Dose Data Generation Using Virtual Data Mirroring
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Solution Overview
Problem
In photolithography processes for semiconductor manufacturing, existing methods for generating dose data often result in divergent functions at shot edges, leading to abnormal dose amounts and jump values due to the inability to uniformly calculate pattern dimensions across the entire surface, particularly in regions like the Kerf area where measurement data is not available.
Innovation Solution
A dose-data generating apparatus that includes a virtual-data generating unit to mirror dimension measurement data from a measurement region to a non-shot region, a dose-data calculating unit to calculate dose data for both regions based on the mirrored data, and a shot-region cutout unit to prevent divergence and jump values by generating virtual data and approximating functions across the whole surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If dose data is calculated based on measurement data only within the shot region, then calculation simplicity is maintained, but the function diverges at shot edges causing abnormal dose amounts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by generating virtual measurement data in advance for non-shot regions before performing dose data calculation. The virtual data is created by mirroring actual measurement data from shot regions to adjacent non-shot regions, ensuring that the approximation function has sufficient data points across the entire region including shot edges, thereby preventing divergence without complicating the calculation process
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses copying by creating virtual measurement data through mirroring of actual measurement data from shot regions to non-shot regions. This copied data is then integrated with real measurement data to form a complete dataset for approximation, allowing the dose calculation to be performed uniformly across both shot and non-shot regions without special handling at boundaries
2Manufacturing precision
If measurement data is extended to non-shot regions, then uniform dose distribution is achieved, but data processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs copying by mirroring measurement data from shot regions to create virtual data in non-shot regions. This approach extends the measurement coverage to areas where no actual measurements exist, enabling uniform dose distribution calculation across the entire wafer surface including Kerf regions, while keeping the processing method relatively simple through straightforward data mirroring
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the wafer surface into shot regions and non-shot regions, then handling each region appropriately. Shot regions use actual measurement data while non-shot regions use mirrored virtual data. The dose data calculation is then performed uniformly across both segments, achieving pattern dimension uniformity without requiring complex region-specific processing
3Ease of operation
If approximation function is used for dose data representation, then dose distribution can be uniformly expressed, but the function diverges at shot edges like Kerf regions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-generating virtual measurement data in non-shot regions before constructing the approximation function. This ensures that the function has adequate data support across the entire domain including shot edges, preventing divergence. The approximation function can then be used for ease of operation without compromising convergence reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses copying to create virtual measurement data by mirroring actual measurement data to non-shot regions. This extended dataset provides the approximation function with sufficient information across shot and non-shot region boundaries, ensuring the function remains convergent and reliable while maintaining the simplicity of mathematical representation
Data Source
AI summary
According to one embodiment, generating virtual data by mirroring data based on a dimension measurement result in a measurement region on an inner side of a shot region to a non-shot region on an outer side of a shot edge, and calculating dose data of the measurement region and a non-measurement region based on data in the measurement region and the virtual data are included.