Massively parallel algorithms for scattering in optical lithography

A novel massively parallel technique for rigorous simulation of topography scattering in optical lithography has been developed and tested. The method is equivalent to the time-domain finite-difference method (TDFDM) used in electromagnetic scattering simulations, but exploits the parallel nature of...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:IEEE transactions on computer-aided design of integrated circuits and systems 1991-09, Vol.10 (9), p.1091-1100
Main Authors: Guerrieri, R., Tadros, K.H., Gamelin, J., Neureuther, A.R.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Applied sciences
Electromagnetic propagation
Electromagnetic scattering
Electronics
Exact sciences and technology
Finite difference methods
Lithography
Optical propagation
Optical scattering
Parallel algorithms
Semiconductor electronics. Microelectronics. Optoelectronics. Solid state devices
Surfaces
Testing
Time domain analysis
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Summary:A novel massively parallel technique for rigorous simulation of topography scattering in optical lithography has been developed and tested. The method is equivalent to the time-domain finite-difference method (TDFDM) used in electromagnetic scattering simulations, but exploits the parallel nature of wave propagation and the power of recent massively parallel architectures such as the Connection Machine. A working code called TEMPEST has been implemented on a Connection Machine CM-2 having 1 to 32 K processors with up to 1 M virtual processors. Numerical accuracy comparable with that of other fully rigorous methods was achieved. A very significant finding was that the solution required constant time per iteration for problems ranging from a few thousand unknowns up to one million, provided the ratio between the problem size and the number of processors is kept constant. The suitability of TEMPEST for solving a large class of topography structures important in alignment, metrology, and lithography is illustrated by examples.< >
ISSN:0278-0070
1937-4151
DOI:10.1109/43.85755