Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Byung-am Lee

Chung-sam Jun

Sang-mun Chon

Sang-bong Choi

Pil-sik Hyun

Hyung-suk Cho

Kyu-hong Lim

Sang-Kil Lee

Kyoung-mo Yang

A method and device detect for the presence of defects, namely micro-scratches, in the surface of a wafer. Light is projected onto a medium at the surface of the wafer, at an angle at which light is not reflected by another layer that may be located under the medium. Light reflected by the surface of the wafer is converted into an electrical signal but any light scattered by the surface is excluded as much as possible from contributing to the formation of the signal. The electric signal corresponds to the intensity of the light reflected from the surface of the wafer. As the light is scanned across the wafer, the values of the electric signal are compared to yield a determination of whether defects are present in the medium. Because the light projected onto the surface of the wafer will be scattered by defects such as micro-scratches, the wafer can be successfully monitored for the existence of such micro-scratches. In particular, defects including micro-scratches formed in the medium can be detected regardless of the structure underlying the medium, such as a pattern layer.

Method of and device for detecting micro-scratches

A method for testing a contact opening of a semiconductor device includes the steps of: inspecting a wafer using an in-line scanning electron microscope, comparing a contrast difference of contact opening regions displayed on the scanning electron microscope, and determining whether the processes for forming the contact openings have been performed correctly based on results of the comparison step. The test method may be performed after any of a contact photolithography process, contact etching process, or conductive layer etching process.

In-line test of contact opening of semiconductor device

Growing community of inventors

Suwon, South Korea

Byung-am Lee