Patent ID: 8739076
Filing Date: 2014-05-27
Classification: G03F,G06F

Abstract:
1. A computer-implemented method for modeling a photolithographic process, the method comprising: using at least one computer processor, calibrating an optical part of a model of the photolithographic process, resulting in a calibrated optical part of the model; using the at least one computer processor, calibrating a non-optical part of the model of the photolithographic process, by determining one or more model corrections between (i) modeled critical dimension data from an aerial image generated by the optical part of the model, and (ii) empirical critical dimension data from tangible structures made at only a first process combination of a first dose and a first defocus in the photolithographic process, resulting in a calibrated non-optical part of the model; and using the at least one computer processor, using at least the calibrated optical part of the model and the calibrated non-optical of the model, predicting critical dimension data of the photolithographic process at a second process combination of a second dose and a second defocus in the photolithographic process, the first process combination and the second process combination being different in at least one of a dose and a defocus.