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Nanoelectronics Dimensional Metrology: Understanding the Differences between Secondary and Backscattered Electron Imaging

Published

Author(s)

Michael T. Postek, Andras E. Vladar, John S. Villarrubia

Abstract

In many fields of research and production, a great deal of dimensional metrology, characterization and process control is accomplished using scanning electron microscopes (SEM). The accuracy of these SEM measurements has always been important, but is often overshadowed by two other main measurement drivers: throughput and precision. It is slow and often tedious to achieve high degree of accuracy and, so it is often ignored, especially in production where measurements must be made very quickly. However, the accuracy of a measurement is becoming more important as the frontiers of nanoelectronics are being explored, and sub-10 nm semiconductor device structures are routinely produced. Hence, the metrology error budget has shrunk, and has become truly atomic scale. This presentation will discuss new measurement, signal collection and modeling methods applied to sub-10 nm metrology being pursued for all types of semiconductor nanostructures, nanomaterials and nano-enabled materials to ultimately achieve the needed accurate measurements.
Proceedings Title
Frontiers of Characterization and Metrology for Nanoelectronics 2017
Conference Dates
March 21-30, 2017
Conference Location
Monterey, CA, US
Conference Title
2017 International Conference on Frontiers of Characterization and Metrology for Nanoelectronics

Keywords

scanning electron microscope, SEM, JMONSEL, modeling, metrology, secondary electron, backscattered electron, low-loss electron

Citation

Postek, M. , Vladar, A. and Villarrubia, J. (2017), Nanoelectronics Dimensional Metrology: Understanding the Differences between Secondary and Backscattered Electron Imaging, Frontiers of Characterization and Metrology for Nanoelectronics 2017, Monterey, CA, US, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=923292 (Accessed April 19, 2024)
Created March 20, 2017, Updated April 7, 2022