New Transparent Thin Film Metrology Tool

Rudolph Technologies, Inc., a leading supplier of film thickness metrology tools for the semiconductor industry, has introduced a new ellipsometer metrology system for transparent films. The S200-ultra (and S300-ultra) Laser Spectroscopic Ellipsometer for 200 (or 300) mm wafers is built on a versatile metrology platform that is extendable to next-generation metrology and semiconductor technologies. This system is the latest in Rudolph's MatrixMetrology™ line and brings the company one step closer to providing film metrology capabilities for all processes used in semiconductor production from transistor gate formation through completed integrated circuits.

It has a modular platform, multi-wavelength high repeatability mode (mw-HRM™) that meets the ITRS roadmap requirements for ultra-thin film measurement repeatability beyond 2005, and a new small spot high repeatability mode (ss-HRM™) that has a 5´ 10 µm measurement spot size allowing on-product measurement of gate under polysilicon. According to Collins, these new hardware capabilities are extended by novel modeling algorithms that account for band-gap defects in new low-k and high-k materials that meet the speed requirements of future generations of dielectric films, ultra-thin ONO and nitrided oxide gates, thin silicon dioxide gates under polysilicon, and polysilicon.

The newly developed ability to measure ultra-thin (sub-25 Å) silicon dioxide gate dielectrics under thick (1500-2000 Å) polysilicon gate electrodes is especially important for controlling integrated gate oxide under polysilicon gate stacks produced by newer cluster tool processes where the oxide is not, or cannot be, measured prior to polysilicon deposition. The mw-HRM and Advanced ModelingÔ will enable measurement and characterization of novel high-k gate films now under development, organic ARCs, and SiGe ultra-fast circuitry. The ss-HRM will enable these types of measurements on product wafers, eliminating the cost of monitor wafers and the processing time lost making them. The newly developed Advanced Modeling algorithms also allow the S-ultra series systems to characterize spin-on and CVD low-k dielectric films such as Dow SiLK™, Applied Materials Black Diamond™, and Novellus Coral™.

Rudolph is taking a major step ahead by introducing a metrology system that incorporates the knowledge and experience gained by over 100 customer-years collaborating with leading semiconductor logic, memory and ASIC manufacturers. This system is integrated on a versatile metrology platform that was engineered to meet the metrology requirements identified in the ITRS Roadmap from now through the next three technology nodes.

Rudolph Technologies, One Rudolph Road, Flanders, NJ 07836. Tel: 973-448-4452; Fax: 973-691-5480.