Enhanced edge resolution and critical dimension linearity in lithography
US6819450B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 28, 2000 |
| Grant date | Nov 16, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 28, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG03F7/70383
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A semiconductor fabrication gray level photolithography strategy, in which the energy beam intensities corresponding to each gray level are selected from a set of non-linear, non-monotonic intensities. Rasterized geometric shape edges are defined by associating one or more intermediate gray levels with pixels in at least one row of pixels. The geometric shape is printed or imaged on an energy sensitive layer by modulating an energy beam to the intensity corresponding to the associated gray level, and directing the modulated beam to the pixel location on the layer. The intensities corresponding to the gray levels are selected so as to optimize critical dimension (CD) characteristics and other printing features.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.