Abstract: A pattern forming method includes determining an allowable value of an etching conversion difference, obtaining a maximum distance between patterns generating the etching conversion difference within the allowable value, the patterns including main patterns or both main patterns and a dummy pattern, preparing a first design layout in which a first distance between the main patterns is smaller than the maximum distance, or a second design layout in which a second distance between the main patterns and the dummy pattern is smaller than the maximum distance, performing a design data conversion based on the first or second design layout to form first or second design data, and forming the main patterns by using the first design data, or forming both the main patterns and the dummy pattern by using the second design data.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of setting a process parameter for use in manufacturing a semiconductor integrated circuit, comprising correcting a first pattern by using process parameter information to obtain a second pattern, the first pattern being one which corresponds to a design layout of the semiconductor integrated circuit, predicting a third pattern by using the process parameter information, the third pattern being one which corresponds to the second pattern and which is to be formed on a semiconductor wafer in an etching process, obtaining an evaluation value by comparing the third pattern with the first pattern, determining whether the evaluation value satisfies a preset condition, and changing the process parameter information when the evaluation value is found not to satisfy the preset condition.

Abstract: There is disclosed a dose monitor method comprising illuminating a mask with illumination light, which is disposed in a projection exposure apparatus and in which a dose monitor pattern is formed, passing only a 0th-order diffracted light through a pupil surface of the projection exposure apparatus in diffracted lights of the dose monitor pattern, and transferring a 0th-order diffracted light image of the dose monitor pattern onto a substrate to measure dose, wherein during the illuminating, a center of gravity of the 0th-order diffracted light image passed through the dose monitor pattern on the pupil surface of the projection exposure apparatus is shifted from an optical axis of the projection exposure apparatus.

Abstract: A method of forming a contact hole on a substrate by using a projection aligner comprising a lighting system including a light source, an aperture, and a condenser lens, a photo mask on which light from the lighting system is incident, and a projection lens for projecting the light from the photo mask onto the substrate, comprises forming a first photosensitive resist film on the substrate; exposing the first photosensitive resist film by using a photo mask in which mask patterns are cyclically arranged in a first direction and a second direction which is orthogonal to the first direction and a first aperture having light transmission parts arranged symmetrically with respect to a center point in the first direction; developing the exposed first photosensitive resist film to form first lines and linear spaces; forming a second photosensitive resist film on the substrate; exposing the second photosensitive resist film by using the photo mask and a second aperture having light transmission parts arranged symmet

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of producing a pattern for a semiconductor device, comprising extracting part of a pattern layout, perturbing a pattern included in the part of the pattern layout to generate a perturbation pattern, correcting the perturbation pattern, predicting a first pattern, to be formed on a wafer, from the corrected perturbation pattern, acquiring a first difference between the perturbation pattern and the first pattern, and storing information concerning the perturbation pattern including information concerning the first difference.

Abstract: A pattern forming method includes determining an allowable value of an etching conversion difference, obtaining a maximum distance between patterns generating the etching conversion difference within the allowable value, the patterns including main patterns or both main patterns and a dummy pattern, preparing a first design layout in which a first distance between the main patterns is smaller than the maximum distance, or a second design layout in which a second distance between the main patterns and the dummy pattern is smaller than the maximum distance, performing a design data conversion based on the first or second design layout to form first or second design data, and forming the main patterns by using the first design data, or forming both the main patterns and the dummy pattern by using the second design data.

Abstract: A method of creating a predictive model of a process proximity effect comprises: preparing a predictive model of a process proximity effect including a non-determined parameter; and determining the non-determined parameter, the method comprises: preparing a pattern group for modeling, the pattern group comprising a plurality of repetition patterns, the plurality of repetition patterns being obtained by changing a first and second dimensions of a repetition pattern which repeats a basic pattern, the first dimension defining the basic pattern, and the second dimension defining repetition of the basic pattern; selecting a predetermined repetition pattern from the pattern group for modeling, the basic pattern of the predetermined repetition pattern corresponding to a pattern which is to be formed on a wafer and has a predetermined dimension; and determining the non-determined parameter in the predictive model based on the predetermined repetition pattern and the pattern having the predetermined dimension.

