US 12,085,475 B2
Method to determine line angle and rotation of multiple patterning
Yongan Xu, Santa Clara, CA (US); Chan Juan Xing, San Jose, CA (US); Jinxin Fu, Fremont, CA (US); and Ludovic Godet, Sunnyvale, CA (US)
Assigned to Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Appl. No. 17/771,557
Filed by Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
PCT Filed Dec. 14, 2020, PCT No. PCT/US2020/064858
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Apr. 25, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/141730, PCT Pub. Date Jul. 15, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/959,662, filed on Jan. 10, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0364951 A1, Nov. 17, 2022
Int. Cl. G01M 11/00 (2006.01)
CPC G01M 11/30 (2013.01) 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of measuring a line angle comprising:
selecting a field of view of a grating structure;
using a measurement tool to identify a line feature;
selecting a starting point along the line feature;
measuring a primary coordinate, the primary coordinate comprising a first x-coordinate and a first y-coordinate, wherein the first x-coordinate is a first distance from an edge of the field of view to the primary coordinate;
measuring coordinates of at least a secondary coordinate along the line feature, the secondary coordinate comprising a second x-coordinate and a second y-coordinate, wherein the second x-coordinate is a second distance from the edge of the field of view to the secondary coordinate;
using the primary coordinate and the secondary coordinate to estimate a theoretical line feature; and
calculating a line angle measurement between the theoretical line feature and a reference axis.