Measurement technology to quantify 2D pattern shape in sub-2x nm advanced lithography

Daisuke Fuchimoto; Hideo Sakai; Hiroyuki Shindo; Masayuki Izawa; Hitoshi Sugahara; Jeroen Van de Kerkhove; Peter De Bisschop

doi:10.1117/12.2012661

10 April 2013 Measurement technology to quantify 2D pattern shape in sub-2x nm advanced lithography

Daisuke Fuchimoto, Hideo Sakai, Hiroyuki Shindo, Masayuki Izawa, Hitoshi Sugahara, Jeroen Van de Kerkhove, Peter De Bisschop

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 8681, Metrology, Inspection, and Process Control for Microlithography XXVII; 86810A (2013) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2012661
Event: SPIE Advanced Lithography, 2013, San Jose, California, United States

Abstract

We have succeeded in quantifying changes in 2D pattern shape, which are induced by exposure condition and Optical Proximity Correction (OPC), from CD-SEM image. In the current lithography technology, micro patterns which are close to resolution limit are printed on wafer by fully utilizing aggressive OPC technology. In such lithography technology, controlling the shape of printed patterns is extremely difficult. In order to control such difficult patterning process, a demand to precisely quantify the pattern shape of 2D patterns is significantly growing. SEM images captured by CD-SEM are used mainly for the measurement of one dimensional size such as line width and contact hole diameter. It has been said not easy to measure shape variation of 2D patterns such as corner and line end from SEM images. However, we have succeeded in quantifying pattern shape of 2D pattern by utilizing Advanced SEM contouring technology which is combined with CD-gap-free contouring technology [1] and Fine SEM Edge (FSE) technology [2]. By this, we could quantitatively measure shape variation which are induced by exposure condition variability and/ or OPC, which used to be considered difficult to quantify. For the verification of this new measurement technology, wafers on which printed 2D patterns that are exposed in different conditions and with varied SRAF changed in size and position are prepared. The 2D patterns are measured by CD-SEM and SEM images of the 2D patterns are taken. To the SEM images of the 2D patterns, this new measurement technology is applied to quantitatively analyze how the expose condition and SRAF variation affect the printed 2D pattern shape. In this paper, the results of above experiments are reported.

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Daisuke Fuchimoto, Hideo Sakai, Hiroyuki Shindo, Masayuki Izawa, Hitoshi Sugahara, Jeroen Van de Kerkhove, and Peter De Bisschop "Measurement technology to quantify 2D pattern shape in sub-2x nm advanced lithography", Proc. SPIE 8681, Metrology, Inspection, and Process Control for Microlithography XXVII, 86810A (10 April 2013); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2012661

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