Automated pattern fidelity measurement plan generation

• US 10,670,535 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2019
• Issued: 06/02/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KLA-Tencor Corporation
• Original Assignee: KLA-Tencor Corporation
• Inventors: Duffy, Brian, Gupta, Ajay, Ha, Thanh Huy
• Primary Examiner(s): Kholdebarin, Iman K
• Application Number:
  US16/296,132
• Publication Number:
  US 20190204237A1
• Time in Patent Office: 453 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/8883 involving the calculation of gauges, generating models
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/8851 Scan or image signal processing specially adapted therefor, e.g. for scan signal adjustment, for detecting different kinds of defects, for compensating for structures, markings, edges G01N21/8806 and G01N21/93 - G01N21/95692 take precedence; optical measurement of dimensions G01B11/00; optical scanning G02B26/10; image transformation G06T3/00; computerised image enhancement G06T5/00; image processing per se for flaw detection G06T7/0002
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/9501 Semiconductor wafers manufacturing processes per se of semiconductor devices implementing a measuring step H01L22/10
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/956 Inspecting patterns on the surface of objects contactless testing of electronic circuits G01R31/308; testing currency G07D; manufacturing processes per se of semiconductor devices implementing a measuring step H01L22/10
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/00 Investigating or analysing materials by the use of wave or particle radiation, e.g. X-rays or neutrons, not covered by groups G01N3/00 – G01N17/00, G01N21/00 or G01N22/00
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70625 Dimensions, e.g. line width, critical dimension [CD], profile, sidewall angle or edge roughness

Abstract

Methods and systems for determining parameter(s) of a metrology process to be performed on a specimen are provided. One system includes one or more computer subsystems configured for automatically generating regions of interest (ROIs) to be measured during a metrology process performed for the specimen with the measurement subsystem based on a design for the specimen. The computer subsystem(s) are also configured for automatically determining parameter(s) of measurement(s) performed in first and second subsets of the ROIs during the metrology process with the measurement subsystem based on portions of the design for the specimen located in the first and second subsets of the ROIs, respectively. The parameter(s) of the measurement(s) performed in the first subset are determined separately and independently of the parameter(s) of the measurement(s) performed in the second subset.

Claims

1. A system configured to determine one or more parameters of a metrology process to be performed on a specimen, comprising:

a measurement subsystem comprising at least an energy source and a detector, wherein the energy source is configured to generate energy that is directed to a specimen, and wherein the detector is configured to detect energy from the specimen and to generate output responsive to the detected energy; and

one or more computer subsystems configured for;

automatically generating regions of interest to be measured during a metrology process performed for the specimen with the measurement subsystem based on a design for the specimen;

automatically determining one or more parameters of one or more measurements performed in first and second subsets of the regions of interest during the metrology process with the measurement subsystem based on portions of the design for the specimen located in the first and second subsets of the regions of interest, respectively, wherein the one or more parameters of the one or more measurements performed in the first subset are determined separately and independently of the one or more parameters of the one or more measurements performed in the second subset;

automatically generating one or more attributes for multiple instances of the regions of interest in one of the first and second subsets based on results of the one or more measurements; and

comparing at least one of the one or more attributes for two or more of the multiple instances to identify outliers in the two or more of the multiple instances.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said automatically generating the regions of interest and said automatically determining are performed during setup of the metrology process.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said automatically generating the regions of interest and said automatically determining are performed on-the-fly during runtime of the metrology process.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said automatically generating the regions of interest comprises performing rules-based searching of the design during setup of the metrology process.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the design for the specimen used for said automatically generating the regions of interest and said automatically determining does not include features of the design that will not be printed on the specimen.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more computer subsystems comprise a computer subsystem of an electronic design automation tool.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more parameters automatically determined for the first subset of the regions of interest result in a first type of the one or more measurements performed in the first subset of the regions of interest, wherein the one or more parameters automatically determined for the second subset of the regions of interest result in a second type of the one or more measurements performed in the second subset of the regions of interest, and wherein the first and second types of the one or more measurements are different from each other.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more computer subsystems are further configured for determining locations on the specimen of the first and second subsets of the regions of interest during the metrology process by aligning the output of the detector to the design for the specimen.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more parameters of the one or more measurements comprise boundaries of one or more dimensions across which the one or more measurements are performed.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more measurements comprise automatically determining locations in the output generated by the detector during the one or more measurements of one or more edges of one or more structures formed on the specimen.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more computer subsystems are further configured for automatically generating one or more attributes for one of the first and second subsets of the regions of interest based on results of the one or more measurements.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more computer subsystems are further configured for automatically selecting one or more alignment sites in the design, and wherein the metrology process comprises determining one or more locations of at least one of the one or more alignment sites on the specimen during the metrology process and determining one or more locations of one or more of the regions of interest in the first and second subsets on the specimen based on the one or more locations of the at least one alignment site on the specimen.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the metrology process comprises determining if a defect is present in one of the regions of interest in the first and second subsets based on only the one or more measurements performed in the one region of interest.

