Single exposure EUV patterning optimization and defect inspection of hexagonal contact hole arrays using voltage contrast metrology

Shubhankar Das; Victor Blanco; Bappaditya Dey; Xiang Liu; Guillaume Schelcher; Danilo De Simone

doi:10.1117/12.3034189

12 November 2024 Single exposure EUV patterning optimization and defect inspection of hexagonal contact hole arrays using voltage contrast metrology

Shubhankar Das, Victor Blanco, Bappaditya Dey, Xiang Liu, Guillaume Schelcher, Danilo De Simone

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 13215, International Conference on Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography 2024; 132150B (2024) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3034189
Event: SPIE Photomask Technology + EUV Lithography, 2024, Monterey, California, United States

Abstract

A single exposure EUV patterning process has been optimized for hexagonal contact holes (CHs) at pitch 36nm and SRAM via. Defect inspection results are reported using after etch voltage contrast (VC) metrology as well as after metallization. By comparing top-down scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and VC images, the VC technique was proven to detect the close defective CHs not only on the top surface but also at the bottom of CHs. This is confirmed on cross section inspection using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) metrology. To quantify the number of defects (NoDs) per million CHs, both a greyscale analysis and a computer vision-based defect analysis algorithm are used and exhibits the dependence of NoDs on CHs mean CD. This algorithm is capable of detecting, classifying, and incrementally counting the occurrence of defect instances as closed, partially open and open CHs. An advantage of this algorithm is its distortion invariance and independence from GDS alignment.

Conference Presentation

Citation Download Citation

Shubhankar Das, Victor Blanco, Bappaditya Dey, Xiang Liu, Guillaume Schelcher, and Danilo De Simone "Single exposure EUV patterning optimization and defect inspection of hexagonal contact hole arrays using voltage contrast metrology", Proc. SPIE 13215, International Conference on Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography 2024, 132150B (12 November 2024); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3034189

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