Abstract:
Edge points are extracted by specifying a height (values indicating a distance from a substrate) on a pattern when edges of the pattern are extracted from a CD-SEM image. Further, LER values obtained by the extraction of a Fourier spectrum of the LER are obtained. When the same sample is previously observed with the AFM and the CD-SEM, a size of the LER obtained by specifying a height, an auto-correlation distance of the LER, or an index called the spectrum is obtained from results of the AFM observation. Further, theses indices obtained by specifying image processing conditions for detecting the edge points from the CD-SEM observation result are obtained. Also, it is determined that heights providing values when the values are matched correspond to the image processing conditions and then, the edge points are extracted from the CD-SEM IMAGE instead of the AFM observation by using the image processing conditions.
Abstract:
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method and an apparatus of calculating and evaluating the level of roughness actually present in a pattern, for precisely and quickly evaluating the level of edge roughness from a SEM observation image of a fine line pattern having many noises, by calculating contribution of random noise of the apparatus on the basis of image data of one image and subtracting the roughness originated in the apparatus from a measurement value of an edge roughness index, from among the measured edge roughness indexes. SOLUTION: A quantity (or dispersion value) of fluctuation of edge position due to random noise is expected to be reduced statistically to 1/N when N edge position data items are averaged. Using this property, the single page image is averaged in a vertical direction with various values of parameter S, and then the edge roughness index is calculated. The S-dependence of the edge roughness index is analyzed and a term of a dispersion value directly proportional to 1/S is determined to be due to noise. COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT