Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
  • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
  • H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
  • H01L21/67005—Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
  • H01L21/67242—Apparatus for monitoring, sorting or marking
  • H01L21/67259—Position monitoring, e.g. misposition detection or presence detection
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
  • G03F—PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR
  • G03F7/00—Photomechanical, e.g. photolithographic, production of textured or patterned surfaces, e.g. printing surfaces; Materials therefor, e.g. comprising photoresists; Apparatus specially adapted therefor
  • G03F7/70—Microphotolithographic exposure; Apparatus therefor
  • G03F7/70483—Information management; Active and passive control; Testing; Wafer monitoring, e.g. pattern monitoring
  • G03F7/70605—Workpiece metrology
  • G03F7/70616—Monitoring the printed patterns
  • G03F7/70633—Overlay, i.e. relative alignment between patterns printed by separate exposures in different layers, or in the same layer in multiple exposures or stitching
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
  • H01L22/00—Testing or measuring during manufacture or treatment; Reliability measurements, i.e. testing of parts without further processing to modify the parts as such; Structural arrangements therefor
  • H01L22/10—Measuring as part of the manufacturing process
  • H01L22/12—Measuring as part of the manufacturing process for structural parameters, e.g. thickness, line width, refractive index, temperature, warp, bond strength, defects, optical inspection, electrical measurement of structural dimensions, metallurgic measurement of diffusions
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
  • G01N21/00—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of optical means, i.e. using sub-millimetre waves, infrared, visible or ultraviolet light
  • G01N21/17—Systems in which incident light is modified in accordance with the properties of the material investigated
  • G01N21/21—Polarisation-affecting properties
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
  • G01N21/00—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of optical means, i.e. using sub-millimetre waves, infrared, visible or ultraviolet light
  • G01N21/17—Systems in which incident light is modified in accordance with the properties of the material investigated
  • G01N21/47—Scattering, i.e. diffuse reflection
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
  • G01N21/00—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of optical means, i.e. using sub-millimetre waves, infrared, visible or ultraviolet light
  • G01N21/84—Systems specially adapted for particular applications
  • G01N21/88—Investigating the presence of flaws or contamination
  • G01N21/8851—Scan or image signal processing specially adapted therefor, e.g. for scan signal adjustment, for detecting different kinds of defects, for compensating for structures, markings, edges
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
  • G01N21/00—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of optical means, i.e. using sub-millimetre waves, infrared, visible or ultraviolet light
  • G01N21/84—Systems specially adapted for particular applications
  • G01N21/88—Investigating the presence of flaws or contamination
  • G01N21/95—Investigating the presence of flaws or contamination characterised by the material or shape of the object to be examined
  • G01N21/9501—Semiconductor wafers
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
  • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
  • H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
  • H01L21/67005—Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
  • H01L21/67242—Apparatus for monitoring, sorting or marking
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
  • H01L22/00—Testing or measuring during manufacture or treatment; Reliability measurements, i.e. testing of parts without further processing to modify the parts as such; Structural arrangements therefor
  • H01L22/20—Sequence of activities consisting of a plurality of measurements, corrections, marking or sorting steps
  • H01L22/24—Optical enhancement of defects or not directly visible states, e.g. selective electrolytic deposition, bubbles in liquids, light emission, colour change
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
  • H01L22/00—Testing or measuring during manufacture or treatment; Reliability measurements, i.e. testing of parts without further processing to modify the parts as such; Structural arrangements therefor
  • H01L22/20—Sequence of activities consisting of a plurality of measurements, corrections, marking or sorting steps
  • H01L22/26—Acting in response to an ongoing measurement without interruption of processing, e.g. endpoint detection, in-situ thickness measurement
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
  • H01L22/00—Testing or measuring during manufacture or treatment; Reliability measurements, i.e. testing of parts without further processing to modify the parts as such; Structural arrangements therefor
  • H01L22/30—Structural arrangements specially adapted for testing or measuring during manufacture or treatment, or specially adapted for reliability measurements
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01B—MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEAR DIMENSIONS; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS
  • G01B2210/00—Aspects not specifically covered by any group under G01B, e.g. of wheel alignment, caliper-like sensors
  • G01B2210/56—Measuring geometric parameters of semiconductor structures, e.g. profile, critical dimensions or trench depth
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
  • H01L23/00—Details of semiconductor or other solid state devices
  • H01L23/544—Marks applied to semiconductor devices or parts, e.g. registration marks, alignment structures, wafer maps
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
  • H01L2924/00—Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00

Definitions

• the present invention relates measurement of misregistration in the manufacture of semiconductor devices generally.
