Paper
29 September 2023 Sidewall angle calculation on CD-SEM metrology
Author Affiliations +
Abstract
Explore a method for measurement the sidewall angle of photomask patterns using the CD-SEM (critical dimension scanning electron microscope) device. This tool is widely used in the semiconductor industry for metrology CD measurements and is one of the most common inspection methods. The CDSEM tool ZX has advanced techniques that not only measure line width but also build a 3D model of the scan. The CDSEM tool measures the sidewall angle by determining the top and bottom positions of the photomask pattern, and using the data obtained from these positions, the distance of the horizontal and vertical can be calculated. These data are then used in an algorithmic equation to simulate the slope value and calculate the sidewall angle. To verify the correctness of the sidewall angle value obtained through CDSEM measurements, TEM (transmission electron microscopy) is used. TEM is an intuitive method that uses a high-energy electron beam to capture highresolution cross-sectional images of larger materials such as photomasks. TEM is a common method for analyzing the sidewall angle and thickness of thin films and is widely used in material science and nanotechnology. However, TEM's cross-section implementation is a destructive method and is not an ideal method for testing product photomasks. In this study, the simulated data from CDSEM and actual cross-sectional data from TEM are collected and integrated for crosscomparison to obtain the corresponding relationship.
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WenWei Lee, HsiangJen Yang, and Po-Sheng Wang "Sidewall angle calculation on CD-SEM metrology", Proc. SPIE 12915, Photomask Japan 2023: XXIX Symposium on Photomask and Next-Generation Lithography Mask Technology, 129150O (29 September 2023); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2685008
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KEYWORDS
Transmission electron microscopy

3D modeling

Photomasks

3D metrology

Metrology

Scanning electron microscopy

3D image processing

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