2001 metrology roadmap: process control through amplification and averaging microscopic changes

Abstract

The 2001 Metrology Roadmap provides an overview of the challenges facing in-situ, in-line, and off-line measurement technology. As a part of the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors, the Metrology Roadmap is based on the process needs for Lithography, Front End Processes, on-chip Interconnect, and Packaging. The Metrology Roadmap also discuses the status and development needs for microscopy as an key need for all areas of measurement. The message from the ITRS Metrology Roadmap is that considerable development is needed for key process areas such as: the 3D critical dimensions for masks, transistor gates, and interconnect structures; the gate stack and ultra-shallow junctions; and interconnect materials stacks. The need for statically valid measurement that correlate to device and chip electrical properties is also emphasized. In this paper, the technical challenges found in the ITRS Metrology Roadmap and its potential solutions will be discussed.