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Displaying 51 - 60 of 60

Koehler Illumination for High-Resolution Optical Metrology

March 1, 2006
Author(s)
Martin Y. Sohn, Bryan M. Barnes, Lowell P. Howard, Richard M. Silver, Ravikiran Attota, Michael T. Stocker
Accurate preparation of illumination is critical for high-resolution optical metrology applications such as line width and overlay measurements. To improve the detailed evaluation and alignment of the illumination optics, we have separated Koehler

The Limits of Image-Based Optical Metrology

March 1, 2006
Author(s)
Richard M. Silver, Bryan M. Barnes, Ravikiran Attota, Jay S. Jun, James J. Filliben, Juan Soto, Michael T. Stocker, P Lipscomb, Egon Marx, Heather J. Patrick, Ronald G. Dixson, Robert D. Larrabee
An overview of the challenges encountered in imaging device-sized features using optical techniques recently developed in our laboratories is presented in this paper. We have developed a set of techniques we refer to as scatterfield microscopy which allows

High-resolution Optical Metrology

May 1, 2005
Author(s)
Richard M. Silver, Ravikiran Attota, Michael T. Stocker, M R. Bishop, Lowell P. Howard, Thomas A. Germer, Egon Marx, M P. Davidson, Robert D. Larrabee
Recent advances in optical imaging techniques have unveiled new possibilities for optical metrology and optical-based process control measurements of features in the 65 nm node and beyond. In this paper we discuss methods and applications that combine

Evaluation of New In-Chip and Arrayed Line Overlay Target Designs

May 24, 2004
Author(s)
M P. Davidson, M R. Bishop, Robert D. Larrabee, Michael T. Stocker, Jay S. Jun, Egon Marx, Richard M. Silver, Ravikiran Attota
Two types of overlay targets have been designed and evaluated for the study of optical overlay metrology. They are in-chip and arrayed overlay targets. In-chip targets are three-bar two-level targets designed to be placed in or near the active device area

Evaluation of New In-Chip and Arrayed Line Overlay

May 1, 2004
Author(s)
Ravikiran Attota, Richard M. Silver, M R. Bishop, Egon Marx, Jay S. Jun, Michael T. Stocker, M P. Davidson, Robert D. Larrabee
Two types of overlay targets have been designed and evaluated for the study of optical overlay metrology. They are in-chip and arrayed overlay targets. In-chip targets are three-bar two-level targets designed to be placed in or near the active device area

High-Resolution Optical Overlay Metrology

May 1, 2004
Author(s)
Richard M. Silver, Ravikiran Attota, M R. Bishop, Jay S. Jun, Egon Marx, M P. Davidson, Robert D. Larrabee
Optical methods are often thought to lose their effectiveness as a metrology tool beyond the Rayleigh criterion. However, using advanced modeling methods, the conventional resolution limitations encountered in well-defined edge-to-edge measurements using

Calibration Strategies for Overlay and Registration Metrology

May 1, 2003
Author(s)
Richard M. Silver, Michael T. Stocker, Ravikiran Attota, M R. Bishop, Jay S. Jun, Egon Marx, M P. Davidson, Robert D. Larrabee
Critical dimensions in current and next generation devices are driving the need for tighter overlay registration tolerances and improved overlay metrology tool accuracy and repeatability. Tool matching, performance evaluation, model-based metrology, and a

New Method to Enhance Overlay Tool Performance

May 1, 2003
Author(s)
Ravikiran Attota, Richard M. Silver, Michael T. Stocker, Egon Marx, Jay S. Jun, M P. Davidson, Robert D. Larrabee
New methods to enhance and improve algorithm performance and data analysis are being developed at NIST for overlay measurement applications. Both experimental data and improved theoretical optical scattering models have been used for the study. We have

Comparison of Measured Optical Image Profiles of Silicon Lines with Two Different Theoretical Models

July 1, 2002
Author(s)
Richard M. Silver, Ravikiran Attota, Michael T. Stocker, Jay S. Jun, Egon Marx, Robert D. Larrabee, B Russo, M P. Davidson
In this paper we describe a new method for the separation of too-induced measurement errors and sample-induced measurement errors. We apply the method to standard overlay target configurations. This method is used to separate the effects of the tool and