Focus measurements using scatterometry metrology

• US 9,934,353 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2015
• Issued: 04/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KLA-Tencor Corporation (KLA Corporation)
• Original Assignee: KLA-Tencor Corporation (KLA Corporation)
• Inventors: El Kodadi, Mohamed, Amir, Nuriel, Volkovich, Roie, Levinski, Vladimir, Feler, Yoel, Kandel, Daniel, Gutman, Nadav, Pandev, Stilian, Sanko, Dzimtry
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Eric
• Application Number:
  US14/974,732
• Publication Number:
  US 20160103946A1
• Time in Patent Office: 837 Days
• Field of Search: 716 54
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/4785 Standardising light scatter apparatus; Standards therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70641 Focus
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70683 Mark designs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/392 Floor-planning or layout, e.g. partitioning or placement
• 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

Abstract

Target designs and methods are provided, which relate to periodic structures having elements recurring with a first pitch in a first direction. The elements are periodic with a second pitch along a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction and are characterized in the second direction by alternating, focus-sensitive and focus-insensitive patterns with the second pitch. In the produced targets, the first pitch may be about the device pitch and the second pitch may be several times larger. The first, focus-insensitive pattern may be produced to yield a first critical dimension and the second, focus-sensitive pattern may be produced to yield a second critical dimension that may be equal to the first critical dimension only when specified focus requirements are satisfied, or provide scatterometry measurements of zeroth as well as first diffraction orders, based on the longer pitch along the perpendicular direction.

Claims

1. A target design comprising:

a plurality of structures including a plurality of elements, wherein the plurality of structures are arranged based on a first pitch in a first direction along a first axis, wherein the plurality of elements are arranged based on a second pitch in a second direction along a second axis substantially perpendicular to the first axis,

wherein the plurality of elements includes a plurality of focus-insensitive elements arranged in a focus-insensitive pattern, wherein the second pitch includes a spatial distance between adjacent focus-insensitive elements of the plurality of focus-insensitive elements,

wherein the plurality of elements includes a plurality of focus-sensitive elements arranged in a focus-sensitive pattern, wherein a set of the plurality of focus-sensitive elements is positioned between adjacent focus-insensitive elements of the plurality of focus-insensitive elements,

wherein the set of the plurality of focus-sensitive elements positioned between adjacent focus-insensitive elements of the plurality of focus-insensitive elements are arranged based on a third pitch, wherein the third pitch includes a spatial distance smaller than the spatial distance of the second pitch.

2. The target design of claim 1, wherein the focus-insensitive pattern includes a first critical dimension for the plurality of focus-insensitive elements, wherein the focus-sensitive pattern includes a second critical dimension for the plurality of focus-sensitive elements.

3. The target design of claim 2, wherein the second critical dimension is ½

-1 times the first critical dimension.

4. The target design of claim 2, wherein the second critical dimension is not substantially similar to the first critical dimension if a selected set of focus requirements are not met.

5. The target design of claim 2, wherein the second critical dimension is substantially similar to the first critical dimension if a selected set of focus requirements are met.

6. The target design of claim 1, wherein the first pitch is substantially similar to a selected product pitch.

7. The target design of claim 1, wherein the second pitch is 4-6 times the first pitch.

8. The target design of claim 1, wherein the second pitch is larger than an illumination wavelength used by a lithography tool, wherein the third pitch is smaller than the illumination wavelength used by the lithography tool.

9. The target design of claim 1, wherein the target design is measured via scatterometry, wherein measuring the first pitch of the target design yields a zeroth-order diffraction signal, wherein measuring the second pitch of the target design yields at least one of a zeroth-order diffraction signal, a positive-first-order diffraction signal, or a negative first-order diffraction signal.

10. The target design of claim 1, wherein the plurality of focus-sensitive elements include one or more horizontal focus-sensitive elements with a long center axis substantially parallel to the first axis.