• the present invention seeks to provide an improved methods and systems for measurement of misregistration in the manufacture of semiconductor devices.
• a parameter-stable misregistration measurement amelioration method including providing a wafer, including a plurality of multilayered semiconductor devices formed thereon, selected from a batch wafers intended to be identical, using a misregistration metrology tool to measure misregistration at multiple sites between at least a first layer and a second layer of the wafer, using a plurality of sets of measurement parameters, thereby generating measured misregistration data for each of the sets of measurement parameters, identifying and removing a parameter-dependent portion and a mean error portion from the measured misregistration data for the wafer for each of the sets of measurement parameters, thereby generating ameliorated parameter-stable ameliorated misregistration data for the wafer.
• the sets of measurement parameters comprise at least multiple wavelengths of light used in misregistration measurement.
• the identifying the parameter-dependent portion and the mean error portion includes identifying a parameter-dependent portion for the measured misregistration data for each of the sets of measurement parameters, identifying at least one principal component of the parameter-dependent portion of the misregistration data for each of the sets of measurement parameters, identifying a weighting coefficient for the at least one principal component of the parameter- dependent portion of the measured misregistration data for each of the sets of parameters and identifying at least one mean error portion, each of the mean error portions corresponding to each of the at least one principal components of the parameter-dependent portion of the measured misregistration data for each of the sets of measurement parameters.
• the parameter-stable misregistration measurement amelioration method also includes using the parameter-dependent portion and the mean error portion to identify and remove a parameter-dependent portion and a mean error portion from measured misregistration data for at least one additional wafer selected from the batch wafers intended to be identical, for each of the sets of measurement parameters, thereby generating ameliorated parameter-stable ameliorated misregistration data for the at least one additional wafer.
• the misregistration metrology tool is an imaging misregistration metrology tool.
• the misregistration metrology tool is a scatterometry misregistration metrology tool.
• the at least one principal component of the parameter- dependent portion of the misregistration data for each of the sets of measurement parameters is identified using principal component analysis.
• the mean error portions are identified using a reference misregistration value.
• the reference misregistration value is generated by using a reference misregistration metrology tool to measure the wafer.
• the reference misregistration tool is an electron beam misregistration metrology tool.
• the mean error portions are identified using a statistical model.
• the statistical model is compiled from multiple misregistration measurements of the wafer.
• the statistical model includes a modeled portion and an unmodeled portion.
• the sets of measurement parameters comprise at least one of a focus variability in misregistration measurement, a numerical aperture used in misregistration measurement, an angle of incidence of light used in misregistration measurement and a polarization of light used in misregistration measurement.
• a parameter-stable misregistration measurement amelioration system including a misregistration metrology tool operative to measure misregistration at multiple sites between at least a first layer and a second layer of a wafer, including a plurality of multilayered semiconductor devices formed thereon, selected from a batch of wafers intended to be identical, using a plurality of sets of measurement parameters, thereby generating measured misregistration data for each of the parameters and a misregistration data analyzer operative to identify and remove a parameter-dependent portion and a mean error portion from the measured misregistration data for the wafer for each of the sets of measurement parameters, thereby generating ameliorated parameter-stable ameliorated misregistration data for the wafer.
