Enabling scanning electron microscope contour-based optical proximity correction models

Francois Weisbuch; Kenneth Jantzen

doi:10.1117/1.JMM.14.2.021105

28 April 2015 Enabling scanning electron microscope contour-based optical proximity correction models

Francois Weisbuch, Kenneth Jantzen

Journal of Micro/Nanolithography, MEMS, and MOEMS, Vol. 14, Issue 2, 021105 (April 2015). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.JMM.14.2.021105

Abstract

A scanning electron microscope (SEM) is the metrology tool used to accurately characterize very fine structures on wafers, usually by extracting one critical dimension (CD) per SEM image. This approach for optical proximity correction (OPC) modeling requires many measurements resulting in a lengthy cycle time for data collection, review, and cleaning, and faces reliability issues when dealing with critical two-dimensional (2-D) structures. An alternative to CD-based metrology is to use SEM image contours for OPC modeling. To calibrate OPC models with contours, reliable contours matched to traditional CD-SEM measurements are required along with a method to choose structure and site selections (number, type, and image space coverage) specific to a contour-based OPC model calibration. The potential of SEM contour model-based calibration is illustrated by comparing two contour-based models to reference models, one empirical model and a second rigorous simulation-based model. The contour-based models are as good as or better than a CD-based model with a significant advantage in the prediction of complex 2-D configurations with a reduced metrology work load.

Citation Download Citation

Francois Weisbuch and Kenneth Jantzen "Enabling scanning electron microscope contour-based optical proximity correction models," Journal of Micro/Nanolithography, MEMS, and MOEMS 14(2), 021105 (28 April 2015). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.JMM.14.2.021105

Published: 28 April 2015

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