Semiconductor design for improved detection of out-of-focus conditions
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorWillys Choi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A semiconductor design patternable on a semiconductor wafer for improved detection of out-of-focus conditions during lithographic processing is disclosed. The semiconductor design includes a central main body, and at least one arm extending from sides of the central main body. Each arm has a first one or more at least substantially triangular shapes, and a disconnected second one or more at least substantially triangular shapes. A tip of the first shapes is positioned opposite a tip of the second shapes, such that a gap there between is formed. The gap is sensitive to out-of-focus conditions during lithographic processing, where the gap increases as defocus increases. Increasing of the gap as defocus increases is preferably automatically detectable by semiconductor test equipment.
Claims20
A semiconductor design for easing detection out-of-focus conditions during lithographic processing, the design patternable on a semiconductor wafer and comprising:
- a central main body;
- and,
- an arm extending from a side of the central main body having a first one or more substantially triangular shapes and a disconnected second one or more substantially triangular shapes, a tip of the first one or more substantially triangular shapes positioned opposite a tip of the second one or more substantially triangular shapes, such that a gap therebetween is formed.
A method for detecting out-of-focus conditions during lithographic processing comprising:
- automatically measuring at a focus setting a gap formed within a semiconductor design patterned on a semiconductor wafer, the semiconductor design having a central main body and one arm extending from sides of the central main body, each arm having a first one or more substantially triangular shapes and a disconnected second one or more at substantially triangular shapes, a tip of the first one or more at substantially triangular shapes positioned opposite a tip of the second one or more at substantially triangular shapes, the gap formed therebetween;
- comparing the gap against a specification;
- and,
- concluding that defocus has resulted where the gap is out of the specification.
A system comprising:
- a semiconductor test equipment having an automatic mode of defocus detection;
- a semiconductor design having a central main body and at least one arm extending from aides of the central main body, each arm having a first one or more substantially triangular shapes and disconnected second one or more substantially triangular shapes, a tip of the first one or more substantially triangular shapes positioned opposite a tip of the second one or more substantially triangular shapes, a gap formed therebetween;
- and,
- a semiconductor wafer on which the semiconductor design is patterned, the gap of the semiconductor design increasing as defocus increases, such that the automatic mode of defocus detection is able to detect when the gap is out of a predetermined specification, for concluding that unacceptable defocus has resulted.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.