Effect of operating points in submicron CD measurements

摘要

A new measuring method was developed to optimize the submicron CD measurements with a conventional optical microscope system. An optimum combination of the inspection system optical parameters is used to accurately and precisely measure each feature of interest. Such combinations are considered to define the 'operating points' for the new measuring method. Also, the slope of the logarithm of the image intensity profile was determined to be an appropriate metric of aerial image quality in order to predict the operating points number and their placement. This paper discusses the experimental results obtained in measuring 0.75 $mu@m isolated spaces with the proposed method and the construction of the operating points for this feature, with the measured linewidth data.