Method for performing a manufacturing process and associated apparatuses

1. A method for assigning features into at least first features and second features, the first features being for at least one first patterning device configured for use in a lithographic process to form corresponding first structures on a substrate and the second features being for at least one second patterning device configured for use in a lithographic process to form corresponding second structures on the substrate, wherein the method comprises assigning, by a hardware computer system, the features into the first features and the second features,

wherein a decision of which features are assigned to first features and which features are assigned to second features is based on an expected quality of patterning of the first structures and the second structures based on a corresponding process setting, and

wherein the first features correspond to one or more first functional sub-regions having a first intended function corresponding to a particular circuit or metrology target, and the second features correspond to one or more second functional sub-regions having a second intended function corresponding to a particular circuit or metrology target, the first intended function being different than the second intended function and the at least one first patterning device not having one or more functional sub-regions having the second intended function and/or the at least second patterning device not having one or more functional sub-regions having the first intended function.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:

performing an assessment of the expected quality of patterning of the first structures and the second structures based on the corresponding process setting; and

performing the assignment of the features based on the assessment.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the performing the assessment comprises simulating patterning of the first structures and the second structures onto a substrate.

4. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the assessment is based on imposed design rules for the first features and second features.

5. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the assessment is based on a degree of regularity of subsets of the features.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the process setting relates to an illumination and/or a patterning process setting.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the process setting comprises one or more selected from: an illumination profile, a polarization setting, a focus setting, a dose setting, an etch setting and/or a post-bake exposure setting.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the process setting relates to one or more selected from: an alignment sensor setting, a metrology strategy, a metrology setting, a control model, and/or an optical processing control setting.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising arranging the first features on the at least one first patterning device in the one or more first functional sub-regions, and the second features on the at least one second patterning device in the one or more second functional sub-regions.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the one or more first functional sub-regions relate to memory or graphical processing unit circuitry and the one or more second functional sub-regions relate to logic or central processing unit circuitry.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1 , comprising arranging the first features on the at least one first patterning device outside of a boundary region defined along a boundary of the at least one first patterning device and arranging the second features on the at least one second patterning device outside of a boundary region defined along a boundary of the at least one second patterning device.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:

using the at least one first patterning device to form first structures in a first layer on a first sub-field on the substrate in a first patterning process; and

using the at least one second patterning device to form second structures in the first layer on a second sub-field on the substrate in a second patterning process,

wherein at least one process setting is varied between the first patterning process and the second patterning process, and

wherein the first sub-field and second sub-field comprise substantially adjacent sub-fields.

13. A set of patterning devices, comprising:

at least one first patterning device comprising first features configured for use in a lithographic process to form corresponding first structures on a substrate; and

at least one second patterning device comprising second features configured for use in a lithographic process to form corresponding second structures on a substrate,

wherein the first and second features are assigned according to the method of claim 1 .

14. A non-transient computer program carrier comprising instructions therein, that when executed by a computing system, are configured to cause the computing system to at least:

assign features into at least first features and second features, the first features being for at least one first patterning device configured for use in a lithographic process to form corresponding first structures on a substrate and the second features being for at least one second patterning device configured for use in a lithographic process to form corresponding second structures on the substrate,

wherein a decision of which features are assigned into the first features and which features are assigned into the second features is based on an expected quality of patterning of the first structures and the second structures based on a corresponding process setting, and

wherein the first features correspond to one or more first functional sub-regions having a first intended function corresponding to a particular circuit or metrology target, and the second features correspond to one or more second functional sub-regions having a second intended function corresponding to a particular circuit or metrology target, the first intended function being different than the second intended function and the at least one first patterning device not having one or more functional sub-regions having the second intended function and/or the at least second patterning device not having one or more functional sub-regions having the first intended function.

15. The computer program carrier as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the computing system to:

perform an assessment of the expected quality of patterning of the first structures and the second structures based on the corresponding process setting; and

perform the assignment of the features based on the assessment.

16. The computer program carrier as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the instructions configured to cause the computing system to perform the assessment are further configured to cause the computing system to simulate patterning of the first structures and the second structures onto a substrate.

17. The computer program carrier as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the computer system to arrange the first features on the at least one first patterning device outside of a boundary region defined along a boundary of the at least one first patterning device and arrange the second features on the at least one second patterning device outside of a boundary region defined along a boundary of the at least one second patterning device.

18. A set of patterning devices comprising:

at least two first patterning devices comprising first features configured for use in a lithographic process to form corresponding first structures on a substrate; and

at least one second patterning device comprising second features configured for use in a lithographic process to form corresponding second structures on a substrate,

wherein the first features form a first pattern and the second features form a second pattern, the first and second patterns being complementary patterns for forming a layer of a device, and

wherein the decision of which features were assigned to first features and which features were assigned to second features was based on an expected quality of patterning of the first structures and the second structures based on a corresponding process setting, and

wherein the first features correspond to one or more first functional sub-regions having a first intended function corresponding to a particular circuit or metrology target, and the second features correspond to one or more second functional sub-regions having a second intended function corresponding to a particular circuit or metrology target, the first intended function being different than the second intended function and the at least two first patterning devices not having one or more functional sub-regions having the second intended function and/or the at least second patterning device not having one or more functional sub-regions having the first intended function.

19. The set of patterning devices according to claim 18 , wherein the process setting relates to an illumination and/or patterning step setting.

20. The set of patterning devices according to claim 19 , wherein the illumination and/or patterning step setting comprises one or more selected from: an illumination profile, a polarization setting, a focus setting or a dose setting.