Abstract: Improved fidelity to an integrated circuit pattern design in a semiconductor structure ultimately produced is achieved by modeling material removal and deposition processes in regard to materials, reactant, feature size, feature density, process parameters and the like as well as the effects of such parameters on etch and material deposition bias due to microloading and RIE lag (including inverse RIE lag) and using the models to work backward through the intended manufacturing method steps, including hard mask pattern decomposition, to morphologically develop feature patterns for use in most or all process steps which will result in the desired feature sizes and shapes at the completion of the overall process. Modeling of processes may be simplified through use of process assist features to locally adjust rates of material deposition and removal.

Abstract: A method for determining whether a defect that is detected by photomask inspection will adversely affect a semiconductor device, such as a wafer. The method has the ability of relating defect specifications directly to device performance and wafer yields, and assessing the impact of combining the defect with the critical dimension error using standard inspection tools.

Abstract: A method for determining if an undesirable feature on a photomask will adversely affect the performance of the semiconductor integrated circuit device that the mask is being used to create. The method includes inspecting the photomask for undesirable features and analyzing the designed features close to the defects. This analysis is performed on lithographic images that represent the image that is transferred onto the semiconductor wafer by the lithography process. This analysis takes into account the effect of variations that are present in the lithography process. Through knowledge of the effects of variations in mask critical dimension of a feature on the lithographic image of that feature, the analysis results in the assignment of an equivalent critical dimension error to the defect. This equivalent critical dimension error is then compared to the mask critical dimension error specification to determine whether or not the defect will adversely affect the device.

Abstract: A system for creating a bright and uniform line of illumination. The "hot spot" of an arc lamp is imaged onto a narrow, circular pinhole aperture. Light passing through the pinhole aperture is collimated and passed through a second aperture (the apodizing aperture), before being focused to a line of illumination by a cylindrical lens. The spatial profile of the apodizing aperture is tailored to remove non-uniformities in the illumination source thereby allowing a highly uniform line of illumination to be created. Alternatively, the spatial profile of the apodizing aperture can be tailored to produce a line of illumination having a desired non-uniform intensity profile.