Aerial image measuring system at 193 nm: a tool-to-tool comparison and global CD mapping

Axel M. Zibold; Rainer Schmid; Klaus Boehm; Robert Birkner

doi:10.1117/12.569283

6 December 2004 Aerial image measuring system at 193 nm: a tool-to-tool comparison and global CD mapping

Axel M. Zibold, Rainer Schmid, Klaus Boehm, Robert Birkner

Proceedings Volume 5567, 24th Annual BACUS Symposium on Photomask Technology; (2004) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.569283
Event: Photomask Technology, 2004, Monterey, California, United States

Abstract

Reticle inspection and qualification is getting very important due to the overall shrinking feature sizes on chips and CD values less than the exposure wavelength. Mask defects will matter increasingly and successful defect disposition and image qualification is becoming essential to improve yield. Currently ongoing studies demonstrate the beneficial use of AIMS^TM* (Aerial Image Measuring System) -besides its application in mask shops like repair verification- for various wafer fab applications like Incoming Qualitiy Check (IQC), Automated Reticle Defect Disposition (ARDD)1, OPC verification or litho process evaluation in engineering without the use of stepper time and image qualification through wafer SEM evaluation. Among the important questions for the use of an aerial image measuring system is the level on which different tools compare to each other in terms of critical system performance parameters in order to judge the results of the data analysis in a global way. In this work we conducted a tool to tool comparison study of AIMS^TM fab 193 systems investigating parameters like: Normalized illumination uniformity, CD (critical dimension) uniformity over field, and static CD repeatability over time in x- and y-directions. The study is based on the evaluation of a data base collected with typical feature sizes of 1μm on the mask, ensuring with such feature sizes that tool results are independent of mask features being close to the resolution limit or the printability capability. Typical settings are NA = 0.7 and circular sigma = 0.6 on a set of tools in the field as well as in-house. In addition the performance of the tools will be discussed in terms of a specific application, global CD mapping, for use in process control. It can be applied for different use in wafer fab and mask shop environment.

Citation Download Citation

Axel M. Zibold, Rainer Schmid, Klaus Boehm, and Robert Birkner "Aerial image measuring system at 193 nm: a tool-to-tool comparison and global CD mapping", Proc. SPIE 5567, 24th Annual BACUS Symposium on Photomask Technology, (6 December 2004); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.569283

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