Cross-platform (NXE-NXT) machine-to-machine overlay matching supporting next node chip manufacturing

EUV lithography enables the transition from multiple patterning in DUV back to single patterning in EUV, with the associated cost benefit. While imaging and patterning becomes easier with EUV, cross-platform overlay performance needs to be taken into account. With quadruple patterning, the matching performance is driven by the platform capabilities, with platform specific fingerprints not contributing to the matching performance as they are similar for each layer. Introducing EUV automatically means we need to compensate for the differences in the platform fingerprints, as they bring a penalty in the DUV-EUV matching budget. This paper will explain what the main overlay contributors in cross-platform matched machine overlay are and how they can be cancelled or reduced using additional correction measures, with the goal to reach below 2.0 nm cross matched machine overlay.