Monitoring of contact hole production
US7078690B2 · kind B2 · utility
8Cited by
2References
32Claims
0Family size
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 30, 2002 |
| Grant date | Jul 18, 2006 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 3, 2023 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01L22/12
- WIPO fieldSemiconductors
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method for production testing includes receiving a wafer including a semiconductor substrate and a non-conducting layer formed over the substrate, following etching of contact openings through the non-conducting layer to the substrate, the contact openings including an array of the contact openings arranged in a predefined test pattern in a test area on the wafer. An electron beam is directed to irradiate the test area, a specimen current flowing through the substrate responsive to the electron beam is measured. The specimen current is analyzed so as to assess a dimension of the contact openings.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.