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Defect reduction and defect stability in IMEC's 14nm half-pitch

chemo-epitaxy DSA flow

Conference Paper in Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering · March 2014
DOI: 10.1117/12.2047265

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DEFECT REDUCTION AND
STABILITY IN IMEC’S 14NM HP
CHEMO-EPITAXY DSA FLOW
ROEL GRONHEID, HARI PATHANGI, DIETER VAN DEN
HEUVEL,YU-TSUNG LEE, LIEVE VAN LOOK, BT CHAN

PAULINA RINCON DELGADILLO, PAUL F. NEALEY

YI CAO,YOUNGJUN HER, GUANYANG LIN

RYOTO HARUKAWA,VENKAT NAGASWAMI

DONI PARNELL, MARK SOMERVELL

LUCIA D’URZO

© IMEC 2014
IMEC’S DSA PROGRAM
Templated DSA Design for DSA CDU improvement and
frequency multiplication

9051-17: Tue 4.10pm 9053-27: Thu 2.35pm 9049-88: Tue Poster

© IMEC 2014 ROEL GRONHEID - SPIE ADVANCED LITHOGRAPHY 2

IMEC’S DSA PROGRAM
Process integration Optical CD metrology GI-SAXS metrology

9051-21: Tue 5.30pm

9049-56: Thu 4.05pm 9050-101: Wed Poster 9050-34: Wed 10.50am

© IMEC 2014 ROEL GRONHEID - SPIE ADVANCED LITHOGRAPHY 3

IMEC’S DSA PROGRAM
LiNe flow process LiNe flow defect defect metrology
optimization monitoring and reduction optimization

9051-19: Tue 4.50pm

9049-46: Thu 9.00am 9049-19: Tue 1.50pm 9049-86: Tue Poster

Focus of this talk

© IMEC 2014 ROEL GRONHEID - SPIE ADVANCED LITHOGRAPHY 4
OUTLINE

Introduction
▸ DSA of DSA
DSA defect monitoring results
▸ Gel particle reduction
Defect inspection sensitivity
▸ Dislocation defects
▸ Across wafer uniformity
Recent advances in defect reduction
Conclusions

© IMEC 2014 ROEL GRONHEID - SPIE ADVANCED LITHOGRAPHY 5

 LiNe FLOW FOR FABRICATION OF CHEMICAL
PATTERNS FOR DIRECTED SELF-ASSEMBLY OF
BLOCK COPOLYMERS

SiN deposition X-PS cross-linking Lithography O2 plasma etch Strip

OH-Brush grafting Brush rinse BCP annealing PMMA removal

(Chemical pattern)

 Contribution of each step of the process to defectivity was identified

 Root causes of DSA-specific defects can be established (external sources or by the
assembly process)

© IMEC 2014 ROEL GRONHEID - SPIE ADVANCED LITHOGRAPHY 6

 DSA OF DSA
Average Defect Density

4cm-2 494 cm-2 522 cm-2 280 cm-2 509 cm-2 563 cm-2 564 cm-2
600
5 88
500 54
BCP
400 CP
Strip
300 22 509
Trim
491 464 498 469
200 ER

254 XPS
100 SiN
15
4 36
0
SiN_insp XPS_insp ER_insp TR_insp STR_insp CP_insp BCP_insp
XPS and brush coat are the primary process steps that contribute to final defectivity.
BCP repairs 92% of the defects in the chemical pattern.

© IMEC 2014 ROEL GRONHEID - SPIE ADVANCED LITHOGRAPHY 7

 BCP NORMALIZED ADDER SEM REVIEW PARETO
DSA OF DSA SAMPLE

BCP Defect density: 509cm-2

61%

31%

2% 1% 4%
<1% <1% 1% <1%

Coating Particles Dislocations Cluster Black spots Big collapse Particle 2 Bridges SNV

