Patent · US Expired

Method for controlling a line dimension arising in photolithographic processes

US5516608A · kind A · utility

101Cited by
1References
2Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 28, 1994
Grant dateMay 14, 1996
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 28, 2014

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG03F7/70675
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

In a photolithographic process utilizing a wafer coated with a chemically amplified photoresist, a method for controlling a line dimension. The method comprises the steps of measuring at at least two times, and from at least two angles, evolving signals comprising intensities of light diffracted from a portion of an exposed patterned area on the waver, the evolving signals corresponding to vector combinations of time dependent light diffracted from the pattern appearing in the photoresist; and substantially time invariant light diffracted due to any underlying pattern beneath the photoresist; and, combining the measurements mathematically for extracting a contribution due to the pattern evolving in the photoresist.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.