Patent ID: 6433871
Filing Date: 2002-08-13
Classification: G01B

Abstract:
A method of determining gate electrode profiles, comprising:providing a library of optical characteristic traces, each of which correspond to a grating structure comprised of a plurality of gate electrode structures having a known profile; providing a substrate having at least one grating structure formed thereabove, said formed grating structure comprised of a plurality of gate electrode structures having an unknown profile; illuminating said grating structure formed above said substrate; measuring light reflected off of said grating structure to generate an optical characteristic trace for said formed grating structure; determining a profile of said gate electrode structures comprising said formed grating structure by correlating said generated optical characteristic trace to an optical characteristic trace from said library; and modifying at least one parameter of at least one etching process used to form gate electrode structures on a subsequently processed substrate based upon the determined profile of said gate electrode structures comprising said formed grating structure.