Patent ID: 8527253
Filing Date: 2013-09-03
Classification: G03F

Abstract:
1. A method for accurately modeling polarization states of an illumination source in an optical lithography system for manufacturing integrated circuits, the method comprising: receiving a two-dimensional (2D) grid map for a modified illumination source in the optical lithography system, wherein the 2D grid map comprises a 2D array of grid points, wherein each grid point represents a location in the modified illumination source; constructing a source-polarization model for the modified illumination source by defining a polarization state at each grid point in the 2D grid map to facilitate a point-by-point description of the modified illumination source; decomposing the modified illumination source at each grid point into an unpolarized component and a completely polarized component; and enhancing a lithography model for the optical lithography system by incorporating the source-polarization model into the lithography model, which involves separately applying a transfer matrix associated with the optical lithography system to the unpolarized component and to the completely polarized component.