A diffraction-based measurement of overlay requires a target composed of two cells per direction of measurement, with induced shifts of opposite signs designed into each of the cells. We present a method for a measurement which only requires a single cell per direction. This is achieved by resolving the image in the pupil plane and using the angle of incidence inlieu of the induced shift. The use of single-celled targets reduces the target size by half and enables the placement of the target in-die, as well as reducing the measurement time. This single-cell measurement requires the calibration of the target’s optical stack height, which is done on a small number of two-cell targets. This calibration also produces a stable map of the aligned layers’ height profile across the wafer.
A new algorithm called Single Wavelength Overlay Optimizer (SWOOP) enhances the performance of single-wavelength optical diffraction-based overlay metrology. SWOOP combines statistical learning with a physical model to advance the performance of single-wavelength measurements to that of multi-wavelength measurements. This is achieved by making a set of multi-wavelength measurements on the first wafer during a train phase and extracting the characteristic signature of the overlay inaccuracy at the pupil plane. This inaccuracy signature is then evaluated and removed in real time for single-wavelength measurements, resulting in improved accuracy and robustness to process variation without compromising throughput.
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