Patent · US Expired

Apparatus and method for compensating critical dimension deviations across photomask

US6566016B1 · kind B1 · utility

12Cited by
3References
23Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateJun 28, 2000
Grant dateMay 20, 2003
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 16, 2020

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG03F7/70191
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

The present invention provides an apparatus and a method for compensating critical dimension deviations across a photomask. In this method, a photomask is partitioned into a plurality of regions. A critical dimension is then measured for each of the regions in the photomask. Based on the measured critical dimensions, a deviation map is generated to map deviation of the critical dimension from a target dimension for each of the regions in the photomask. From the deviation map, an amount of actinic radiation needed to be attenuated to compensate for the critical dimension deviation from the target dimension is determined for each of the regions of the photomask. Based on the determined attenuation amount of actinic radiation, the transmission of the actinic radiation through each of the regions in the photomask is attenuated such that the critical dimension deviation is compensated to the target dimension for each of the regions in the photomask.

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