Metrology method and apparatus and computer program

    公开(公告)号:US12189305B2

    公开(公告)日:2025-01-07

    申请号:US18004555

    申请日:2021-05-27

    Abstract: Disclosed is a method of improving a measurement of a parameter of interest. The method comprises obtaining metrology data comprising a plurality of measured values of the parameter of interest, relating to one or more targets on a substrate, each measured value relating to a different measurement combination of a target of said one or more targets and a measurement condition used to measure that target and asymmetry metric data relating to asymmetry for said one or more targets. A respective relationship is determined for each of said measurement combinations relating a true value for the parameter of interest to the asymmetry metric data, based on an assumption that there is a common true value for the parameter of interest over said measurement combinations. These relationships are used to improve a measurement of the parameter of interest.

    Metrology method, computer product and system

    公开(公告)号:US11640116B2

    公开(公告)日:2023-05-02

    申请号:US16893619

    申请日:2020-06-05

    Abstract: A method including determining a type of structural asymmetry of the target from measured values of the target, and performing a simulation of optical measurement of the target to determine a value of an asymmetry parameter associated with the asymmetry type. A method including performing a simulation of optical measurement of a target to determine a value of an asymmetry parameter associated with a type of structural asymmetry of the target determined from measured values of the target, and analyzing a sensitivity of the asymmetry parameter to change in a target formation parameter associated with the target. A method including determining a structural asymmetry parameter of a target using a measured parameter of radiation diffracted by the target, and determining a property of a measurement beam of the target based on the structural asymmetry parameter that is least sensitive to change in a target formation parameter associated with the target.

    Metrology method and lithographic method, lithographic cell and computer program

    公开(公告)号:US10831111B2

    公开(公告)日:2020-11-10

    申请号:US16073362

    申请日:2017-02-21

    Abstract: A method of measuring a target, an associated lithographic method, an associated computer program product and an associated litho cell is provided, wherein the method includes measuring the target subsequent to exposure of structures by a lithographic process in a current layer on a substrate over one or more preceding layers, wherein the one or more preceding layers have each undergone an etch step, and wherein the target is only in at least one of the one or more preceding layers. In this way, an after-etch measurement of the target can be obtained.

    Method of designing metrology targets, substrates having metrology targets, method of measuring overlay, and device manufacturing method

    公开(公告)号:US10809628B2

    公开(公告)日:2020-10-20

    申请号:US16028953

    申请日:2018-07-06

    Abstract: Metrology targets are formed by a lithographic process, each target comprising a bottom grating and a top grating. Overlay performance of the lithographic process can be measured by illuminating each target with radiation and observing asymmetry in diffracted radiation. Parameters of metrology recipe and target design are selected so as to maximize accuracy of measurement of overlay, rather than reproducibility. The method includes calculating at least one of a relative amplitude and a relative phase between (i) a first radiation component representing radiation diffracted by the top grating and (ii) a second radiation component representing radiation diffracted by the bottom grating after traveling through the top grating and intervening layers. The top grating design may be modified to bring the relative amplitude close to unity. The wavelength of illuminating radiation in the metrology recipe can be adjusted to bring the relative phase close to π/2 or 3π/2.

    Metrology in lithographic processes

    公开(公告)号:US10656533B2

    公开(公告)日:2020-05-19

    申请号:US16106322

    申请日:2018-08-21

    Abstract: An apparatus and method for estimating a parameter of a lithographic process and an apparatus and method for determining a relationship between a measure of quality of an estimate of a parameter of a lithographic process are provided. In the apparatus for estimating the parameter a processor is configured to determine a quality of the estimate of the parameter relating to the tested substrate based on a measure of feature asymmetry in the at least first features of the tested substrate and further based on a relationship determined for a plurality of corresponding at least first features of at least one further substrate representative of the tested substrate, the relationship being between a measure of quality of an estimate of the parameter relating to the at least one further substrate and a measure of feature asymmetry in the corresponding first features.

    DETERMINATION OF STACK DIFFERENCE AND CORRECTION USING STACK DIFFERENCE

    公开(公告)号:US20190271915A1

    公开(公告)日:2019-09-05

    申请号:US16413985

    申请日:2019-05-16

    Abstract: A method including: obtaining a measurement of a metrology target on a substrate processed using a patterning process, the measurement having been obtained using measurement radiation; and deriving a parameter of interest of the patterning process from the measurement, wherein the parameter of interest is corrected by a stack difference parameter, the stack difference parameter representing an un-designed difference in physical configuration between adjacent periodic structures of the target or between the metrology target and another adjacent target on the substrate.

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