Patent · US Active

Microlithographic mask, method for determining edge positions of the images of the structures of such a mask and system for carrying out such a method

US11256178B2 · kind B2 · utility

0Cited by

1References

20Claims

0Family size

Assignee

Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH · DE

Inventor

Dirk Hellweg · Langenau, DE

Key dates

Filing date	Aug 27, 2020
Grant date	Feb 22, 2022
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Aug 27, 2040

Classification

Technology area (CPC G)Physics
CPC primaryG03F9/7088
WIPO fieldOptics
WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

For the purposes of measuring structures of a microlithographic mask, a method for capturing absolute positions of structures on the mask and a method for determining structure-dependent and/or illumination-dependent contributions to the position of an image of the structures to be imaged, or of the edges defining this structure, are combined with one another. As a result of this, establishing an edge placement error that is relevant to the exposure of a wafer and, hence, a characterization of the mask can be substantially improved.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.