An Extended Kalman filtering-based method of processing reflectometry data for fast in-situ etch rate measurements

In this paper a new algorithm is presented for determining etch rate from single or multiple wavelength reflectometry data. This algorithm is based on techniques from recursive nonlinear estimation theory-Extended Kalman Filtering. A major advantage of our algorithm is extremely high speed, with computation time less than 1 ms on a Pentium PC. Consequently, it can be used in real-time feedback control applications. The speed advantage also makes it a suitable candidate for full wafer (or multi-point) high-speed etch rate measurement.