© IMEC 2014 ROEL GRONHEID - SPIE ADVANCED LITHOGRAPHY 8

 LOCATION OF DISLOCATION AND CLUSTERS

Stack die map of dislocations and clusters

Side detector Particle Particle Side detector

Particle Side detector

Edge effect Edge effect Edge effect

The dislocations and clusters that are not located on the corners of the
inspection block can be classified as either particles or edge effects.
© IMEC 2014 ROEL GRONHEID - SPIE ADVANCED LITHOGRAPHY 9
OUTLINE

Introduction
▸ DSA of DSA
DSA defect monitoring results
▸ Gel particle reduction
Defect inspection sensitivity
▸ Dislocation defects
▸ Across wafer uniformity
Recent advances in defect reduction
Conclusions

© IMEC 2014 ROEL GRONHEID - SPIE ADVANCED LITHOGRAPHY 10

DEFECT DENSITY EVOLUTION
MONITOR RESULTS

© IMEC 2014 ROEL GRONHEID - SPIE ADVANCED LITHOGRAPHY 11

EVOLUTION OF PRIMARY DEFECT
CONTRIBUTORS

© IMEC 2014 ROEL GRONHEID - SPIE ADVANCED LITHOGRAPHY 12

IMPACT OF NEUTRAL LAYER FILTER
CHANGE

Dark Defects in CP and BCP Collapse

250
Defect Density (def/cm2)

Collapse
200
Dark CP CP
150

100

50

0
1315 1320 1325
Week
1330 1335 1340
BCP

• Very good agreement between the sum of all types of collapse (small +
big + complex) and the total number of dark polarity defects found
after the brush rinse step.

© IMEC 2014 ROEL GRONHEID - SPIE ADVANCED LITHOGRAPHY 13

 1600
Weekly Defect Monitoring
1315
New batch
1318 Neutral layer NLD127
1400 1321
1322 New batch of BCP
PME312
1325 NLD127 POU filter
1200
1327
1332
Defect Density (cm-2)

1000 1337
1338

800

600

400

200

0
Gel Dislocations Clusters Dark spots Big collapse Small Particles Bridges Dark Huge Complex SNV (dark SNV (bright
particles Collapse (bright) background collapse samples) samples)

© IMEC 2014 ROEL GRONHEID - SPIE ADVANCED LITHOGRAPHY 14

POST-PMMA VS POST-Si ETCH REVIEW
SNV: FALSE OR BURIED DEFECTS?
200
180
180 167 Sampling based on post-PMMA
Defect Density (def/cm2)

160
140
122
removal inspection 132

120 108
100 89
80 Si Review
59 61
60 PS review
36
40 24
15 9
20 6 0 6 0 4 9 6 0
0
BNV DNV Dark Bridge Multiple Particle D. SEM Collapse Total
spots bridge clusters burns visible

• The number of SEM non visible defects is similar for review after PMMA
removal and after Si etch: non-visible defects are false defects: they do
not transfer
© IMEC 2014 ROEL GRONHEID - SPIE ADVANCED LITHOGRAPHY 15
 DEFECT EVOLUTION VS TIME
Total
4000
Without SNV
3427
3500 3241
Defect Density (def/cm2)

3000
2460
2500
2042
2000

1500 1262
1073
922
1000 779
632
350 388 298 362 449
500
198 133 158 137
0
1315 1318 1321 1322 1325 1357 1332 1337 1338
Week

• Defectivity of the LiNe flow has been significantly reduced with the
established actions, mostly targeting material and installation improvements.
• After verifying with the Si etched wafer that SNV defects do not produce a
defect in the substrate (nuisance), this type can be eliminated. The real defect
density of was maintained at low level (160-133def/cm2) over multiple weeks
• Significant reduction in defect levels has been achieved

© IMEC 2014 ROEL GRONHEID - SPIE ADVANCED LITHOGRAPHY 16

OUTLINE

Introduction
▸ DSA of DSA
DSA defect monitoring results
▸ Gel particle reduction
Defect inspection sensitivity
▸ Dislocation defects
▸ Across wafer uniformity
Recent advances in defect reduction
Conclusions

