# US 10,373,882 B2 · Method and system of measuring semiconductor device and method of fabricating semiconductor device using the same

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- Number: US 10,373,882 B2
- Document ID: US10373882B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/969,247
- Filed: 2018-05-02
- Published: 2018-09-06
- Granted: 2019-08-06
- Earliest claimed: 2014-01-17
- Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Choonshik Leem; Jihye Lee; Deokyong Kim; Soobok Chin
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10373882B2

## CPC

- H10P 74/203: {Structural properties, e.g. testing or measuring thicknesses, line widths, warpage, bond strengths or physical defects}
- G01N 21/9501: {Semiconductor wafers (manufacturing processes per se of semiconductor devices implementing a measuring step H10P74/20)}
- G01N 21/95607: {using a comparative method}
- G01N 21/95684: {Patterns showing highly reflecting parts, e.g. metallic elements}
- H01J 37/28: with scanning beams {(H01J37/268, H01J37/292, H01J37/2955 take precedence)}
- G01B 2210/56: Measuring geometric parameters of semiconductor structures, e.g. profile, critical dimensions or trench depth
- H01J 2237/24578: Spatial variables, e.g. position, distance
- H01J 2237/24592: Inspection and quality control of devices
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)
- H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H)
- G01B: MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEAR DIMENSIONS; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS

## Abstract

The measurement method may include obtaining first measurement data from a recess region formed in a semiconductor substrate, obtaining second measurement data from a conductive pattern filling a portion of the recess region, calculating a first volume of the recess region from the first measurement data, calculating a second volume of the conductive pattern from the second measurement data, and calculating a measurement target parameter using a difference between the first and second volumes.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system for measuring a semiconductor device, comprising:
a first measurement instrument configured to measure a width of a recess region formed in a semiconductor substrate;
a second measurement instrument configured to measure a depth of the recess region;
a third measurement instrument configured to measure a mass of an element contained in a conductive pattern filling a portion of the recess region; and
a computer system,
the computer system including a controller and a memory,
the computer system, in response to executing commands stored in the memory using the controller, being configured to,
calculate a first volume of the recess region using the width of the recess region and the depth of the recess region,
calculate a second volume of the conductive pattern using the mass of the element contained in the conductive pattern,
calculate a measurement target parameter using a difference between the first volume and the second volume, and
provide an approximation of an actual target parameter in the semiconductor substrate using the measurement target parameter for non-destructive measuring.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein
the computer system comprises a calculation module for calculating the measurement target parameter,
the computer system, in response to executing the calculation module using the controller, is configured to calculate the measurement target parameter, and
the computer system, in response to executing the calculation module using the controller, is configured to calculate the first volume, the second volume, and the measurement target parameter,
the first volume being calculated by multiplying the width of the recess region, the depth of the recess region, and a first constant,
the second volume being calculated by multiplying the mass of the element contained in the conductive pattern by a second constant, and
the measurement target parameter being calculated by dividing a third volume, which is obtained by subtracting the second volume from the first volume, by multiplication of the width of the recess region and the first constant.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the first measurement instrument is a scanning electron microscope (SEM) instrument.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the second measurement instrument is an optical scatterometry instrument.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the third measurement instrument is an X-ray fluorescence analysis instrument.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein
the computer system comprises a measurement controller, and
the measurement controller is configured to control the first measurement instrument, the second measurement instrument, and the third measurement instrument.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein computer system is configured to control the first measurement instrument, the second measurement instrument, and the third measurement instrument.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the computer system and the first measurement instrument, the second measurement instrument, and the third measurement instrument are configured to be independently and individually controlled.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein
the recess region comprises a lower region adjacent to a bottom surface of the recess region and an upper region separated from the bottom surface of the recess region,
the conductive pattern fills the lower region, and
the measurement target parameter is a distance between a top surface of the conductive pattern and a top surface of the semiconductor substrate.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, wherein
the recess region is a line-shaped trench extending along a specific direction,
the width of the recess region is a distance between opposing sidewalls of the semiconductor substrate defining the trench, and
the depth of the recess region is a distance between a bottom surface of the trench and a top surface of the semiconductor substrate.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, wherein
the recess region has a hole-shaped structure extending into at least a portion of the semiconductor substrate,
the width of the recess region is a diameter of the hole, and
the depth of the recess region is a distance between a bottom surface of the hole and a top surface of the semiconductor substrate.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the conductive pattern comprises a metal material.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein
the first measurement instrument is a scanning electron microscope (SEM) instrument,
the second measurement instrument is an optical scatterometry instrument, and
the third measurement instrument is an X-ray fluorescence analysis instrument.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The system of claim 13, wherein
the computer system further includes a calculation module and a verification module,
the computer system, in response to executing the calculation module using the controller, is configured to calculate the first volume, the second volume, and the measurement target parameter,
the first volume being calculated by multiplying the width of the recess region, the depth of the recess region, and a first constant,
the second volume being calculated by multiplying the mass of the element contained in the conductive pattern by a second constant,
the measurement target parameter being calculated by dividing a third volume, which is obtained by subtracting the second volume from the first volume, by multiplication of the width of the recess region and the first constant,
the computer system, in response to executing the verification module using the controller, is configured to determine the error between the measurement target parameter and reference data, and
the computer system, in response to executing the verification module using the controller, is configured to correct the first constant into a corrected first constant and correct the second constant into a corrected second constant to reduce an error between the measurement target parameter and the reference data, and
the computer system, in response to executing the calculation module using the controller, is configured to recalculate the first volume, the second volume, and the measurement target parameter using the corrected first constant and the corrected second constants.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein
the computer system further includes a calculation module and a verification module,
the computer system, in response to executing the calculation module using the controller, is configured to calculate the first volume, the second volume, and the measurement target parameter,
the first volume being calculated by multiplying the width of the recess region, the depth of the recess region, and a first constant,
the second volume being calculated by multiplying the mass of the element contained in the conductive pattern by a second constant,
the measurement target parameter being calculated by dividing a third volume, which is obtained by subtracting the second volume from the first volume, by multiplication of the width of the recess region and the first constant,
the computer system, in response to executing the verification module using the controller, is configured to determine an error between the measurement target parameter and reference data,
the computer system, in response to executing the verification module using the controller, is configured to correct the first constant into a corrected first constant and correct the second constant into a corrected second constant to reduce the error between the measurement target parameter and the reference data,
the computer system, in response to executing the calculation module using the controller, is configured to recalculate the first volume, the second volume, and the measurement target parameter using the corrected first constant and the corrected second constants,
the recess region comprises a lower region adjacent to a bottom surface of the recess region and an upper region separated from the bottom surface of the recess region,
the conductive pattern fills the lower region, and
the measurement target parameter is a distance between a top surface of the conductive pattern and a top surface of the semiconductor substrate.

