Patent ID: 7094613

Claim:
A method for controlling accuracy and repeatability of an etch process, comprising: (a) providing a batch of substrates, each substrate having a patterned mask formed on a film stack comprising at least one material layer; (b) measuring dimensions of elements of the patterned mask on at least one substrate of the batch of substrates; (c) trimming the patterned mask on the at least one substrate using a process recipe based on the measurements performed at step (b), then; (d) etching the at least one material layer on the at least one substrate; (e) measuring a thickness of post-etch residue and at least one of compacting or removing at least a portion of the post-etch residue formed on sidewalls of the etched structures based on the thickness of the post-etch residue; (f) measuring dimensions of etched structures formed on the at least one substrate during step (d); and (g) adjusting the process recipe of step (c) or/and the process recipe of step (d); based on the measurements performed at step (f).