US 2019/0094684 A1 · CRITICAL DIMENSION MEASUREMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD OF MEASURING CRITICAL DIMENSIONS USING SAME

Abstract

A critical dimension measurement system includes a voltage measurement circuit, a control circuit, and a critical dimension measurement circuit. The voltage measurement circuit may measure potentials of mask patterns of a photomask. The control circuit may include an information storage circuit for storing distribution information on the potentials of the mask patterns, measured by the voltage measurement circuit, and information on layout patterns corresponding to the mask patterns of the photomask. The critical dimension measurement circuit may be operated, by the control circuit, in a first measurement mode and a second measurement mode running for a shorter time than the first measurement mode, and measure critical dimensions of the mask patterns.

Claims21

Dependent claims

1-10. (canceled)

A method of measuring critical dimensions, comprising:

forming a layout including layout patterns;
forming a photomask including mask patterns corresponding to the layout patterns;
storing information on the layout patterns;
classifying measurement sites of the photomask as a default measurement site and a simple measurement site, using the information on the layout patterns;
measuring critical dimensions of a first mask pattern within the default measurement site in a default measurement mode;
and
measuring critical dimensions of a second mask pattern within the simple measurement site in a simple measurement mode,
wherein the simple measurement mode runs for a shorter time than the default measurement mode.

5 more elements

A method of measuring critical dimensions, comprising:

forming a layout including layout patterns, using a computer system;
forming a photomask including mask patterns corresponding to the layout patterns, using a mask manufacturing apparatus;
storing information on a default measurement site and a simple measurement site of the photomask with a critical dimension measurement apparatus;
measuring, with the critical dimension measurement apparatus, critical dimensions of a first mask pattern within the default measurement site in a default measurement mode;
and
measuring, with the critical dimension measurement apparatus, critical dimensions of a second mask pattern within the simple measurement site in a simple measurement mode running for a shorter time than the default measurement mode.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

15/973,912Filed 8 May 2018

Priority

KR 10-2017-012230222 Sep 2017

Published

28 Mar 2019

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

G03F 1/70
Preparation processes not covered by groups G03F1/20 - G03F1/50: adapting basic layout or design of masks to lithographic process requirements,…
G01B 15/00
Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of electromagnetic waves or particle radiation
G01N 27/60
Investigating or analysing materials by the use of electric, electrochemical, or magnetic means: by investigating electrostatic variables , e.g.…
G03F 1/84
Auxiliary processes, e.g. cleaning or inspecting: inspecting

Critical dimension measurement system and method of measuring critical dimensions using same

Life of this patent

Critical dimension measurement system and method of measuring critical dimensions using same

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims21