Patent · US Expired

Scatterometry structure with embedded ring oscillator, and methods of using same

US6791697B1 · kind B1 · utility

3Cited by
18References
45Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateMar 21, 2002
Grant dateSep 14, 2004
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 22, 2022

Classification

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

Abstract

In one illustrative embodiment, the method involves forming a ring oscillator that includes a first grating structure comprised of a plurality of gate electrode structures for a plurality of N-channel transistors and a second grating structure comprised of a plurality of gate electrode structures for a plurality of P-channel transistors, and measuring the critical dimension and/or profile of at least one of the gate electrode structures in the first grating structure and/or the second grating structure using a scatterometry tool. In another embodiment, the method further involves forming at least one capacitance loading structure, comprised of a plurality of features, as a portion of the ring oscillator, and measuring the critical dimension and/or profile of at least one of the features of the capacitance loading structure using a scatterometry tool.

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