Application of Optical Scatterometry to Microelectronics and Flat Panel Display Processing

Scatterometry, the analysis of light diffraction from periodic structures, is shown to be a versatile metrology technique applicable to a number of processes involved in the production of microelectronic devices, flat panel displays, and other technologies which involve precise dimensional control of micron and sub-micron features, This paper reviews metrology issues and requirements of these technologies and gives details on one application of scatterometry for illustration. Scatterometer results are compared To measurements of the same samples using other metrology techniques, including cross-section SEM, top-down SEM, AFM, and ellipsometry.