Patent · US Active

Method and apparatus for determining the effect of process variations

US7966583B2 · kind B2 · utility

1Cited by
2References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 8, 2008
Grant dateJun 21, 2011
Priority date—
Expiry dateJul 29, 2029

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG03F7/70641
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide systems and techniques for determining the effect of process variations. During operation, the system can receive a layout which includes multiple instances of a pattern. Next, the system can correct the pattern instances using different photolithography process models which model the photolithography process at different exposure and focus conditions. Next, the corrected layout can be printed on a wafer. The system can then perform electrical tests on the wafer, or it can measure the critical dimensions of the features on the wafer. The yield loss or the exposure-focus matrix can then be generated by using the test data or the measurement data.

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