A novel resist surface profilometer for next-generation photolithography using mechano-optical arrayed probe system

We propose a novel mechano-optical arrayed probe system, allowing a resist surface profile evaluation, which can be applied to on-machine measurement for a next-generation photolithography process of the semiconductor manufacturing. An experimental system, consisting of a white light interferometer and an arrayed probe unit supported on a SiC thin membrane, was newly developed, and fundamental experiments were carried out for verifying the feasibility of the new system. The experimental results suggest the proposed method is an effective resist surface profile evaluation technology with a vertical resolution of 10 nm over a horizontal range of tens of millimeters.