Test key for detecting overlap between active area and deep trench capacitor of a DRAM and detection method thereof

A method of detecting overlap of an active area and a deep trench capacitor on a dynamic random access memory cell, comprising the steps of:

• providing a substrate with at least one scribe line and a memory cell area thereon;
• forming a test key on the scribe line and a plurality of memory cells on the memory cell area simultaneously;
• wherein the test key comprises:
• a first and a second active area disposed parallely on the substrate;
• two parallel first deep trench capacitors disposed on the substrate along the outer side of the first and the second active areas respectively, wherein the first deep trench capacitors are shorter than the first and second active areas;
• a rectangular active word line disposed on the substrate, covering the two first deep trench capacitors and partially covering the first and second active areas, and the rectangular active word line over the first and second active areas operate as a first gate and a second gate respectively;
• a first passing word line perpendicular to the two active areas, disposed on and parallel to a first side of the rectangular active word lines and crossing in a substantially perpendicular fashion the two parallel active areas;
• a second passing word line perpendicular to the active areas, disposed parallely outside the first passing word line and crossing in a substantially perpendicular fashion a first end of the two parallel active areas;
• a third passing word line perpendicular to the active areas, disposed on and parallel to a second side of the rectangular active word line and crossing in a substantially perpendicular fashion a second end of the two parallel active areas;
• two second deep trench capacitors disposed under where the two first passing word lines overlap the two active areas respectively;
• a first contact disposed on the first active area between the first and second passing word lines;
• a second contact disposed on the first active area between the third passing word line and the rectangular active word line;
• a third contact disposed on the second active area between the first and second passing word lines;
• and
• a fourth contact disposed on the second active area between the third passing word line and the rectangular active word line;
• obtaining a first threshold voltage based on voltage level of the first and second contacts and the first gate;
• obtaining a second threshold voltage based on voltage level of the third and fourth contacts and the second gate;
• evaluating an overlap degree between the first and second active area and the two first deep trench capacitors on the test key based on a difference of the first and second threshold voltages;
• and
• estimating an overlap degree between the active areas and the deep trench capacitors on the memory cells based on the overlap degree of the test key.