238A
Cited
US5840451A
Cited
US5821014A
Cited
US5916716A
Cited
US5902704A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2002-12-06 | 2003-06-07 | 2003-12-07 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2006-12-06 | 2007-06-07 | 2007-12-07 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2010-12-06 | 2011-06-07 | 2011-12-07 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |