Defect detection difficulties post TEOS (oxide) deposition

Mouli Vaidyanathan

doi:10.1117/12.350864

14 June 1999 Defect detection difficulties post TEOS (oxide) deposition

Mouli Vaidyanathan

Proceedings Volume 3677, Metrology, Inspection, and Process Control for Microlithography XIII; (1999) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.350864
Event: Microlithography '99, 1999, Santa Clara, CA, United States

Abstract

Microscopy has ben well understood as to its theory, advantages and limitations. Applications of microscopy to enable better sample characterization are in continued improvement. Of particular interest to defect characterization engineers is the application of microscopy techniques in the detection of defects during semiconductor wafer processing. The shrinking of feature sizes poses new challenges to yield enhancement engineers who are constantly in the look out for better and faster defect detection. The shrinking of feature sizes causes smaller photolithography margins, thereby making critical the planarization step and the film thickness uniformity across the wafer. In this paper the difficulty in detecting defects after the deposition of TEOS film which is transparent to visible light is discussed. This difficulty would extend to most ILD levels. SOme alternatives to the defect detection are also discussed with particular reference to Nomarski Differential Interference Contrast Imaging. Defects, which have different refractive index than the bulk oxide but are transparent to visible light can cause a decrease in reliability. Present day bright field inspection tools do not easily detect defects such as these. Reliability and parasitic capacitance have become important tools do not easily detect defects such as these. Reliability and parasitic capacitance have become important as lower power consumption is targeted. Detecting these defects which have different refractive indices and characterizing the source could lead to lower parasitic capacitance and higher reliability. Discussion as to the detection of different refractive index materials embedded within the oxide layer will be discussed in this paper.

Citation Download Citation

Mouli Vaidyanathan "Defect detection difficulties post TEOS (oxide) deposition", Proc. SPIE 3677, Metrology, Inspection, and Process Control for Microlithography XIII, (14 June 1999); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.350864

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KEYWORDS

Oxides

Defect detection

Digital image correlation

Inspection

Particles

Microscopy

Semiconducting wafers

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