Lithography wave-front control system and method

Abstract

Some embodiments include system and methods to obtain information for adjusting variations in features formed on a substrate of a semiconductor device. Such methods can include determining a first pupil in an illumination system used to form a first feature, and determining a second pupil used to form a second feature. The methods can also include determining a pupil portion belonging to only one of the pupils, and generating a modified pupil portion from the pupil portion. Information associated with the modified pupil portion can be obtained for controlling a portion of a projection lens assembly of an illumination system. Other embodiments are described.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 a projection lens assembly including a phase shifter; and   a controller to control the projection lens assembly based on input information to form a first feature and a second feature on a substrate, the controller configured to adjust a phase of light passing through at least one zone in the phase shifter based at least in part on the input information, the input information including information associated with a pupil filter generated from a pupil portion, the pupil portion selected from one of a first pupil and a second pupil, the first pupil associated with a modeling of the first feature, and the second pupil associated with a modeling of the second feature.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein first and second features have different dimensions. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the information associated with the pupil filter includes information of a set of Zernike polynomial coefficients, and the controller is configured to adjust the phase of light passing through the at least one zone in the phase shifter based on the set of Zernike polynomial coefficients. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the information associated with the pupil filter includes phase and amplitude information and X-Y coordinates information describing a wave-front adjustment of a pupil in the projection lens assembly.