No abstract

The shrinkage of resist pattern during in-line SEM measurement has been argued and studied as one of the problems unsettled for manufacturing with ArF photolithography. Many of attempts to solve this problem have focused their attentions on the improvement of resist and inspection equipment. We bring up BARC (bottom anti-reflective coating) as a new impact factor on SEM shrinkage of resist. Practically, although the same resist was employed, our shrinkage tests gave the results depending on the kind of BARC. Feature size and depth of focus also affect SEM shrinkage of resist. Effect of reflectivity on SEM shrinkage was evaluated by changing thickness of BARCs and resultantly was somewhat significant. In this paper, the BARC-dependent results of SEM shrinkage are analyzed and discussed to provide a possibility that BARC may have another function of reducing SEM shrinkage.

No abstract

We developed automated contact inspection system using in-line CD SEM and applied to monitor the contact etching processes. As the design rule shrinks, monitoring of the contact etching, which cannot be detected by the conventional optical inspection systems, are becoming one of the most critical issues in semiconductor process. Though there are e-beam based inspection systenis or manual inspection sequence with in-line SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope), monitoring small and electrical defects has a few fundamental limitations. E-beam inspection systenis have low throughput and the high price as a mass production tool. And in case of the manual inspection system, the inspection result depends on operator and it is dificult to quantify the defect data. We have developed an autoniated contact inspection system to overcome these Limitations. The system is composed of the data processing system arid the in line SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope). Automated in line SEM inspects and stores the images of specified points on the wafer. Data processing system receives and manipulates the images to tell the etching problem. It was shown that scanning electron image of the contact is related with failures such as insuficient etching or residuals inside the contact.

No abstract