In a method of forming a pattern, a photo resist layer is formed over an underlying layer, the photo resist layer is exposed to an actinic radiation carrying pattern information, the exposed photo resist layer is developed to form a developed resist pattern, a directional etching operation is applied to the developed resist pattern to form a trimmed resist pattern, and the underlying layer is patterned using the trimmed resist pattern as an etching mask.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide improved photolithography systems and methods using a solid state emitter device. The solid state emitter device includes an array of solid state emitters arranged in a plurality of horizontal rows and vertical columns. The variable intensity of each group of solid state emitters, for example an entire row or column of solid state emitters, is controllable for improved field brightness uniformity and stitching. Controlling the variable intensity includes, for example, varying the signal, such as voltage, that is applied to each of the rows of solid state emitters to attenuate the brightness from the middle of the array to the edges of the array to accommodate for overlapping exposures during photolithography processing.

A control equipment and a control method of a stepper are provided. The control equipment of the stepper includes an input device, a generating device and a processing device. The input device is configured to input a plurality of sample development patterns. The sample development patterns are obtained according to a plurality of sample focal length values. The generating device is configured to generate a plurality of generative categories corresponding to a plurality of generative focal length values by using a depth learning algorithm. The processing device is configured to analyze an estimated focal length value of the online development pattern according to the generative categories.

Methods and systems that include the generation of a map of modulation values for a spatial light modulator. In which a map representative of a desired curing region is received. Receiving, for each pixel of a spatial light modulator, spatial information representative of an intensity distribution of actinic radiation at a plane of formable material under a template that is guided from the spatial light modulator to the plane of the formable material for curing the formable material under the template. Receiving a dose threshold for the formable material. Generating a map of modulation values for each pixel in the spatial light modulator based on: the dose threshold; the spatial information for all of the pixels; and the map representative of the desired curing region.

A control equipment and a control method of a stepper are provided. The control equipment of the stepper includes an input device, a generating device and a processing device. The input device is configured to input a plurality of sample development patterns. The sample development patterns are obtained according to a plurality of sample focal length values. The generating device is configured to generate a plurality of generative categories corresponding to a plurality of generative focal length values by using a depth learning algorithm. The processing device is configured to analyze an estimated focal length value of the online development pattern according to the generative categories.

Techniques for lithography process delay characterization and effective dose compensation are provided. In one aspect, a method of analyzing a lithography process includes: applying a photoresist to a wafer; performing a post-apply bake of the photoresist; patterning the photoresist with sequences of open frame base line exposures performed at doses of from about 92% E0 to about 98% E0, and ranges therebetween, at multiple fields of the wafer separated by intervening programmed delay intervals, wherein E0 is the photoresist dose-to-clear; performing a post-exposure bake of the photoresist; developing the photoresist; performing a full wafer inspection to generate a grayscale map of the wafer; and analyzing the grayscale map to determine whether the intervening programmed delay intervals had an effect on the open frame base line exposures during the lithography process. Exposure dose compensation can then be applied to maintain a constant effective dose.

A shutter device includes a movable shading module and a movement control module configured to control movement of the movable shading module. The movable shading module includes a shading unit, a driving unit and a signal measuring unit. The shading unit includes two blades, and the movement control module is configured to generate a control signal. The driving unit is configured to receive the control signal and drive the two blades. The signal measuring unit is configured to measure an operating status of the blades feed it back to the movement control module in real time. The movement control module is configured to update the control signal based on the fed back operating status. This shutter device can overcome the problems of low exposure dose accuracy and light leaks arising from the use of existing shutters and provide various accurately-controlled exposure doses suitable for different applications.

A period from a time point when a wafer W is carried into a housing 10 to a time point when the wafer W after being exposed is completely ready to be carried out is set as a single cycle. A time period before a next cycle is begun and after the single cycle is completed is referred to as a standby time period. When an illuminance in dummy light emission is set to be Id; an illuminance in exposure, Is; a time length of the dummy light emission, Td; and a time length of the exposure, Ts, by setting the Id to satisfy an expression of Id=(Tp/Td).Math.Iw(Ts/Td).Math.Is, an average illuminance within the single cycle is maintained constant between substrates.

Embodiments described herein provide a system, a software application, and a method of a lithography process, to write full tone portions and grey tone portions in a single pass. One embodiment includes a controller configured to provide mask pattern data to a lithography system. The controller is configured to divide a plurality of spatial light modulator pixels spatially by at least a grey tone group and a full tone group of spatial light modulator pixels. When divided by the controller, the grey tone group of spatial light modulator pixels is operable to project a first number of the multiplicity of shots to the plurality of full tone exposure polygons and the plurality of grey tone exposure polygons, and the full tone group of spatial light modulator pixels is operable to project a second number of the multiplicity of shots to the plurality of full tone exposure polygons.

Methods for determining unintentional exposure dose such as flare or out-of-band radiation of a lithography tool are provided. The methods generally include performing a series of open frame exposures with the lithography tool on a substrate having a photoresist therein to produce a primary array of controlled exposure dose blocks in the photoresist. Secondary exposure blocks are embedded within the primary array. The resultant open frame images are scanned with oblique light and the light scattered from the substrate surface captured. A haze map is created from a background signal of the captured scattered light data and converted to a graphical image file. Analyzing the graphical image file can be used to correlate any localized changes in the effective dose of the primary exposure array to the impact of secondary exposure blocks to characterize flare or out-of-band radiation associated with the exposure dose.