The increasing demands for registration metrology for repeatability, accuracy, and resolution in order to be able to perform measurements in the active area on production features have prompted the development of PROVE^TM, the nextgeneration registration metrology tool that utilizes 193nm illumination and a metrology stage that is actively controlled in all six degrees of freedom. PROVE^TM addresses full in-die capability for double patterning lithography and sophisticated inverse-lithography schemes. Innovative approaches for image analysis, such as 2D correlation, have been developed to achieve this demanding goal. In order to take full advantage of the PROVE^TM resolution and measurement capabilities, a direct link to the mask data preparation for job automation and marker identification is inevitable. This paper describes an integrated solution using Synopsys' CATS^R for extracting and preparing tool-specific job input data for PROVE. In addition to the standard marking functionalities, CATS^R supports the 2D correlation method by providing reference clips in OASIS.MASK format.

Date Published: 19 May 2011
PDF: 9 pages
Proc. SPIE 8081, Photomask and Next-Generation Lithography Mask Technology XVIII, 80810L (19 May 2011); doi: 10.1117/12.899779

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 8081:
Photomask and Next-Generation Lithography Mask Technology XVIII
Toshio Konishi, Editor(s)