To ensure a high patterning quality, the etch effects have to be corrected within the OPC recipe in addition to the traditional lithographic effects. This requires the calibration of an accurate etch model and optimization of its implementation in the OPC flow. Using SEM contours is a promising approach to get numerous and highly reliable measurements especially for 2D structures for etch model calibration. A 28nm active layer was selected to calibrate and verify an etch model with 50 structures in total. We optimized the selection of the calibration structures as well as the model density. The implementation of the etch model to adjust the litho target layer allows a significant reduction of weak points. We also demonstrate that the etch model incorporated to the ORC recipe and run on large design can predict many hotspots.

Date Published: 18 March 2015
PDF: 11 pages
Proc. SPIE 9426, Optical Microlithography XXVIII, 94261T (18 March 2015); doi: 10.1117/12.2180271

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 9426:
Optical Microlithography XXVIII
Kafai Lai; Andreas Erdmann, Editor(s)