Polarization-dependent proximity effects

摘要

To meet the imaging resolution requirements, driven by the evolution of IC design rules, leading-edge scanners incorporate projection lenses with hyper-NAs. Moreover, immersion scanners are being introduced into IC manufacture. Both dry and immersion tools explore the lens design regimes of unprecedented complexity. The need to predict, to analyze and to control the IC pattern CDs is met by various photolithography simulators. The continuing demand for simulation accuracy is reflected by the requirement to quantify the scanner projection lens fingerprints, i.e. projection lens infinitesimal excursions from the ideal performance. The scanner engineering community has been relying on photolithography simulators to analyze the impact of the projection lens fingerprints on the imaging characteristics. However small, these excursions are always present in the projection tools and they control important imaging characteristics such as overlay, CD uniformity, across-field exposure latitude, to name but a few. Customarily, phase front aberrations and lens pupil apodization signatures have been used to predict the scanners imaging responses. Of course, the need to design, to manufacture and to deploy scanners of ever improving quality resulted in dramatic reductions of these non-ideal imaging excursions. The evolution of IC designs and imaging tools complexity escalate the requirements for imaging simulation accuracy. Simultaneously, predicting scanner imaging response has become a key mission in the Deign For Manufacture arena. In view of these developments, it necessary to pose a question if the conventional equipment engineering and imaging simulation methodologies predict scanner imaging responses with the accuracy required by the IC design rules. Differently put, the question is: what is necessary to provide simulation accuracy required by the current IC design rules? This report attempts to address these questions.