11. The target design of claim 1, wherein the plurality of focus-sensitive elements include one or more vertical focus-sensitive elements with a long center axis substantially parallel to the second axis.

12. The target design of claim 1, wherein the plurality of focus-sensitive elements include one or more horizontal focus-sensitive elements with a long center axis substantially parallel to the first axis and one or more vertical focus-sensitive elements with a long center axis substantially parallel to the second axis.

13. A method comprising:

generating a target design, wherein the target design includes a plurality of structures including a plurality of elements, wherein the plurality of structures are arranged based on a first pitch in a first direction along a first axis, wherein the plurality of elements are arranged based on a second pitch in a second direction along a second axis substantially perpendicular to the first axis,

wherein the plurality of elements includes a plurality of focus-insensitive elements arranged in a focus-insensitive pattern, wherein the second pitch includes a spatial distance between adjacent focus-insensitive elements of the plurality of focus-insensitive elements,

wherein the plurality of elements includes a plurality of focus-sensitive elements arranged in a focus-sensitive pattern, wherein a set of the plurality of focus-sensitive elements is positioned between adjacent focus-insensitive elements of the plurality of focus-insensitive elements,

wherein the set of the plurality of focus-sensitive elements positioned between adjacent focus-insensitive elements of the plurality of focus-insensitive elements are arranged based on a third pitch, wherein the third pitch includes a spatial distance smaller than the spatial distance of the second pitch; and

verifying a focus of a lithography tool by measuring the focus-sensitive pattern.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the focus-insensitive pattern includes a first critical dimension for the plurality of focus-insensitive elements, wherein the focus-sensitive pattern includes a second critical dimension for the plurality of focus-sensitive elements.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the second pitch is 4-6 times the first pitch, wherein the second critical dimension is ½

-1 times the first critical dimension.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the target design is measured via scatterometry, wherein measuring the first pitch of the target design yields a zeroth-order diffraction signal, wherein measuring the second pitch of the target design yields at least one of a zeroth-order diffraction signal, a positive-first-order diffraction signal, or a negative first-order diffraction signal.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising

fabricating a focus and exposure matrix (FEM) wafer from the generated target design, wherein the FEM wafer includes at least one of a selected critical dimension or pitch.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

deriving a focus parameter from a comparison of a measured target signal with a plurality of signals measured from the FEM wafer.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

deriving a model from one or more scatterometry measurements of a plurality of target designs, wherein the plurality of target designs include at least one of one or more different critical dimensions or one or more different pitches.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

deriving a focus parameter from a measured target signal according to the derived model.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the second pitch is larger than an illumination wavelength used by a lithography tool, wherein the third pitch is smaller than the illumination wavelength used by the lithography tool.

22. A target design comprising:

a plurality of structures including a plurality of elements, wherein the plurality of structures are arranged based on a first pitch and a second pitch in a first direction along a first axis, wherein the plurality of elements are arranged based on a third pitch in a second direction along a second axis substantially perpendicular to the first axis,

wherein the first pitch includes a spatial distance between adjacent structures of the plurality of structures, wherein the second pitch includes a spatial distance between non-adjacent structures of the plurality of structures, wherein the second pitch is larger than the first pitch,

wherein the plurality of elements includes a plurality of focus-insensitive elements arranged in a focus-insensitive pattern, wherein the third pitch includes a spatial distance between adjacent focus-insensitive elements of the plurality of focus-insensitive elements,

wherein the plurality of elements includes a plurality of focus-sensitive elements arranged in a focus-sensitive pattern, wherein a set of the plurality of focus-sensitive elements is positioned between adjacent focus-insensitive elements of the plurality of focus-insensitive elements,

wherein the set of the plurality of focus-sensitive elements positioned between adjacent focus-insensitive elements of the plurality of focus-insensitive elements are arranged based on a fourth pitch, wherein the fourth pitch includes a spatial distance smaller than the spatial distance of the third pitch.