Methods for characterizing relative film density using spectroscopic analysis at the device level

摘要

Methods for characterizing relative film density using spectroscopic analysis at the device level are provided. One such method includes obtaining a composition of materials at preselected areas of a workpiece using energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, obtaining an electron energy loss spectrum-imaging data at each of the preselected areas using electron energy loss spectroscopy, removing, for each of the preselected areas, a preselected noise component of the electron energy spectrum-imaging data to form a plasmon energy spectrum-imaging data, generating, for each of the preselected areas, a plasmon energy map based on the respective plasmon energy spectrum-imaging data, determining, for each of the preselected areas, an average plasmon energy value from the respective plasmon energy map, and calculating a relative mass density of the preselected areas based on the average plasmon energy value, a number of valence electrons per molecule, and a molecular weight for each of the preselected areas.

主权项

1. A method for characterizing relative film density at a device level, the method comprising:
obtaining a composition of materials at a plurality of preselected areas of a workpiece using energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy; determining, by a processor, a molecular weight and a number of valence electrons per molecule for each of the plurality of preselected areas based on the composition of materials; obtaining an electron energy loss spectrum-imaging data at each of the plurality of preselected areas using electron energy loss spectroscopy; removing, by the processor and for each of the plurality of preselected areas, a preselected noise component of the electron energy loss spectrum-imaging data to form a plasmon energy spectrum-imaging data; generating, by the processor and for each of the plurality of preselected areas, a plasmon energy map based on the respective plasmon energy spectrum-imaging data; determining, by the processor and for each of the plurality of preselected areas, an average plasmon energy value from the respective plasmon energy map; and calculating, by the processor, a relative mass density of the plurality of preselected areas based on the average plasmon energy value, the number of valence electrons per molecule, and the molecular weight for each of the plurality of preselected areas.