Radiation imagery chemistry: process – composition – or product th – Imaging affecting physical property of radiation sensitive... – Making electrical device
Reexamination Certificate
2005-08-02
2005-08-02
McPherson, John A. (Department: 1756)
Radiation imagery chemistry: process, composition, or product th
Imaging affecting physical property of radiation sensitive...
Making electrical device
C430S030000, C156S345240, C356S635000, C356S636000, C118S696000, C438S007000, C438S016000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06924088
ABSTRACT:
A method and apparatus for processing a semiconductor wafer is provided for reducing CD microloading variation. OCD metrology is used to inspect a wafer to determine pre-etch CD microloading, by measuring the CD of dense and isolated photoresist lines. Other parameters can also be measured or otherwise determined, such as sidewall profile, photoresist layer thickness, underlying layer thickness, photoresist pattern density, open area, etc. The inspection results are fed forward to the etcher to determine process parameters, such as resist trim time and/or etch conditions, thereby achieving the desired post-etch CD microloading. In certain embodiments, the CD and profile measurements, trim, etch processing and post-etch cleaning are performed at a single module in a controlled environment. All of the transfer and processing steps performed by the module are performed in a clean environment, thereby increasing yield by avoiding exposing the wafer to the atmosphere and possible contamination between steps.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4447731 (1984-05-01), Kuni et al.
patent: 4911103 (1990-03-01), Davis et al.
patent: 5109430 (1992-04-01), Nishihara et al.
patent: 5171393 (1992-12-01), Moffat
patent: 5452521 (1995-09-01), Niewmierzycki
patent: 5653894 (1997-08-01), Ibbotson et al.
patent: 5913102 (1999-06-01), Yang
patent: 5926690 (1999-07-01), Toprac et al.
patent: 5944940 (1999-08-01), Toshima
patent: 5963329 (1999-10-01), Conrad et al.
patent: 5980766 (1999-11-01), Flamm et al.
patent: 6001699 (1999-12-01), Nguyen et al.
patent: 6004706 (1999-12-01), Ausschnitt et al.
patent: 6007675 (1999-12-01), Toshima
patent: 6027842 (2000-02-01), Ausschnitt et al.
patent: 6033814 (2000-03-01), Burdorf et al.
patent: 6054710 (2000-04-01), Bruggeman
patent: 6124212 (2000-09-01), Fan et al.
patent: 6143081 (2000-11-01), Shinriki et al.
patent: 6148239 (2000-11-01), Funk et al.
patent: 6175417 (2001-01-01), Do et al.
patent: 6178239 (2001-01-01), Kishinsky et al.
patent: 6225639 (2001-05-01), Adams et al.
patent: 6245581 (2001-06-01), Bonser et al.
patent: 6388253 (2002-05-01), Su
patent: 6424417 (2002-07-01), Cohen et al.
patent: 2002/0155629 (2002-10-01), Fairbairn et al.
patent: 0727715 (1996-08-01), None
patent: 1 079 428 (2001-02-01), None
patent: 1 083 424 (2001-03-01), None
patent: 61290312 (1986-12-01), None
patent: WO 01/09934 (2001-02-01), None
patent: WO 01/84382 (2001-11-01), None
patent: WO 02/09170 (2002-01-01), None
patent: WO 02/37186 (2002-05-01), None
US 6,150,664, 11/2000, Su (withdrawn)
European Search Report dated Mar. 30, 2001 in parent case.
Davidson et al., “An Inverse Scattering Approach to SEM Line Width Measurements”, Technical Program and Abstract Digest, SPIE's 24th International Symposium on Microlithography, Mar. 1999, Santa Clara, CA.
Anthony J. Toprac, “AMD's Advanced Process Control of Poly-gate Critical Dimension”, SPIE Conference on Process, Equipment and Materials Control in Integrated Circuit Manufacturing, Sep. 1999, Santa Clara, CA, SPIE vol. 3882.
Lee, M.E., et al., “Analysis of Reflectometry and Ellipsometry Data from Patterned Structures”,Characterization and Metrology for ULSI Technology: 1998 International Conference,ed. D.G. Seiler, et al., 1998, pp. 331-335.
McIntosh, J.M., et al., “Approach to CD SEM Metrology Utilizing the Full Waveform Signal”, Proceedings of the SPIE, vol. 3332, pp. 51-60, Feb. 23, 1998.
Ausschnit, Christopher P., et al., “Seeing the Forest for the Trees: A New Approach to CD Control,” Ed. Bhanwar Singh,Proceedings of the SPIE,vol. 3332, pp. 212-220, Feb. 23-25, 1998.
Moharam, M.G., et al., “Stable Implementation of the Rigorous Coupled-Wave Analysis for Surface-Relief Gratings: Enhanced Transmittance Matrix Approach,” Journal of the Optical Society of America, vol. 12, No. 5, pp. 1077-1086, May 1995.
Chateau, Nicolas, “Algorithm for the Rigorous Coupled-Wave Analysis of Grating Diffusion,” Journal of the Optical Society of America, vol. 11, No. 4, pp. 1321-1331, Apr. 1994.
Raymond, Christopher J., “Angle-Resolved Scatterometry for Semiconductor Manufacturing”, Microlithography World, Winter 2000, pp. 18-23.
Deshmukh Shashank C.
Liu Wei
Mui David S. L.
Sasano Hiroki
Applied Materials Inc.
Bach Joseph
Chacko-Davis Daborah
McDermott & Will & Emery
McPherson John A.
LandOfFree
Method and system for realtime CD microloading control does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Method and system for realtime CD microloading control, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Method and system for realtime CD microloading control will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3497808