Patent · US Expired

Method of observing exposure condition for exposing semiconductor device and its apparatus and method of manufacturing semiconductor device

US6913861B2 · kind B2 · utility

13Cited by
3References
18Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 18, 2003
Grant dateJul 5, 2005
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 20, 2023

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S430/143
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

Size characteristic quantities are measured at a plural locations. The size characteristic quantities include edge widths, pattern widths, and/or pattern lengths of the electron-beam images of a resist-dropout pattern and a resist-remaining pattern that are located such that the effective exposure quantities differ depending on the places. With the predetermined measurement errors added thereto, the size characteristic quantities are compared with model data that has been created in advance and that causes various exposure conditions to be related with the size characteristic quantities measured under these various exposure conditions. This comparison makes it possible not only to estimate deviation quantities in the exposure quantity and the focal-point position from the correct values, but also to calculate ambiguity degrees of the estimated values. This, allows the implementation of a proper monitoring/controlling of the exposure-condition variations (i.e., the deviations in the exposure quantity and the focal-point position) in the lithography process.

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