Method of manufacturing semiconductor device

US10121678B2 · US · B2

Patent metadata
FieldValue
Publication numberUS-10121678-B2
Application numberUS-201715689964-A
CountryUS
Kind codeB2
Filing dateAug 29, 2017
Priority dateAug 31, 2016
Publication dateNov 6, 2018
Grant dateNov 6, 2018

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  1. Title

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  2. Abstract

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  3. Assignees and inventors

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  4. Key dates

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  5. First independent claim

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  7. Citations and related patents

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Abstract

Official abstract text for this publication.

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a reference pattern in an inspection pattern formation region, forming a first mask layer over a semiconductor substrate, while forming a first inspection pattern in the inspection pattern formation region, and measuring a first amount of misalignment of the first inspection pattern with respect to the reference pattern. The method further includes implanting ions into the semiconductor substrate using a first mask layer, removing the first mask layer and the first inspection pattern and then forming a second mask layer over the semiconductor substrate, while forming a second inspection pattern in the inspection pattern formation region, and measuring a second amount of misalignment of the second inspection pattern with respect to the reference pattern. In plan view, the second inspection pattern is larger than the first inspection pattern and covers the entire region where the first inspection pattern is formed.

First claim

Opening claim text (preview).

What is claimed is: 1. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a semiconductor substrate having a MISFET formation region and an inspection pattern formation region in a main surface thereof; (b) embedding an insulating film in a trench formed in the main surface to form an isolation film, form first and second active regions each surrounded by the isolation film in the MISFET formation region, and form a reference pattern made of the isolation film in a first area in the inspection pattern formation region; (c) forming a first mask layer made of a first photoresist layer which covers the first active region and exposes the second active region in the MISFET formation region, while forming a first inspection pattern made of the first photoresist layer which covers a second area other than the first area and exposes a third area other than the first area in the inspection pattern formation region; (d) measuring a first amount of misalignment of the first inspection pattern with respect to the reference pattern; (e) ion-implanting a first impurity into the second active region exposed from the first mask layer in the MISFET formation region, while ion-implanting the first impurity into the third area exposed from the first inspection pattern in the inspection pattern formation region; (f) removing the first mask layer and the first inspection pattern; (g) forming a second mask layer made of a second photoresist layer which covers the second active region and exposes the first active region in the MISFET formation region, while forming a second inspection pattern made of the second photoresist layer which covers the second and third areas and exposes the first area in the inspection pattern formation region; and (h) measuring a second amount of misalignment of the second inspection pattern with respect to the reference pattern, wherein, in plan view, the second inspection pattern covers the entire second area where the first inspection pattern was formed to extend continuously from the second area to the third area. 2. The method of manufacturing the semiconductor device according to claim 1 , wherein, in the step (e), a dose of the first impurity is not less than 1×10 15 cm −2 . 3. The method of manufacturing the semiconductor device according to claim 1 , further comprising, after the step (h), the step of: (i) ion-implanting a second impurity into the first active region exposed from the second mask layer in the MISFET formation region, while ion-implanting the second impurity into the third area exposed from the second inspection pattern in the inspection pattern formation region. 4. The method of manufacturing the semiconductor device according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second inspection patterns has a frame-like shape, and wherein a frame width of the second inspection pattern is larger than a frame width of the first inspection pattern. 5. The method of manufacturing the semiconductor device according to claim 4 , wherein the reference pattern has a frame-like shape. 6. The method of manufacturing the semiconductor device according to claim 5 , wherein each of the first and second inspection patterns is disposed inside the reference pattern. 7. The method of manufacturing the semiconductor device according to claim 5 , wherein each of the first and second inspection patterns is disposed outside the reference pattern. 8. The method of manufacturing the semiconductor device according to claim 4 , wherein each of the reference pattern and the first and second inspection patterns has a frame-like shape from which corner portions are removed. 9. The method of manufacturing the semiconductor device according to claim 8 , wherein each of the first and second inspection patterns is disposed inside the reference pattern. 10. The method of manufacturing the semiconductor device according to claim 8 , wherein each of the first and second inspection patterns is disposed outside the reference pattern. 11. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a semiconductor substrate having a MISFET formation region and an inspection pattern formation region in a main surface thereof; (b) embedding an insulating film in a trench formed in the main surface to form an isolation film, form first and second active regions each surrounded by the isolation film in the MISFET formation region, and form a reference pattern made of the isolation film in a first area in the inspection pattern formation region; (c) depositing a polysilicon film over the main surface of the semiconductor substrate; (d) forming a first mask layer made of a first photoresist layer which covers the first active region and exposes the second active region over the polysilicon film in the MISFET formation region, while forming a first inspection pattern made of the first photoresist layer which covers a second area other than the first area and exposes a third area other than the first area over the polysilicon film in the inspection pattern formation region; (e) measuring a first amount of misalignment of the first inspection pattern with respect to the reference pattern; (f) ion-implanting a first impurity into the polysilicon film over the second active region exposed from the first mask layer in the MISFET formation region, while ion-implanting the first impurity into the polysilicon film over the third area in the inspection pattern formation region; (g) removing the first mask layer and the first inspection pattern; (h) forming a second mask layer made of a second photoresist layer which covers the second active region and exposes the first active region over the polysilicon film in the MISFET formation region, while forming a second inspection pattern made of the second photoresist layer which covers the second and third areas and exposes the first area over the polysilicon film in the inspection pattern formation region; and (i) measuring a second amount of misalignment of the second inspection pattern with respect to the reference pattern, wherein, in plan view, the second inspection pattern covers the entire second area where the first inspection pattern was formed to extend continuously from the second area to the third area. 12. The method of manufacturing the semiconductor device according to claim 11 , wherein, in the step (f), a dose of the first impurity is not less than 1×10 15 cm −2 . 13. The method of manufacturing the semiconductor device according to claim 11 , further comprising, after the step (i), the step of: (j) ion-implanting a second impurity into the polysilicon film over the first active region exposed from the second mask layer in the MISFET formation region, while ion-implanting the second impurity into the polysilicon film over the third area in the inspection pattern formation region, wherein a conductivity type of the second impurity is opposite to a conductivity type of the first impurity. 14. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a semiconductor substrate having a first MISFET formation region, a second MISFET formation region, and an inspection pattern formation region in a main surface thereof; (b) embedding an insulating film in a trench formed in the main surface to form an isolation film, form a first active region surrounded by the isolation film in the first MISFET formation region, form a second active region surrounded by the isolation film in the second MISFET formation region, and form a reference pattern made of the isolation film in

Assignees

Inventors

Classifications

  • characterised by their composition, e.g. multilayer masks · CPC title

  • of organic photoresist masks · CPC title

  • Mask-wafer alignment · CPC title

  • by ion implantation · CPC title

  • being group IV material · CPC title

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What does patent US10121678B2 cover?
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a reference pattern in an inspection pattern formation region, forming a first mask layer over a semiconductor substrate, while forming a first inspection pattern in the inspection pattern formation region, and measuring a first amount of misalignment of the first inspection pattern with respect to the reference pattern. The meth…
Who is the assignee on this patent?
Renesas Electronics Corp
What technology area does this patent fall under?
Primary CPC classification H10P30/22. Mapped technology areas include Electricity.
When was this patent published?
Publication date Tue Nov 06 2018 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time) (B2). Legal status and post-grant events are not shown on this page.
What related patents are in patentsdb?
We list 8 related publications on this page (citations in our corpus or others sharing the same primary CPC).