X-ray computed laminographic tomography (CLT) is a viable tool for creating high-throughput volumetric imaging of large, planar samples. In this work, we present a self-supervised deep image restoration workflow to produce noise-free, artifact-free volumetric reconstructions for laminographic tomography. We demonstrate our CLT method on a variety of samples scanned with an in-house prototype system, showing that our proposed method notably outperforms classic reconstruction methods, that has the potential for more accurate detection of defects and estimation of critical dimensions, thereby providing a feasible solution for rapid inline inspection and failure analysis in advanced integrated circuits packaging.
System assessment for design often involves averages, such as the standard deviation of the wavefront error, which are estimated by ray tracing through a sample of points within the entrance pupil. General-purpose sampling and weighting schemes are presented, and it is also shown that optical design can benefit from tailored versions of these schemes. It turns out that the type of Gaussian quadrature that has long been recognized for efficiency in this domain requires about 40% to 50% more ray tracing to attain comparable accuracy to generic versions of the new schemes. Even greater efficiency gains can be won, however, by tailoring such sampling schemes to the optical context where azimuthal variation in the wavefront is generally weaker than the radial variation. These new schemes are special cases of what is known in the mathematical world as cubature. Our initial results also led to the consideration of simpler sampling configurations that approximate the newfound cubature schemes. We report on the practical application of a selection of such schemes and make observations that aid in the discovery of cubature schemes relevant to optical design of systems with circular pupils.
System assessment for design often involves averages, such as rms wavefront error, that are estimated by ray tracing through a sample of points within the pupil. Novel general-purpose sampling and weighting schemes are presented and it is also shown that optical design can benefit from tailored versions of these schemes. It turns out that the type of Gaussian quadrature that has long been recognized for efficiency in this domain requires about 40-50% more ray tracing to attain comparable accuracy to generic versions of the new schemes. Even greater efficiency gains can be won, however, by tailoring such sampling schemes to the optical context where azimuthal variation in the wavefront is generally weaker than the radial variation. These new schemes are special cases of what is known in the mathematical world as cubature. Our initial results also led to the consideration of simpler sampling configurations that approximate the newfound cubature schemes. We report on the practical application of a selection of such schemes and make observations that aid in the discovery of novel cubature schemes relevant to optical design of systems with circular pupils.
Color aberrations in broadband imaging optics can be effectively corrected for by use of diffractive optical elements (DOE) such as kinoforms. Typically, the DOE groove width increases with wavelength range and is in the range of several ten to several hundreds of micrometers. Since the footprint diameter of a light bundle originating from a single object point at the diffractive surface is often in the range of millimeters, the number of grooves crossed by this light bundle can be small. In addition, the groove width varies and the grooves are curved. For DOE optimization and prediction of optical performance, optical design software is widely used being based on the ray trace formula, i. e. the law of refraction including DOEs. This ray trace formula relies on two assumptions. First, the footprint diameter of a light beam at the diffractive surface is assumed to be large compared to the groove width. Second, the local grating approximation is used saying that at the footprint area the groove width is constant and the grooves are straight lines. In realistic optical systems, these assumptions are often violated. Thus, the reliability of optical performance predictions such as MTF is in question. In the present paper, the authors re-examine the limits of the ray trace equation. The effect of a finite footprint diameter at the diffractive surface is investigated as well as variations of the groove width. Also, the Fraunhofer diffraction pattern of a light bundle after crossing a grating with a finite number of grooves is calculated.
This paper investigates the performance of different mask options for sub-13 nm EUV-lithography with a 4x demagnification and an NA of 0.45. The considered mask options include standard binary masks, standard attenuated phase-shift masks, etched attenuated phase-shift masks and embedded-shifter phase-shift masks. The lithographic performance of these masks is investigated and optimized in terms of mask efficiency, NILS, DoF, OPC-performance and telecentricity errors. A multiobjective optimization technique is used to identify the most promising mask geometry parameters.
