Critical Moves: Advanced Logic Devices And CIS Benefit From Applications Using IRCD Metrology

As 3D NAND continues to scale vertically — all in the name of increasing capacity and speed and reducing inefficiency and cost — maintaining channel hole critical dimension (CD) and shape uniformity becomes even more challenging. Faced with rising high-aspect ratios, addressing these challenges requires new inline non-destructive metrology to provide real-time process control. Infrared critical dimension metrology (IRCD) is one solution.

But while IRCD can be used to measure high-aspect ratio structures like the amorphous carbon hardmask and channel hole profile in 3D NAND, the mid-IR wavelength range can be used to measure non-memory devices like logic and CIS. In particular, IRCD can be a powerful metrology resource when it comes to detecting fluorinated polymer residue after cleans in advanced logic devices and measuring vertical doping concentration profiles after plasma doping in CIS.