Abstract: A monitoring method, includes: delineating a monitor resist pattern on an underlying film, the monitor resist pattern having a tilted sidewall slanted to a surface of the underlying film at least at one edge of the monitor resist pattern; measuring a width of the monitor resist pattern in an orthogonal direction to a cross line of the tilted sidewall intersecting with the underlying film; delineating a monitor underlying film pattern by selectively etching the underlying film using the monitor resist pattern as a mask; measuring a width of the monitor underlying film pattern in the orthogonal direction; and obtaining a shift width in the monitor underlying film pattern from a difference between the width of the monitor resist pattern and the width of the monitor underlying film pattern.

Abstract: A photomask transferring a light shield film pattern formed on a transparent substrate by a projection exposure apparatus, comprising a circuit pattern for transferring a predetermined pattern to a resist film, and an exposure monitor mark, the exposure monitor mark being formed in a manner that blocks having a predetermined width p, which are not resolved by the projection exposure apparatus, are intermittently or continuously arrayed along one direction, light shield and transmission portions are arrayed along one direction in each of the blocks, the blocks are arrayed so that a dimension ratio of the light shield and transmission portions of the blocks simply changes and the phase difference of exposure light passing through adjacent light transmission portions is approximately 180°.

Abstract: A mask pattern correction method includes the step of extracting a correction target edge from a design pattern, the step of calculating the distance from the correction target edge to the nearest edge of an adjacent pattern, the step of calculating the correction value by a simulation in accordance with a pattern layout present within a given range determined by the correction target edge, and moving the correction target edge on the basis of the calculated correction value when the distance calculated in the distance calculation step is smaller than a predetermined distance, and the step of moving the correction target edge on the basis of an correction value set as a rule in advance in accordance with the distance when the distance calculated in the distance calculation step is larger than the predetermined distance.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method for inspecting a defect in a photomask which is produced by using a graphic data, that matches mask data or is produced by subjecting mask data to correction of a process conversion difference relating to at least a line width. The method includes the following steps. Inspection data is produced by correcting a pattern of mask data so as to substantially match a planar shape of a pattern of a photomask to be produced by using the graphic data. A pattern of a produced photomask is compared with a pattern of the inspection data. Portions where planar shapes of the pattern of the inspection data and the pattern of the produced photomask do not match are extracted. A defect is distinguished from the portions where the planer shapes do not match.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for manufacturing a mask for focus monitoring, comprising forming a first opening portion and a second opening portion in a surface region of a transparent substrate, the second opening portion having a pattern shape corresponding to a pattern shape of the first opening portion, and being surrounded by a stack film formed of a halftone film on the transparent substrate and an opaque film on the halftone film, and radiating a charged beam onto a first region which includes an edge of the second opening portion and inside and outside regions which are respectively located inward and outward of the edge of the second opening portion, to etch that part of the transparent substrate which corresponds to the inside region.

Abstract: A method of forming a pattern for a semiconductor device comprises the steps of forming a photosensitive film on a substrate and radiating the photosensitive film on the substrate with a beam of a predetermined shape consisting of one of a charged particle beam and an electromagnetic beam, thereby forming an exposed region of a desired shape, the latter step including the step of exposing each of unit regions by a single shot of the beam of the predetermined shape for a predetermined period of time, repeating the exposure a plurality of times, and butt-joining the exposed unit regions to thereby form the exposed region of the desired shape, wherein, in the step of forming the exposed region of the desired shape, butting portions of the unit regions are situated in a first area of a layer to be formed other than a second area in the layer in which predetermined characteristics of a function of the semiconductor device are determined by a pattern width of the exposed region in association with another pattern f

Abstract: There is disclosed a wafer flatness evaluation method includes measuring front and rear surface shapes of a wafer. The wafer front surface measured is divided into sites. Then, a flatness calculating method is selected according to a position of the site to be evaluated and flatness in the wafer surface is acquired.

