Method of etch model calibration using optical scatterometry
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method of optimizing a process simulation model that predicts a result of a semiconductor device fabrication operation from process parameter values characterizing the semiconductor device fabrication operation, the method comprising:
- (a) receiving current values of one or more floated process model parameters to be optimized, wherein the one or more floated process model parameters comprise a reaction rate constant, a reactant and/or product sticking coefficient, a reactant diffusion constant, a product diffusion constant, an optical dispersion property, a vertical etch rate, a lateral etch rate, a nominal etch depth, an etch selectivity, a tilt angle of ion entry, a twist angle of ion entry, a visibility into a feature, an angular distribution, a sputter maximum yield angle, an etch ratio per crystal direction, or a combination of these;
(b) producing a configured process simulation model by providing to the process simulation model the current values of the one or more floated process model parameters and a set of fixed process model parameter value(s);
(c) generating, using the configured process simulation model, a computationally predicted result of the semiconductor device fabrication operation;
(d) comparing the computationally predicted result of the semiconductor device fabrication operation with a metrology result obtained from one or more substrate features produced, at least in part, by performing the semiconductor device fabrication operation in a reaction chamber operating under the set of fixed process parameter values, wherein the comparing produces one or more cost values based on a difference between the computationally predicted result of the semiconductor device fabrication operation and the metrology result;
(e) using the one or more cost values and/or a convergence check to generate an update of the current values of the one or more floated process model parameters;
(f) performing operation (b) with the update of the current values of the one or more floated process model parameters; and
(g) repeating (c)-(f) until the current values of the one or more floated process model parameters converge to produce final values of the one or more floated process model parameters that minimize the cost values.
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Abstract
Computer-implemented methods of optimizing a process simulation model that predicts a result of a semiconductor device fabrication operation to process parameter values characterizing the semiconductor device fabrication operation are disclosed. The methods involve generating cost values using a computationally predicted result of the semiconductor device fabrication operation and a metrology result produced, at least in part, by performing the semiconductor device fabrication operation in a reaction chamber operating under a set of fixed process parameter values. The determination of the parameters of the process simulation model may employ pre-process profiles, via optimization of the resultant post-process profiles of the parameters against profile metrology results. Cost values for, e.g., optical scatterometry, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy may be used to guide optimization.
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Citations
34 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method of optimizing a process simulation model that predicts a result of a semiconductor device fabrication operation from process parameter values characterizing the semiconductor device fabrication operation, the method comprising:
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(a) receiving current values of one or more floated process model parameters to be optimized, wherein the one or more floated process model parameters comprise a reaction rate constant, a reactant and/or product sticking coefficient, a reactant diffusion constant, a product diffusion constant, an optical dispersion property, a vertical etch rate, a lateral etch rate, a nominal etch depth, an etch selectivity, a tilt angle of ion entry, a twist angle of ion entry, a visibility into a feature, an angular distribution, a sputter maximum yield angle, an etch ratio per crystal direction, or a combination of these; (b) producing a configured process simulation model by providing to the process simulation model the current values of the one or more floated process model parameters and a set of fixed process model parameter value(s); (c) generating, using the configured process simulation model, a computationally predicted result of the semiconductor device fabrication operation; (d) comparing the computationally predicted result of the semiconductor device fabrication operation with a metrology result obtained from one or more substrate features produced, at least in part, by performing the semiconductor device fabrication operation in a reaction chamber operating under the set of fixed process parameter values, wherein the comparing produces one or more cost values based on a difference between the computationally predicted result of the semiconductor device fabrication operation and the metrology result; (e) using the one or more cost values and/or a convergence check to generate an update of the current values of the one or more floated process model parameters; (f) performing operation (b) with the update of the current values of the one or more floated process model parameters; and (g) repeating (c)-(f) until the current values of the one or more floated process model parameters converge to produce final values of the one or more floated process model parameters that minimize the cost values. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium on which is provided instructions for causing a computational system to execute an optimized process simulation model that calculates a result of a semiconductor device fabrication operation from process parameter values characterizing the semiconductor device fabrication operation, wherein the instructions comprise instructions for:
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(a) receiving process parameter values as inputs to the optimized process simulation model; (b) executing the optimized process simulation model using the process parameter values, wherein the optimized process simulation model was optimized by; (i) receiving current values of one or more floated process model parameters to be optimized, wherein the one or more floated process model parameters comprise a reaction rate constant, a reactant and/or product sticking coefficient, a reactant diffusion constant, a product diffusion constant, an optical dispersion property, a vertical etch rate, a lateral etch rate, a nominal etch depth, an etch selectivity, a tilt angle of ion entry, a twist angle of ion entry, a visibility into a feature, an angular distribution, a sputter maximum yield angle, an etch ratio per crystal direction, or a combination of these, (ii) producing a configured process simulation model by providing to the process simulation model the current values of the one or more floated process model parameters and a set of fixed process model parameter value(s), (iii) generating, using the configured process simulation model, a computationally predicted result of the semiconductor device fabrication operation, (iv) comparing the computationally predicted result of the semiconductor device fabrication operation with a metrology result obtained from one or more substrate features produced, at least in part, by performing the semiconductor device fabrication operation in a reaction chamber operating under the set of fixed process parameter values, wherein the comparing produces one or more cost values based on a difference between the computationally predicted result of the semiconductor device fabrication operation and the metrology result, (v) using the one or more cost values and/or a convergence check to generate an update of the current values of the one or more floated process model parameters, (vi) performing operation (ii) with the update of the current values of the one or more floated process model parameters, and (vii) repeating (iii)-(vi) until the current values of the one or more floated process model parameters converge to produce final values of the one or more floated process model parameters that minimize the cost values; and (c) outputting a calculated result of the semiconductor device fabrication operation. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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Specification