Application of novel EB-inspection to in-line monitoring for state-of -the-art DRAM products

Capability of defect detection and stability of electron beam (EB) inspection system have been evaluated to verify the feasibility of in-line monitoring for next generation devices. The optimum inspection condition to consist with the detection of the defects of interest (DOI) and reproducibility was investigated. 100 nm DRAM product wafers of typical layers have been used for this evaluation and inspected using the optimized condition. In this paper, results of this evaluation and study of the parameters that affect the capability of defect detection and stability are discussed.