The Applied Aera2 Mask Inspection system introduces unique capabilities for qualifying the full range of masks used for dry and immersion technology nodes and for monitoring critical dimension (CD) variation in mask volume production. It is the industry’s first production-worthy inspection tool to use true aerial imaging for inspecting the reticle as it will appear in the wafer plane and predicting defect printability.
Designed to emulate a scanner and with superior signal-to-noise performance, Aera2 clearly identifies signals from defects of all types and locations; these signals in turn correlate closely with the effects each defect would create on the wafer. Thus defects are automatically classified as non-printing or printing relative to a given print threshold value and the aerial image reveals the ones most likely to print. By enabling printability prediction, Aera2 offers a capability absent in standard high-resolution inspection systems and cuts inspection time to 1 hour for today’s shortest time to decision. All mask technologies can be inspected as aerial imaging inherently accounts for mask-related phenomena associated with the range of resolution enhancement techniques used at advanced nodes.
Equipped with IntenCD for high-density, high-precision scanning of the entire reticle, Aera2 can generate maps of CD trends that could signal manufacturing process problems. Global trends can be resolved to approximately 1nm. Mapping occurs concurrent with inspection and can be performed for a range of applications and simultaneously for multiple feature sizes.
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