Feasibility Study for High Energy SEM-Based Reference Measurement System for Litho Metrology

ISMI metrology in collaboration with the University of Tennessee and Oak Ridge National Laboratory has begun investigating applications of high‐energy scanning electron microscope metrology to a semiconductor environment. The initial findings show potential for overlay metrology, non‐visible defect detection and an expanded definition of line edge roughness measurements. While this is a preliminary experiment to estimate the efficacy of high‐energy scanning electron microscopes for overlay metrology, the initial conclusion is that, at a minimum, a high‐energy scanning electron microscope has good potential as a reference measurement system for overlay, defect, and line edge roughness diagnostics.