Measuring and modeling material planarization performance

A method for modeling planarization performance of a given material of a semiconductor structure comprising:

• patterning, using a first mask, a first photoresist layer over a first material deposited over a top surface of a substrate, the first mask defining a given design macro to be patterned in each of two or more different regions of the first photoresist layer;
• etching portions of the first material exposed by the patterned first photoresist layer to create a patterned topography of the first material comprising the given design macro in each of the two or more different regions;
• coating the given material over the patterned topography of the first material;
• patterning, using a second mask, a second photoresist layer over the given material using different focus settings for a lithographic processing tool, the second mask defining a metrology feature for measuring a critical dimension of the given design macro in each of the two or more different regions;
• measuring the critical dimension of the metrology feature in each of the two or more different regions;
• and
• generating an anchor curve relating the measured critical dimensions of the metrology feature with the different focus settings for the two or more different regions;
• wherein the anchor curve is used to model planarization performance of the given material;
• wherein the model of the planarization performance is utilizable for modeling formation of the semiconductor structure;
• wherein the anchor curve is generated by forming the given design macro topography with different focus settings for the lithographic processing tool in each of the two or more different regions;
• and
• building the model of the planarization performance comprises patterning additional design macros in the topography of the first material in one or more additional regions of the substrate utilizing a same focus setting for the lithographic processing tool, the same focus setting corresponding to a designated point of the anchor curve having a minimal critical dimension, and measuring an offset of a minimal critical dimension of the metrology feature in the at least one additional region to the designated point of the anchor curve.

A method for modeling planarization performance of a given material of a semiconductor structure comprising:

• generating an anchor curve relating focus to critical dimension of a metrology feature formed over the given material in each of two or more different regions of a substrate, each of the two or more different regions of the substrate having a same design macro topography of a first material formed thereon;
• utilizing one or more additional design macros to pattern the first material on one or more additional regions of the substrate, the given material being coated over the one or more additional regions;
• measuring the critical dimension of the metrology feature formed over the given material in the one or more additional regions;
• and
• building a model of the planarization performance of the given material by relating measured critical dimension of the metrology feature in the one or more additional regions with the anchor curve;
• wherein the model of the planarization performance is utilizable for modeling formation of the semiconductor structure;
• wherein the anchor curve is generated by forming the same design macro topography with different focus settings for a lithographic processing tool in each of the two or more different regions;
• and
• wherein patterning the first material in the one or more additional regions of the substrate utilizes a same focus setting for the lithographic processing tool, the same focus setting corresponding to a designated point of the anchor curve having a minimal critical dimension, and wherein building the model comprises measuring an offset of a minimal critical dimension of the metrology feature in the at least one additional region to the designated point of the anchor curve.