Patent · US Expired

Method of monitoring anneal processes using scatterometry, and system for performing same

US6933158B1 · kind B1 · utility

4Cited by
13References
84Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 31, 2002
Grant dateAug 23, 2005
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 15, 2023

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01L22/34
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

The present invention is directed to several inventive methods of monitoring anneal processes performed on implant regions, and a system for accomplishing same. In one aspect, the method comprises forming a first plurality of implant regions in a semiconducting substrate, performing at least one anneal process on implant regions, performing a scatterometric measurement of at least one of the implant regions after at least a portion of the anneal process is performed to determine a profile of the implant region and determining an effectiveness of the anneal process based upon the determined profile of the implant region. In other embodiments, one or more parameters of the anneal process may be varied on subsequently processed substrates based upon the determined efficiency of the anneal process.

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