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Tracking the performance of photolithographic processes with excursion monitoring
designed resist pattern. The monitor wafer is then inspected, defects are classified, and the resist critical dimension (CD) is measured using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Defect and measurement data are plotted in tool-specific SPC charts to monitor each tool s performance and identify trends
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MICRO: Defect/Yield Analysis
critical. These smaller defects are harder to detect. Equipment suppliers have addressed this trend by developing increasingly sophisticated optical and laser-based tools offering some relief. Several suppliers have also developed scanning electron microscopy (SEM) systems that are appropriate
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MICRO: Defect/Yield Analysis and Metrology
improvements and line health monitoring. ICs are also susceptible to softer defects, such as vias and contacts with elevated resistance, and resistive shorts between metal runners. While inspection scanning electron microscopy (SEM) can detect via chains with soft opens such as that illustrated
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MICRO: Defect Analysis and Metrology - Ge (Feb 2000)
of this technique. Two high-resolution defect review techniques, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), can be used to characterize deep submicron defects. While SEM provides information on lateral defect size and shape, it does not provide quantitative height information
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Evaluating sample preparation techniques for cleanroom wiper testing
and recommend a measurement based on scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The use of SEM metrology for particle counting provides a method that is sufficiently sensitive to discern with great accuracy the number of particles released during sample preparation. However, the issue of how to prepare
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MICRO: Reducing defects methodically
, this analysis phase relied heavily on the capability of a scanning electron microscopy [SEM] system to extract information on defect size, morphology, and composition. ) The next step involves particle characterization and root-cause analysis performed by process and equipment engineers from the tool
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MICRO: Defect/Yield Analysis and Metrology
sensitive to defects at the bottoms of high-aspect-ratio structures and the method is becoming more prevalent in the engineering and R&D areas, its wide adoption in production is limited by its low throughput. Automated scanning electron microscopy (SEM) can detect high-aspect-ratio
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MICRO: Process Equipment Control - Bunkofske (Feb 2000)
many days and wafers away from the actual process run, it is important to implement an intermediate measure to minimize the mean time to detect (MTTD) of any process variations. In-line methods such as photo-limited yield, scanning electron microscopy, and kerf electrical measurements can be useful