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arXiv · 2503.06088

Error Source Sensitivity Analysis in Model-Based Coherence Scanning Interferometry for Thin Film Metrology

Lixuan Xu·Cheng Chen·Rong Su
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Abstract

In semiconductor manufacturing processes, silicon dioxide films are commonly used as barrier layers, insulating layers, and protective layers. Coherence scanning interferometry (CSI) offers thin film thickness measurements with a millimeter-scale field of view and micrometer-scale lateral resolution. When the film thickness is less than the coherence length of a CSI system, a model-based film thickness measurement method is typically employed, which relies on a priori information about the thin film and the instrument. This study quantitatively analyzes how the accuracy of a priori information would affect the accuracy of thickness measurement when using a model-based CSI method. The influence factors include camera noise, numerical aperture (NA), pupil apodization, light source spectrum, and thin film refractive index. A series of SiO$_2$/Si thin films with varying thicknesses are analyzed by combining simulation and experimental approaches. The results reveal that the accuracy of thickness measurements exhibits varying sensitivity to different a priori information. The refractive index of the thin film is identified as the most sensitive source of error, where 1\% deviation in refractive index may cause 1\% relative thickness error, whereas 5\% deviation in NA results in less than 1\% relative thickness error. The simulation and experimental results show good agreement, validating the correctness and effectiveness of this study.

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Lixuan Xu, Cheng Chen, Rong Su. 2025-03-08. Error Source Sensitivity Analysis in Model-Based Coherence Scanning Interferometry for Thin Film Metrology. https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.06088

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