Method for forming arbitrary lithographic wavefronts using standard mask technology

1. A method for generating a desired set of diffracted waves using features of a lithographic mask for which a set of supported transmissions are chosen from a set of supported values, by the steps of:

creating at a computer a representation of the mask as a set of polygonal elements,

defining at least one constraint for the computer comprising a ratio of spatial frequencies in the representation takes on amplitude ratios of the desired set of diffracted waves, and

using an optimization algorithm stored in a memory of the computer to adjust transmission discontinuities at edges of the polygonal elements to substantial equality with discontinuity values allowed by the set of supported transmissions while maintaining the at least one constraint,

where the optimization algorithm comprises iterated steps, the iterated steps comprising:

forming a 3D topographical representation from the polygonal elements,

simulating the 3D topographical representation to calculate a Fourier transform of the transmission discontinuities at the edges of the polygonal elements, and

calculating at the computer a compensating adjustment that cancels deviations of the Fourier transforms of the transmission discontinuities at the edges of the polygonal elements from the spatial frequency ratios, where the transmission discontinuities at the edges of the polygonal elements are adjusted based on the compensating adjustment,

where the iterated steps are performed until the adjusted transmission discontinuities at the edges of the polygonal elements are substantial equal with the discontinuity values allowed by the set of supported transmissions.

2. The method of claim 1 where simulating the 3D topographical representation is performed with a full-3D Maxwell solver.

3. The method of claim 2 where the iterated steps further comprise:

forming at the computer an adjusted set of Fourier orders using the compensated edge Fourier transforms calculated in the previous step and use them to generate with thin-mask wavefront engineering a new set of iterated polygonal elements.

4. The method of claim 3 , where the optimization algorithm further comprises terminating the iterations when the Fourier transform of the 3D topographical representation of the iterated polygonal elements substantially reproduces the amplitude ratios of the desired set of diffracted waves.

5. The method of claim 1 where one or more transmission discontinuities are driven to substantial equality with an allowed value by:

adding features to the mask whose in-quadrature transmission component substantially cancels an in-quadrature component of the transmission discontinuities at edges of the polygonal elements.

6. The method of claim 1 where one or more transmission discontinuities are driven to substantial equality with an allowed value by:

giving the desired ratios of spatial frequencies complex values that provide the image with a desired behavior through focus, and

adding features to the mask whose quadrature transmission component combined with a quadrature component of the transmission discontinuities at the edges of the polygonal elements provides an in-quadrature part of the complex values of the desired spatial frequency ratios.

7. A non-transitory memory storing a program of computer readable instructions executable by a processor to perform actions directed to generating a desired set of diffracted waves using features of a lithographic mask for which a set of supported transmissions are chosen from a set of supported values, the actions comprising:

creating a representation of the mask as a set of polygonal elements,

defining at least one constraint which comprising a ratio of the spatial frequencies in the representation takes on the amplitude ratios of the desired set of diffracted waves, and

using an optimization algorithm to adjust transmission discontinuities at edges of the polygonal elements to substantial equality with the discontinuity values allowed by the set of supported transmissions while maintaining the at least one constraint,

where the optimization algorithm comprises iterated steps, the iterated steps comprising:

forming a 3D topographical representation from the polygonal elements,

simulating the 3D topographical representation to calculate a Fourier transform of the transmission discontinuities at the edges of the polygonal elements, and

calculating at the computer a compensating adjustment that cancels deviations of the Fourier transforms of the transmission discontinuities at the edges of the polygonal elements from the spatial frequency ratios, where the transmission discontinuities at the edges of the polygonal elements are adjusted based on the compensating adjustment,

where the iterated steps are performed until the adjusted transmission discontinuities at the edges of the polygonal elements are substantial equal with the discontinuity values allowed by the set of supported transmissions.

8. The memory of claim 7 where simulating the 3D topographical representation is performed with a full-3D Maxwell solver.

9. The memory of claim 8 where the iterated steps further comprise:

forming an adjusted set of Fourier orders using the compensated edge Fourier transforms calculated in the previous step and use them to generate with thin-mask wavefront engineering a new set of iterated polygonal elements.

10. The memory of claim 9 , where the optimization algorithm further comprises terminating the iterations when the Fourier transform of the 3D topographical representation of the iterated polygonal elements substantially reproduces the amplitude ratios of the desired set of diffracted waves.

11. The memory of claim 7 where one or more transmission discontinuities are driven to substantial equality with an allowed value by:

adding features to the mask whose in-quadrature transmission component substantially cancels an in-quadrature component of the transmission discontinuities at edges of the polygonal elements.

12. The memory of claim 7 where one or more transmission discontinuities are driven to substantial equality with an allowed value by:

giving the desired ratios of spatial frequencies complex values that provide the image with a desired behavior through focus, and

adding features to the mask whose quadrature transmission component combined with a quadrature component of the transmission discontinuities at the edges of the polygonal elements provides an in-quadrature part of the complex values of the desired spatial frequency ratios.

13. An apparatus for generating a desired set of diffracted waves using features of a lithographic mask for which a set of supported transmissions are chosen from a set of supported values, the apparatus comprising a processor and a memory storing a program of computer readable instructions executable by the processor to perform, at least, the steps of:

creating a representation of the mask as a set of polygonal elements,

defining at least one constraint comprising a ratio of spatial frequencies in the representation takes on amplitude ratios of the desired set of diffracted waves, and

using an optimization algorithm to adjust transmission discontinuities at edges of the polygonal elements to substantial equality with discontinuity values allowed by the set of supported transmissions while maintaining the at least one constraint, where the optimization algorithm comprises iterated steps, the iterated steps comprising:

forming a 3D topographical representation from the polygonal elements,

simulating the 3D topographical representation to calculate a Fourier transform of the transmission discontinuities at the edges of the polygonal elements, and

calculating a compensating adjustment that cancels deviations of the Fourier transforms of the transmission discontinuities at the edges of the polygonal elements from the spatial frequency ratios, where the transmission discontinuities at the edges of the polygonal elements are adjusted based on the compensating adjustment,

where the iterated steps are performed until the adjusted transmission discontinuities at the edges of the polygonal elements are substantial equal with the discontinuity values allowed by the set of supported transmissions.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 where simulating the 3D topographical representation is performed with a full-3D Maxwell solver.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 where the iterated steps further comprise:

forming an adjusted set of Fourier orders using the compensated edge Fourier transforms calculated in the previous step and use them to generate with thin-mask wavefront engineering a new set of iterated polygonal elements.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , where the optimization algorithm further comprises terminating the iterations when the Fourier transform of the 3D topographical representation of the iterated polygonal elements substantially reproduces the amplitude ratios of the desired set of diffracted waves.

17. The apparatus of claim 13 where one or more transmission discontinuities are driven to substantial equality with an allowed value by:

adding features to the mask whose in-quadrature transmission component substantially cancels an in-quadrature component of the transmission discontinuities at edges of the polygonal elements.

18. The apparatus of claim 13 where one or more transmission discontinuities are driven to substantial equality with an allowed value by:

giving the desired ratios of spatial frequencies complex values that provide the image with a desired behavior through focus, and

adding features to the mask whose quadrature transmission component combined with a quadrature component of the transmission discontinuities at the edges of the polygonal elements provides an in-quadrature part of the complex values of the desired spatial frequency ratios.