A preparation method (100) for a three-dimensional micro-nano morphological structure manufactured by a laser direct writing lithography machine, comprising: step 110, providing a three-dimensional model diagram; step 120, dividing the three-dimensional model diagram in a height direction to obtain at least one height interval; and step 130, projecting the three-dimensional model diagram onto a plane to obtain a mapping relationship, wherein the mapping relationship comprises coordinates, on the plane, corresponding to each point on the three-dimensional model diagram, and wherein the height of each point on the three-dimensional model diagram corresponds to a height value in a corresponding height interval; and making the mapping relationship correspond to an exposure dose according to the mapping relationship, and performing lithography on the basis of the exposure dose. Any three-dimensional micro-nano morphological structure can be obtained. Further disclosed is a three-dimensional micro-nano morphology structure manufactured by a laser direct writing lithography machine.

An advanced process control system including a first process tool, a second process tool, and a measurement tool is provided. The first processing tool is configured to process each of a plurality of wafers by one of a plurality of first masks, and provide a first process timing data. The second processing tool is configured to process the wafer processing by the first process tool by one of a plurality of second masks to provide a plurality of works. The second process tool provides a measurement trigger signal according to the first process timing data. The measuring tool is configured to determine whether to perform a measuring operation on each works in response to the measurement trigger signal, and correspondingly provide a measurement result.

Pattern centric process control is disclosed. A layout of a semiconductor chip is decomposed into a plurality of intended circuit layout patterns. For the plurality of intended circuit layout patterns, a corresponding plurality of sets of fabrication risk assessments corresponding to respective ones of a plurality of sources is determined. Determining a set of fabrication risk assessments for an intended circuit layout pattern comprises determining fabrication risk assessments based at least in part on: simulation of the intended circuit layout pattern, statistical analysis of the intended circuit layout pattern, and evaluation of empirical data associated with a printed circuit layout pattern. A scoring formula is applied based at least in part on the sets of fabrication risk assessments to obtain a plurality of overall fabrication risk assessments for respective ones of the plurality of intended circuit layout patterns. The plurality of intended circuit layout patterns is ranked based on their fabrication risk assessments, the corresponding overall fabrication risk assessments, or both. At least a portion of ranking information is outputted to facilitate influence or control over the semiconductor fabrication process.

Predictive maintenance methods and systems, including a method of applying transfer entropy techniques to find a causal link between parameters; a method of applying quality weighting to context data based on a priori knowledge of the accuracy of the context data; a method of detecting a maintenance action from parameter data by detecting a step and a process capability improvement; a method of managing unattended alerts by considering cost/benefit of attending to one or more alerts over time and assigning alert expiry time and/or ranking the alerts accordingly; a method of displaying components of a complex system in a functional way enabling improvements in system diagnostics; a method of determining the time of an event indicator in time series parameter data; a method of classifying an event associated with a fault condition occurring within a system; and a method of determining whether an event recorded in parameter data is attributable to an external factor.

A lithographic apparatus comprises a projection system comprising position sensors to measure a position of optical elements of the projection system. The positions sensors are referenced to a sensor frame. Damping actuators damp vibrations of the sensor frame. A control device drives the actuators and is configured to derive sensor frame damping force signals from at least one of the acceleration signals and the sensor frame position signals, derive an estimated line of sight error from the position signals, determine actuator drive signals from the sensor frame damping force signals and the estimated line of sight error, drive the actuators using the actuator drive signals to dampen the sensor frame and to at least partly compensate the estimated line of sight error.

The present application discloses a dose mapper method, which includes: step 1: collecting critical dimension fingerprint of each tool and each mask and storing the critical dimension fingerprint in a database; step 2: before exposing a wafer, pre-selecting the tool and the mask to be used, selecting the corresponding critical dimension fingerprint from the database and combining the corresponding critical dimension fingerprint to form total critical dimension fingerprint; step 3: obtaining dose mapper data for exposure of the wafer according to the total critical dimension fingerprint; step 4: exposing the wafer, and correcting the exposure of the wafer according to the dose mapper data in an exposure process. The present application can quickly and easily generate a dose mapper data file, especially when there is a new tool or mask to be expanded, thus improving the efficiency of generating the dose mapper data file and improving the production capacity.

Methods and apparatus for determining a subset of a plurality of relationships between a plurality of parameters describing operation of a lithographic apparatus, the method comprising: determining a first set of data describing first relationships between a plurality of parameters of a reference apparatus; based on one or more measurements, determining a second set of data describing second relationships between the plurality of parameters of the reference or a further apparatus; comparing the first set of data and the second set of data; and selecting from the second set of data a subset of the second relationships based on differences between the first set of data and the second set of data.

Systems and methods for in-die metrology using target design patterns are provided. These systems and methods include selecting a target design pattern based on design data representing the design of an integrated circuit, providing design data indicative of the target design pattern to enable design data derived from the target design pattern to be added to second design data, wherein the second design data is based on the first design data. Systems and methods can further include causing structures derived from the second design data to be printed on a wafer, inspecting the structures on the wafer using a charged-particle beam tool, and identifying metrology data or process defects based on the inspection. In some embodiments the systems and methods further include causing the charged-particle beam tool, the second design data, a scanner, or photolithography equipment to be adjusted based on the identified metrology data or process defects.

A method including: computing a value of a first variable of a pattern of, or for, a substrate processed by a patterning process by combining a fingerprint of the first variable on the substrate and a certain value of the first variable; and determining a value of a second variable of the pattern based at least in part on the computed value of the first variable.

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a system, a software application, and a method of a lithography process to update one or more of a mask pattern, maskless lithography device parameters, lithography process parameters utilizing a file readable by each of the components of a lithography environment. The file readable by each of the components of a lithography environment stores and shares textual data and facilitates communication between of the components of a lithography environment such that the mask pattern corresponds to a pattern to be written is updated, the maskless lithography device of the lithography environment is calibrated, and process parameters of the lithography process are corrected for accurate writing of the mask pattern on successive substrates.