Continuing demand for high performance microelectronic products propelled integrated circuit technology into 45 nm
node and beyond. The shrinking device feature geometry created unprecedented challenges for dimension metrology in
semiconductor manufacturing and research and development. Automated atomic force microscope (AFM) has been used
to meet the challenge and characterize narrower lines, trenches and holes at 45nm technology node and beyond. AFM is
indispensable metrology techniques capable of non-destructive full three-dimensional imaging, surface morphology
characterization and accurate critical dimension (CD) measurements. While all available dimensional metrology
techniques approach their limits, AFM continues to provide reliable information for development and control of
processes in memory, logic, photomask, image sensor and data storage manufacturing. In this paper we review up-todate
applications of automated AFM in every mentioned above semiconductor industry sector. To demonstrate benefits
of AFM at 45 nm node and beyond we compare capability of automated AFM with established in-line and off-line
metrologies like critical dimension scanning electron microscopy (CDSEM), optical scatterometry (OCD) and
transmission electronic microscopy (TEM).
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