Kla Corporation

Kla Tencor Corporation

Imec

Imec Vzw

Katholieke Universiteit Leuven

Roel Gronheid

Vladimir Levinski

Yoel Feler

Mark Ghinovker

Mark Davis Smith

Anna Golotsvan

Amnon Manassen

Michael E Adel

Vladimir Machkaoutsan

Evgeni Gurevich

Sharon Aharon

Franz Zach

Xuemei Chen

Yoav Grauer

Franz X Zach

Dana Klein

Andrew Cross

Annelies Delabie

Avner Safrani

Christoph Adelmann

Leonardus Leunissen

Stephen Hiebert

Danilo De Simone

Shlomo Eisenbach

Gustaf Winroth

Yannick Pierre Vincent Vesters

A wafer shape metrology system includes a wafer shape metrology sub-system configured to perform stress-free shape measurements on an active wafer, a carrier wafer, and a bonded device wafer. The active wafer includes functioning logic circuitry and the carrier wafer is electrically passive. The wafer shape metrology system includes a controller communicatively coupled to the wafer shape metrology sub-system. The controller is configured to receive stress-free shape measurements; determine overlay distortion between features on the active wafer and the carrier wafer; and convert the overlay distortion to a feed-forward correction for one or more lithographic scanners. The controller is also configured to determine a control range for a bonder or lithography scanner; predict an overlay distortion pattern; calculate an optimal control signature based on a minimal achievable overlay; and provide a feed-forward correction to the bonder or lithography scanner based on the calculated optimal control signature.

System and method for optimizing through silicon via overlay

Systems and methods for generating volumetric data are disclosed. Such systems and methods may include scanning a sample at a plurality of focal planes located along a depth direction of the sample. Such systems and methods may include generating, via a detector of a metrology sub-system, a plurality of images of a volumetric field of view of the sample at the plurality of focal planes. Such systems and methods may include aggregating the plurality of images to generate volumetric data of the volumetric field of view of the sample. The metrology sub-system may include a Linnik interferometer.

3D profilometry with a Linnik interferometer

A system includes a wafer shape metrology sub-system configured to perform one or more shape measurements on post-bonding pairs of wafers. The system includes a controller communicatively coupled to the wafer shape metrology sub-system. The controller receives a set of measured distortion patterns. The controller applies a bonder control model to the measured distortion patterns to determine a set of overlay distortion signatures. The bonder control model is made up of a set of orthogonal wafer signatures that represent the achievable adjustments. The controller determines whether the set of overlay distortion signatures associated with the measured distortion patterns are outside tolerance limits provides one or more feedback adjustments to the bonder tool.

System and method for mitigating overlay distortion patterns caused by a wafer bonding tool

A focus-sensitive metrology target may be formed and read-out by a fabrication tool. A resulting overlay signal may be translated into a focus offset by comparison to a previously-determined calibration curve. One or more translated signals may be fed back to the fabrication tool for focus correction or used for prediction of on-device overlay (correction of overlay metrology results). In one embodiment, focus and overlay may be measured using a single target, where one portion of the target is formed on a first layer and includes a focus-sensitive design, and where another portion of the target is formed on a second layer and includes a relatively less focus-sensitive design. In some embodiments, a relative difference in focus response may be used to estimate an impact of focus error on device overlay and calculate non-zero offset contributions.

System and method for focus control in extreme ultraviolet lithography systems using a focus-sensitive metrology target

Metrology methods and targets are provided for reducing or eliminating a difference between a device pattern position and a target pattern position while maintaining target printability, process compatibility and optical contrast—in both imaging and scatterometry metrology. Pattern placement discrepancies may be reduced by using sub-resolved assist features in the mask design which have a same periodicity (fine pitch) as the periodic structure and/or by calibrating the measurement results using PPE (pattern placement error) correction factors derived by applying learning procedures to specific calibration terms, in measurements and/or simulations. Metrology targets are disclosed with multiple periodic structures at the same layer (in addition to regular target structures), e.g., in one or two layers, which are used to calibrate and remove PPE, especially when related to asymmetric effects such as scanner aberrations, off-axis illumination and other error sources.

Reduction or elimination of pattern placement error in metrology measurements

Metrology methods and targets are provided for reducing or eliminating a difference between a device pattern position and a target pattern position while maintaining target printability, process compatibility and optical contrast&#x2014;in both imaging and scatterometry metrology. Pattern placement discrepancies may be reduced by using sub-resolved assist features in the mask design which have a same periodicity (fine pitch) as the periodic structure and/or by calibrating the measurement results using PPE (pattern placement error) correction factors derived by applying learning procedures to specific calibration terms, in measurements and/or simulations. Metrology targets are disclosed with multiple periodic structures at the same layer (in addition to regular target structures), e.g., in one or two layers, which are used to calibrate and remove PPE, especially when related to asymmetric effects such as scanner aberrations, off-axis illumination and other error sources.

An inspection-sensitive additive can improve inspection of photoresist on semiconductor wafers. The inspection-sensitive additive can be used to stain the photoresist or can be deposited as a layer on the photoresist. The inspection-sensitive additive can have a k-value that is greater than 20% larger than a photoresist k-value of the photoresist layer for an inspection wavelength between 120 nm and 950 nm.

Inspection sensitivity improvements for optical and electron beam inspection

Methods are provided for designing metrology targets and estimating the uncertainty error of metrology metric values with respect to stochastic noise such as line properties (e.g., line edge roughness, LER). Minimal required dimensions of target elements may be derived from analysis of the line properties and uncertainty error of metrology measurements, by either CDSEM (critical dimension scanning electron microscopy) or optical systems, with corresponding targets. The importance of this analysis is emphasized in view of the finding that stochastic noise may have increased importance with when using more localized models such as CPE (correctables per exposure). The uncertainty error estimation may be used for target design, enhancement of overlay estimation and evaluation of measurement reliability in multiple contexts.

Determining the impacts of stochastic behavior on overlay metrology data

In one aspect, a method is disclosed that includes providing a substrate having a topography that comprises a relief and providing an anti-reflective film conformally over the substrate using a molecular layer deposition step. The anti-reflective film may be formed of a compound selected from the group consisting of: (i) an organic compound chemically bound to an inorganic compound, where one of the organic compound and the inorganic compound is bound to the substrate and where the organic compound absorbs light at at least one wavelength selected in the range 150-500 nm, or (ii) a monodisperse organic compound absorbing light at at least one wavelength selected in the range 150-500 nm. The method further includes providing a photoresist layer on the anti-reflective film.

Conformal anti-reflective coating

One inventive aspect relates to a method of lithographic processing of a device). The method may be performed using a lithographic processing system and applying a reticle). Lithographic processing of a device typically is characterized by focus conditions, a set of selectable lithographic processing system parameter values and selectable reticle parameter values. The method of configuring the lithographic processing comprises receiving values for the lithographic processing system parameters and for the reticle parameters. The method further comprises receiving focus conditions for the lithographic processing, the focus conditions allowing separation of image performance effects due to lithographic processing system aberrations and image performance effects due to reticle shadowing effects. The method further comprises determining image performance effects due to lithographic processing system aberrations and the image performance due to reticle shadowing effects. Furthermore, a test kit for performing a method for lithographic processing devices such as a lithographic processing system or a reticle adapted for using the method is described.

Methods and devices for lithography using electromagnetic radiation with short wavelengths

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Leuven, Belgium

Roel Gronheid