Though phase-shifting interferometry (PSI) is widely regarded as the method of choice for precision measurements of the surface and bulk characteristics of optical components, conventional PSI suffers from severe distortions in the presence of multiple reflections caused from co-parallel surfaces. The optical and physical characteristics of hard pellicles used for 157nm lithography mean that they are essentially parallel plates and the use of standard PSI techniques to evaluate the optical quality of these components will suffer from these problems. We describe a measurement method called Fourier Transform phase-shifting interferometry (FTPSI) that can overcome the disadvantages of standard PSI by the use of wavelength tuning and special analysis techniques. The technique can measure several surfaces simultaneously without distortion from multiple interference effects and is applied to the measurement of mounted and unmounted pellicles. Additionally, bulk properties of the pellicle, such as index homogeneity, can be easily measured with high precision. By spectrally separating the interference produced by different surfaces in the cavity during a wavelength chirp, each surface is identified and measured individually. In this paper, we describe the technique and give examples of measurements of hard pellicles provided by International SEMATECH.
Optical metrology tools have been used very successfully for measuring photomasks. The 90nm node presents new challenges with the requirement to measure dense features with arbitrary line and space widths. This paper presents performance of the Optical Proximity CD Algorithm on the new 244nm DUV optical metrology tool, the KMS100. Results for short and long-term precision, distortion, system error and xy-bias for isolated and dense line/space arrays are presented. The system is demonstrated to be highly linear and largely insensitive to the influence of OPE while maintaining high precision and repeatability.
Many techniques are used to reduce k1 for the 90nm node, including phase shift masks (PSM), assist features and optical proximity correction (OPC) features. Today, in addition to CD line widths, critical measurements of assist features, contact areas, and corner rounding, are now required to verify reticle integrity. New algorithms have been developed and implemented on the KMS100 DUV optical metrology tool to correct for iso/dense bias (optical proximity correction), assess corner rounding effects, and verify contact fidelity and printability. This paper presents new CD metrology studies for Chrome-on-Glass (COG) performed on a KMS100 DUV optical tool using these new metrology algorithms.
Manufacturing devices at the 100nm node presents new problems for the photomask metrologist. The metrologist is required to measure dense features with arbitrary line and space widths. While existing optical metrology tools are very successful at measuring isolated features with very high precision and repeatability, the conventional threshold algorithms exhibit Optical Proximity Effects (OPE) that affect the accuracy of CD measurements of both isolated and dense features. This paper presents a new CD metrology algorithm that is highly linear and largely insensitive to the influence of OPE while maintaining high precision and repeatability. The algorithm has been implemented on the new 244nm DUV optical metrology tool, the KMS-100. Demonstrated performance for the new algorithm on the DUV tool on binary masks shows better than 1.5nm, 3 sigma static repeatability down to 0.25um. Linearity, without multipoint calibration, is better than 5nm down to 0.25um for isolated lines. The OPE sensitivity (difference between measurements of isolated, dense and half isolated lines) for mask features down to 0.4um has been demonstrated to be better than 5nm over a wide range of dense lines and spaces widths.
Understanding how optical proximity effects (OPE) influence critical dimension (CD) measurements of photomasks and wafers in semiconductor manufacturing has been a subject of intense interest and investigation for many years. OPE, caused by the convolution of the intensity profiles of adjacent lines, introduces errors in the determination of the line edge position, and in turn the linewidth. This paper models several imaging systems using the Optical Transfer Function analysis method and discusses some results from an ongoing study to devise methods for calibrating CD mask metrology tools, and evaluates several different imaging objects and line measurement algorithms as to their sensitivity to the influences of OPE in the measurement of binary masks.
As advanced process technologies in the wafer fabs push the patterning processes toward lower k1 factor for sub-wavelength resolution printing, reticles are required to use optical proximity correction (OPC) and phase-shifted mask (PSM) for resolution enhancement. For OPC/PSM mask technology, defect printability is one of the major concerns. Current reticle inspection tools available on the market sometimes are not capable of consistently differentiating between an OPC feature and a true random defect. Due to the process complexity and high cost associated with the making of OPC/PSM reticles, it is important for both mask shops and lithography engineers to understand the impact of different defect types and sizes to the printability. Aerial Image Measurement System (AIMS) has been used in the mask shops for a number of years for reticle applications such as aerial image simulation and transmission measurement of repaired defects. The Virtual Stepper System (VSS) provides an alternative method to do defect printability simulation and analysis using reticle images captured by an optical inspection or review system. In this paper, pre- programmed defects and repairs from a Defect Sensitivity Monitor (DSM) reticle with 200 nm minimum features (at 1x) will be studied for printability. The simulated resist lines by AIMS and VSS are both compared to SEM images of resist wafers qualitatively and quantitatively using CD verification.Process window comparison between unrepaired and repaired defects for both good and bad repair cases will be shown. The effect of mask repairs to resist pattern images for the binary mask case will be discussed. AIMS simulation was done at the International Sematech, Virtual stepper simulation at Zygo and resist wafers were processed at AMD-Submicron Development Center using a DUV lithographic process for 0.18 micrometer Logic process technology.
Zygo Advanced Imaging Group's TINT Virtual Stepper Defect Analysis System's ability to predict CD printability of various known features on photomasks is tested. These features are analyzed with the TINT Virtual Stepper (VSS) software using known stepper parameters, and subsequently printed using a stepper with the same parameters. CD measurements, SEM imaging, and CD SEM analysis of the feature sites are compared to determine the ability of the TINT Virtual Stepper to accurately simulate feature CD printability.
Access to the requested content is limited to institutions that have purchased or subscribe to SPIE eBooks.
You are receiving this notice because your organization may not have SPIE eBooks access.*
*Shibboleth/Open Athens users─please
sign in
to access your institution's subscriptions.
To obtain this item, you may purchase the complete book in print or electronic format on
SPIE.org.
INSTITUTIONAL Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.
PERSONAL Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.