Noncontact critical dimension metrology sensor for chrome photomasks featuring a low-temperature co-fired ceramic technology

This paper describes a noncontact capacitive-sensor metrology sensor developed to measure minimum feature sizes, also called critical dimensions, patterned on photomasks that are used in semiconductor device manufacture. Additionally, this paper describes the test structures printed on photomasks that facilitate linewidth metrology with the new sensor. The metrology sensor is fabricated using a low temperature co-fired ceramic technology and its principle is based on noncontact microcapacitance measurements of features on chrome-on-glass reticles.