3D Photoresist Profile Generation Using Contour Masks and Loading Maps
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing complexity of advanced technology node process flows in semiconductor fabrication leads to lengthy and costly experimental runs with negative or null characterization results, necessitating a more efficient method for developing integrated process flows.
Innovation Solution
A virtual fabrication environment is utilized to perform 3D photoresist profile generation by receiving top and bottom contour masks, creating a loading map using density information, and performing an etch operation to generate a 3D photoresist profile, thereby accelerating the modeling of semiconductor device structures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional trial-and-error physical experimentation is used to develop integrated process flows, then manufacturing precision can be achieved through empirical validation, but the duration and cost of development increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the semiconductor fabrication process by generating 3D photoresist profiles from 2D contour masks. This virtual model replicates the physical fabrication outcomes without requiring actual experimental runs, enabling process development validation in a digital environment that eliminates time-consuming physical trials while maintaining predictive accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary 3D profile generation and validation in a virtual environment before committing to physical fabrication runs. By predicting outcomes upfront through contour mask-based 3D modeling, the system identifies potential process issues and optimizes parameters beforehand, preventing wasted experimental time on flawed process configurations
2Manufacturing precision
If detailed 3D photoresist profile modeling is performed using conventional methods, then manufacturing precision is improved, but computational time and resource requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the photoresist profile generation process by using contour masks that define critical regions (top, bottom, and intermediate profiles) rather than modeling the entire 3D volume continuously. This segmentation approach captures essential profile characteristics while reducing computational complexity, achieving accurate 3D profile prediction without exhaustive simulation
Solution Approach 2:
The system transforms the problem from full 3D continuous modeling to a 2D contour mask representation that captures the essential 3D profile information through cross-sectional contours. By working in the 2D domain and reconstructing 3D profiles from contour data, the system achieves computational efficiency while maintaining the precision needed for manufacturing
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for performing 3D photoresist profile generation for a semiconductor device fabrication environment are discussed. The methods comprise receiving in a virtual fabrication environment a top contour mask and a bottom contour mask, creating a loading map using a subset of density information extracted from the top contour mask and the bottom contour mask, performing an etch operation using the loading map to generate the 3D photoresist profile, and outputting a result of the etch operation.