During metrology overlay recipe setup typically a wide range of different target designs are present to select from. The main goal of recipe setup is to select the most accurate target type-recipe combination at ADI (after develop inspection) without additional external information that can be used for production on a large set of wafers. We will introduce a method based on blind source separation to disentangle the contributions of target asymmetry and the overlay of the targets. Based on this separation, the most accurate target-recipe combination can be selected. On top of selecting the most accurate target-recipe combination, it is important to stabilize the difference between the overlay on device and the overlay as measured on the target. In order to increase that stability we will introduce advanced algorithms in the ADI measurements that use measured asymmetry parameters to correct for inline target asymmetry variation. We will show a metrology to device matching improvement of up to 40% on product wafers.
State of the art after-develop (ADI) overlay is measured with multi-wavelength micro diffraction-based overlay techniques. A micro diffraction-based overlay target consists of two pairs of gratings, with the same pitch in the top and bottom layer. The gratings in the top layer have a bias offset with respect to the bottom layer in the positive or negative direction. When illuminated, +1st and -1st order light is diffracted. The asymmetry in the intensity of these signals contains the overlay information. In this paper, ADI overlay is measured with a new dark-field target design for ADI overlay. Like a micro diffraction-based overlay target, it consists of pairs of gratings in the top and bottom layer. Instead of a bias offset between top and bottom gratings, different pitches are used resulting in a continuous-bias throughout the grating pair. When illuminated the diffracted light contains moiré fringes, in which the overlay is stored in the phases. This technique has improved accuracy and robustness by design, because it is immune to symmetrical process changes like stack height variations and grating imbalance. Additionally, it shows more stable behavior through wavelength, both in signal strength and overlay. These characteristics make it possible, with a single wavelength, to achieve similar or better performance than micro diffraction-based overlay using a multi-wavelength solution, resulting in higher throughput. This is demonstrated on Samsung’s latest memory node where on average an 21% reduction is achieved in the 3sigma of the mis reading correction with a single-wavelength phase-based overlay measurements, compared to multi-wavelength micro diffraction-based overlay measurements.
In multi patterning processes, overlay is now entangled with CD including OPC and stochastics. This combined effect is a serious challenge for continued shrink and is driving down the allowed overlay margin to an unprecedented level. We need to do everything to improve overlay where accurate measurement and control of wafer deformation is extremely important. This requires accuracy in overlay metrology that decouples target asymmetry from wafer deformation. Multiwavelength diffraction-based overlay (DBO) is positioned for providing such accuracy while maintaining the required measurement speed. At the same time, with the increase of process complexity in advanced nodes, several new types of target asymmetries are introduced. Some of such asymmetries vary even within the target / grating area (intra-grating) and some are so severe that it impacts the center of gravity shift of the overlay target.
In order to meet the tightened lithography performance requirement for EUV systems, a good on-product focus control with accurate metrology is essential. In this manuscript we report on a novel metrology solution for the EUV on-product focus measurement using YieldStar. The new metrology has been qualified on the Logic product wafers and when combined with the advanced techniques and algorithm shows a performance that is accurate and precise enough to meet EUV requirements. Furthermore, the new methodology provides the opportunity for on-product focus monitoring and control through different scanner interfaces. Here we present a case in which the Imaging Optimizer using the EUV metrology data shows an improvement of over 20% on the focus uniformity.
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