Cross technology reticle (CTR) or multi-layer reticle (MLR) CDU, registration, and overlay techniques

• Main Authors: Ning Guo Xiang, Tan Soon Yoeng, Hotzel Arthur, Ackmann Paul
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 24.10.2017
• Subjects: ACCESSORIES THEREFOR; APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS EMPLOYING ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USINGWAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OR FORPROJECTING OR VIEWING THEM; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; PHOTOGRAPHY; PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES,e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTORDEVICES; PHYSICS

Methods for reducing reticle transmission differences and for optimizing layer placement for overlay in MTRs and CTRs are disclosed. Embodiments include providing a reticle having a prime area and a frame area surrounding the prime area; determining RT differences across the prime area; and providing RT adjustment structures on the reticle to decrease the RT differences. Other embodiments include grouping multiple layers of a semiconductor production flow, the layers for each group having an RT difference less than a predetermined value; and placing the layers on plural ordered reticles of a reticle set, each reticle having multiple image fields, by selecting, for each reticle, layers from a single group and optimizing placement of the layers for overlay. Other embodiments include selectively rotating image fields on a reticle having multiple image fields to improve overlay, or optimizing placement of DDLs on CTRs by placing each design orientation on a different reticle.