• Fig. 1 is a simplified schematic illustration of a parameter-stable misregistration measurement amelioration system
• Fig. 2 is a simplified flow chart illustrating a parameter-stable misregistration measurement amelioration method useful by the parameter-stable misregistration measurement amelioration system of Fig. 1.
• Fig. 1 is a simplified schematic illustration of a parameter-stable misregistration measurement amelioration system (PSMMAS) 100
• Fig.2 is a simplified flow chart illustrating a parameter-stable misregistration measurement amelioration method (PSMMAM) 200 useful by PSMMAS 100.
• PSMMAS parameter-stable misregistration measurement amelioration system
• PSMMAM parameter-stable misregistration measurement amelioration method
• PSMMAS 100 includes a misregistration metrology tool 110 and a misregistration data analyzer 120.
• Misregistration metrology tool 1 10 can be any suitable misregistration metrology tool, having the capability to measure misregistration using a plurality of sets of measurement parameters, such as an imaging misregistration metrology tool or a scatterometry misregistration metrology tool.
• the parameters include multiple wavelengths of light used in measuring misregistration.
• a typical imaging misregistration metrology tool forming part of PSMMAS 100 is an ArcherTM 700, commercially available from KLA Corporation, of Milpitas, CA.
• a typical scatterometry misregistration metrology tool forming part of PSMMAS 100 is an ATL100TM, commercially available from KLA Corporation, of Milpitas, CA.
• a wafer including a plurality of multilayered semiconductor devices formed thereon, selected from a batch of wafers intended to be identical, is provided, and misregistration metrology tool 110 measures misregistration, also referred to as overlay, at multiple sites, s, between at least a first layer and a second layer of the wafer, using multiple sets of measurement parameters, l, preferably including multiple wavelengths of light, thereby generating measured misregistration data, OVL(l,s), for each site and for each of the sets of parameters.
• misregistration metrology tool 110 measures misregistration, also referred to as overlay, at multiple sites, s, between at least a first layer and a second layer of the wafer, using multiple sets of measurement parameters, l, preferably including multiple wavelengths of light, thereby generating measured misregistration data, OVL(l,s), for each site and for each of the sets of parameters.
• the wafer measured at step 202 includes features having some number, n, of deformations included in each of the measured sites.
• measured misregistration data, OVL(X,s) may include components from both a misregistration between the first and second layers OVLo(s), as well as components from each deformation eigenvector Î k (l,s), as described in equation
• each deformation eigenvector Î k (l,s) includes terms from both a parameter-dependent portion Î k (l,s) and a mean error portion m k (s), as seen in equation 2:
• both the parameter-dependent portion Î k (l,s) and the mean error portion m k (s) result from the same k* deformation. Therefore, both the parameter-dependent portion Î k (l,s) and the mean error portion m k (s) are proportional to an amplitude of the k th deformation, and thus the parameter- dependent portion Î k (l,s) and the mean error portion m k (s) are mathematically related to each other.
• PSMMAM 200 proceeds to solve additional equations, as described hereinbelow with further reference to Figs. 2 A & 2B.
• misregistration data analyzer 120 identifies a parameter-dependent portion OVL e (l,s) for each site, s, and for each parameter set, l, of measured misregistration data OVL(l,s) and a mean error portion OVL m (S) for each site s of measured misregistration data OVL(l,s) generated at step 202.
• mean error portion OVL m (s) includes both the misregistration of the wafer OVLo(s) and a mean error portion associated with the measured misregistration data OVL(l,s).
• misregistration data analyzer 120 uses principal component analysis (PC A) for a set of parameter-dependent portions ⁇ OVL e (l,S) ⁇ of measured misregistration data OVL(l,s) to identify a set of principal components ⁇ e k (l,s) ⁇ corresponding to the n deformations included in each of the sites, s, measured at step 202.
