US 12,468,234 B2
Method of controlling a patterning process, device manufacturing method
Jeroen Van Dongen, Houten (NL); Elliott Gerard McNamara, Eindhoven (NL); Paul Christiaan Hinnen, Veldhoven (NL); and Marinus Jochemsen, Veldhoven (NL)
Assigned to ASML NETHERLANDS B.V., Veldhoven (NL)
Appl. No. 16/641,677
Filed by ASML NETHERLANDS B.V., Veldhoven (NL)
PCT Filed Aug. 8, 2018, PCT No. PCT/EP2018/071498
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Feb. 25, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/052747, PCT Pub. Date Mar. 21, 2019.
Claims priority of application No. 17191525 (EP), filed on Sep. 18, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2020/0356013 A1, Nov. 12, 2020
Int. Cl. H01L 21/311 (2006.01); G03F 7/00 (2006.01); H01L 21/3065 (2006.01)
CPC G03F 7/70633 (2013.01) [G03F 7/70625 (2013.01); H01L 21/3065 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of controlling a patterning process, the method comprising:
obtaining tilt data resulting from a measurement of tilt in an etching path through a target layer of a structure on a substrate, the etching path occurring, or occurred, during an etching of the substrate and the tilt representing a deviation in a direction of the etching path from a perpendicular to the plane of the target layer; and
using the tilt data to control a patterning process used to form a pattern in a further layer,
wherein;
the measurement of tilt comprises illumination, toward the plane of the target layer, of the structure with radiation and detection of radiation redirected by the structure,
the patterning process comprises a lithographic pattern transfer step in which a patterning device is used to impart a radiation beam with a pattern in its cross-section to define a pattern to be transferred by the lithographic pattern transfer step,
the tilt data is used to control the lithographic pattern transfer step,
the control of the lithographic pattern transfer step comprises changing a nominal overlay between a pattern formed in a layer by the lithographic pattern transfer step and a pattern in a different layer.