US6866974B2
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Semiconductor process using delay-compensated exposure
Assignee: Texas Instruments Inc
•
Filing: 2002-10-21
•
Granted: 2005-03-15
•
Expires: 2022-10-21
Abstract
Abstract A method of providing critical dimension (CD) gate control during photolithography is achieved by scanning a trial wafer from a batch by an exposure tool and then measuring the gate width to determine shot zones for bi-shot (BSE) exposure. The time delay based on shot or exposure order is determined for each BSE zone. The shot or exposure dose for the other wafers from the same or similar batch is then determined on the bi-shot exposure and the shot order.
Inventors
- 👤 Keeho Kim
- 👤 Jarvis B. Jacobs
- 👤 Reima T. Laaksonen
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 09:35
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03B; G03B27/00; G03F; G03F7/00; G03F7/70; G03F7/70425
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
45 words
A method of providing critical dimension gate control during photolithography process comprising the steps of: providing an exposure tool that can define a different dose for each location on a semiconductor wafer and adjusting said exposure tool dose to compensate for shot order changing effect.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
45 words
A method of providing critical dimension gate control during photolithography process comprising the steps of: providing an exposure tool that can define a different dose for each location on a semiconductor wafer and adjusting said exposure tool dose to compensate for shot order changing effect.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the adjusting step for adjusting said exposure tool includes adjusting for different dose for each location to compensate for each location to compensate CD variation caused by other error sources than the shot order.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
64 words
A method of providing critical dimension gate control during photolithography process comprising the steps of: providing an exposure tool that can define a different dose for each location on a semiconductor wafer; and adjusting said exposure tool dose to equal an amount to compensate for shot order changing effect and the effect of other error sources causing variations in the critical gate width dimension.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
64 words
A method of providing critical dimension gate control during photolithography process comprising the steps of: providing an exposure tool that can define a different dose for each location on a semiconductor wafer; and adjusting said exposure tool dose to equal an amount to compensate for shot order changing effect and the effect of other error sources causing variations in the critical gate width dimension.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 3 wherein said other error sources are measured.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
108 words
A method of providing critical dimension gate control during photolithography comprising the steps of: scanning a trial wafer containing containg a plurality of dies from a batch by an exposure tool; measuring the gate widths of the dies across the wafer and determining shot zones of common shot dosage for exposure to approximately equalize the gate widths across the wafer; determining time delay based on shot order for each shot zone; and determining the shot dose for each die based on the shot dose for the shot zones and shot order across the wafer; and adjusting the shot dose for each die based on the determined shot dose.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
108 words
A method of providing critical dimension gate control during photolithography comprising the steps of: scanning a trial wafer containing containg a plurality of dies from a batch by an exposure tool; measuring the gate widths of the dies across the wafer and determining shot zones of common shot dosage for exposure to approximately equalize the gate widths across the wafer; determining time delay based on shot order for each shot zone; and determining the shot dose for each die based on the shot dose for the shot zones and shot order across the wafer; and adjusting the shot dose for each die based on the determined shot dose.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 5 wherein said shot zones are bi-shot (BSE) zones.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
43 words
An apparatus for providing critical dimension gate control during photolithography process comprising: an exposure tool that can define a different dose for each location on a semiconductor wafer and means for adjusting said exposure tool dose to compensate for shot order changing effect.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
43 words
An apparatus for providing critical dimension gate control during photolithography process comprising: an exposure tool that can define a different dose for each location on a semiconductor wafer and means for adjusting said exposure tool dose to compensate for shot order changing effect.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US6447964B2
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2008-03-14 | 2008-09-13 | 2009-03-15 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2012-03-14 | 2012-09-13 | 2013-03-15 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2016-03-14 | 2016-09-13 | 2017-03-15 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |