Challenges of long-term process stability and solutions for better control

Jinphil Choi; Nakgeuon Seong; Sangho Lee; Youngseog Kang

doi:10.1117/12.815414

23 March 2009 Challenges of long-term process stability and solutions for better control

Jinphil Choi, Nakgeuon Seong, Sangho Lee, Youngseog Kang

Proceedings Volume 7272, Metrology, Inspection, and Process Control for Microlithography XXIII; 727234 (2009) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.815414
Event: SPIE Advanced Lithography, 2009, San Jose, California, United States

Abstract

Maintaining the stability of all litho process parameters over time is crucial to ensuring consistent litho process yield throughout the product lifetime. The sensitivity of litho process performance to variations in litho process parameters is getting higher as processes use lower k1 and resist dimensions get smaller. The dependence of litho cell yield on a laser parameter change was investigated through simulations of memory patterns for various k1 and process layers by varying bandwidth control level of laser. The sensitivity of litho yield to laser bandwidth became higher when lower k1 imaging was used. Different bandwidth control requirements were determined based on the difference in CD control requirement of each layer as well as the difference in process window of the layout. Overall, tighter bandwidth control was required as pattern size and k1 became smaller. Significant improvements in long term process stability were achieved after implementation of low bandwidth variation operation at a production fab. Cymer's latest bandwidth control technology fulfills bandwidth control requirement for the simulated 43nm DRAM case, which has 0.31 k1 with 1.35NA ArF immersion lithography

Citation Download Citation

Jinphil Choi, Nakgeuon Seong, Sangho Lee, and Youngseog Kang "Challenges of long-term process stability and solutions for better control", Proc. SPIE 7272, Metrology, Inspection, and Process Control for Microlithography XXIII, 727234 (23 March 2009); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.815414

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KEYWORDS

Critical dimension metrology

SRAF

Photoresist processing

Process control

Semiconducting wafers

Beam controllers

Imaging systems

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