System and method for process matching

Claim 2

A computer system, comprising: means for generating a first model and a second model for a first and second parameter, respectively, wherein the parameters measure a characteristic of a first output of a first photolithographic process and of a second output of a second photolithographic process; means for generating a first simulated output of the first photolithographic process by using the first model; means for applying a correction to the first simulated output to obtain a corrected output, wherein the correction is a function of the second model and wherein the correction compensates for the effect of the second photolithographic process on the second parameter; and means for applying the second photolithographic process to the corrected output generating thereby a third output matching the first parameter of the first output.

Claim 3

The computer system according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second photolithographic processes are applied to a mask.

Claim 6

In the apparatus, as recited in claim 3 , the computer readable medium further having computer readable program code, when executed, implementing on a computer a method further comprising the step of generating from the corrected output a second simulated output for verification.

Claim 7

In the apparatus, as recited in claim 3 , wherein the first and second outputs are wafer images.

Claim 8

A computer program product, comprising: a computer usable medium having a computer readable code means embodied therein for matching parameters of a first and second output of a first photolithographic process and second photolithographic process, comprising: computer readable program code means for generating a first output from a first photolithographic process having a characteristic measurable by a first parameter; computer readable program code means for generating a second output from a second photolithographic process having a characteristic measurable by a second parameter; computer readable program code means for generating a first model of the first parameter for the first photolithographic process; computer readable program code means for generating a second model of the second parameter for the second photolithographic process; computer readable program code means for generating a first simulated output of the first photolithographic process using the first model; computer readable program code means for applying a correction to the first simulated output to obtain a corrected output, wherein the correction is a function of the second model and wherein the correction compensates for the effect of the second photolithographic process on the second parameter; and computer readable program code means for applying the second photolithographic process to the corrected output generating thereby generating a third output matching the first parameter of the first output.

Claim 9

A computer program product, comprising: a computer usable medium having a computer readable code means embodied therein for matching parameters of a first and second output of a first photolithographic process and second photolithographic process, comprising: computer readable program code means for generating a first output from a first photolithographic process having a characteristic measurable by a first parameter; computer readable program code means for generating a second output from a second photolithographic process having a characteristic measurable by a second parameter; computer readable program code means for generating a first model of the first parameter for the first photolithographic process; computer readable program code means for generating a second model of the second parameter for the second photolithographic process; computer readable program code means for generating a first simulated output of the first photolithographic process using the first model; computer readable program code means for applying a correction to the first simulated output to obtain a corrected output, wherein the correction is a function of the second model and wherein the correction compensates for the effect of the second photolithographic process on the second parameter; and computer readable program code means for applying the second photolithographic process to the corrected output generating thereby generating a third output matching the first parameter of the first output.

Claim 10

The computer program product of claim 6 , further comprising a computer readable program means for generating from the corrected output a second simulated output for verification.

Claim 11

The computer program product of claim 6 , wherein the computer readable program code means for applying a correction further comprises a computer readable program means for applying an optical proximity correction.

Claim 12

The computer program product of claim 6 , wherein the computer readable program code means for applying a correction further comprises a computer readable program means for applying a topography effect correction.

Claim 13

The computer program product of claim 6 , wherein the first and second outputs are wafer images.

Claim 14

A computer program product, comprising: a computer usable medium having a computer readable code means embodied therein for performing a method of matching parameters of generated outputs of a first ion projection process and a second ion projection process, the method comprising: generating a first output from the first ion projection process having a characteristic measurable by a first parameter; generating a second output from the second ion projection process having a characteristic measurable by a second parameter; generating a first model of the first parameter for the first ion projection process; generating a second model of the second parameter for the second ion projection process; generating a first simulated output of the first ion projection process using the first model; applying a correction to the first simulated output to obtain a corrected output, wherein the correction is a function of the second model and wherein the correction compensates for the effect of the second ion projection process on the second parameter; and applying the second ion projection process to the corrected output thereby generating a third output matching the first parameter of the first output.

Claim 15

A computer program product, comprising: a computer usable medium having a computer readable code means embodied therein for performing a method of matching parameters of generated outputs of a first ion projection process and a second ion projection process, the method comprising: generating a first output from the first ion projection process having a characteristic measurable by a first parameter; generating a second output from the second ion projection process having a characteristic measurable by a second parameter; generating a first model of the first parameter for the first ion projection process; generating a second model of the second parameter for the second ion projection process; generating a first simulated output of the first ion projection process using the first model; applying a correction to the first simulated output to obtain a corrected output, wherein the correction is a function of the second model and wherein the correction compensates for the effect of the second ion projection process on the second parameter; and applying the second ion projection process to the corrected output thereby generating a third output matching the first parameter of the first output.

Claim 16

The computer program product of claim 11 , further comprising generating from the corrected output a second simulated output for verification.

Claim 17

The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein the first and second ion projection processes are applied to a stencil mask.

