Patent · US Expired

Semiconductor structure and method for determining critical dimensions and overlay error

US6765282B2 · kind B2 · utility

5Cited by
6References
23Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateApr 29, 2002
Grant dateJul 20, 2004
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 29, 2022

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01L2924/0002
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A semiconductor structure and a method of determining an overlay error produced during formation of the semiconductor structure are disclosed. The semiconductor structure comprises a first two-dimensional periodic pattern and a second two-dimensional periodic pattern, which overlap with each other, wherein a relative position between the overlapping first and second two-dimensional periodic patterns indicates the magnitude and direction of an overlay error caused during the formation of the first and second two-dimensional periodic patterns. The semiconductor allows one to independently determine the overlay errors in linearly independent directions by directing a light beam of known optical properties onto the first and second two-dimensional periodic patterns and by analyzing the diffracted beam by comparison with reference data.

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