Abstract: An optical apparatus used for the efficient characterization of photoresist material includes at least one grating interferometer having at least two gratings that together define an optical recombination plane. An optical stop blocks any zeroth order beam from propagating through the apparatus. A reticle positioned at the recombination plane has at least one fiducial marking therein. A lithographic imaging optical tool is positioned so that its input optical plane is substantially coincident with the optical recombination plane and its output imaging plane is substantially coincident with photoresist on a wafer. The apparatus writes in the photoresist latent, sinusoidal grating patterns, preferably of different spatial frequencies, as well as at least one fiducial mark whose pattern is determined by the marking in the reticle. After the photoresist is developed, its intrinsic spatial resolution may be determined by automated means.

Abstract: An efficient method and system is provided for computing lithographic images that takes into account vector effects such as lens birefringence, resist stack effects and tailored source polarizations, and may also include blur effects of the mask and the resist. These effects are included by forming a generalized bilinear kernel, which is independent of the mask transmission function, which can then be treated using a decomposition to allow rapid computation of an image that includes such non-scalar effects. Dominant eigenfunctions of the generalized bilinear kernel can be used to pre-compute convolutions with possible polygon sectors. A mask transmission function can then be decomposed into polygon sectors, and weighted pre-images may be formed from a coherent sum of the pre-computed convolutions for the appropriate mask polygon sectors. The image at a point may be formed from the incoherent sum of the weighted pre-images over all of the dominant eigenfunctions of the generalized bilinear kernel.

Abstract: An optical apparatus used for the efficient characterization of photoresist material includes at least one grating interferometer having at least two gratings that together define an optical recombination plane. An optical stop blocks any zeroth order beam from propagating through the apparatus. A reticle positioned at the recombination plane has at least one fiducial marking therein. A lithographic imaging optical tool is positioned so that its input optical plane is substantially coincident with the optical recombination plane and its output imaging plane is substantially coincident with photoresist on a wafer. The apparatus writes in the photoresist latent, sinusoidal grating patterns, preferably of different spatial frequencies, as well as at least one fiducial mark whose pattern is determined by the marking in the reticle. After the photoresist is developed, its intrinsic spatial resolution may be determined by automated means.

Abstract: Lithographic imaging of 50 nm (or less) half-pitch features in chemically amplified resists (commonly used in the manufacture of integrated circuits) is enabled by the use of reduced temperature post-exposure processing and low activation energy chemically amplified resists. The post-exposure processing preferably involves ambient to moderately elevated temperature and the presence of a deprotection reaction-dependent co-reactant (e.g., water).

Abstract: The silicon-containing resist compositions which have low silicon outgassing and high resolution lithographic performance, especially in bilayer or multilayer lithographic applications using 193 nm or shorter wavelength imaging radiation are enabled by the presence of an imaging polymer having silicon-containing, non-acid-labile pendant groups. The resist compositions of the invention are preferably further characterized by the substantial absence of silicon-containing acid-labile moieties.

Abstract: The silicon-containing resist compositions which have low silicon outgassing and high resolution lithographic performance, especially in bilayer or multilayer lithographic applications using 193 nm or shorter wavelength imaging radiation are enabled by the presence of an imaging polymer having silicon-containing, non-acid-labile pendant groups. The resist compositions of the invention are preferably further characterized by the substantial absence of silicon-containing acid-labile moieties.

Abstract: A system and method for simulating a mechanistic kinetic process, such as a chemical process including one or more chemical reactions, over a predetermined time period is provided. The simulation proceeds stochastically, by taking discrete time steps through the time period, and performing events (i.e., chemical reactions), based on the relationship between their probabilities of occurrence and the time steps taken. The system and method of the invention include means or method steps for detecting equilibrium conditions, in which a reaction moves forward and backward with a reaction probability which is high, relative to the probabilities of other reactions being simulated. When a reaction in equilibrium is detected, a probability calculation is made, based on the non-equilibrium reactions being simulated. Time steps are made, and events are simulated, based only on the non-equilibrium reactions.

Abstract: A method for producing a magnetic structure, such as a thin film magnetic head, in which the magnetic and electrical characteristics of magnetic material are tailored to produce magnetic and electrical characteristics in selected localized areas of the magnetic material. In a specific embodiment, the structure comprises a layer of magnetic material having an overlayer and an underlayer, and the magnetic characteristics of the material are modified by rapid thermal annealing.

Abstract: A method for producing a magnetic structure, such as a thin film magnetic head, in which the magnetic and electrical characteristics of magnetic material are tailored to produce magnetic and electrical characteristics in selected localized areas of the magnetic material. In a specific embodiment, the structure comprises a layer of magnetic material having an overlayer and an underlayer, and the magnetic characteristics of the material are modified by rapid thermal annealing.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a simulator including at least one data storage apparatus and at least one processor. The simulator further has a material property data group, a system state data group comprising geometrical data for defining a plurality of geometrical subvolumes and system condition data for each subvolume of a simulated system, an event probability data group including a plurality of event subgroups for uniquely identifying a set of events, event probabilities being associated with at least one of the geometrical subvolumes, and an event process data group including the time dependent process functions for all events which can occur in the system. These data groups and at least one functional-relationship link for correlating all of them are stored in the data storage apparatus. Thus, the material energy system can be represented by such data groups without requiring an explicit multiple dimension data structure.

Abstract: A method of etching silicon with a laser at a very fast rate of the order of 45 microns/second includes the steps of providing an atmosphere of sulfur hexafluoride about the silicon and directing a continuous laser beam having a wavelength of about 0.6 or less microns at said silicon.

Abstract: A process for selectively depositing copper by first selectively depositing palladium seeds by irradiating a palladium compound with light. Following the deposition of the palladium seeds, copper is deposited by an electroless process.