© IMEC 2014 ROEL GRONHEID - SPIE ADVANCED LITHOGRAPHY 17

 RECIPE SETUP FLOW FOR POST SI ETCH
WAFER
Preparation DOI identification

 Optical simulation

 Initial scan with simulation and

2835 baseline mode

9049-86: Tue Poster

Finalize recipe & analysis Optics characterization

 Signal and noise study on several

defect types

© IMEC 2014 ROEL GRONHEID - SPIE ADVANCED LITHOGRAPHY 18

eDR-7100 DEFECT REVIEW

eDR-7100 was accepted at imec in last

weeks
No redetection required, so just go to
the location and take an image
Recipe uses defectless deskew: this
means no need for defect offset, just
global and SEM-alignment
Field of View: 1.00 x 1.00mm2
Image quality is sharp and high contrast
© IMEC 2014 ROEL GRONHEID - SPIE ADVANCED LITHOGRAPHY 19
POST-PMMA VS POST-Si ETCH REVIEW

200
180
180 167 Sampling based on post-PMMA
Defect Density (def/cm2)

160
140
122
removal inspection 132

120 108
100 89
80 Si Review
59 61
60 PS review
36
40 24
15 9
20 6 0 6 0 4 9 6 0
0
BNV DNV Dark Bridge Multiple Particle D. SEM Collapse Total
spots bridge clusters burns visible

No dislocations found, few bridging defects

© IMEC 2014 ROEL GRONHEID - SPIE ADVANCED LITHOGRAPHY 20

 DEFECT PARETO: POST-Si ETCH INSPECTION

300
Defect counts

250
200 252 168 276
128 145
150 210 118
87
100
42
50 12 2
0
Dislocation

Collapse

Non visible
Dislocation
Single brige

Multi blocked

Blocked etch
blocked etch

Local collapse

Collapse long
Multi bridge

cluster

w/ core
Single
pair

etch

Capture rate of dislocations, as well as other types of defects increased

Initial total defect density increase by ~factor 10: ~ 5,000 defects/cm2
© IMEC 2014 ROEL GRONHEID - SPIE ADVANCED LITHOGRAPHY 21
S/N FOR SMALL DISLOCATION DEFECTS

After PMMA removal After Si etch

BF shows best DF setting
S/N shows best S/N

Sensitivity
Very high S/N
too low for
for same type
small
of defect
dislocations
S/N ratio further
improved with
2915
Note: FoV for Note: FoV for
optical and optical image
SEM image are is much larger
matched than for SEM
image

© IMEC 2014 ROEL GRONHEID - SPIE ADVANCED LITHOGRAPHY 22

 OPTICS SELECTOR STUDY SUMMARY
2 MODES SELECTED, 1 EACH FROM BF/DF
Final candidate mode CC25 CC27 CC20 CC21 CC22 CC23 CC26 CC28 CC29

Dark Field 1

Dark Field 2

Dark Field 3

Dark Field 4

Bright Field 1

Bright Field 2

Bright Field 3

Bright Field 4

Good signal Some signal Limited signal

© IMEC 2014 ROEL GRONHEID - SPIE ADVANCED LITHOGRAPHY 23

DEFECT INSPECTION SENSITIVITY
 Objective of the study
- To quantify the sensitivity of the defect inspection recipe on 2835 to
dislocations.
 Test vehicle for quantification
▸ Scatterometry targets
- Pre-defined L/S patterns on the mask with varying (pre-pattern) pitch
 Deliberate attempt to induce dislocations in a specific on-chip area
60 mm

84 nm 85 nm 86 nm

60 mm
© IMEC 2014 ROEL GRONHEID - SPIE ADVANCED LITHOGRAPHY 24
 EXPERIMENTAL SCHEME
Scatterometry targets
1. Defect inspection in 2835 (60x60mm2 is sufficiently large for optical
inspection)
 Defect review based on inspection results
2. SEM-analysis of the entire grid (30x30 = 900 SEM images) and
quantification of the # defective fields of view

