International Business Machines Corporation

Nova Measuring Instruments Ltd.

Globalfoundries Inc.

Nova Corporation

Siemens Aktiengesellschaft

Other

Advanced Micro Devices Corporation

Matthew J Sendelbach

Charles Neill Archie

Alok Vaid

Cornel Bozdog

Vladimir Machavariani

Daniel Kandel

Michael Shifrin

Igor Ziselman

Ronen Urenski

Victor Kucherov

Gilad Barak

William C Wille

Max Gerald Levy

Dirk Tobben

Dror Shafir

Shahin Zangooie

Kathryn H Varian

G William Banke, Jr

Shay Wolfling

Taher E Kagalwala

Michal Haim Yachini

Dominic Joseph Schepis

Donald Francis Canaperi

Paul Christian Parries

Mahadevaiyer Krishnan

Michael D Armacost

Rangarajan Jagannathan

Munir D Naeem

George R Goth

Paul Isbester

Gangadhara Raja Muthinti

Tina Jane Wagner

James Anthony Tornello

Michael L Passow

Shay Yogev

Yoav Etzioni

Munir-ud-Din Naeem

Narender N Rana

Wolfgang Bergner

Juergen Wittmann

Bernhard Fiegl

Aron Cepler

Sridhar Mahendrakar

Niv Sarig

Uma Satyendra

Roy Koret

Gilad Wainreb

Etai Littwin

Michael Klots

Ting-Hao Wang

Tinghao T Wang

Wei Ti Lee

Ned R Saleh

A method and system are presented for use in measuring on patterned samples, aimed at determining asymmetry in the pattern. A set of at least first and second measurements on a patterned region of a sample is performed, where each of the measurements comprises: directing illuminating light onto the patterned region along an illumination channel and collecting light reflected from the illuminated region propagating along a collection channel to be detected, such that detected light from the same patterned region has different polarization states which are different from polarization of the illuminating light, and generating a measured data piece indicative of the light detected in the measurement. Thus, at least first and second measured data pieces are generated for the at least first and second measurements on the same patterned region. The at least first and second measured data pieces are analyzed and output data is generated being indicative of a condition of asymmetry in the patterned region.

Method and system for optical characterization of patterned samples

A metrology method for use in determining one or more parameters of a three-dimensional patterned structure, the method including performing a fitting procedure between measured TEM image data of the patterned structure and simulated TEM image data of the patterned structure, determining a measured Lamellae position of at least one measured TEM image in the TEM image data from a best fit condition between the measured and simulated data, and generating output data indicative of the simulated TEM image data corresponding to the best fit condition to thereby enable determination therefrom of the one or more parameters of the structure.

TEM-based metrology method and system

A metrology method for use in determining one or more parameters of a patterned structure, the method including providing raw measured TEM image data, TEM, data indicative of a TEM measurement mode, and predetermined simulated TEM image data including data indicative of one or more simulated TEM images of a structure similar to the patterned structure under measurements and a simulated weight map including weights assigned to different regions in the simulated TEM image corresponding to different features of the patterned structure, performing a fitting procedure between the raw measured TEM image data and the predetermined simulated TEM image data and determining one or more parameters of the structure from the simulated TEM image data corresponding to a best fit condition.

Metrology method and system

A process control method for manufacturing semiconductor devices, including determining a quality metric of a production semiconductor wafer by comparing production scatterometric spectra of a production structure of the production wafer with reference scatterometric spectra of a reference structure of reference semiconductor wafers, the production structure corresponding to the reference structure, the reference spectra linked by machine learning to a reference measurement value of the reference structure, determining a process control parameter value (PCPV) of a wafer processing step, the PCPV determined based on measurement of the production wafer and whose contribution to the PCPV is weighted with a first predefined weight based on the quality metric, and based on a measurement of a different wafer and whose contribution to the PCPV is weighted with a second predefined weight based on the quality metric, and controlling, with the PCPV, the processing step during fabrication.

Process control of semiconductor fabrication based on spectra quality metrics

A computer-implemented method for measuring a parameter of a semiconductor. A non-limiting example of the computer-implemented method includes receiving, using a processor, a raw signal from a first tool representing a measured parameter of a semiconductor device. The method also receives, using the processor, data on the measured parameter from a second tool, and calculates, using the processor, the measured parameter based on the data received from the second tool and on a constraint based on the raw signal from the first tool.

