Metrology manufacturing control factors: A holistic approach for supporting 14nm and 7nm

In this paper we will demonstrate a systematic approach for controlling the inputs around a measurement process which has been applied at GLOBALFOUNDRIES Fab 8. The approach covers a wide range of topics which are each individually known but not uniformly applied across the industry. We will discuss the various manufacturing control factors involved around performing a measurement, which can be considered universally applicable to any measurement process. In order to determine the success of the application of these control factors, the First-Time Right (FTR) methodology for measurement quality will also be introduced. Additionally, by comparing failures through the development-to-manufacturing transition against the key signal categories including Fault Detection Control (FDC), pattern recognition greyscale matching and blurriness of pattern alignment images it is possible to identify and separate out key contributors and resolve them systematically. Using these metrics, multiple aspects of recipe creation were quantized and sorted into critical failure modes, inducing categories around performing a measurement and providing a framework for detecting, diagnosing and preventing various failure modes which are not specific to a single toolset. It will be shown that combining these diverse factors and methodologies for measurement control significantly reduces noise factors, improves overall production efficiency, with a focus on cycle-time, and supports manufacturability in the face of an exploding number of metrology operations per technology node.