8484
nm 85 nm 86 nm
nm

Die-stack

84 nm 85 nm 86 nm

© IMEC 2014 ROEL GRONHEID - SPIE ADVANCED LITHOGRAPHY 25

 86NM PITCH GRID RECONSTRUCTION
 Scatterometry grid reconstructed based on the SEM
images (2x2mm2) from the step-scan
60mm Micro-bridge
Line break
9475 6665 9477 6665 9479 6665 9481 6665 9483 6665 9485 6665 9487 6665 9489 6665 9491 6665 9493 6665 9495 6665 9497 6665 9499 6665 9501 6665 9503 6665 9505 6665 9507 6665 9509 6665 9511 6665 9513 6665 9515 6665 9517 6665 9519 6665 9521 6665 9523 6665 9525 6665 9527 6665 9529 6665 9531 6665 9533 6665
Big dislocations
9481 6663 9483 6663 9499 6663 9511 6663 9521 6663 9523 6663 9525 6663 9531 6663 9534 6663

9475 6661 9489 6661 9507 6661 9507 6661 9519 6661 9521 6661 9535 6661 Small dislocations
9507 6659 9511 6659 9517 6659 9521 6659 9536 6659

9481 6657 9487 6657 9513 6657 9517 6657 9537 6657

9479 6655

9495 6653
9501 6655

9505 6653 9521 6653

9525 6655 9538 6665

9539 6655
#dislocations from SEM inspection: 67
9489 6651

9501 6649 9509 6649

9511 6651 9540 6651

9541 6649
#dislocations identified by 2835: 36
9477 6647

9487 6645 9489 6645

9493 6647 9509 6647

9519 6645
9531 6647 9542 6647

9543 6645
Lower limit for capture rate of dislocations:
9477 6643 9515 6643 9544 6643

>54%
60mm
9509 6641 9517 6641 9519 6641 9545 6641

9487 6639 9546 6639

9485 6637 9547 6637

Estimate of double detections: 19

9548 6635

9521 6633 9531 6633 9549 6633

9509 6631 9515 6631 9521 6631 9550 6631

9483 6629 9509 6629 9515 6627 9523 6627 9551 6629

Estimated actual capture rate: >80%

9503 6627 9525 6627 9552 6627

9523 6625 9553 6625

9493 6623 9499 6623 9554 6623

9527 6621 9555 6621

9479 6619 9503 6619 9505 6619 9556 6619

9491 6617 9493 6617 9499 6617 9503 6617 9505 6617 9525 6617 9557 6617

= FoV of optical image

9513 6615 9523 6615 9558 6615

9531 6613 9559 6613

9560 6611

9523 6609 9561 6609

9562 6607

© IMEC 2014 ROEL GRONHEID - SPIE ADVANCED LITHOGRAPHY 26

 ACROSS WAFER UNIFORMITY
 Defectivity signature matches across wafer CD and profile
signature
 Defect capture rate is function of etch depth
 More uniform performance across wafer has been achieved
in optimized etch process
defectivity: 980,327 defects/wafer CD
11.46 11.70 11.55
11.18 11.59 11.74 12.24 11.90 11.72 11.55
11.47 11.69 11.72 11.80 11.81 11.76 11.87
11.46 11.66 11.71 11.77 11.42 11.50 11.65 11.74 11.64
11.48 11.72 11.49 11.28 11.13 10.97 11.35 11.68 11.71
11.16 11.68 11.73 11.44 11.03 10.91 10.71 11.02 11.52 11.87 11.60
11.17 11.64 11.61 11.14 10.77 10.64 10.72 10.57 11.21 11.65 11.65
11.33 11.75 11.57 11.21 10.33 10.07 10.45 10.74 11.00 11.65 11.71
11.38 11.75 11.57 11.03 10.46 10.18 10.18 10.58 11.08 11.73 11.68
11.38 11.72 11.58 10.80 10.19 10.32 10.40 10.44 11.03 11.65 11.81
11.28 11.71 11.60 10.97 10.46 10.24 10.23 10.56 11.07 11.59 11.84
11.27 11.76 11.56 11.17 10.55 10.47 10.64 10.67 11.16 11.78 11.64
11.03 11.74 11.68 11.30 10.80 10.72 10.75 10.97 11.49 11.63 11.53
11.58 11.80 11.68 11.51 11.00 11.09 11.24 11.86 11.81 11.42
11.19 11.60 11.73 11.62 11.50 11.42 11.52 11.75 11.61
10.99 11.50 11.66 11.93 11.72 11.70 11.70 11.90 11.31
11.19 11.51 11.68 11.69 11.66 11.52 11.41
11.23 11.55 11.70 11.52 11.57 11.17
11.11 11.15 11.12
© IMEC 2014 ROEL GRONHEID - SPIE ADVANCED LITHOGRAPHY 27
OUTLINE

