Patent ID: 6620631
Filing Date: 2003-09-16
Classification: H01J,H01L

Abstract:
A method for fabricating a microelectronic fabrication compromising:providing a substrate; forming over the substrate a blanket target layer; forming over the blanket target layer a patterned mask layer; measuring, white employing an optical diffraction method, a linewidth of the patterned mask layer to determine a patterned mask layer measured linewidth; determining a deviation of the patterned mask layer measured linewidth from a patterned mask layer target linewidth; etching, while employing a plasma etch method, the blanket target layer to form a patterned target layer while employing the patterned mask layer as a etch mask layer, wherein: in conjunction with the deviation of the patterned mask layer measured linewidth from the patterned mask layer target linewidth there is adjusted within the plasma etch method at least one plasma etch parameter such that a patterned target layer measured linewidth more closely approximates a patterned target layer target linewidth; and the measuring of the patterned mask layer measured linewidth while employing the optical diffraction method and the adjusting within the plasma etch method of the at least one plasma etch parameter are undertaken in-situ for each substrate within a series of substrates fabricated while employing the plasma etch method.