International Journal of Precision Engineering and Manufacturing

Korean Society for Precision Engineering (한국정밀공학회)
권호 표지

Pitch Measurement of 150 nm 1D-grating Standards Using an Nano-metrological Atomic Force Microscope

  • Jonghan Jin (Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)) ;
  • Ichiko Misumi (National Metrology Institute of Japan (NMIJ), National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) ;
  • Satoshi Gonda (National Metrology Institute of Japan (NMIJ), National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) ;
  • Tomizo Kurosawa (National Metrology Institute of Japan (NMIJ), National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST))
  • Published : 2004.07.01
Download PDF
⟨ Previous Next ⟩

Abstract

Pitch measurements of 150 nm one-dimensional grating standards were carried out using a contact mode atomic force microscopy with a high resolution three-axis laser interferometer. This measurement technique was named as the 'nano-metrological AFM'. In the nano-metrological AFM, three laser interferometers were aligned precisely to the end of an AFM tip. Laser sources of the three-axis laser interferometer in the nano-metrological AFM were calibrated with an I$_2$ stabilized He-Ne laser at a wavelength of 633 nm. Therefore, the Abbe error was minimized and the result of the pitch measurement using the nano-metrological AFM could be used to directly measure the length standard. The uncertainty in the pitch measurement was estimated in accordance with the Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement (GUM). The primary source of uncertainty in the pitch-measurements was derived from the repeatability of the pitch-measurements, and its value was about 0.186 nm. The average pitch value was 146.65 nm and the combined standard uncertainty was less than 0.262 nm. It is suggested that the metrological AFM is a useful tool for the nano-metrological standard calibration.

Keywords

References

  1. Semiconductor Industry Association, The National Technology Roadmap for Semiconductor, 1999
  2. Schneir, J., McWaid, T. H., Alexander, J. and Wilfley, B. P., 'Design of an atomic force microscope with interferometeric position control,' J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B, Vol. 12, No. 6, pp. 3561-3566, 1994 https://doi.org/10.1116/1.587471
  3. Meli, F. and Thalmann, R., 'Long-range AFM profiler used for accurate pitch measurements,' Meas. Sci. Technol., Vol. 9,No. 7, pp. 1087-1092, 1998 https://doi.org/10.1088/0957-0233/9/7/014
  4. Bienias, M., Gao, S., Hasche, K., Seemann, R. and Thiele, K., 'A Metrological scanning force microscope used for coating thickness and other topographical measurements,' Appl. Phys. A, Vol. 66, pp. S837-S842, 1998 https://doi.org/10.1007/s003390051252
  5. Jorgensen, J. F., Jensen, C. P. and Garnaes, J., 'Lateral metrology using scanning probe microscopes, 2D pitch standards and image processing,' App. Phys. A, Vol .66, pp. S847-852, 1998 https://doi.org/10.1007/s003390051254
  6. Gonda, S., Doi, T., Kurosawa, T., Tanimura, Y., Hisata, N., Yamagishi, T., Fujimoto, H. and Yukawa, H., 'Real-time, interferometrically measuring atomic force microscope for direct calibration of standards,' Rev. Sci. Instrum, Vol. 70, No. 8, pp. 3362-3368, 1999 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1149920
  7. Gonda, S., Doi, T., Kurosawa, T., Tanimura, Y., Hisata, N., Yamagishi, T., Fujimoto, H. and Yukawa, H., 'Accurate topographic images using a measuring atomic force microscope,' App. Surf. Sci, Vol. 144-145, pp. 505-509, 1999 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0169-4332(98)00851-4
  8. http://www.bipm.org
  9. Misumi, I., Gonda, S., Kurosawa, T., Takamasu, K.,'Uncertainty in pitch measurements of one-dimensional grating standards using a nanometrological atomic force microscope,' Measurement Science and Technology, Vol. 14, No. 4, pp. 463 -471, 2003 https://doi.org/10.1088/0957-0233/14/4/309
  10. Data Sheet of the PSITM for 145 nm pitch standard sample
  11. ISO, BIPM, IEC, IFCC, ISO, IUPC, IUPAP, OIML, 'Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement,' 1993
  12. Edlen, B., 'The refractive index of air,' Metrologia, Vol. 2, No. 2, pp. 71-80, 1966 https://doi.org/10.1088/0026-1394/2/2/002
  13. www.asmicro.com