Metallic gratings and measurement methods thereof

A structure comprising:

• a metallic grating having a grating pattern, the metallic grating including a critical dimension;
• wherein the metallic grating outputs a spectral profile when exposed to electromagnetic radiation, the spectral profile having a feature;
• and
• wherein the grating pattern is configured so that a wavelength of the feature shifts by more than 1% per 1 Å change in the critical dimension.

A structure comprising:

• a semiconductor circuit;
• a grating having a grating pattern and including a critical dimension, the grating being supported by a substrate and being adapted for use in performing analysis of the semiconductor circuit;
• wherein the grating outputs a spectral profile when exposed to electromagnetic radiation, the spectral profile having a feature;
• and
• wherein the grating pattern is configured so that when the critical dimension deviates from a targeted value there is produced a shift in a value of the feature of the spectral profile from a value that is indicative of the critical dimension having the targeted value;
• wherein the semiconductor circuit is supported by the substrate,
• wherein the grating pattern is characterized by first metallic lines and second metallic lines perpendicularly cross connecting the first metallic lines, and wherein the grating is electrically isolated from the substrate.

A structure comprising:

• a metallic grating having a grating pattern, the metallic grating including a critical dimension;
• wherein the metallic grating outputs a spectral profile when exposed to electromagnetic radiation, the spectral profile having a feature;
• wherein the grating pattern is configured so that a change of the critical dimension produces a shift in a value of the feature of the spectral profile;
• and
• wherein the structure includes a second metallic grating aligned to the metallic grating and outputting a spectral profile coordinated with the spectral profile output by the metallic grating.

A structure comprising:

• a semiconductor circuit;
• a grating having a grating pattern and including a critical dimension, the grating being supported by a substrate and being adapted for use in performing analysis of the semiconductor circuit;
• wherein the grating outputs a spectral profile when exposed to electromagnetic radiation, the spectral profile having a feature;
• and
• wherein the grating pattern is configured so that when the critical dimension deviates from a targeted value there is produced a shift in a value of the feature of the spectral profile from a value that is indicative of the critical dimension having the targeted value,
• wherein the spectral profile includes a local minimum having a wavelength of at least 500 nm.

A structure comprising:

• a semiconductor circuit;
• a grating having a grating pattern and including a critical dimension, the grating being supported by a substrate and being adapted for use in performing analysis of the semiconductor circuit;
• wherein the grating outputs a spectral profile when exposed to electromagnetic radiation, the spectral profile having a feature;
• and
• wherein the grating pattern is configured so that when the critical dimension deviates from a targeted value there is produced a shift in a value of the feature of the spectral profile from a value that is indicative of the critical dimension having the targeted value,
• wherein the grating pattern is characterized by having a linewidth that is coordinated with a pitch by being within a range of linewidths at which plasmonic resonance is observable in the spectral profile, wherein the linewidth defines the critical dimension.