Imec Vzw

Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Ku Leuven R&d

Katholieke Universiteit Leuven

Philippe Leray

Sandip Halder

Julien Mailfert

Vincent Truffert

Dieter Van Den Heuvel

Example embodiments relate to methods for detecting defects of a lithographic pattern. One example embodiment includes a method for detecting defects of a lithographic pattern on a semiconductor wafer that includes a plurality of die areas. Each of the die areas has a region of interest (ROI) that includes a plurality of features forming the lithographic pattern. The method includes acquiring an image of at least one of the ROIs. The method also includes removing features touching an edge of the image. Further, the method includes counting a number of remaining features in the image.

Methods for detecting defects of a lithographic pattern

The disclosure relates to a method for verifying a printed pattern. In an example embodiment, the method includes defining sectors of at least a portion of the features in the reference pattern, determining a contour of the printed pattern, and superimposing the contour of the printed pattern on the reference pattern. The method also includes determining surface areas of sectors of the printed pattern that correspond to the sectors of the reference pattern and calculating one or more parameters as a function of at least one of the surface areas, the parameters being related to a single sector or to multiple sectors. The method additionally includes evaluating the parameters with respect to a reference value.

Method for verifying a pattern of features printed by a lithography process

The present disclosure is related to a method for detection of defects in a printed pattern of geometrical features on a semiconductor die, the pattern comprising an array of features having a nominal pitch, the method comprising determining deviations from the nominal pitch in the printed pattern, and comparing the printed pattern with another version of the pattern, the other version having the same or similar pitch deviations as the printed pattern. According to various embodiments, the other version of the pattern may a printed pattern on a second die, or it may be a reference pattern, obtained by shifting features of the array in a version having no or minimal pitch deviations, so that the pitch deviations in the reference pattern are the same or similar to the pitch deviations in the printed pattern under inspection.

Method for inspecting a pattern of features on a semiconductor die

The present disclosure is related to a method for detecting and ranking hotspots in a lithographic mask used for printing a pattern on a substrate. According to example embodiments, the ranking is based on defect detection on a modulated focus wafer or a modulated dose wafer, where the actual de-focus or dose value at defect locations is taken into account, in addition to a de-focus or dose setting applied to a lithographic tool when a mask pattern is printed on the wafer. Additionally or alternatively, lithographic parameters other than the de-focus or dose can be used as a basis for the ranking method.

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La Hulpe, Belgium

Philippe Leray