Method and apparatus for measurement of crossfield chromatic response of projection imaging systems

1. A method of determining chromatic response of a projection imaging system, the method comprising:

exposing a first pattern with an illumination source configured at a first wavelength onto a substrate with a recording media;

exposing a second pattern with the illumination source configured at a second wavelength onto the substrate;

measuring the exposed patterns; and

determining chromatic response of the projection imaging system based upon the measurements.

2. A method as defined in claim 1 , further comprising repeating exposing patterns at different wavelengths a desired number of times.

3. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein measuring the exposed patterns comprises ISI01, ISI02, SPIN, ARTEMIS, ISIS, multi-wavelength scatterometry, multi-angle scatterometry, Nomura, or FE matrix.

4. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein exposing the patterns comprises ILIAS, P-PMI, or PMI.

5. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the substrate is a semiconductor surface, a silicon wafer, a flat panel display, a reticle, a photolithographic mask, or an electronic recording media.

6. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the projection imaging system is used in a photolithographic stepper system, a photolithographic scanner system, a one dimensional scanner, a two dimensional scanner, an electronic beam imaging system, an extreme ultra-violet photolithographic tool, an EPL machine, or an image side immersion lens, or an x-ray imaging system.

7. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the recording media is a negative resist material, a positive resist material, an electronic CCD, a liquid crystal material, or an optically sensitive material.

8. A method of determining chromatic response of a projection imaging system, the method comprising:

exposing a first pattern with an illumination source with a first spectral setting onto a substrate with a recording media;

exposing a second pattern with the illumination source configured with a second spectral setting onto the substrate;

measuring the exposed patterns; and

determining chromatic response of the projection imaging system based upon the measurements.

9. A method as defined in claim 8 , further comprising repeating exposing patterns at different spectral settings a desired number of times.

10. A method as defined in claim 8 , wherein spectral settings comprise the illumination source nominal wavelength, spectral shape, bandwidth, pulse duration, pulse number, polarization, or spatial energy distribution.

11. A method as defined in claim 8 , wherein spectral settings comprise a focus matrix.

12. A method as defined in claim 8 , wherein spectral settings comprise an exposure matrix.

13. A method as defined in claim 8 , wherein measuring the exposed patterns comprises ISI01, ISI02, SPIN, ARTEMIS, ISIS, multi-wavelength scatterometry, multi-angle scatterometry, Nomura, or FE matrix.

14. A method as defined in claim 8 , wherein exposing the patterns comprises ILIAS, P-PMI, or PMI.

15. A method as defined in claim 8 , wherein the substrate is a semiconductor surface, a silicon wafer, a flat panel display, a reticle, a photolithographic mask, or an electronic recording media.

16. A method as defined in claim 8 , wherein the projection imaging system is used in a photolithographic stepper system, a photolithographic scanner system, a one dimensional scanner, a two dimensional scanner, an electronic beam imaging system, an extreme ultraviolet photolithographic tool, an EPL machine, or an image side immersion lens, or an x-ray imaging system.

17. A method as defined in claim 8 , wherein the recording media is a negative resist material, a positive resist material, an electronic CCD, a liquid crystal material, or an optically sensitive material.

18. A method of determining chromatic response of a projection imaging system, the method comprising:

providing a reticle with a pattern;

exposing a first reticle pattern with an illumination source with a first spectral setting 15 onto a substrate with a recording media;

exposing a second reticle pattern with the illumination source configured with a second spectral setting onto the substrate, wherein the exposures comprise a focus and exposure matrix;

measuring the exposed reticle patterns, wherein measuring comprising critical dimension measurements of the exposed patterns; and

determining chromatic response of the projection imaging system based upon the measurements.

19. A method as defined in claim 18 , wherein the reticle pattern comprises a line/space pattern or a contact hole pattern.

20. A method as defined in claim 18 , wherein determining chromatic response comprises determining the optimum focus for each spectral setting using an interferometer system.

21. A method as defined in claim 20 , wherein the projection imaging system comprises the interferometer system.

22. A method of determining chromatic response of a projection imaging system, the method comprising:

providing a first reticle with an ISIO pattern and a second reticle with an ISII pattern;

exposing the ISIO pattern with an illumination source with a first spectral setting onto a substrate with a recording media;

exposing the ISII pattern with the illumination source configured with a second spectral setting onto the substrate, wherein the exposed ISII pattern overlays the exposed ISIO pattern thereby forming completed alignment attributes;

measuring the exposed completed alignment attributes; and

determining chromatic response of the projection imaging system based upon the 20 measurements.

23. Method of determining chromatic response of a projection imaging system, the method comprising:

providing a reticle with a first set of alignment attributes and a second set of alignment attributes, wherein the first and second sets of alignment attributes are complementary;

exposing the first set of alignment attributes with an illumination source with a first spectral setting onto a substrate with a recording media;

exposing the second set of alignment attributes with the illumination source configured with a second spectral setting onto the substrate, wherein the exposed second set of alignment

attributes overlays the exposed first set of alignment attributes thereby forming completed alignment attributes;

measuring the exposed completed alignment attributes; and

determining chromatic response of the projection imaging system based upon the measurements.

24. A method as defined in claim 23 , wherein the first set of alignment attributes comprise inner overlay targets and the second set of alignment attributes comprise outer alignment attributes.

25. A method as defined in claim 23 , wherein the first set of alignment attributes comprise outer overlay targets and the second set of alignment attributes comprise inner alignment attributes.

26. A method as defined in claim 23 , wherein spectral settings are adjusted to minimize coma effects of the illumination source.

27. A method as defined in claim 23 , wherein the chromatic response is in terms of Zernike expansions.

28. A method of optimizing a chromatic photolithographic chip mask work from a lithographic machine, the method comprising:

exposing a first pattern with an illumination source with a first spectral setting onto a substrate with a recording media;

exposing a second pattern with the illumination source configured with a second spectral setting onto the substrate;

measuring the exposed patterns;

determining chromatic response of the projection imaging system based upon the measurements;

determining a set of spectral settings that optimize lithographic performance metrics of the lithographic machine.

29. A method as defined in claim 28 , wherein the spectral settings comprise depth of focus or iso-dense bias.

30. A method as defined in claim 28 , wherein determining the set of spectral settings that optimize lithographic performance metrics comprises a lithography process simulator.

31. A method as defined in claim 28 , wherein the lithographic machine comprises a stepper, a one dimensional scanner, a two dimensional scanner, an E V scanner, an EPL machine, or an image side immersion lens.