Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US7656528?dq=5,341,457
Timestamp: 2016-08-26 20:19:20
Document Index: 114670386

Matched Legal Cases: ['Application No. 02', 'Application No. 02728700', 'Application No. 02728700', 'Application No. 02728700', 'Application No. 2002', 'Application No. 2002']

Patent US7656528 - Periodic patterns and technique to control misalignment between two layers - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inPatentsA method and system to measure misalignment error between two overlying or interlaced periodic structures are proposed. The overlying or interlaced periodic structures are illuminated by incident radiation, and the diffracted radiation of the incident radiation by the overlying or interlaced periodic...http://www.google.com/patents/US7656528?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US7656528 - Periodic patterns and technique to control misalignment between two layersAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS7656528 B2Publication typeGrantApplication numberUS 11/673,115Publication dateFeb 2, 2010Filing dateFeb 9, 2007Priority dateApr 10, 2001Fee statusPaidAlso published asEP1390692A1, EP1390692A4, EP1390692B1, US8525994, US8570515, US9103662, US9234745, US20030002043, US20040061857, US20040229471, US20050157297, US20050208685, US20060065625, US20060132807, US20060262326, US20070127025, US20090231584, US20100073688, US20140022563, US20150300815, US20160084639, WO2002084213A1Publication number11673115, 673115, US 7656528 B2, US 7656528B2, US-B2-7656528, US7656528 B2, US7656528B2InventorsIbrahim Abdulhalim, Mike Adel, Michael Friedmann, Michael FaeyrmanOriginal AssigneeKla-Tencor CorporationExport CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (135), Non-Patent Citations (51), Referenced by (8), Classifications (20), Legal Events (1) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetPeriodic patterns and technique to control misalignment between two layers
US 7656528 B2Abstract
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 11/062,255, filed on Feb. 18, 2005, which in turn is a continuation of application Ser. No. 10/682,544, filed on Oct. 8, 2003, now abandoned, which in turn is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/833,084, filed on Apr. 10, 2001, now abandoned, which applications are incorporated herein by this reference in their entireties.
FIGS. 4 a and 4 b show alternative embodiments. In one embodiment, FIG. 4 a illustrates a first periodic structure 13 of oxide having a trapezoidal shape on a first layer 31 of silicon substrate and a second periodic structure 15 of resist with a second layer 33 of resist. The first layer 31 of silicon is etched, and shallow trench isolation (“STI”) oxide is deposited in the spaces of the etched silicon. The lines of STI oxide form the first periodic structure 13. An oxide layer 34 and a uniform polysilicon layer 35 are deposited between the first layer 31 of silicon and the second layer 33 of resist. The configuration in FIG. 4 a shows a line on space configuration, where the second periodic structure 15 is placed aligned with the spaces between the first periodic structure 13. The invention also encompasses embodiments such as the line on line configuration, where the lines in the second periodic structure 15 are placed on top of and aligned with the lines in the first periodic structure 13, as shown by the dotted lines in FIG. 4 a. In another embodiment, FIG. 4 b illustrates a first periodic structure 13 of tungsten etched in a first layer 31 of oxide and a second periodic structure 15 of resist with a second layer 33 of resist. The first layer 31 and the second layer 33 are separated by an aluminum blanket 37.
tan α = 1 tan Ψ ( 2 ) The signal processor 109 determines misalignment from the polarization or phase information, as discussed above.
tan Ψ =  r p   r s  ( 3 ) where rp and rs are the amplitude reflection coefficients for the p(TM) and s(TE) polarizations, and
DS = R + 1 - R - 1 R + 1 + R - 1 % ( 5 ) where R+1 is the intensity of the positive first-order diffracted radiation and R−1 is the intensity of the negative first-order diffracted radiation. The different curves in FIG. 13 correspond to the different incident polarization angles (0�, 50�, 60�, 74�, 80�, and 90�) of the incident linearly polarized light relative to the plane of incidence. The polarization angle α is defined as:
α = arc tan (  E s   E p  ) ( 6 ) where Es is the field component perpendicular to the plane of incidence, which for normal incidence is the Y component in the XY coordinate system, and Ep is the field component parallel to the plane of incidence, which for normal incidence is the X component. Polarization scans from incident polarization angles of 0� to 90� were performed to generate the graphical plots in FIGS. 13 and 14. FIG. 14 shows the differential intensity as a function of incident polarization angle at different overlay misregistration (−50 nm, −35 nm, −15 nm, 0 nm, 15 nm, 35 nm, and 50 nm). FIG. 14 shows that there is a neutral polarization angle, defined as an incident polarization angle where the differential intensity is equal to zero for all overlay misregistration. FIGS. 13 and 14 illustrate the high sensitivity of differential intensity to the overlay misregistration and the linear behavior of differential intensity with the overlay misregistration. They also show that the differential intensity is zero at zero overlay misregistration for any polarization angle. Similar graphical plots were obtained at different wavelengths. FIG. 15 shows the mean square error (“MSE”) variation with the overlay misregistration. The MSE exhibits linearity and sensitivity of approximately 0.6 per one nanometer overlay misregistration.
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No. 11/125,590.51Written Opinion issued by the IPEA in corresponding PCT/US02/11026, dated Apr. 11, 2003, 4 pages.Referenced byCiting PatentFiling datePublication dateApplicantTitleUS7879682 *Nov 3, 2009Feb 1, 2011Asml Netherlands B.V.Marker structure and method for controlling alignment of layers of a multi-layered substrateUS7911612Jun 13, 2007Mar 22, 2011Asml Netherlands B.V.Inspection method and apparatus, lithographic apparatus, lithographic processing cell and device manufacturing methodUS8817273 *Apr 24, 2012Aug 26, 2014Nanometrics IncorporatedDark field diffraction based overlayUS9007584Dec 27, 2010Apr 14, 2015Nanometrics IncorporatedSimultaneous measurement of multiple overlay errors using diffraction based overlayUS20080311344 *Jun 13, 2007Dec 18, 2008Asml Netherlands B.V.Inspection method and apparatus, lithographic apparatus, lithographic processing cell and device manufacturing methodUS20100068830 *Mar 18, 2010Asml Netherlands B.V.Marker structure and method for controlling alignment of layers of a multi-layered substrateUS20130278942 *Apr 24, 2012Oct 24, 2013Nanometrics IncorporatedDark field diffraction based overlayWO2015157464A1 *Apr 8, 2015Oct 15, 2015Kla-Tencor CorporationEstimating and eliminating inter-cell process variation inaccuracy* Cited by examinerClassifications U.S. Classification356/401, 422/30, 356/400, 422/22International ClassificationH01L23/544, H01L21/027, G03F7/20, G03F9/00, G01B11/00Cooperative ClassificationG01N21/9501, G01B11/26, G03F7/70633, H01L2223/54453, H01L23/544, H01L22/12, H01L2924/0002, G01B11/14European ClassificationG03F7/70L10D, H01L22/12, H01L23/544Legal EventsDateCodeEventDescriptionMar 14, 2013FPAYFee paymentYear of fee payment: 4RotateOriginal ImageGoogle Home - Sitemap - USPTO Bulk Downloads - Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - About Google Patents - Send FeedbackData provided by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services