Computational metrology based correction and control

Abstract

A method for determining a correction to a patterning process. The method includes obtaining a plurality of qualities of the patterning process (e.g., a plurality of parameter maps, or one or more corrections) derived from metrology data and data of an apparatus used in the patterning process, selecting, by a hardware computer system, a representative quality from the plurality of qualities, and determining, by the hardware computer system, a correction to the patterning process based on the representative quality.

1 .- 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions therein, the instructions, when executed by a computer system, configured to cause the computer system to at least:
 obtain a plurality of qualities associated with a parameter of a device manufacturing process;   filter the plurality of qualities to obtain a plurality of contributors to the parameter associated with one or more apparatuses used in the device manufacturing process; and   map the plurality of contributors to a performance parameter associated with one or more substrates subject to the device manufacturing process.   
     
     
         17 . The computer program product of  claim 16 , wherein the plurality of qualities comprise metrology data or are derived from metrology data. 
     
     
         18 . The computer program product of  claim 17 , wherein the instructions configured to cause the computer system to filter the plurality of qualities are configured to cause the computer system to remove non-systematic contributors to the metrology data. 
     
     
         19 . The computer program product of  claim 18 , wherein each contributor out of the plurality of contributors is a systematic contributor to the metrology data. 
     
     
         20 . The computer program product of  claim 16 , wherein each quality out of the plurality of qualities relates to an individual contributor to the parameter. 
     
     
         21 . The computer program product of  claim 16 , wherein the performance parameter is the same as the parameter of the device manufacturing process. 
     
     
         22 . The computer program product of  claim 16 , wherein the instructions configured to cause the computer system to filter the plurality of qualities are further configured to cause the computer system to filter the plurality of qualities based on prior contributor information or prior qualities associated with one or more prior substrates processed by the device manufacturing process. 
     
     
         23 . The computer program product of  claim 16 , wherein the performance parameter is selected from: overlay, critical dimension (CD), edge placement error (EPE), focus, and/or dose. 
     
     
         24 . The computer program product of  claim 16 , wherein the instructions configured to cause the computer system to map the plurality of contributors to the performance parameter are further configured to cause the computer system to weight each contributor out of the plurality of contributors based on its degree of being systematic. 
     
     
         25 . The computer program product of  claim 16 , wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the computer system to determine a control metric based on the mapping of the contributors to the performance parameter, wherein the control metric is configured to be used in a control loop of the device manufacturing process. 
     
     
         26 . The computer program product of  claim 16 , wherein the instructions configured to cause the computer system to filter the plurality of qualities are configured to cause the computer system to filter the plurality of qualities based on a correction potential of an apparatus used in the device manufacturing process. 
     
     
         27 . The computer program product of  claim 16 , wherein the plurality of qualities is a plurality of parameter maps, each parameter map of the plurality of parameter maps being generated from metrology data and from data of the one or more apparatuses used in the device manufacturing process. 
     
     
         28 . The computer program product of  claim 27 , wherein the parameter maps each relate to an individual contributor to the device manufacturing process, and the instructions are further configured to cause the computer system to determine a consistency characteristic for each parameter map based on a comparison of parameter maps relating to different layers and/or substrates processed during the device manufacturing process. 
     
     
         29 . The computer program product of  claim 28 , wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the computer system to determine whether a contributor is systematic based on the consistency characteristic. 
     
     
         30 . The computer program product of  claim 16 , wherein the plurality of qualities is one or more corrections corresponding to a plurality of parameter maps of the device manufacturing process for a lot of substrates processed during the device manufacturing process, each parameter map of the plurality of parameter maps being generated from metrology data and from data of the one or more apparatuses used in the device manufacturing process. 
     
     
         31 . A method comprising:
 obtaining a plurality of qualities associated with a parameter of a device manufacturing process;   filtering, by a hardware computer system, the plurality of qualities to obtain a plurality of contributors to the parameter associated with one or more apparatuses used in the device manufacturing process; and   mapping, by the hardware computer system, the plurality of contributors to a performance parameter associated with one or more substrates subject to the device manufacturing process.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the plurality of qualities comprise metrology data or are derived from metrology data and the instructions configured to cause the computer system to filter the plurality of qualities are configured to cause the computer system to remove non-systematic contributors to the metrology data. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein each quality out of the plurality of qualities relates to an individual contributor to the parameter. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the performance parameter is the same as the parameter of the device manufacturing process. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the filtering of the plurality of qualities is based on prior contributor information or prior qualities associated with one or more prior substrates processed by the device manufacturing process.