PATENT CLAIM ANALYSIS

Application Number: 16014399
Application Type: Utility
Filing Date: 2018-06
Publication Date: 2018-10
Patent Classification: ["430", "030000"]

Abstract:
Method and system configured to reduce or even nullify the degradation of images created by the projector tool turns on the optimization of the pattern-imaging by adjusting parameters and hardware of the projector to judiciously impact the placement of various image edges at different locations in the image field. Adjustments to the projector (exposure tool) include a change of a setup parameter of the exposure tool and/or scanning synchronization and/or a change of a signature of the optical system of the exposure tool determined as a result of minimizing the pre-determined cost function(s) that are parts of a comprehensive edge-placement error model.

Claim (Index 1):
A method for predicting and monitoring a position of an edge of an image of a reticle pattern formed on a workpiece in a lithographic exposure process in an exposure tool, the method comprising:\n performing at least one wafer-exposure run in the exposure tool\n to form a first image of the reticle pattern on the workpiece and \n to determine, with the use of an optical detector of the exposure tool, first and second operational factors, the first operational factors representing parameters of operation of said exposure tool and including descriptors of optical imaging in said exposure tool, the second operational factors representing a shot-overlay characteristic of said exposure tool, \n wherein the first image is characterized by a first difference between a position of an edge of the first image and a target position; \n determining, with a computer device, a change of a position of an edge of the first image with respect to a target position based on said first operational factors and said second operational factors; and modifying, based on a value of the change of the position, the exposure tool by changing one or more of presence, position, orientation, size, and shape of an optical component of the optical projection system to form a second image of the reticle pattern on the workpiece, the second image characterized by a second difference between a position of an edge of the second image and the target position, the second difference being smaller than the first difference.

Metadata:
- Claim Count in Document: 101.0
- Percentile: 94.0
- Lexical Diversity: 1.67692
- Patent Class: 430.0
- Transitional Phrase Type: open
- Component Type: 1
- Foreign Priority: False
- Related Applications: ['15014677', '13313749', '10252020', '11400601', '11839458']

Analysis Scores:
- 35 USC 101 Eligibility (BERT): 0.7609187418600307
- 35 USC 102 Novelty (BERT): 0.5479761806435751
- Combined Prediction Score: 0.7396244857383851
- Mean Citation Score: 268.397984
- Max Citation Score: 423.22815
- Similarity Product: 356.11825326443915

Labels:
- Claim Label 101: 1
- Claim Label 102: 0
- Claim Label 103: 1
- Claim Label 112: 1
- Combined Label: 0
- Label 101 Adjusted: 1

Dataset: test