Introduction
▸ DSA of DSA
DSA defect monitoring results
▸ Gel particle reduction
Defect inspection sensitivity
▸ Dislocation defects
▸ Across wafer uniformity
Recent advances in defect reduction
Conclusions

© IMEC 2014 ROEL GRONHEID - SPIE ADVANCED LITHOGRAPHY 28

RECENT ADVANCES IN DEFECTIVITY
Monitoring process New process
74,480 defects 11,032 defects CD
/wafer /wafer
11.58 11.93 11.88
11.44 12.01 11.96 12.12 11.84 12.03 11.71
11.76 12.05 12.02 12.12 12.35 12.27 12.29
11.88 12.22 12.24 12.30 12.50 12.25 11.98 12.13 11.83
11.65 12.05 12.07 12.35 12.38 12.25 12.18 12.54 12.13
10.98 11.98 12.08 12.53 12.30 11.84 12.01 12.13 12.06 11.93 11.87
11.49 12.30 12.22 12.39 11.68 11.81 11.60 12.25 12.36 12.02 11.72
11.48 12.17 12.30 11.78 11.49 11.40 11.76 12.25 12.41 12.24 11.89
11.75 12.02 12.61 11.63 11.45 11.43 11.51 11.94 12.03 12.32 12.29
12.01 12.57 12.12 11.95 11.57 11.95 11.61 12.11 12.52 12.00 12.35
11.46 12.21 12.51 12.06 11.88 11.48 11.58 11.71 12.06 12.50 12.10
11.41 12.12 12.46 12.34 12.03 11.45 12.05 11.98 12.29 12.68 12.43
11.43 12.32 12.36 12.17 11.76 12.05 12.28 12.46 12.10 12.21 12.11
12.08 12.48 12.40 12.27 12.21 12.25 11.99 12.51 11.91 11.69
11.85 12.64 12.65 12.04 12.36 12.40 12.36 12.11 12.00
11.32 11.66 12.43 12.04 12.24 12.75 12.23 12.15 11.61
11.56 11.96 11.83 12.05 12.22 12.42 12.02
11.68 11.89 12.33 12.20 12.13 11.56
11.70 11.54 11.44

9049-19: Tue 1.50pm

 Across wafer CD signature has disappeared
 Defect and CD signature no longer track
© IMEC 2014 ROEL GRONHEID - SPIE ADVANCED LITHOGRAPHY 29
NEW PROCESS DEFECT PARETO
Defect density (cm-2)

© IMEC 2014 ROEL GRONHEID - SPIE ADVANCED LITHOGRAPHY 30

CONCLUSIONS

Defect performance has been demonstrated to be

stable and controllable over time
Gel particle defects have been removed from BCP by
filtration optimization
Flat microbridges and dislocation defects require
pattern transfer for accurate inspection
Etch and process optimization enables further >50x
defect reduction
Flat microbridges continue to be primary defect
source
© IMEC 2014 ROEL GRONHEID - SPIE ADVANCED LITHOGRAPHY 31
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Nadia Vandenbroeck, Hareen Bayana, Samuel Suhard,

Frank Holsteyns
Shigeru Tahara

© IMEC 2014 ROEL GRONHEID - SPIE ADVANCED LITHOGRAPHY 32

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