A Fast QC Method for Testing Contact Hole Roughness by Defect Review SEM Image Analysis

Author

Takeda, Hiroyuki ; Uesugi, Katsuhiro ; Mihara, Tatsuyoshi ; Sakurai, Koichi

Author_Institution

Renesas Semicond. Eng. Corp., Hitachinaka

Volume

21

Issue

4

fYear

2008

Firstpage

567

Lastpage

572

Abstract

We propose a new and fast method for monitoring contact hole roughness (CHR), which can be a major yield-loss factor for advanced SRAMs. The method, defect-review scanning electron microscopy (SEM) image processing, can monitor CHR 100 times faster than the conventional method by critical dimension (CD)-SEM. The speed can facilitate faster identification of process countermeasures by, for example, making detailed monitoring of CHR variation within a wafer practicable. Results for CHR obtained by both new and conventional methods show similar trends for differences in process conditions. Also, we experimentally confirmed the new method´s measuring variation of the rate of deformed contact holes.

Keywords

SRAM chips; defect states; deformation; integrated circuit manufacture; integrated circuit measurement; scanning electron microscopy; size measurement; surface roughness; surface topography measurement; CHR variation monitoring; advanced SRAM yield-loss factor; contact hole roughness monitoring; critical dimension-SEM; defect-review scanning electron microscopy; deformed contact holes; fast QC method; image analysis; integrated circuit manufacture; Circuit stability; Current; Failure analysis; Image analysis; Image processing; Inspection; Monitoring; Random access memory; Scanning electron microscopy; Testing; Electron beams; SRAM chips; inspection; integrated circuit manufacture; logic devices;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Semiconductor Manufacturing, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0894-6507

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/TSM.2008.2005359

Filename

4657427