Scatterometry for CD measurements of etched structures

Christopher J. Raymond; S. Sohail H. Naqvi; John Robert McNeil

doi:10.1117/12.240133

21 May 1996 Scatterometry for CD measurements of etched structures

Christopher J. Raymond, S. Sohail H. Naqvi, John Robert McNeil

Proceedings Volume 2725, Metrology, Inspection, and Process Control for Microlithography X; (1996) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.240133
Event: SPIE's 1996 International Symposium on Microlithography, 1996, Santa Clara, CA, United States

Abstract

Scatterometry, the characterization of periodic structures via diffracted light analysis, has been shown to be a versatile technique for measuring critical dimensions in photoresist as small as 0.160 micrometer. Rapid, non-destructive and inexpensive, scatterometry has the potential to be applied to other microlithographic features as well. This paper discusses applications of scatterometry in the measurement of etched sub-um poly-Si line/space patterns. Since etched features represent the final dimensions of a finished product, the characterization of such features is important. Initial attempts at measuring the etched linewidth and height using scatterometry assumed the sidewalls were perfectly vertical. Although results from these two parameter predictions were good, our measurement algorithms suggested that the etch profiles were not square. Thus, sidewall angle was left as an unknown in our model and three parameter predictions were made. These improved results from measuring the linewidth, height and sidewall angle are presented, and comparisons to SEM measurements of the same samples are made. Finally, experiments to determine the repeatability of the scatterometer for measuring etched features were performed. Results show that the repeatability of the instrument, for both static and dynamic measurements of nominal 0.25 micrometer structures, is sub-nanometer for all parameters measured; the 3(sigma) repeatability for static CD measurements is 0.63 nm, and for dynamic measurements is 0.78 nm.

Citation Download Citation

Christopher J. Raymond, S. Sohail H. Naqvi, and John Robert McNeil "Scatterometry for CD measurements of etched structures", Proc. SPIE 2725, Metrology, Inspection, and Process Control for Microlithography X, (21 May 1996); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.240133

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