Monitoring of contact hole production
AssigneeApplied Materials Israel Ltd.
InventorsAvi Simon, Alexander Kadyshevitch
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for production testing includes receiving a wafer including a semiconductor substrate and a non-conducting layer formed over the substrate, following etching of contact openings through the non-conducting layer to the substrate, the contact openings including an array of the contact openings arranged in a predefined test pattern in a test area on the wafer. An electron beam is directed to irradiate the test area, a specimen current flowing through the substrate responsive to the electron beam is measured. The specimen current is analyzed so as to assess a dimension of the contact openings.
Claims32
A method for production testing, comprising:
- receiving a wafer comprising a semiconductor substrate, a non-conducting layer formed over the substrate, and a photoresist layer overlying the non-conducting layer, following etching of contact openings through the non-conducting layer to the substrate, the photoresist layer having been used in etching the contact openings, wherein the contact openings comprising comprise an array of the contact openings arranged in a predefined test pattern in a test area on the wafer;
- directing an electron beam to irradiate the test area;
- measuring a specimen current flowing through the substrate responsive to the electron beam before removal of the photoresist layer;
- and
- analyzing the specimen current so as to assess a dimension of the contact openings.
A method for production testing, comprising:
- receiving a wafer comprising a semiconductor substrate and a non-conducting layer formed over the substrate, following etching of contact openings through the non-conducting layer to the substrate, the contact openings comprising an array of the contact openings arranged in a predefined test pattern in a test area on the wafer;
- directing an electron beam to irradiate the test area;
- measuring a specimen current flowing through the substrate responsive to the electron beam;
- detecting a residue within an least one contact opening of the contact openings by analyzing the specimen current so as to assess a dimension of the contact openings;
- and
- irradiating the wafer with the electron beam so as to remove the detected residue from the at least one contact opening.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.