Patent · US Active

Scatterometry for nested and isolated structures

US9076688B1 · kind B1 · utility

2Cited by
0References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 10, 2014
Grant dateJul 7, 2015
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 10, 2034

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01L22/30
  • WIPO fieldSemiconductors
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Methodologies and an apparatus for enabling scatterometry to be used to estimate dimensions of fabricated semiconductor devices are provided. Embodiments include initiating scatterometry on a fabricated test structure comprising a two-dimensional array of features, each of the features being horizontally separated from an adjacent one of the features by a narrow trench region extending a first distance in a horizontal direction and each of the features being vertically separated from an adjacent one of the features by an isolated trench region extending a second distance in a vertical direction. A scattering spectra corresponding to one or more physical characteristics of the fabricated test structure based on results of the scatterometry is determined. The scattering spectra is associated with the one or more physical characteristics in a library for estimating at least one physical dimension of a fabricated structure.

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