Improving Inspectability with KLA-Tencor TeraScan Thin Line De-sense

摘要

In the ever-changing semi-conductor industry, new innovations and technical advances constantly bring new challenges to fabs, mask-shops and vendors. One of such advances is an aggressive optical proximity correction (OPC) method, sub-resolution assist features (SRAF). On one hand, SRAFs bring a leap forward in resolution improvement during wafer printing; on the other hand they bring new challenges to many processes in mask making. KLA-Tencor Corp. working together with Samsung Electronics Co developed an additional function to the current HiRes 1 detector to increase inspectability and usable sensitivity during the inspection step of the mask making process. SRAFs bring an unique challenge to the mask inspection process, which mask shops had not experienced before. SRAF by nature do not resolve on wafer and thus have a higher tolerance in the CD (critical dimension) uniformity, edge roughness and pattern defects.