Mr. Eran Valfer Profile

Eran Valfer

at Applied Materials

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Author

Publications (2)

Proceedings Article | 3 April 2008 Paper

Production aspects of 45nm immersion lithography defect monitoring using laser DUV inspection methodology

Remo Kirsch, Antje Martin, Uzodinma Okoroanyanwu, Wolfram Grundke, Ute Vogler, Mirko Beyer, Eran Valfer, Susan Weiher-Tellford, Renana Perlovitch, Nurit Racah, Peter Vanoppen, Richard Moerman

Proceedings Volume 6922, 692204 (2008) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.777371

KEYWORDS: Inspection, Semiconducting wafers, Particles, Deep ultraviolet, Immersion lithography, Contamination, Lithography, Wafer inspection, Optical spheres, Defect inspection

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Immersion lithography addresses the limits of optical lithography by providing higher NA's (NA > 1), which enable imaging of smaller features and hence it enables production of 45nm logic devices. One of the key challenges of this advanced technology, however, is controlling the defectivity level produced specifically by the Lithography immersion stepper and track systems. To control and monitor the immersion processes in production, consideration has been given to identifying an alternative to the traditional sensitivity approaches, using Darkfield (DF) and Brightfield (BF) wafer inspection methodologies. This unique method should provide for stable, reliable and sensitive inspection results which are capable of supporting a technology node introduction (product ramp) as well as monitoring the base line performance (in other words, capture excursions). The following study was done to explore laser DUV Brightfield inspection, utilizing the Applied Materials UVision^TM, which has the ability to detect defects as small as 20-40nm size. Additionally a joint project between AMD, ASML and AMAT developed an appropriate inspection strategy that combines, lithographic defect printing simulations and sensitive inspection routines to identify defect problems effectively, drive defect reduction efforts and result in stable production monitoring. We investigated the use of traditional Photo Test Monitor (PTM) as a valid technique to monitor the introduction of the immersion lithography at 45nm. In addition, we explored the correlation between these PTM wafers and the actual production wafers for new types of defects. It was found that the amount of small protrusion defects (~20-40nm size) increased on immersion PTM wafers compared to dry processed PTM wafers. Based on process experiments at AMD and immersion defect simulations provided by ASML we were able to isolate immersion specific defect problems from general lithography related defects also seen in Dry lithography. The results show that unique combination of high sensitivity defect inspection methods and simulation efforts can very effectively drive defect reduction efforts and accelerate yield on advanced technology like immersion lithography. Additionally, it is also possible to provide a production monitoring of 45nm immersion processes with such extreme sensitive inspection of PTM wafers of defects down to 20nm.

Proceedings Article | 5 April 2007 Paper

Immersion-induced defect SEM-based library for fast baseline improvement and excursion

Ilan Englard, Raf Stegen, Erik Van Brederode, Peter Vanoppen, Ingrid Minnaert-Janssen, Frank Duray, Ted der Kinderen, Gazi Tanriseven, Inge Lamers, Mireia Blanco Mantecon, Lior Levin, Eitan Binyamini, Nurit Raccah, Shalev Dror, Eran Valfer, Ofer Rotlevi, Robert Schreutelkamp, Rich Piech

Proceedings Volume 6518, 65182G (2007) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.713466

KEYWORDS: Particles, Inspection, Scanning electron microscopy, Immersion lithography, Bridges, Library classification systems, Printing, Molecular bridges, Semiconducting wafers, Signal attenuation

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