Mr. Thomas Thaler Profile

Thomas Thaler

Product Manager at Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH

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Publications (10)

Proceedings Article | 23 March 2020 Presentation + Paper

Improving ORC methods and hotspot detection with the usage of aerial images metrology

Francois Weisbuch, Thomas Thaler, Ute Buttgereit, Christian Stötzel, Thomas Zeuner

Proceedings Volume 11327, 113270D (2020) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2552048

KEYWORDS: Photomasks, Calibration, Etching, Scanners, Lithography, SRAF, Scanning electron microscopy, Semiconducting wafers, Metrology, Optical lithography

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Proceedings Article | 28 September 2017 Paper

Aerial image metrology for OPC modeling and mask qualification

Ao Chen, Yee Mei Foong, Angeline Chung, Peter De Bisschop, Thomas Thaler, Ute Buttgereit, Andrew Burbine, John Sturtevant, Chris Clifford, Kostas Adam

Proceedings Volume 10446, 104460V (2017) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2281886

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Proceedings Article | 24 March 2017 Presentation + Paper

Effective use of aerial image metrology for calibration of OPC models

Ao Chen, Yee Mei Foong, Thomas Thaler, Ute Buttgereit, Angeline Chung, Andrew Burbine, John Sturtevant, Chris Clifford, Kostas Adam, Peter DeBisschop

Proceedings Volume 10147, 101470Y (2017) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2258632

KEYWORDS: Photomasks, Optical proximity correction, Data modeling, Metrology, 3D modeling, Semiconducting wafers, Photoresist materials, Calibration, Wafer-level optics, Image processing, Scanners

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Proceedings Article | 29 October 2014 Paper

Short feedback loop for OPC model based on wafer level CD

Guoxiang Ning, Thomas Thaler, Kristian Schulz, Ute Buttgereit, Peter Philipp, Paul Ackmann, Lloyd Litt, Chin Teong Lim

Proceedings Volume 9235, 92351U (2014) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2066169

KEYWORDS: Semiconducting wafers, Critical dimension metrology, Optical proximity correction, Photomasks, Printing, Calibration, Feedback loops, Metrology, Scanning electron microscopy, Image processing

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Proceedings Article | 16 September 2014 Paper

Intra-field CDU map correlation between SEMs and aerial image characterization

Guoxiang Ning, Stefan Meusemann, Thomas Thaler, Lloyd Litt, Martin Tschinkl, Paul Ackmann, Kristian Schulz, Peter Philipp

Proceedings Volume 9235, 92350I (2014) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2066173

KEYWORDS: Semiconducting wafers, Reticles, Metrology, Critical dimension metrology, Scanning electron microscopy, Metals, Optical proximity correction, Wafer-level optics, Inspection, Scanners

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Proceedings Article | 30 June 2012 Paper

A study of hot spot measurement on WLCD

Hideyoshi Takamizawa, Hidemichi Imai, Ute Buttgereit, Shingo Yoshikawa, Thomas Thaler

Proceedings Volume 8441, 844107 (2012) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.978706

KEYWORDS: Photomasks, Semiconducting wafers, Critical dimension metrology, 193nm lithography, Process control, Current controlled current source, Optical lithography, Extreme ultraviolet lithography, Lithography

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Proceedings Article | 14 October 2011 Paper

A study of closed-loop application: WLCD-CDC for 32nm and beyond reticles

Arosha Goonesekera, Erez Graitzer, Thomas Thaler, Ute Buttgereit

Proceedings Volume 8166, 816619 (2011) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.898892

KEYWORDS: Critical dimension metrology, Semiconducting wafers, Signal attenuation, Photomasks, Logic, Scanners, Reticles, 193nm lithography, Process control, Cadmium

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Optical lithography stays at 193nm with a numerical aperture of 1.35 for several more years before moving to EUV lithography. Utilization of 193nm lithography for 32nm and beyond forces the mask maker to produce complex mask designs and tighter lithography specifications which in turn make process control more important than ever. High yield with regards to chip production requires accurate process control. Critical Dimension Uniformity (CDU) is one of the key parameters necessary to assure good performance and reliable functionality of any integrated circuit. There are different contributors which impact the total wafer CDU: mask CD uniformity, resist process, scanner and lens fingerprint, wafer topography, etc. In this study the newly developed wafer level CD metrology tool WLCD of Carl Zeiss SMS is utilized for CDU measurements in conjunction with the CDC tool from Carl Zeiss SMS which provides CD uniformity correction. The WLCD measures CD based on proven aerial imaging technology. The CDC utilizes an ultrafast femto-second laser to write intra-volume shading elements (Shade-In Elements^TM) inside the bulk material of the mask. By adjusting the density of the shading elements, the light transmission through the mask is locally changed in a manner that improves wafer CDU when the corrected mask is printed. The objective of this study is to evaluate the usage of these two tools in a closed loop process to optimize CDU of the mask before leaving the mask shop and to ensure improved intra-field CDU at wafer level. Main focus of the study is to investigate the correlation of applied attenuation by CDC and the resulting CD change, the impact of CDC process on CD linearity behavior and the correlation of WLCD data and wafer data. Logic and SRAM cells with features having designed line CD's at wafer level, ranging from 27nm to 42nm have been used for the study. The investigation provides evidence that the applied attenuation by CDC shows a linear correlation to CD change at wafer level measured with WLCD. Additionally, WLCD data shows that the CDC application does not impact the CD linearity for the tested feature range. The WLCD measurement data in turn show an excellent correlation to wafer print CD data indicating cost effective use case of closed loop WLCD/CDC application.

Proceedings Article | 27 May 2010 Paper

Increased productivity of repair verification by offline analysis of aerial images

Rigo Richter, Thomas Scheruebl, Thomas Thaler, Hiroyuki Miyashita, Ernesto Villa, Luca Sartelli

Proceedings Volume 7748, 77481F (2010) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.863806

KEYWORDS: Photomasks, Image analysis, Manufacturing, Error analysis, Reliability, Image processing, Inspection, Semiconducting wafers, Standards development, Lithography

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Proceedings Article | 23 September 2009 Paper

AIMS mask qualification for 32nm node

Thomas Scheruebl, Rigo Richter, Thomas Thaler, Holger Seitz, Ulrich Stroessner

Proceedings Volume 7488, 74882R (2009) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.830083

KEYWORDS: Photomasks, Double patterning technology, Scanners, Source mask optimization, Lithography, Computational lithography, Lithographic illumination, Semiconducting wafers, 193nm lithography, Optical aberrations

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Proceedings Article | 3 May 2007 Paper

Production evaluation of automated reticle defect printability prediction application

Raphael Moses, Thomas Thaler, William Howard, Scott Pomeroy

Proceedings Volume 6533, 65330A (2007) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.736495

KEYWORDS: Reticles, Inspection, Photomasks, Lithography, Critical dimension metrology, Manufacturing, Systems modeling, Semiconducting wafers, Binary data, Metrology

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Showing 5 of 10 publications

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