@inproceedings{c444fb147b0a47c2b823d732c14ce1dc,
title = "Carbon nanotube AFM probes for microlithography process control",
abstract = "The use of carbon nanotubes (CNT) as probes for atomic force microscopy (AFM) has been studied worldwide for more than a decade; however, the industries have not widely accepted CNT probes in their day-to-day operation. In this work, we present a series of studies on the metrology performance of CNT probes in semiconductor industry. A total of 54 CNT probes were studied for tip geometry, and 11 probes were tested on production wafers from a variety of IC manufacturers. Five out of the 11 probes were further evaluated for tip lifetime in semiconductor manufacturing environments. Statistical measurement data and tip shape characterization results provide insights on the applications of CNT probes in microlithography process control. The recent advancements in AFM scan algorithms that enable the control and use of CNT probes were also discussed in this paper. Sidewall measurement data using tilted CNT probes, and the AFM image of a CNT probe showing a comparable resolution to that of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were presented for the first time. The combination of advanced AFM system and CNT probes has proven to perform challenging metrology in 65 nm node and beyond.",
author = "Liu, {Hao Chih} and David Fong and Dahlen, {Gregory A.} and Marc Osborn and Sean Hand and Osborne, {Jason R.}",
year = "2006",
month = jul,
day = "11",
doi = "10.1117/12.656807",
language = "English",
isbn = "0819461954",
series = "Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering",
booktitle = "Metrology, Inspection, and Process Control for Microlithography XX",
note = "Metrology, Inspection, and Process Control for Microlithography XX ; Conference date: 20-01-2006 Through 23-01-2006",
}