KEYWORDS: Silicon, Single crystal X-ray diffraction, Etching, 3D metrology, 3D modeling, Process control, Scatterometry, Metrology, Data modeling, Semiconducting wafers
As DRAM design advances from planar to vertical integration, process control of the recessed gate, generated by etching
after patterning in vertical DRAM, is very critical because of the impact on device electrical characteristics and
subsequent effect on yield. 3D Scatterometry Critical Dimension (3D SCD) technology is a widely-used metrology
approach for process control for leading edge CMOS and DRAM IC manufacturing.
In this paper, the latest KLA-Tencor AcuShapeTM modeling software with 3D SCD capability is used in the
modeling and solution development, and the SpectraShapeTM 8660 is used for data collection and CD measurement.
Recess gate measurements were taken in the active cell area having a non-orthogonal structure. The SCD measurement
results were successfully confirmed to correlate well with cross-section Scanning Electron Microscope (X-SEM) and
electrical performance data.
KEYWORDS: Single crystal X-ray diffraction, Atomic force microscopy, Scatterometry, Metrology, Etching, 3D metrology, Chemical mechanical planarization, Optical lithography, Oxides, Process control
As DRAM design rules scale below 4Xnm, controlling the micro-step height caused by the etching process after
patterning becomes more critical because it affects the post Chemical Mechanical Planarization (CMP) process window
and furthermore affects yield. In this study, the latest Multi-Azimuth angle capability of Scatterometry Critical
Dimension (SCD) was used to analyze the model of the micro-step height of nitride. SCD results were verified with
Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) measurements.
Detection of resist residue and organic contamination after photo resist strip and wafer clean early in the high K/metal
gate (HK/MG) manufacturing process flow is critical as it has been known to significantly impact yield. This residue,
when exposed to subsequent thermal process steps, transforms into solid hard spot(s), and can then be detected by a
wafer inspection tool, but unfortunately it is too late to take corrective action. A unique process control solution to detect
the presence of residues was developed using advanced analysis of an optical scattering inspection of a litho checkerboard pattern. The presence of residue was then validated with film thickness measurements.
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