Patent ID: 6078738
Filing Date: 2000-06-20
Classification: G03F

Abstract:
In the field of semiconductor processing, a method of simulating a masking process, comprising:providing a process simulator, wherein said simulator is configured to receive input information comprising a digital representation of a patterned mask and a data set wherein each element of said data set corresponds to one of a plurality of parameters associated with said masking process, said simulator further configured to produce an aerial image based upon said input information, wherein said aerial image represents said simulator's estimation of a pattern that would be produced by said masking process using said patterned mask under conditions specified by said data set;supplying said input information to said simulator to produce said aerial image,generating a first database comprising a digital representation of said aerial image;producing said pattern on a semiconductor substrate using said masking process and said patterned mask under the conditions specified by said data set;generating a second database comprising a digital representation of said pattern;comparing said first database with said second database to produce an error database indicative of differences between said aerial image and said pattern; andmodifying said process simulator based upon said error database to minimize said differences between a successive iteration of said aerial image and said pattern.