As the dimensions of semiconductor devices continue to shrink, along with the introduction of immersion lithography, process control has become increasingly stringent.

RET (Resolution Enhancement Technology), intended to ease CD budgets, increases the complexity of OPC (Optical Proximity Correction) which also increases the volume of inspection points, leaving engineers to detect and cope with systematic defects.

Overview

• DesignGauge runs on a Windows® PC and can be connected with Hitachi CD-SEMs through Ethernet. A recipe created off-line on “DesignGauge” runs on the CD-SEM and the measurement results are returned to “DesignGauge” for review and processed for OPC validation. And “DesignGauge” can generate its recipe automatically according to input files transferred from another PC through Ethernet. Additionally, the other PC can import measurement results and/or image data from “DesignGauge” through Ethernet.

Design template matching function

EPE (Edge Placement Error) measurement

CD-SEM remote control function (Option)

Off-line recipe creation for CD-SEM and measurement results import from CD-SEM. (Option)

Automatic recipe creation using design data

Post-measurement function for stored SEM image

As the dimensions of semiconductor devices continue to shrink, along with the introduction of immersion lithography, process control has become increasingly stringent.

RET (Resolution Enhancement Technology), intended to ease CD budgets, increases the complexity of OPC (Optical Proximity Correction) which also increases the volume of inspection points, leaving engineers to detect and cope with systematic defects.

System Specifications