14. The system of claim 1, Wherein said automatically generating the regions of interest comprises automatically generating the regions of interest to be measured during the metrology process based on the design and results of an inspection process performed on the specimen.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more measurements performed in one of the first and second subsets of the regions of interest comprise critical dimension measurements of one of the regions of interest relative to critical dimension measurements of others of the regions of interest.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more measurements performed in one of the first and second subsets of the regions of interest comprise overlay measurements of one of the regions of interest relative to overlay measurements of others of the regions of interest.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the specimen comprises a process window qualification wafer, and wherein said automatically generating the regions of interest comprises automatically generating the regions of interest to be measured during the metrology process based on the design and results of an inspection process performed on the specimen.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the metrology process is performed on the specimen during inline monitoring of a fabrication process performed on the specimen.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more computer subsystems are further configured for comparing the one or more measurements performed in one of the first and second subsets of the regions of interest to design intent for the one of the first and second subsets of the regions of interest and modifying an optical proximity correction model based on results of said comparing.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more computer subsystems are further configured for detecting defects in one of the first and second subsets of the regions of interest based on the one or more measurements and reporting the one or more measurements as defect attributes for the detected defects.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the specimen comprises a wafer.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the specimen comprises a reticle.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein the energy directed to the specimen comprises light, and wherein the energy detected from the specimen comprises light.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein the energy directed to the specimen comprises electrons, and wherein the energy detected from the specimen comprises electrons.

25. The system of claim 1, wherein energy directed to the specimen comprises ions.

26. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, storing program instructions executable on a computer system for performing a computer-implemented method for determining one or more parameters of a metrology process to be performed on a specimen, wherein the computer-implemented method comprises:

automatically generating regions of interest to be measured during a metrology process performed for a specimen with a measurement subsystem based on a design for the specimen, wherein the measurement subsystem comprises at least an energy source and a detector, wherein the energy source is configured to generate energy that is directed to the specimen, and wherein the detector is configured to detect energy from the specimen and to generate output responsive to the detected energy;

automatically determining one or more parameters of one or more measurements performed in first and second subsets of the regions of interest during the metrology process with the measurement subsystem based on portions of the design for the specimen located in the first and second subsets of the regions of interest, respectively, wherein the one or more parameters of the one or more measurements performed in the first subset are determined separately and independently of the one or more parameters of the one or more measurements performed in the second subset;

automatically generating one or more attributes for multiple instances of the regions of interest in one of the first and second subsets based on results of the one or more measurements; and

comparing at least one of the one or more attributes for two or more of the multiple instances to identify outliers in the two or more of the multiple instances.

27. A computer-implemented method for determining one or more parameters of a metrology process to be performed on a specimen, comprising:

automatically generating regions of interest to be measured during a metrology process performed for a specimen with a measurement subsystem based on a design for the specimen, Wherein the measurement subsystem comprises at least an energy source and a detector, wherein the energy source is configured to generate energy that is directed to the specimen, and Wherein the detector is configured to detect energy from the specimen and to generate output responsive to the detected energy;

automatically determining one or more parameters of one or more measurements performed in first and second subsets of the regions of interest during the metrology process with the measurement subsystem based on portions of the design for the specimen located in the first and second subsets of the regions of interest, respectively, wherein the one or more parameters of the one or more measurements performed in the first subset are determined separately and independently of the One or more parameters of the one or more measurements performed in the second subset, and wherein said automatically generating and said automatically determining are performed by one or more computer systems;

automatically generating One or more attributes for multiple instances of the regions of interest in one of the first and second subsets based on results of the one or more measurements; and

comparing at least one of the one or more attributes for two or more of the multiple instances to identify outliers in the two or more of the multiple instances.