Novel Use of Discrete SEM Inspection to Supplement and Refine Inline Defect Inspection During 65nm MirrorBit Development

As technology nodes continue to shrink, the role of scanning electron microscope (SEM) has become more than just a review tool. Systematic discrete SEM inspections can serve as inline responses to process experiments, providing quantitative defectivity information for defects that may be difficult to identify by common bright field tools. In addition, this methodology provides means to further refine the automated bright field inspection recipes towards the defect of interest.