### Claim 16

A system for measuring a semiconductor device, comprising:
a first measurement instrument configured to measure a width of a recess region formed in a semiconductor substrate;
a second measurement instrument configured to measure a depth of the recess region;
a third measurement instrument configured to measure a mass of an element contained in a conductive pattern filling a portion of the recess region;
a computer system,
the computer system including a controller and a memory,
the computer system, in response to executing commands stored in the memory using the controller, being configured to,
calculate a first volume of the recess region using the width of the recess region and the depth of the recess region,
calculate a second volume of the conductive pattern using the mass of the element contained in the conductive pattern, and
calculate a measurement target parameter using a difference between the first volume and the second volume, wherein
the computer system further includes a calculation module for calculating the measurement target parameter,
the computer system, in response to executing the calculation module using the controller, is configured to calculate the measurement target parameter, and
the computer system, in response to executing the calculation module using the controller, is configured to calculate the first volume, the second volume, and the measurement target parameter,
the first volume being calculated by multiplying the width of the recess region, the depth of the recess region, and a first constant,
the second volume being calculated by multiplying the mass of the element contained in the conductive pattern by a second constant, and
the measurement target parameter being calculated by dividing a third volume, which is obtained by subtracting the second volume from the first volume, by multiplication of the width of the recess region and the first constant,
the computer system further includes a verification module to verify the calculation module, and
the computer system, in response to executing the verification module using the controller, is configured to determine the first constant and the second constant to reduce an error between the measurement target parameter calculated by the calculation module and reference data, and
the computer system is configured to provide an approximation of an actual target parameter in the semiconductor substrate using the measurement target parameter for non-destructive measuring.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The system of claim 16, wherein
the computer system, in response to executing the verification module using the controller, is configured to obtain the reference data,
the computer system, in response to executing the verification module using the controller, is configured to determine the error between the measurement target parameter and the reference data, and
the computer system, in response to executing the verification module using the controller, is configured to correct the first constant into a corrected first constant and correct the second constant into a corrected second constant to reduce the error between the measurement target parameter and the reference data.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The system of claim 17, wherein
the computer system, in response to executing the calculation module using the controller, is configured to recalculate the first volume, the second volume, and the measurement target parameter using the corrected first constant and the corrected second constant.