Ultra-wide-field imaging Mueller matrix spectroscopic ellipsometry for semiconductor metrology

Area of Science:

• Optics
• Materials Science
• Semiconductor Manufacturing

Background:

• Semiconductor metrology is crucial for quality control.
• Existing methods like scanning electron microscopy are time-consuming and provide limited data.
• There is a need for high-throughput, large-area metrology solutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce an ultra-wide-field imaging Mueller matrix spectroscopic ellipsometry (IMMSE) system.
• To demonstrate its capability for large-area, high-resolution semiconductor metrology.
• To showcase its potential for yield enhancement in semiconductor manufacturing.

Main Methods:

• Development of an IMMSE system with a 20mm x 20mm field of view and 6.5µm spatial resolution.
• Acquisition of over 10 million Mueller matrix spectra.
• Implementation of a signal correction algorithm for spectrum consistency.
• Application of machine learning for spatially dense metrology across entire wafers.

Main Results:

• The IMMSE system achieves the largest field of view reported to date.
• It provides over 1987 times more metrology data and 662 times higher throughput than conventional methods.
• Spatially dense metrology across the entire wafer area is achieved.
• Demonstrated identification of spatial variations in dynamic random access memory (DRAM) structures.

Conclusions:

• The IMMSE system offers a significant advancement in semiconductor metrology.
• Its high throughput and data density enable efficient, large-area wafer inspection.
• This technology has the potential to enhance semiconductor manufacturing yield by enabling early detection of critical structural variations.