Robust source and polarization joint optimization for thick-mask lithography imaging

Shengen Zhang; Xu Ma; Gonzalo R. Arce

doi:10.1117/1.JMM.23.4.043201

31 October 2024 Robust source and polarization joint optimization for thick-mask lithography imaging

Shengen Zhang, Xu Ma, Gonzalo R. Arce

Journal of Micro/Nanopatterning, Materials, and Metrology, Vol. 23, Issue 4, 043201 (October 2024). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.JMM.23.4.043201

Abstract

Background

Optical lithography is a key technology to fabricate very large-scale integrated circuits. As the critical dimension of integrated circuits approaches the diffraction resolution limit, thick-mask effects have begun to significantly influence the lithography image quality.

Aim

We develop a computational lithography approach, dubbed source and polarization joint optimization (SPO), to compensate for image distortion in the thick-mask lithography process.

Approaches

SPO manipulates the intensity distribution and polarization angles of the pixelated light source to modulate the diffracted light field off the photomask, thus improving the lithography image quality over the variation of process conditions. The thick-mask effects are accounted for in the imaging model using the rigorous three-dimensional diffraction simulator. The SPO framework is established to consider the image errors on both focal and defocus imaging planes with exposure variation. Two kinds of gradient-based optimization algorithms, namely, simultaneous SPO (SiSPO) and sequential SPO (SeSPO), are developed.

Result

The superiority of the proposed methods is verified by a set of numerical experiments.

Conclusion

The SeSPO algorithm outperforms the SiSPO algorithm in terms of image fidelity, process window, and computational efficiency.

Citation Download Citation

Shengen Zhang, Xu Ma, and Gonzalo R. Arce "Robust source and polarization joint optimization for thick-mask lithography imaging," Journal of Micro/Nanopatterning, Materials, and Metrology 23(4), 043201 (31 October 2024). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.JMM.23.4.043201

Received: 4 June 2024; Accepted: 10 October 2024; Published: 31 October 2024

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

Members: $24.00

Non-members: $28.00 ADD TO CART

JOURNAL ARTICLE
16 PAGES

DOWNLOAD PAPER SAVE TO MY LIBRARY

GET CITATION

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

Get copyright permission Get copyright permission on Copyright Marketplace

KEYWORDS

Polarization

Mathematical optimization

Lithography

Image processing

Imaging systems

Algorithm development

Printing

Background

Aim

Approaches

Result

Conclusion

Show All Keywords

Keywords/Phrases

Search In:

Publication Years