Patents by Inventor Armin Liebchen

Armin Liebchen has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Method of performing resist process calibration/optimization and DOE optimization for providing OPE matching between different lithography systems
    Patent number: 7652758
    Abstract: A method of optimizing a process for use with a plurality of lithography systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2010
    Assignee: ASML Masktools B.V.
    Inventors: SangBong Park, Jang Fung Chen, Armin Liebchen
  • Method, program product and apparatus of simultaneous optimization for NA-Sigma exposure settings and scattering bars OPC using a device layout
    Patent number: 7355673
    Abstract: Disclose is a method, program product and apparatus for optimizing numerical aperture (“NA”) and sigma of a lithographic system based on the target layout. A pitch or interval analysis is performed to identify the distribution of critical pitch over the design. Based on the pitch or interval analysis, a critical dense pitch is identified. NA, sigma-in, sigma-out parameters are optimized such that the critical feature will print with or without bias adjustment. For features other than the critical dense features, adjustments are made in accordance with OPC, and lithographic apparatus settings are further mutually optimized. Accordingly, lithographic apparatus settings may be optimized for any pattern concurrently with OPC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2008
    Assignee: ASML Masktools B.V.
    Inventors: Duan-Fu Stephen Hsu, Armin Liebchen
  • Method of performing resist process calibration/optimization and DOE optimization for providing OPE matching between different lithography systems
    Publication number: 20070002311
    Abstract: A method of optimizing a process for use with a plurality of lithography systems.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2006
    Publication date: January 4, 2007
    Applicant: ASML MASKTOOLS B.V.
    Inventors: SangBong Park, Jang Chen, Armin Liebchen
  • Method of performing resist process calibration/optimization and DOE optimization for providing OPE matching between different lithography systems
    Patent number: 7116411
    Abstract: A method of optimizing a process for use with a plurality of lithography systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2006
    Assignee: ASML Masktools B.V.
    Inventors: Sangbong Park, Jang Fung Chen, Armin Liebchen
  • Method and apparatus for providing lens aberration compensation by illumination source optimization
    Patent number: 7034919
    Abstract: A method for compensating for lens aberrations, which includes the steps of: (a) defining a cost metric which quantifies an imaging performance of an imaging system, where the cost metric reflects the effects of lens aberrations on the imaging performance; (b) defining a source illumination profile; (c) evaluating the cost metric based on the source illumination profile; (d) modifying the source illumination profile, and re-evaluating the cost metric based on the modified source illumination profile; and (e) repeating step (d) until the cost metric is minimized. The source illumination profile corresponding to the minimized cost metric represents the optimal illumination for the imaging device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2006
    Assignee: ASML Masktools B.V.
    Inventor: Armin Liebchen
  • Method of performing resist process calibration/optimization and DOE optimization for providing OPE matching between different lithography systems
    Publication number: 20060044542
    Abstract: A method of optimizing a process for use with a plurality of lithography systems.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2004
    Publication date: March 2, 2006
    Inventors: Sangbong Park, Jang Chen, Armin Liebchen
  • Method, program product and apparatus of simultaneous optimization for NA-Sigma exposure settings and scattering bars OPC using a device layout
    Publication number: 20050028129
    Abstract: Disclose is a method, program product and apparatus for optimizing numerical aperture (“NA”) and sigma of a lithographic system based on the target layout. A pitch or interval analysis is performed to identify the distribution of critical pitch over the design. Based on the pitch or interval analysis, a critical dense pitch is identified. NA, sigma-in, sigma-out parameters are optimized such that the critical feature will print with or without bias adjustment. For features other than the critical dense features, adjustments are made in accordance with OPC, and lithographic apparatus settings are further mutually optimized. Accordingly, lithographic apparatus settings may be optimized for any pattern concurrently with OPC.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2004
    Publication date: February 3, 2005
    Inventors: Duan-Fu Hsu, Armin Liebchen
  • Method and apparatus for providing lens aberration compensation by illumination source optimization
    Publication number: 20040184030
    Abstract: A method for compensating for lens aberrations, which includes the steps of: (a) defining a cost metric which quantifies an imaging performance of an imaging system, where the cost metric reflects the effects of lens aberrations on the imaging performance; (b) defining a source illumination profile; (c) evaluating the cost metric based on the source illumination profile; (d) modifying the source illumination profile, and re-evaluating the cost metric based on the modified source illumination profile; and (e) repeating step (d) until the cost metric is minimized. The source illumination profile corresponding to the minimized cost metric represents the optimal illumination for the imaging device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2003
    Publication date: September 23, 2004
    Inventor: Armin Liebchen
  • Method and apparatus for fast aerial image simulation
    Patent number: 6738859
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for simulating an aerial image projected from an optical system, wherein the optical system includes a pupil and a mask. In general, the method comprises the steps of obtaining parameters for the optical system, calculating a kernel based on an orthogonal pupil projection of the parameters of the optical system onto a basis set, obtaining parameters of the mask, calculating a vector based on an orthogonal mask projection of the parameters of the mask onto a basis set, calculating a field intensity distribution using the kernel and the vector, and obtaining aerial image data from the field intensity distribution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2004
    Assignee: ASML Masktools B.V.
    Inventor: Armin Liebchen
  • Method and apparatus for fast aerial image simulation
    Publication number: 20020062206
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for simulating an aerial image projected from an optical system, wherein the optical system includes a pupil and a mask. In general, the method comprises the steps of obtaining parameters for the optical system, calculating a kernel based on an orthogonal pupil projection of the parameters of the optical system onto a basis set, obtaining parameters of the mask, calculating a vector based on an orthogonal mask projection of the parameters of the mask onto a basis set, calculating a field intensity distribution using the kernel and the vector, and obtaining aerial image data from the field intensity distribution.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2001
    Publication date: May 23, 2002
    Inventor: Armin Liebchen