• PC A principal component analysis
• misregistration data analyzer 120 identifies a suitable weighting coefficient a k (s) for equation 1 by identifying a value of weighting coefficient otk(s) that minimizes a metric Mi, as defined in equation 4:
• equation 4 represents the projections of ⁇ OVL e (l,S) ⁇ onto ⁇ e k (l,s) ⁇ .
• misregistration data analyzer 120 identifies mean error portions m k corresponding to each one of the principle components Î k (l,s) identified at step 206 for each measured site, s.
• mean error portions m k (s) are identified using equation 5:
• PSMMAM 200 identifies mean error portions m k (s) which result in the best matching between the left-hand-side and the right-hand- side of equation 5 for all sites, s, measured at step 202.
• reference misregistration OVL R is generated by using a reference misregistration metrology tool to measure misregistration of the wafer measured at step 202.
• a typical reference misregistration metrology tool is an electron beam misregistration metrology tool, such as an eDR7xxxTM, commercially available from KLA Corporation of Milpitas, CA, USA.
• Other suitable reference misregistration metrology tools include, inter alia, optical tools, SEM tools, TEM tools and AFM tools.
• a statistical model is compiled from multiple, preferably at least 200, misregistration measurements of the wafer measured at step 202.
• each of the misregistration measurements includes a modeled portion, corresponding to actual device misregistration, and an unmodeled portion, corresponding to deformations.
• Mean error portions m k (s) are identified by identifying values of mean error portions m k (s) that minimize a metric M2, as defined in equation 6:
• u(s) is the unmodeled portion of the mean error portion of the misregistration of each site included in the statistical model and ak
• misregistration data analyzer 120 removes the parameter-dependent portion Î k (l,s) and the mean error portion m k (s) from the measured misregistration data OVL(l,s) generated at step 202 for the wafer for each of the parameters used in misregistration measurements, thereby generating ameliorated parameter-stable ameliorated misregistration data OVLo(s) for the wafer.
• parameter-stable ameliorated misregistration data OVLo(s) is used to adjust at least one tool used in the fabrication of the batch of wafers intended to be identical from which the wafer measured in step 202 was selected.
• step 214 at least one additional wafer, including a plurality of multilayered semiconductor devices, selected from the batch of wafers intended to be identical from which a wafer was provided at step 202, is provided.
• misregistration metrology tool 110 measures misregistration at multiple sites between at least a first layer and a second layer of the wafer, using a plurality of sets of measurement parameters sets, thereby generating measured misregistration data for each of the parameter sets.
• the parameter sets include multiple wavelengths of light.
• misregistration data analyzer 120 uses parameter-dependent portion OVLe(l,s) for the at least one additional measured at step 214 to define the weighting coefficients a k (s) for the at least one additional wafer. Once weighting coefficients a k (s) for the at least one additional wafer are known, misregistration data analyzer 120 uses the one or more deformation eigenvectors k (l,s) identified at step 210 to identify and remove the parameter-dependent portion Î k (l,s) and the mean error portion m k (s) from the measured misregistration data OVL(l,s) generated at step 214 for the at least one additional wafer for each of the parameter sets, thereby generating ameliorated parameter-stable ameliorated misregistration data OVLo(s) for the one or more additional wafers.
• the one or more deformation eigenvectors k (l,s) identified at step 210 include a parameter-dependent portion Î k (l,s), and a mean error portion m k (s), as described hereinabove with reference to Eq. 2.
• the sets of measurement parameters used by misregistration metrology tool 110 include at least one of a focus variability in misregistration measurement, a numerical aperture used in misregistration measurement, an angle of incidence of light used in misregistration measurement and a polarization of light used in misregistration measurement.
• variations in misregistration measurement data as a function of the varied at least one misregistration measurement parameter are preferably analyzed in a similar manner to the analysis described hereinabove with reference to Fig. 2, thereby generating ameliorated parameter-stable ameliorated misregistration data.

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