Provided in the disclosure is a photomask for detecting flare degree of lens of exposure machine. The photomask includes a central exposure area and a peripheral area, exposure light of the exposure machine passing through the lens and then penetrating the central exposure area to expose photoresist on a wafer, wherein the entire central exposure area is provided with a shading layer to prevent the exposure light from penetrating; and the peripheral area is provided with a plurality of light-transmitting stripes, and stray light formed after the exposure light passes through the lens penetrates the plurality of light-transmitting stripes to expose the photoresist. Further provided in the disclosure is a method for detecting flare degree of lens of exposure machine by using the photomask. According to the disclosure, a lens flare problem of an exposure machine can be found and solved in time.

Provided in the disclosure is a photomask for detecting flare degree of lens of exposure machine. The photomask includes a central exposure area and a peripheral area, exposure light of the exposure machine passing through the lens and then penetrating the central exposure area to expose photoresist on a wafer, wherein the entire central exposure area is provided with a shading layer to prevent the exposure light from penetrating; and the peripheral area is provided with a plurality of light-transmitting stripes, and stray light formed after the exposure light passes through the lens penetrates the plurality of light-transmitting stripes to expose the photoresist. Further provided in the disclosure is a method for detecting flare degree of lens of exposure machine by using the photomask. According to the disclosure, a lens flare problem of an exposure machine can be found and solved in time.

A multi-channel device and method for measuring the distortion and magnification of objective lens. The multi-channel device for measuring the distortion and magnification of objective lens comprises an illumination system, a reticle stage, a test reticle, a projection objective lens, a wafer stage and a multi-channel image plane sensor, wherein the multi-channel image plane sensor simultaneously measures the image placement shifts between actual image points and nominal image points after a plurality of object plane test marks are imaged by the projection objective lens, and calculates the distortion and magnification errors of the objective lens by fitting, which shortens the measurement time, eliminates the influence of wafer stage errors on the measurement accuracy and improves the measurement accuracy.

A multi-channel device and method for measuring the distortion and magnification of objective lens. The multi-channel device for measuring the distortion and magnification of objective lens comprises an illumination system, a reticle stage, a test reticle, a projection objective lens, a wafer stage and a multi-channel image plane sensor, wherein the multi-channel image plane sensor simultaneously measures the image placement shifts between actual image points and nominal image points after a plurality of object plane test marks are imaged by the projection objective lens, and calculates the distortion and magnification errors of the objective lens by fitting, which shortens the measurement time, eliminates the influence of wafer stage errors on the measurement accuracy and improves the measurement accuracy.

An exposure mask includes a pattern part exposed to light to form a pattern on a substrate, a surrounding part that surrounds a periphery of the pattern part, and correcting pattern parts disposed on the surrounding part. The correcting pattern parts are disposed in a line along an edge of the pattern part. A correcting method of an exposure apparatus includes correcting a light supply direction of a light supply unit based on a movement direction and a speed of the light supply unit, exposing light in the corrected light supply direction, forming exposure patterns by exposing light to correcting pattern parts, determining whether an error occurs in the light supply direction by using the exposure patterns, and correcting the light supply direction based on the determined error.

Aspects described herein relate to obtaining a mask pattern using a cost function gradient (CFG) generated from a Jacobian matrix generated from a perturbation look-up table (PLT). In an example method, a PLT is populated (108). Each table entry of the PLT is based on a respective perturbed intensity signal. The respective perturbed intensity signal is based on a simulated signal received at an image surface using a mask pattern having a perturbed element of the mask pattern. The mask pattern is for a design of an integrated circuit. A matrix is populated (110) using the PLT and a target intensity signal. The target intensity signal is based on a signal received at the image surface to form target features at the image surface. A CFG is defined (112) based on the matrix. An analysis is performed (114) on the mask pattern based on the CFG.

Aspects described herein relate to obtaining a mask pattern using a cost function gradient (CFG) generated from a Jacobian matrix generated from a perturbation look-up table (PLT). In an example method, a PLT is populated (108). Each table entry of the PLT is based on a respective perturbed intensity signal. The respective perturbed intensity signal is based on a simulated signal received at an image surface using a mask pattern having a perturbed element of the mask pattern. The mask pattern is for a design of an integrated circuit. A matrix is populated (110) using the PLT and a target intensity signal. The target intensity signal is based on a signal received at the image surface to form target features at the image surface. A CFG is defined (112) based on the matrix. An analysis is performed (114) on the mask pattern based on the CFG.

Methods for reticle enhancement technology include representing a target wafer pattern or a predicted wafer pattern as a smooth function captured as a function sample array (FSA). The FSA is an array of sampled values of the smooth function, which is a continuous differentiable function. Methods also include providing a continuous tone mask (CTM), wherein the CTM is used to produce the predicted wafer pattern, the predicted wafer pattern spanning an entire design area.

Methods for reticle enhancement technology include representing a target wafer pattern or a predicted wafer pattern as a smooth function captured as a function sample array (FSA). The FSA is an array of sampled values of the smooth function, which is a continuous differentiable function. Methods also include providing a continuous tone mask (CTM), wherein the CTM is used to produce the predicted wafer pattern, the predicted wafer pattern spanning an entire design area.

Methods of inspecting photomasks are provided. A method of inspecting a photomask includes electronically inspecting a first mask pattern in a mask region of the photomask and refraining from electronically inspecting a separate second mask pattern in the mask region of the photomask. The first mask pattern includes a geometric feature that corresponds to at least a portion of the second mask pattern. Moreover, the mask region is outside of a scribe lane region of the photomask. Related methods of manufacturing photomasks and methods of manufacturing semiconductor devices are also provided.