Pattern recognition with edge correction for design based metrology

• US 8,429,570 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2010
• Issued: 04/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GlobalFoundries, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bailey, Todd C., Fischer, Daniel S., Shao, Dongbing
• Primary Examiner(s): Do, Thuan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Alam, Mohammed
• Application Number:
  US12/914,154
• Publication Number:
  US 20120110522A1
• Time in Patent Office: 908 Days
• Field of Search: 716 51- 55
• US Class Current: 716/53
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70508 Data handling in all parts of the microlithographic apparatus, e.g. handling pattern data for addressable masks or data transfer to or from different components within the exposure apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70625 Dimensions, e.g. line width, critical dimension [CD], profile, sidewall angle or edge roughness
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2119/18 Manufacturability analysis or optimisation for manufacturability
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/398 Design verification or optimisation, e.g. using design rule check [DRC], layout versus schematics [LVS] or finite element methods [FEM] optical proximity correction [OPC] design processes G03F1/36
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments include a method for edge correction in pattern recognition, the method including receiving a design layout, receiving a sample plan based on the design layout, receiving user-generated edge input and generating a recipe output from the design layout, the sample plan and the user-generated edge input. The incorporation of the edge input results in SEM recipes that are much more successful in recognizing patterns that have tendency to deviate in appearance from design by, for example, moderate to severe sidewall angle.

Claims

1. A method for edge correction in pattern recognition for critical dimension scanning electron microscopy, the method comprising:

receiving in a processor a design layout, which includes a plurality of devices having a plurality of edges;

receiving in a processor a sample plan based on the design layout;

receiving in a processor user-generated edge input, which includes a plurality of secondary lines that are placed adjacent the plurality of edges to mimic wider edges present in a plurality of actual devices, the plurality of secondary lines generated via an offset table defining two extremes of line density of each of the plurality of edges, the two extremes being isolated and dense;

interpolating, in the processor, the two extremes to determine offsets for an intermediate density of lines for each of the plurality of edges; and

generating in a processor a recipe output from the design layout, the sample plan and the user-generated edge input.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising generating a design based metrology (DBM) profile.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 wherein the design layout and the sample plan are input into the DBM profile to generate lines for pattern recognition (PR).

4. The method as claimed in claim 3 wherein the user-generated edge input modifies the lines for PR.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the recipe output is a computer aided design (CAD) file.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5 wherein the recipe output is generated for a scanning electron microscope.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6 wherein actual device edges measured from the SEM are compared to lines in the design layout.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7 wherein the lines in the design layout are modified from the user-generated edge input.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8 wherein the user-generated edge input is generated based on at least one of a pitch and density of edges in the design layout.

10. A computer program product for providing edge correction for pattern recognition for critical dimension scanning electron microscopy, the computer program product including a non-transitory computer readable medium instructions for causing a computer to implement a method, the method comprising:

receiving in a processor a design layout, which includes a plurality of devices having a plurality of edges;

receiving in a processor a sample plan based on the design layout;

receiving in a processor user-generated edge input, which includes a plurality of secondary lines that are placed adjacent the plurality of edges to mimic wider edges present in a plurality of actual devices, the plurality of secondary lines generated via an offset table defining two extremes of line density of each of the plurality of edges, the two extremes being isolated and dense;

interpolating, in the processor, the two extremes to determine offsets for an intermediate density of lines for each of the plurality of edges; and

generating in a processor a recipe output from the design layout, the sample plan and the user-generated edge input.

11. The computer program product as claimed in claim 10 further comprising generating a design based metrology (DBM) profile.

12. The computer program product as claimed in claim 11 wherein the design layout and the sample plan are input into the DBM profile to generate lines for pattern recognition (PR).

13. The computer program product as claimed in claim 12 wherein the user-generated edge input modifies the lines for PR.

14. The computer program product as claimed in claim 10 wherein the recipe output is a computer aided design (CAD) file.

15. The computer program product as claimed in claim 14 wherein the recipe output is generated for a scanning electron microscopy PR for an actual wafer.

16. The computer program product as claimed in claim 15 wherein actual device edges measured from the SEM are compared to lines in the design layout.

17. The computer program product as claimed in claim 16 wherein the lines in the design layout are modified from the user-generated edge input.

18. The computer program product as claimed in claim 17 wherein the user-generated edge input is generated based on at least one of a pitch and density of edges in the design layout.

19. A system for edge correction in pattern recognition for critical dimension scanning electron microscopy, the system comprising:

a processor configured to;

receive a design layout, which includes a plurality of devices having a plurality of edges;

receive a sample plan based on the design layout;

receive a user-generated edge input, which includes a plurality of secondary lines that are placed adjacent the plurality of edges to mimic wider edges present in a plurality of actual devices, the plurality of secondary lines generated via an offset table defining two extremes of line density of each of the plurality of edges, the two extremes being isolated and dense;

interpolate the two extremes to determine offsets for an intermediate density of lines for each of the plurality of edges; and

generate a recipe output from the design layout, the sample plan and the user-generated edge input.

20. The system as claimed in claim 19 wherein the processor is further configured to generate a design based metrology (DBM) profile.

21. The system as claimed in claim 20 wherein the design layout and the sample plan are input into the DBM profile to generate lines for pattern recognition (PR).

22. The system as claimed in claim 21 wherein the user-generated edge input modifies the lines for PR.

23. The system as claimed in claim 19 wherein the recipe output is generated for a scanning electron microscope.

24. The system as claimed in claim 23 wherein actual device edges measured from the SEM are compared to lines in the design layout.

25. The system as claimed in claim 24 wherein the lines in the design layout are modified from the user-generated edge input, which is based on at least one of a pitch and density of edges in the design layout.