Method and System for Determining a Lithographic Process Parameter

• Main Authors: MATTHEUS CHRISTINE CORINNE, LEEWIS CHRISTIAN MARINUS, MEESSEN HIERONYMUS JOHANNUS CHRISTIAAN
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 01.12.2011
• Subjects: CALCULATING; COMPUTING; COUNTING; ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING; INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIRCHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; MEASURING; PHYSICS; TESTING

The present invention relates to a method for determining parameter value related to a lithographic process by which a marker structure has been applied on a product substrate based on obtaining calibration measurement data, with an optical detection apparatus, from a calibration marker structure set on a calibration substrate, including at least one calibration marker structure created using different known values of the parameter. The method further determines a mathematical model by using said known values of said at least one parameter and by employing a regression technique on said calibration measurement data, obtains product measurement data, with said optical detection apparatus, from a product marker structure on the product substrate, with at least one product marker structure being exposed with an unknown value of said at least one parameter. Furthermore, the method determines the unknown value of at least one parameter for the product substrate from the obtained product measurement data, wherein the optical detection apparatus may be a SEM and the obtained data includes an image obtained by the SEM.