Measurement of overlay offset in semiconductor processing

• US 7,858,404 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2007
• Issued: 12/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Ke, Chih-Ming, Gau, Tsai-Sheng, Huang, Te-Chih
• Primary Examiner(s): Garber; Charles D
• Assistant Examiner(s): SENE, PAPE A
• Application Number:
  US11/686,078
• Publication Number:
  US 20080227228A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,385 Days
• Field of Search: 438/14
• US Class Current: 438/16
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70633 Overlay, i.e. relative alignment between patterns printed by separate exposures in different layers, or in the same layer in multiple exposures or stitching
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 22/12 for structural parameters, e.g. thickness, line width, refractive index, temperature, warp, bond strength, defects, optical inspection, electrical measurement of structural dimensions, metallurgic measurement of diffusions electrical measurement of diffusions H01L22/14

Abstract

A method of semiconductor manufacturing including forming an overlay offset measurement target including a first feature on a first layer and a second feature on a second layer. The first feature and the second feature have a first predetermined overlay offset. The target is irradiated. The reflectivity of the irradiated target is determined. An overlay offset for the first layer and the second layer is calculated using the determined reflectivity.

Claims

1. A method of semiconductor manufacturing, comprising:

forming an overlay offset measurement target including a first feature and a third feature located on a first layer and a second feature and a fourth feature located on a second layer, wherein the first feature and the second feature have a first predetermined overlay offset and the third feature and the fourth feature have a second predetermined overlay offset, different than the first predetermined overlay offset;

irradiating the target with a radiation beam having a single wavelength;

determining a first reflectivity measurement associated with the first and second feature at the single wavelength;

determining a second reflectivity measurement associated with the third and fourth feature at the single wavelength;

generating a reflectivity profile which has a first axis including reflectivity at the single wavelength and a second axis including predetermined overlay offset, wherein the generating the reflectivity profile includes;

plotting the first reflectivity measurement;

generating a first line fitted to the plotted first reflectivity measurement;

plotting the second reflectivity measurement; and

generating a second line fitted to the plotted second reflectivity measurement; and

calculating an overlay offset for the first layer and the second layer by determining a value on the second axis where the first line and the second line intersect, wherein the value provides a predetermined overlay offset that corresponds to an actual overlay offset of zero.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using the calculated overlay offset in determining whether to rework a wafer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first predetermined overlay offset is between approximately 4 nanometers and 40 nanometers.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the target further includes a fifth feature located on the first layer and a sixth feature located on the second layer, wherein the fifth feature and the sixth feature have a third predetermined overlay offset and wherein the generating a reflectivity profile further includes plotting a third reflectivity measurement associated with the fifth and sixth feature and the generating the first line includes fitting the first line to the plotted third reflectivity measurement.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second predetermined overlay offset is different in value and in direction than the first predetermined overlay offset.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating an overlay offset includes determining a predetermined overlay offset that provides an actual overlay offset of approximately zero.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the determining a predetermined overlay offset that provides an actual overlay offset of approximately zero includes determining a predetermined overlay offset that provides for greatest reflectivity.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the forming the overlay offset measurement target includes forming the first feature, second feature, third feature, and fourth feature of photoresist.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a process overlay offset using the determined intersection between the first line and the second line.