Abstract: Light emitted from an illumination optical system is guided to a photomask where a pattern is formed of an optical member including a light transmission pattern as a diffraction grating pattern, in which a light transmission part and a opaque part are repeated in a finite period and a periphery of the light transmission pattern is shielded by a opaque area, such that a plurality of ratios are given between the light transmission part and the opaque part. Diffraction light, which has passed through the photomask, is irradiated on a projection optical system, thereby to transfer a pattern reflecting an intensity distribution of the diffraction light to a wafer. A change of transmittance depending on a light path of the projection optical system is measured, based on a pattern image of the diffraction light transferred to the wafer. Pattern transfer is carried out in a non-conjugate state.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of manufacturing a photo mask comprising preparing mask data for a mask pattern to be formed on a mask substrate, calculating edge moving sensitivity with respect to each of patterns included in the mask pattern using the mask data, the edge moving sensitivity corresponding to a difference between a proper exposure dose and an exposure dose to be set when a pattern edge varies, determining a monitor portion of the mask pattern, based on the calculated edge moving sensitivity, actually forming the mask pattern on the mask substrate, acquiring a dimension of a pattern included in that portion of the mask pattern formed on the mask substrate which corresponds to the monitor portion, determining evaluation value for the mask pattern formed on the mask substrate, based on the acquired dimension, and determining whether the evaluation value satisfies predetermined conditions.

Abstract: A photomask designing method used in a lithography process, the lithography process comprises illuminating light on a photomask and converging the light which has passed through the photomask on a photosensitive substrate via a projection optical system, the photomask designing method comprises acquiring a transmittance characteristic of the projection optical system, the characteristic varing depending on a difference in optical paths of light in the projection optical system, the light passing through the projection optical system, and acquiring mask bias of the photomask by use of the transmittance characteristic of the projection optical system.

Abstract: Disclosed is a mask comprising a first area including a first surrounding area in which a halftone phase shift film or a stacked film of a halftone phase shift film and an opaque film is provided on a transparent substrate, and a first opening area surrounded by the first surrounding area, and a second area including a second surrounding area in which a halftone phase shift film is provided on the transparent substrate and a second opening area surrounded by the second surrounding area, wherein a transparent film is provided in at least a part of the second opening area, the transparent film being configured to give a predetermined phase difference to exposure light passing through that part of the second opening area in which the transparent film is provided relative to exposure light passing through the second surrounding area.

Abstract: Light emitted from an illumination optical system is guided to a photomask where a pattern is formed of an optical member including a light transmission pattern as a diffraction grating pattern, in which a light transmission part and a opaque part are repeated in a finite period and a periphery of the light transmission pattern is shielded by a opaque area, such that a plurality of ratios are given between the light transmission part and the opaque part. Diffraction light, which has passed through the photomask, is irradiated on a projection optical system, thereby to transfer a pattern reflecting an intensity distribution of the diffraction light to a wafer. A change of transmittance depending on a light path of the projection optical system is measured, based on a pattern image of the diffraction light transferred to the wafer. Pattern transfer is carried out in a non-conjugate state.

Abstract: An inspection method for an exposure apparatus for illuminating a photomask on a first installation member by an illumination optical system, and for projecting an image of a pattern of the photomask onto a substrate on a second installation member through a projection optical system, the inspection method comprises disposing an inspection photosensitive substrate as the substrate on the second installation member, illuminating a first region which doesn't include a pupil end of the projection optical system and a second region which includes the pupil end of the projection optical system and which isn't overlapped with the first region, in a state in which a surface of the photosensitive substrate and a surface of a secondary light source of the illumination optical system are optically conjugate with each other, and inspecting an illumination axis offset of the exposure apparatus based on a pattern obtained by developing the photosensitive substrate.