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As the gate dielectric has scaled to the sub 3 nanometer regime, demands on gate dielectric thickness control have translated into the need for sub‐monolayer precision on thickness measurements. While current ellipsometry techniques are capable of meeting these requirements, environmental film growth on the gate dielectric induces changes in the optical thickness of the film, yielding artificially thick results when measured. This growth is not constant, and we will discuss how both large scale and localized fluctuations of ambient parameters affect growth rates and can destabilize existing growth.In response to AMC (Airborne Molecular Contamination) layer formation, optical thickness metrology suppliers have developed a variety of techniques to remove the AMC layer from the film prior to measurement. As AMC growth rates are affected by humidity, air pressure, and air composition, each AMC desorption method must be customized for the individual properties of the gate dielectric and process environment to ... |