EUV mask infrastructure is of key importance for the introduction of the 13.5nm extreme ultraviolet (EUV) wavelength
into volume production. In particular, the manufacturing of defect free masks is essential and requires a printability
analysis ("review") of potential defect sites. For this purpose, Carl Zeiss and the SEMATECH EUVL Mask
Infrastructure consortium have performed a concept and feasibility study for an actinic aerial image metrology system
(AIMS™). In this paper, we discuss the main results of this study. We explain the system concept, discuss the expected
performance and show simulations of the capability to find minimum sized defects. We demonstrate that our EUV AIMS
concept is technically feasible and supports the defect review requirements for the 22nm and 16nm half-pitch (hp) node.
We study the impact of mask topography effects on imaging with high NA. We show that with the current mask
technology, it is possible to obtain reasonable imaging results up to 0.32 NA, however, for higher NA, the reticle
design needs to be optimized in order to ensure proper imaging. We examine the influence of the multilayer and
the effects of the finite absorber height on the imaging with high NA optics and devise measures which have to
be taken into consideration in order to guarantee proper imaging at high NA.
Orientation Zernike Polynomials have been shown to provide a complete and systematic description of polarized
imaging using the polar decomposition of the Jones pupil. We use this concept to predict the polarization
performance of high NA lithography lenses.
Management of mask defects is a major challenge for the introduction of EUV for HVM production. Once a defect has
been detected, its printing impact needs to be predicted. Potentially the defect requires some repair, the success of which
needs to be proven. This defect review has to be done with an actinic inspection system that matches the imaging
conditions of an EUV scanner. During recent years, several concepts for such an aerial image metrology system
(AIMS™) have been proposed. However, until now no commercial solution exists for EUV. Today, advances in EUV
optics technology allow envisioning a solution that has been discarded before as unrealistic. We present this concept and
its technical cornerstones.While the power requirement for the EUV source is less demanding than for HVM lithography
tools, radiance, floor space, and stability are the main criteria for source selection. The requirement to emulate several
generations of EUV scanners demands a large flexibility for the ilumination and imaging systems. New critical
specifications to the EUV mirrors in the projection microscope can be satisfied using our expertise from lithographic
mirrors. In summary, an EUV AIMS™ meeting production requirements seems to be feasible.
We introduce the new concept of orientation Zernike polynomials, a base function representation of retardation and diattenuation in close analogy to the wavefront description by scalar Zernike polynomials. We show that the orientation Zernike polynomials provide a complete and systematic description of vector imaging using high numerical aperture lithography lenses and, hence, a basis for an in depth understanding of both polarized and unpolarized imaging, and its modeling.
We introduce the 'Orientation Zernike Polynomials', a base function representation of retardation and diattenuation which are most relevant for vector imaging. We show that the 'Orientation Zernike Polynomials' provide a complete and systematic description of vector imaging using high NA lithography lenses and, hence, a basis for an in depth understanding of both polarized and unpolarized imaging, and its modeling.
With the continuous shrink of feature sizes the pitch of the mask comes closer to the wave length of light.
It has been recognized that in this case polarization effects of the mask become much more pronounced and
deviations in the diffraction efficiencies from the well-known Kirchhoff approach can no longer be neglected.
It is not only the diffraction efficiencies that become polarization-dependent, also the phases of the diffracted
orders tend to deviate from Kirchhoff theory when calculated rigorously. This also happens for large structures,
where these phase deviations can mimic polarization dependent wave front aberrations, which in the case of
polarized illumination can lead to non-negligible focus shifts that depend on the orientation and the features
size themselves. This orientation dependence results in a polarization induced astigmatism offset, which can be
of the same order of magnitude or even larger as polarization effects stemming from the lens itself. Hence, for
correctly predicting polarization induced astigmatism offsets, one has to both consider lens and mask effects at
the same time. In this paper we present a comprehensive study of polarized induced phase effects of topographic
masks and develop a simple theoretical model that accurately describes the observed effects.
The continuous implementation of novel technological advances in optical lithography is pushing the technology to ever
smaller feature sizes. For instance, it is now well recognized that the 45nm node will be executed using state-of-the-art
ArF (193nm) hyper-NA immersion-lithography. Nevertheless, a substantial effort will be necessary to make imaging
enhancement techniques like hyper-NA immersion technology, polarized illumination or sophisticated illumination
modes routinely available for production environments.
