Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Commons^™

Progress Towards Critical Dimension Low Vacuum Scanning Electron Microscopy, Vasiliki Tileli

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Low vacuum scanning electron microscopy (LVSEM) is proposed and evaluated for next generation Critical Dimension (CD) metrology. Its ability to control charging artifacts and hydrocarbon contamination in order to obtain high signal-to-noise ratio, high resolution image data from insulating materials make the technology an excellent match for the increased use of high-k dielectrics and shrinking feature size in the semiconductor industry. The presence of a gas in the LVSEM chamber means that the probe characteristics and secondary electron amplification, detection, and signal-to-noise ratio differ significantly from conventional high vacuum tools. In order for low vacuum CD approaches to be viable, …