Dual Damascene 28nm-Pitch Single Exposure EUV Design Rules Evaluation by Voltage Contrast Characterization

Carballo, V.M. Blanco; Cerbu, D.; Schleicher, F.; Kerkhove, J. van de; Leray, P.; Kissoon, Nicola; Poortere, E. P. De

doi:10.1109/iitc52079.2022.9881323

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…From the above targets, the most challenging aspect is the detection of partially opened CH's with a dimension below 20nm. Known metrology techniques that can visualize these defects are Voltage Contrast (VC) [3][4][5] and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). To enable voltage contrast, a metal layer (10nm Titanium) was deposited below the patterning stack (see Fig.…”

Section: Imaging Methodologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Defect inspection methodology for contact holes

Van den Heuvel,

Beral,

Chowrira

et al. 2024

Metrology, Inspection, and Process Control XXXVIII

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Extreme Ultraviolet lithography with a numerical aperture of 0.55 will bring an improved optical contrast for contact hole layers and via layers. This improved optical contrast should lead to a reduction in the number of stochastic defects for these layers. To quantify this reduction, an adequate inspection methodology is required that can detect, in addition to the standard missing and merging defects, contact holes that are only partially opened. In this work we demonstrate a technique that uses backscattered electrons to detect these defects. In the first phase the beam-settings in a top-down scanning electron microscope are optimized to visualize holes that have been confirmed to be partially opened contact holes by either voltage contrast or transmission electron microscope. In the second phase these beam conditions are implemented on a massive metrology e-beam tool that has an increased throughput and therefore can collect information on millions of contact holes. In the last phase we show how this inspection can be used to enlarge the failure free latitude on a 36nm hexagonal contact hole pattern and to optimize the litho and etch conditions to minimize the number of stochastic defects on product wafers.

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Section: Imaging Methodologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Defect inspection methodology for contact holes

Van den Heuvel,

Beral,

Chowrira

et al. 2024

Metrology, Inspection, and Process Control XXXVIII

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“…The main steps of the pitch 28 nm dual damascene flow have been previously presented 4 and are schematically shown in Fig. 3 and described below, with SEM and TEM images shown for selected steps through the fabrication process.…”

Section: Fabrication Processmentioning

confidence: 99%

Voltage contrast determination of design rules at the limits of EUV single patterning

Blanco Carballo,

De Poortere,

Leray

et al. 2023

J. Micro/Nanopattern. Mats. Metro.

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We have used large-field-of-view voltage contrast metrology to determine the design rules on a pitch 28 nm single-exposure extreme ultra violet dual damascene process, and to study a use case in which two design parameters, metal tip-to-tip critical dimension and via-to-line placement, interact nontrivially in the yield determination. By designing proper test structures, it is possible to determine the different failure mechanisms for the given process integration and determine the patterning cliffs and design rules.

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