In order to support these trends, more stringent demands need to be placed on the lithographic optics. Although this
holds for both the illumination unit and the projection lens, this paper will focus on the latter module. Today, projection
lens aberrations are well controlled and their lithographic impact is understood. With the advent of imaging enhancement
techniques such as hyper-NA immersion lithography and the implementation of polarized illumination, a clear
description and control of the state of polarization throughout the complete optical system is required.
Before polarization was used to enhance imaging, the imaging properties at each field position of the lens could be fully
characterized by 2 pupil maps: a phase map and a transmission map. For polarized imaging, these two maps are replaced
by a 2x2 complex Jones matrix for each point in the pupil. Although such a pupil of Jones matrices (short: Jones pupil)
allows for a full and accurate description of the physical imaging, it seems to lack transparency towards direct
visualization and lithographic imaging relevance.
In this paper we will present a comprehensive method to decompose the Jones pupils into quantities that represent a clear
physical interpretation and we will study the relevance of these quantities for the imaging properties of lithography
lenses.
Depending on the specific application of a diffractive optical
element (DOE), its polarization impact on the optical system must be
taken into account. This may be necessary in imaging as well as in
illumination optics, e. g., in miniaturized integrated optics or in
high-resolution photolithographic projection systems. Sometimes, polarization effects are unwanted and therefore an exact characterization of their influences is necessary; in other cases a high polarization effect is the goal. It is well known how to calculate the point spread function (PSF) of a single diffractive micro-Fresnel lens. To do the same for a complete optical system with source, lenses, coatings, mirrors, gratings and diffractive elements, a 3D electrical field propagation along the geometric optical path is introduced into the ray-trace based optical systems design software in order to incorporate the entire electromagnetic polarization effects from the source to the image plane. Our software also considers the complex diffraction amplitudes including polarization effects from DOEs provided by rigorous electromagnetic methods. Together with a plane wave decomposition and with the local linear grating assumption, we are able to rigorously investigate the impact of e. g. polarization effects on the PSF of the whole optical system. Using this approach we analyze a hybrid diffractive-refractive microscope objective for mask inspection systems at 193 nm. Additionally we investigate focal properties of a sample diffractive blue laser disc pickup system.
We give a general introduction into polarized imaging and report on a Jones pupil approach for a complete evaluation of the resulting optical performance. The Jones pupil assigns a Jones matrix to each point of the exit pupil, describing the impact of both the global phase and the polarization on imaging. While we already can learn much about the optical system by taking a close look at the Jones pupil-and starting imaging simulations from it-a quantitative assessment is necessary for a complete evaluation of imaging. To do this, we generalize the concept of scalar Zernike aberrations to Jones-Zernike aberrations by expansion of the Jones pupil into vector polynomials. The resulting method is nonparaxial, i.e., the effect of the polarization-dependent contrast loss for high numerical apertures is included. The aberrations of the Jones matrix pupil are a suitable tool to identify the main drivers determining polarization performance. Furthermore, they enable us to compare the polarized and unpolarized performance of such a characterized lithographic system.
We give a general introduction into polarized imaging and report on a Jones-pupil approach for a complete evaluation of the resulting optical performance. The Jones pupil assigns a Jones matrix to each point of the exit pupil describing the impact of both the global phase and the polarization on imaging. While we can learn already a lot about the optical system by taking a close look at the Jones pupil - and starting imaging simulations from it - a quantitative assessment is necessary for a complete evaluation of imaging. To do this, we generalize the concept of scalar Zernike aberrations to Jones-Zernike aberrations by expansion of the Jones pupil into vector polynomials. The resulting method is non-paraxial, i.e. the effect of the polarization dependent contrast loss for high numerical apertures is included. The aberrations of the Jones-matrix pupil are a suitable tool to identify the main drivers determining the polarization performance. Furthermore, they enable us to compare the polarized and the unpolarized performance of the such characterized lithographic system.
Access to the requested content is limited to institutions that have purchased or subscribe to SPIE eBooks.
You are receiving this notice because your organization may not have SPIE eBooks access.*
*Shibboleth/Open Athens users─please
sign in
to access your institution's subscriptions.
To obtain this item, you may purchase the complete book in print or electronic format on
SPIE.org.
INSTITUTIONAL Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.
PERSONAL Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.