Euv mask inspecting methods and systems
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsChun-Lung LU, Hao-Ming CHANG, Hsin-Fu TSENG, Chun-Lang CHEN
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for inspecting a patterning mask includes radiating an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) beam to a surface of the patterning mask and directing a reflected EUV beam from the surface of the patterning mask to an image sensor. The method further includes generating an image of the surface of the patterning mask based on the reflected EUV beam and determining a critical dimension uniformity (CDU) of the patterning mask based on the image of the surface of the patterning mask.
Claims20
A method for inspecting a patterning mask, comprising:
- radiating an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) beam to a surface of the patterning mask;
- directing a reflected EUV beam from the surface of the patterning mask to an image sensor;
- generating an image of the surface of the patterning mask based on the reflected EUV beam;
- and
- determining a critical dimension uniformity (CDU) of the patterning mask based on the image of the surface of the patterning mask.
A method for monitoring a wafer pattern behavior of a patterning mask, comprising:
- radiating an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) beam to a surface of the patterning mask;
- collecting an image of a dummy pattern zone of the patterning mask based on a reflected EUV beam from the surface of the patterning mask;
- providing the image of the dummy pattern zone of the patterning mask to an artificial intelligence engine;
- determining, by the artificial intelligence engine, the wafer pattern behavior of the patterning mask based on the image of the dummy pattern zone of the patterning mask;
- and
- determining a critical dimension uniformity (CDU) of the patterning mask based on the image of the dummy pattern zone of the patterning mask.
A device for inspecting a patterning mask, comprising:
- an image sensor;
- an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) beam source;
- a processor;
- and
- a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program, wherein the processor is programmed to control:
- radiating an EUV beam from the EUV beam source to a surface of the patterning mask;
- directing a reflected EUV beam from the surface of the patterning mask to the image sensor;
- generating an image of the surface of the patterning mask based on the reflected EUV beam;
- and
- determining a critical dimension uniformity (CDU) of the patterning mask based on the image of the surface of the patterning mask.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.