Claim 18

A computer program product, comprising: a computer usable medium having a computer readable code means embodied therein for performing a method for matching parameters of generated outputs of a first x-ray projection process and a second x-ray projection process, the method comprising: generating a first output from the first x-ray projection process having a characteristic measurable by a first parameter; generating a second output from the second x-ray projection process having a characteristic measurable by a second parameter; generating a first model of the first parameter for the first x-ray projection process; generating a second model of the second parameter for the second x-ray projection process; generating a first simulated output of the first x-ray projection process using the first model; applying a correction to the first simulated output to obtain a corrected output, wherein the correction is a function of the second model and wherein the correction compensates for the effect of the second x-ray projection process on the second parameter; and applying the second x-ray projection process to the corrected output thereby generating a third output matching the first parameter of the first output.

Claim 19

A computer program product, comprising: a computer usable medium having a computer readable code means embodied therein for performing a method for matching parameters of generated outputs of a first x-ray projection process and a second x-ray projection process, the method comprising: generating a first output from the first x-ray projection process having a characteristic measurable by a first parameter; generating a second output from the second x-ray projection process having a characteristic measurable by a second parameter; generating a first model of the first parameter for the first x-ray projection process; generating a second model of the second parameter for the second x-ray projection process; generating a first simulated output of the first x-ray projection process using the first model; applying a correction to the first simulated output to obtain a corrected output, wherein the correction is a function of the second model and wherein the correction compensates for the effect of the second x-ray projection process on the second parameter; and applying the second x-ray projection process to the corrected output thereby generating a third output matching the first parameter of the first output.

Claim 20

The computer program product of claim 14 , further comprising generating from the corrected output a second simulated output for verification.

Claim 21

The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the first and second x-ray projection processes are applied to a mask.

Claim 22

A computer program product, comprising: a computer usable medium having a computer readable code means embodied therein for performing a method for matching parameters of generated outputs of a first e-beam projection process and a second e-beam projection process, the method comprising: generating a first output from the first e-beam projection process having a characteristic measurable by a first parameter; generating a second output from the second e-beam projection process having a characteristic measurable by a second parameter; generating a first model of the first parameter for the first e-beam projection process; generating a second model of the second parameter for the second e-beam projection process; generating a first simulated output of the first e-beam projection process using the first model; applying a correction to the first simulated output to obtain a corrected output, wherein the correction is a function of the second model and wherein the correction compensates for the effect of the second e-beam projection process on the second parameter; and applying the second e-beam projection process to the corrected output thereby generating a third output matching the first parameter of the first output.

Claim 23

A computer program product, comprising: a computer usable medium having a computer readable code means embodied therein for performing a method for matching parameters of generated outputs of a first e-beam projection process and a second e-beam projection process, the method comprising: generating a first output from the first e-beam projection process having a characteristic measurable by a first parameter; generating a second output from the second e-beam projection process having a characteristic measurable by a second parameter; generating a first model of the first parameter for the first e-beam projection process; generating a second model of the second parameter for the second e-beam projection process; generating a first simulated output of the first e-beam projection process using the first model; applying a correction to the first simulated output to obtain a corrected output, wherein the correction is a function of the second model and wherein the correction compensates for the effect of the second e-beam projection process on the second parameter; and applying the second e-beam projection process to the corrected output thereby generating a third output matching the first parameter of the first output.

Claim 24

The computer program product of claim 17 , further comprising generating from the corrected output a second simulated output for verification.

Claim 25

The computer program product of claim 17 , wherein the first and second x-ray projection processes are applied to a mask.

Claim 26

A computer comprising: a central processing unit; and a computer readable medium having computer executable instructions stored thereon, the computer executable instructions for execution by the central processing unit and for causing the computer to execute a method of matching parameters of a first and second output of a first photolithographic process and second photolithographic process, the method comprising: generating a first output from a first photolithographic process having a characteristic measurable by a first parameter; generating a second output from a second photolithographic process having a characteristic measurable by a second parameter; generating a first model of the first parameter for the first photolithographic process; generating a second model of the second parameter for the second photolithographic process; generating a first simulated output of the first photolithographic process using the first model; applying a correction to the first simulated output to obtain a corrected output, wherein the correction is a function of the second model and wherein the correction compensates for the effect of the second photolithographic process on the second parameter; and applying the second photolithographic process to the corrected output generating thereby generating a third output matching the first parameter of the first output.

Claim 27

A computer comprising: a central processing unit; and a computer readable medium having computer executable instructions stored thereon, the computer executable instructions for execution by the central processing unit and for causing the computer to execute a method of matching parameters of a first and second output of a first photolithographic process and second photolithographic process, the method comprising: generating a first output from a first photolithographic process having a characteristic measurable by a first parameter; generating a second output from a second photolithographic process having a characteristic measurable by a second parameter; generating a first model of the first parameter for the first photolithographic process; generating a second model of the second parameter for the second photolithographic process; generating a first simulated output of the first photolithographic process using the first model; applying a correction to the first simulated output to obtain a corrected output, wherein the correction is a function of the second model and wherein the correction compensates for the effect of the second photolithographic process on the second parameter; and applying the second photolithographic process to the corrected output generating thereby generating a third output matching the first parameter of the first output.

Claim 28

The computer of claim 20 , further comprising computer executable instructions for generating from the corrected output a second simulated output for verification.

Claim 29

The computer of claim 20 , wherein applying a correction further comprises a computer readable program means for applying an optical proximity correction.

Claim 30

The computer of claim 20 , wherein applying a correction further comprises a computer readable program means for applying a topography effect correction.

Claim 31

The computer of claim 20 , wherein the first and second outputs are wafer images.