Detecting registration marks with low energy electron beam

Details Detecting registration marks with low energy electron beam Detecting registration marks with low energy electron beam

1999-10-21

2000-10-03

Hardy, David

Active solid-state devices (e.g., transistors, solid-state diode

Alignment marks

356396, H01L 23544, G01B 1102

Patent

active

06127738&

ABSTRACT:
For electron beam wafer or mask processing, a registration mark is capacitively coupled to the top surface of an overlying resist layer on a substrate to form a voltage potential on the surface of the resist layer directly over the registration mark. The registration mark is directly connected to an electrical lead that produces an AC voltage on the registration mark, which is capacitively induced on the surface of the resist layer. Alternatively, the registration mark itself is capacitively coupled to a conductive plate placed on the bottom surface of the semiconductor substrate. An AC voltage is then applied to the conductive plate that induces a charge on the registration mark, which then capacitively induces a charge on the surface of the layer of resist. An electron beam scanning across the surface of the resist layer generates secondary electrons. The secondary electrons have a low energy and are affected by the voltage potential created at the surface of the resist layer. Thus, by detecting the secondary electron signal generated by the electron beam the voltage potential on the surface of the resist layer is detected in contrast with surrounding areas. Consequently, the registration mark is detected by an electron beam, such as a low energy electron beam produced for example by an electron beam microcolumn, that does not have sufficient energy to penetrate the resist layer.

REFERENCES:
patent: 4356223 (1982-10-01), Ida et al.
patent: 4923301 (1990-05-01), White
patent: 4992394 (1991-02-01), Kostelak, Jr. et al.
patent: 5020006 (1991-05-01), Sporon-Fiedler
patent: 5552611 (1996-09-01), Enichen
patent: 5933743 (1999-08-01), New et al.
R.C. Farrow, et al., "Marks for Alignment and Registration in Projection Electron Lithography", J. Vac. Sci. Technolo. B 11(6), Nov./Dec. 1993, 1993 American Vacuum Society, pp. 2175-2178.
"Registration of Electron Beam During Electron Beam Pattern Exposure" IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, vol.32, No. 6A, Nov. 1, 1989, pp. 445/446 XP000043275.
"Noise-Reduced Registration in Corpuscular Beam Lithography" IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, vol. 33, No. 2, Jul. 1, 1990, p. 373 XP000123653.

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