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Title: Metrology needs for the semiconductor industry over the next decade

Journal Article · · AIP Conference Proceedings
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.56823· OSTI ID:21202309
;  [1]
  1. SEMATECH 2706 Montopolis Drive Austin, Texas 78741 (United States)

Metrology will continue to be a key enabler for the development and manufacture of future generations of integrated circuits. During 1997, the Semiconductor Industry Association renewed the National Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (NTRS) through the 50 nm technology generation and for the first time included a Metrology Roadmap (1). Meeting the needs described in the Metrology Roadmap will be both a technological and financial challenge. In an ideal world, metrology capability would be available at the start of process and tool development, and silicon suppliers would have 450 mm wafer capable metrology tools in time for development of that wafer size. Unfortunately, a majority of the metrology suppliers are small companies that typically can't afford the additional two to three year wait for return on R and D investment. Therefore, the success of the semiconductor industry demands that we expand cooperation between NIST, SEMATECH, the National Labs, SRC, and the entire community. In this paper, we will discuss several critical metrology topics including the role of sensor-based process control, in-line microscopy, focused measurements for transistor and interconnect fabrication, and development needs. Improvements in in-line microscopy must extend existing critical dimension measurements up to 100 nm generations and new methods may be required for sub 100 nm generations. Through development, existing metrology dielectric thickness and dopant dose and junction methods can be extended to 100 nm, but new and possibly in-situ methods are needed beyond 100 nm. Interconnect process control will undergo change before 100 nm due to the introduction of copper metallization, low dielectric constant interlevel dielectrics, and Damascene process flows.

OSTI ID:
21202309
Journal Information:
AIP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 449, Issue 1; Conference: 1998 international conference on characterization and metrology for ULSI technology, Gaithersburg, MD (United States), 23-27 Mar 1998; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.56823; (c) 1998 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0094-243X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English