(12) UIllt€d States Patent (10) Patent No.: US 8,105,736 B2 Yang et al. (45) Date of Patent: Jan. 31, 2012 (54) METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR OVERLAY 2;}? gaggenstoss , , aggenstoss 6,819,426 B2 * 11/2004 Sezginer et al. ............ .. 356/401 6,826,743 B2 11/2004 Park et al. 6,841,889 B2 1/2005 Baggenstoss (75) Inventors: Xiao Yang, Cupertino, CA (US); 6,842,229 B2 1/2005 Sreenivasan et al. Yuxiang Wang, Palo Alto, CA (US); Ye 6,870,599 B2 3/2005 Kurosawa Wang, Cupertino, CA (US); Justin §’§3Z’§§§ 3% 2/588? Eliiifiiiiisei ii 1S)aYI}e’ Sagi°(S5’S€A (US); W001‘ Jis 639163585 B2 7/2005 Sreenivasan et al. an Oses 6,919,152 B2 7/2005 Sreenivasan et al. 6,921,615 B2 7/2005 Sreenivasan et al. (73) Assignee: Miradia Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US) 6,937,344 B2 8/2005 MOI1Sh0l1Wer et al. 6,954,275 B2 10/2005 Choi et al. ( * ) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this lgrfifénvjltsgil et 31' %aISeIg 1185:“-‘>(<]~1'3ILde<é1O5rdadj11SIed under 35 731263669 B2 10/2006 Edarty ' . . . y ays. 7,172,921 B2 2/2007 Yang et al. 7,186,483 B2 3/2007 Sreenivasan et al. (21) APP1_ NO_; 12/047,780 7,229,273 B2 6/2007 Bailey et 61. 7,277,185 B2 10/2007 Monshouwer et al. (22) Filed: Mar. 13,2008 E] gffillvasm at a1~ _ _ _ 737093166 B2* 5/2010 Zigeretal. .................... .. 430/30 (65) Prl0rP11bll¢atl0I1Data 7,911,612 B2* 3/2011 Kiersetal. .. 356/399 US 2009/0233244 A1 Sep. 17,2009 2°07/0097487 1“ 5/20°’ Yang et 31' * cited by examlner (51) Int‘ Cl‘ Primary Examiner * Christopher Young G03F 9/00 (200601) (74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm *Kilpatrick Townsend & (52) U.S. Cl. .......................................... .. 430/22; 430/30 Stockton LLP (58) Field of Classification Search .................. .. 430/22, 430/30 (57) ABSTRACT See applieation file for Complete Search history A method of performing overlay error correction includes _ forming a photoresist layer over a substrate and exposing a (56) References Clted first set of apertures to incident radiation. The method also
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includes determining an overlay error associated with the first set of apertures and determining an overlay correction as a function of the determined overlay error. The method further includes exposing a data area and a second set of apertures. The data area and the second set of apertures are exposed based, in part, on the determined overlay correction. Moreover, the method includes verifying the determined overlay correction.
16 Claims, 6 Drawing Sheets
