Error Source Sensitivity Analysis in Model-Based Coherence Scanning Interferometry for Thin Film Metrology

Fuente: arXiv
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Auteurs principaux: Xu, Lixuan, Chen, Cheng, Su, Rong
Format: Preprint
Publié: 2025
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author Xu, Lixuan
Chen, Cheng
Su, Rong
author_facet Xu, Lixuan
Chen, Cheng
Su, Rong
contents In semiconductor manufacturing processes, silicon dioxide films are commonly used as barrier layers, insulating layers, and protective layers. Coherence scanning interferometry (CSI) offers thin film thickness measurements with a millimeter-scale field of view and micrometer-scale lateral resolution. When the film thickness is less than the coherence length of a CSI system, a model-based film thickness measurement method is typically employed, which relies on a priori information about the thin film and the instrument. This study quantitatively analyzes how the accuracy of a priori information would affect the accuracy of thickness measurement when using a model-based CSI method. The influence factors include camera noise, numerical aperture (NA), pupil apodization, light source spectrum, and thin film refractive index. A series of SiO$_2$/Si thin films with varying thicknesses are analyzed by combining simulation and experimental approaches. The results reveal that the accuracy of thickness measurements exhibits varying sensitivity to different a priori information. The refractive index of the thin film is identified as the most sensitive source of error, where 1\% deviation in refractive index may cause 1\% relative thickness error, whereas 5\% deviation in NA results in less than 1\% relative thickness error. The simulation and experimental results show good agreement, validating the correctness and effectiveness of this study.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2503_06088
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Error Source Sensitivity Analysis in Model-Based Coherence Scanning Interferometry for Thin Film Metrology
Xu, Lixuan
Chen, Cheng
Su, Rong
Optics
Applied Physics
In semiconductor manufacturing processes, silicon dioxide films are commonly used as barrier layers, insulating layers, and protective layers. Coherence scanning interferometry (CSI) offers thin film thickness measurements with a millimeter-scale field of view and micrometer-scale lateral resolution. When the film thickness is less than the coherence length of a CSI system, a model-based film thickness measurement method is typically employed, which relies on a priori information about the thin film and the instrument. This study quantitatively analyzes how the accuracy of a priori information would affect the accuracy of thickness measurement when using a model-based CSI method. The influence factors include camera noise, numerical aperture (NA), pupil apodization, light source spectrum, and thin film refractive index. A series of SiO$_2$/Si thin films with varying thicknesses are analyzed by combining simulation and experimental approaches. The results reveal that the accuracy of thickness measurements exhibits varying sensitivity to different a priori information. The refractive index of the thin film is identified as the most sensitive source of error, where 1\% deviation in refractive index may cause 1\% relative thickness error, whereas 5\% deviation in NA results in less than 1\% relative thickness error. The simulation and experimental results show good agreement, validating the correctness and effectiveness of this study.
title Error Source Sensitivity Analysis in Model-Based Coherence Scanning Interferometry for Thin Film Metrology
topic Optics
Applied Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.06088