Lithography target optimization with source-mask optimization

Yunfei Deng; Tamer H. Coskun; Jongwook Kye; Harry J. Levinson

doi:10.1117/12.918080

13 March 2012 Lithography target optimization with source-mask optimization

Yunfei Deng, Tamer H. Coskun, Jongwook Kye, Harry J. Levinson

Proceedings Volume 8326, Optical Microlithography XXV; 83262P (2012) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.918080
Event: SPIE Advanced Lithography, 2012, San Jose, California, United States

Abstract

In the very low k₁ regime in optical lithography, aggressive RET such as strong off-axis illumination causes significant forbidden pitches and lithography hotspots for aggressive designs. Various lithography retargeting techniques have been introduced to mitigate these process window failures. This paper proposes to bring the lithography target optimization into the Source-Mask Optimization (SMO) flow to achieve better SMO solutions at an earlier process development stage. Through this tight integration of lithography target optimization and source mask optimization, lithography target, source, and mask can be tuned together to provide the best overall process window for the newly defined targets. This improvement is demonstrated using a simple SMO test case for the 20-nm metal layer. Then at the later development stage, retargeting rules can be extracted from these optimized lithography targets, and they can be applied in the normal mask optimization process. This lithography target optimization flow can provide a faster tuning process for the lithography target rules at an early process development stage, and can provide optimized retarget rules for mask optimization process too. New challenges for retargeting in double patterning lithography are also discussed.

Citation Download Citation

Yunfei Deng, Tamer H. Coskun, Jongwook Kye, and Harry J. Levinson "Lithography target optimization with source-mask optimization", Proc. SPIE 8326, Optical Microlithography XXV, 83262P (13 March 2012); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.918080

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