Scanning Electron Microscope System, Pattern Measurement Method Using Same, and Scanning Electron Microscope

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016379798-A1
Application number	US-201415039527-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 19, 2014
Priority date	Dec 2, 2013
Publication date	Dec 29, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

In order to allow detecting backscattered electrons (BSEs) generated from the bottom of a hole for determining whether a hole with a super high aspect ratio is opened or for inspecting and measuring the ratio of the top diameter to the bottom diameter of a hole, which are typified in 3D-NAND processes of opening a hole, a primary electron beam accelerated at a high accelerating voltage is applied to a sample. Backscattered electrons (BSEs) at a low angle (e.g. a zenith angle of five degrees or more) are detected. Thus, the bottom of a hole is observed using “penetrating BSEs” having been emitted from the bottom of the hole and penetrated the side wall. Using the characteristics in which a penetrating distance is relatively prolonged through a deep hole and the amount of penetrating BSEs is decreased to cause a dark image, a calibration curve expressing the relationship between a hole depth and the brightness is given to measure the hole depth.

First claim

1 . A scanning electron microscope system that measures a hole pattern or a groove pattern formed on a substrate, the system comprising:
a primary electron beam application unit that scans and applies a primary electron beam to a pattern formed on the substrate; a backscattered electron detection unit that detects backscattered electrons having penetrated a side wall of the hole pattern or the groove pattern among backscattered electrons emitted from the substrate to which a primary electron beam is applied by the primary electron beam application unit; an electron beam image generation unit that generates an electron beam image corresponding to a distribution of intensity of the backscattered electrons detected by the backscattered electron detection unit; and an image processing unit that determines a boundary region between a dark region and a bright region, the dark region being present in the bright region on the electron beam image generated by the electron beam image generation unit, and detects the determined boundary region as a location of an edge of the hole pattern or the groove pattern.

2 . The scanning electron microscope system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the backscattered electron detection unit includes a backscattered electron detector disposed so as to surround an optical path of a primary electron beam applied to the sample for detecting backscattered electrons emitted from the substrate to which the primary electron beam is scanned and applied.

3 . The scanning electron microscope system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a secondary electron detection unit that detects secondary electrons emitted from the substrate; a secondary electron beam image generation unit that generates an electron beam image corresponding to intensity of the secondary electrons detected by the secondary electron detection unit; and a pattern width measurement unit that measures a top diameter of the hole pattern or a width of the groove pattern based on a location of an edge of a bright region on the electron beam image of the secondary electrons, the image being generated by the secondary electron beam image generation unit.

4 . The scanning electron microscope system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a second backscattered electron detection unit that detects backscattered electrons scattered in a direction in which a zenith angle is smaller than an angle of five degrees in backscattered electrons emitted from the substrate; a second electron beam image generation unit that generates an electron beam image corresponding to intensity of the backscattered electrons scattered in the direction in which a zenith angle is smaller than an angle of five degrees, the backscattered electrons being detected by the second backscattered electron detection unit; and a material estimation unit that estimates a material of a bottom of the hole pattern or the groove pattern from brightness of a region corresponding to the bottom of the hole pattern or the groove pattern on the backscattered electron beam image generated by the second electron beam image generation unit.

5 . The scanning electron microscope system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the backscattered electron detection unit that detects backscattered electrons having penetrated the side wall of the hole pattern or the groove pattern includes a detector having a plurality of detection faces for detecting the backscattered electrons in individual orientations.

6 . A scanning electron microscope system that measures a hole pattern or a groove pattern formed on a substrate, the system comprising:
a primary electron beam application unit that scans and applies a primary electron beam to a pattern formed on the substrate; a backscattered electron detection unit that detects backscattered electrons having penetrated a side wall of the hole pattern or the groove pattern among backscattered electrons emitted from the substrate to which a primary electron beam is applied by the primary electron beam application unit; an electron beam image generation unit that generates an electron beam image corresponding to a distribution of intensity of the backscattered electrons detected by the backscattered electron detection unit; and a depth estimation unit that determines a boundary region between a dark region and a bright region, the dark region being present in the bright region on the electron beam image generated by the electron beam image generation unit, and estimates a depth of the hole pattern or the groove pattern from information about brightness of the dark region in the determined boundary region.

7 . The scanning electron microscope system according to claim 6 ,
wherein the backscattered electron detection unit includes a backscattered electron detector disposed so as to surround an optical path of a primary electron beam applied to the sample for detecting backscattered electrons emitted from the substrate to which the primary electron beam is scanned and applied.

8 . The scanning electron microscope system according to claim 6 ,
wherein the depth estimation unit makes reference to a calibration curve that correlates a depth of a hole pattern or a groove pattern formed in advance with brightness of an electron beam image and calculates a depth.

9 . The scanning electron microscope system according to claim 6 , further comprising:
a secondary electron detection unit that detects secondary electrons emitted from the substrate; a secondary electron beam image generation unit that generates an electron beam image corresponding to intensity of the secondary electrons detected by the secondary electron detection unit; and a pattern width measurement unit that measures a top diameter of the hole pattern or a width of the groove pattern based on a location of an edge of a bright region on the electron beam image of the secondary electrons, the image being generated by the secondary electron beam image generation unit.

10 . The scanning electron microscope system according to claim 6 , further comprising:
a second backscattered electron detection unit that detects backscattered electrons scattered in a direction in which a zenith angle is smaller than an angle of five degrees in backscattered electrons emitted from the substrate; a second electron beam image generation unit that generates an electron beam image corresponding to intensity of the backscattered electrons scattered in the direction in which a zenith angle is smaller than an angle of five degrees, the backscattered electrons being detected by the second backscattered electron detection unit; and a material estimation unit that estimates a material of a bottom of the hole pattern or the groove pattern from brightness of a region corresponding to the bottom of the hole pattern or the groove pattern on the backscattered electron beam image generated by the second electron beam image generation unit.

11 . The scanning electron microscope system according to claim 6 ,
wherein the backscattered electron detection unit that detects backscattered electrons having penetrated the side wall of the hole pattern or the groove pattern includes a detector having a plurality of detection faces for detecting the backscattered electrons in individual orientations.

12 . A scanning electron microscope system that measures a hole pattern or a groove pattern formed on a substrate, the system comprising:
a primary electron beam application unit that scans and applies a primary electron beam to a pattern formed on the substrate; a backscattered electron detection unit that detects backscattered electrons having penetrated a side wall of the hole pattern or the groov

Assignees

• Hitachi High Tech Corp

Inventors

• Shishido Chie
• Yamamoto Takuma
• Yamada Shinya
• Tanaka Maki

Classifications

• H10P74/203

  Structural properties, e.g. testing or measuring thicknesses, line widths, warpage, bond strengths or physical defects · CPC title

• H01J37/244 Primary

  Detectors; Associated components or circuits therefor · CPC title

• H01J2237/2815

  Depth profile · CPC title

• H01J2237/281

  Bottom of trenches or holes · CPC title

• H01J2237/24495

  Signal processing, e.g. mixing of two or more signals · CPC title