Hybridization for characterization and metrology

A control system is presented for use in measuring one or more parameters of a three-dimensional patterned structure. The control system is configured as a computer system comprising a data processor configured to receive and process raw measured TEM image data, TEM, and generate output data indicative of one or more parameters of a patterned structure. The data processor comprises an optimization module configured and operable to utilize data indicative of one or more parameters of TEM measurement mode and perform a fitting procedure between the raw measured TEM image data, TEM, and a predetermined simulated TEM image data, TEMbased on a parametrized three-dimensional model of features of the patterned structure, and generate simulated image data corresponding to a best fit condition, to thereby enable determination therefrom of the one or more parameters of the structure.

Measuring SRAM structures having FinFET transistors by obtaining, on a production semiconductor wafer, spectra of a SRAM production structure including FinFET fins and gates, identifying SRAM reference structure spectra corresponding to the spectra, the reference structure from measuring, on a reference semiconductor wafer, a reference structure including a layout of FinFET fins having gates, injecting, into an OCD model of the production structure, fin target parameter values, corresponding to the identified reference structure spectra, from measuring, on the reference wafer, a fin target including a layout of exposed FinFET fins lacking gates similar or identical to the reference structure layout, correspondence between the fin target parameter values and the reference structure spectra previously identified by ML, and determining measurement values for the FinFET gates of the production structure by fitting reference spectra associated with the production structure in the OCD model to the production structure spectra.

Measuring complex structures in semiconductor fabrication

A method and system are presented for use in model-based optical measurements in patterned structures. The method comprises: selecting an optimal optical model for interpretation of optical measured data indicative of optical response of the structure under measurements. The selection of the optimal optical model comprises: creating a complete optical model with floating parameters defining multiple configurations of said complete model including one or more model configurations describing an optical response of the structure under measurements, utilizing the complete model for predicting a reference optical response from the structure and generating corresponding virtual reference data, and using the virtual reference data for selecting the optimal optical model for interpretation of the optical measured data.

Scatterometry method and system

A method for use in planning metrology measurements, the method comprising: providing inverse total measurement uncertainty (TMU) analysis equations for upper and lower confidence limits TMUand TMUof the TMU being independent on prior knowledge of measurements by a tool under test (TuT) and a reference measurement system (RMS), thereby enabling estimation of input parameters for said equations prior to conducting an experiment of the TMU analysis; and determining at least one of a total number N of samples to be measured in the TMU analysis and an average number nof measurements per sample by the RMS.

Method and system for planning metrology measurements

A control system is presented for use in measuring one or more parameters of a sample. The control system comprises an input utility and a processor utility. The input utility is configured for receiving input data including first data comprising X-ray Diffraction or High-Resolution X-ray Diffraction (XRD) response data of the sample indicative of a material distribution in the sample, and second data comprising optical response data of the sample to incident light indicative of at least a geometry of the sample. The processor utility is configured and operable for processing and analyzing one of the first and second data for optimizing the other one of the first and second data, and utilizing the optimized data for determining said one or more parameters of the sample including a strain distribution in the sample.

Method and system for determining strain distribution in a sample

Methods and systems are provided for fabricating and measuring features of a semiconductor device structure. An exemplary method of fabricating a semiconductor device structure involves fabricating a feature of the semiconductor device structure on a wafer of semiconductor material, determining a hybrid recipe for measuring the feature, configuring a plurality of metrology tools to implement the hybrid recipe, and obtaining a hybrid measurement of the feature in accordance with the hybrid recipe.

Automated hybrid metrology for semiconductor device fabrication

Disclosed is an electrochemical etching system with localized etching capability. The system allows multiple different porous semiconductor regions to be formed on a single semiconductor wafer. Localized etching is achieved through the use of one or more stationary and/or movable computer-controlled inner containers operating within an outer container. The outer container holds the electrolyte solution and acts as an electrolyte supply source for the inner container(s). The inner container(s) limit the size of the etched region of the semiconductor wafer by confining the electric field. Additionally, the current amount passing through each inner container during the electrochemical etching process can be selectively adjusted to achieve a desired result within the etched region. Localized etching of sub-regions within each etched region can also be achieved through the use of different stationary and/or moveable electrode structures and shields within each inner container. Also disclosed are associated method embodiments.

Etching system and method for forming multiple porous semiconductor regions with different optical and structural properties on a single semiconductor wafer

Optical measurement method and systems employing a fixed polarizer are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes providing at least one optical detection system having a fixed polarizer having a first type polarization; providing a first target on a substrate and a second target on the substrate; optically measuring the first target and the second target using the at least one optical detection system with the first target being positioned at a right angle relative to the second target to obtain a first measurement with the first type polarization and a second measurement with a second type-equivalent polarization; and combining the first measurement and the second measurement to obtain the optical measurement.

Optical measurement using fixed polarizer

Growing community of inventors

Wappingers Falls, NY, United States of America

Matthew J Sendelbach