Measurement of metal electroplating and seed layer thickness and profile
AssigneeTimbre Technologies, Inc.
InventorsLawrence Lane, Nickhil Jakatdar, Xinhui Niu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and system for measuring metal electroplating barrier and seed layer thickness and profile. Using optical metrology, profiles of post-barrier deposition grating and post-seed deposition grating can be measured non-destructively. In turn, the thickness and profile of the barrier layer can be determined by subtracting the profile of the post-barrier deposition grating from the profile of the substrate damascene grating. Similarly, the thickness and profile of the seed layer can be determined by subtracting the profile of the post-seed deposition gratin from the profile of the post-barrier deposition grating.
Claims29
A method for determining the thickness and profile of a composite metal layer comprising a barrier layer and a seed layer for metal electroplating, said method comprising the steps of:
- a) measuring the profile of a pre-composite metal deposition damascene grating non-destructively using optical metrology;
- b) measuring the profile of a post-composite metal deposition damascene grating non-destructively using optical metrology, said post-composite metal deposition damascene grating formed by depositing said composite metal layer on said pre-composite metal deposition damascene grating;
- c) determining the total thickness and profile of said composite metal layer by subtracting the profile of said pre-composite metal deposition damascene grating from profile of said post-composite metal deposition damascene grating.
A method for determining the thickness and profile of a barrier layer and a seed layer for metal electroplating, said method comprising the steps of:
- a) measuring the thickness and profile of said barrier layer non-destructively by optical metrology, wherein said barrier layer is deposited on a pre-barrier deposition damascene grating to form a post-barrier deposition damascene grating;
- b) measuring the profile of a post-seed deposition damascene grating non-destructively using optical metrology, wherein said seed layer is deposited on said post-barrier deposition damascene grating to form said post-seed deposition damascene grating;
- and
- c) determining the thickness and profile of said seed layer by subtracting the profile of said post-barrier damascene grating from the profile of said post-seed deposition damascene grating.
A method for determining the thickness and profile of a barrier layer and a seed layer for metal electroplating, said method comprising the steps of:
- a) measuring the profile of a pre-barrier deposition damascene grating non-destructively using optical metrology;
- b) measuring the profile of said post-barrier deposition damascene grating non-destructively using optical metrology, wherein said barrier layer is deposited on said pre-barrier deposition damascene grating to form said post-barrier deposition damascene grating;
- c) determining the thickness and profile of said barrier layer by subtracting the profile of said pre-barrier damascene grating from the profile of said post-barrier damascene grating;
- d) measuring the profile of said post-seed deposition damascene grating non-destructively using optical metrology, wherein said seed layer is deposited on said post-barrier grating to form said post-seed deposition damascene grating;
- and
- e) determining the thickness and profile of said seed layer by subtracting the profile of said post-barrier damascene grating from the profile of said post-seed deposition damascene grating.
A method for determining the thickness and profile of a n-th layer N on a post-layer N deposition patterned structure wherein said layer N is non-transparent to optical metrology, said method comprising the steps of:
- a) measuring the profile of a pre-layer N deposition patterned structure non-destructively using optical metrology;
- b) measuring the profile of said post-layer N deposition patterned structure non-destructively using optical metrology, wherein said non-transparent layer N is deposited on said pre-layer N deposition patterned structure to form said post-layer N deposition patterned structure;
- and
- c) determining the thickness and profile of said layer N by subtracting the profile of said pre-layer N deposition patterned structure from the profile of said post-layer N deposition patterned structure.
A system for determining the thickness and profile of a n-th layer N on a post-layer N deposition patterned structure wherein said layer N is non-transparent to optical metrology, said system comprising:
- an optical metrology unit adapted for measuring the profile of a pre-layer N deposition patterned structure non-destructively using optical metrology, said optical metrology unit also adapted for measuring the profile of said post-layer N deposition patterned structure non-destructively using optical metrology, wherein said non-transparent layer N is deposited on said pre-layer N deposition patterned structure to form said post-layer N deposition patterned structure;
- and
- subtraction unit adapted for determining the thickness and profile of said layer N by subtracting the profile of said pre-layer N deposition patterned structure from the profile of said post-layer N deposition patterned structure.
A computer readable storage medium containing computer executable code for determining the thickness and profile of a composite metal layer comprising a barrier layer and a seed layer for metal electroplating by instructing a computer to operate as follows:
- a) measure the profile of a pre-composite metal deposition damascene grating non-destructively using optical metrology;
- b) measure the profile of a post-composite metal deposition damascene grating non-destructively using optical metrology, said post-composite metal deposition damascene grating formed by depositing said composite metal layer on said pre-composite metal deposition damascene grating;
- c) determine the total thickness and profile of said composite metal layer by subtracting the profile of said pre-composite metal deposition damascene grating from profile of said post-composite metal deposition damascene grating.
A computer readable storage medium containing computer executable code for determining the thickness and profile of a n-th layer N on a post-layer N deposition patterned structure wherein said layer N is non-transparent to optical metrology by instructing a computer to operate as follows:
- a) measure the profile of a pre-layer N deposition patterned structure non-destructively using optical metrology;
- b) measure the profile of said post-layer N deposition patterned structure non-destructively using optical metrology, wherein said non-transparent layer N is deposited on said pre-layer N deposition patterned structure to form said post-layer N deposition patterned structure;
- and
- c) determine the thickness and profile of said layer N by subtracting the profile of said pre-layer N deposition patterned structure from the profile of said post-layer N deposition patterned structure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.