ABSTRACT
In 1987, the semiconductor industry was undergoing a technological transition into the submicrometer range of device dimensions. Small dimensions that are very important to device performance or yield are called critical dimensions (CD). This chapter describes the National Bureau of Standards’ Submicrometer Linewidth Metrology, relating the context in which the publication appeared, its impact on science, technology, and the general public, and brief details about the lives and work of the author. The general problem of optical linewidth metrology was discussed with emphasis on: definition of linewidth for non-ideal features, precision and accuracy, effects of measurement errors on process control, instrument design, resolution of the measuring microscope, optical-based linewidth standards, and alternative linewidth measurement techniques. The factors affecting measurements of small feature dimensions are discussed and illustrated by calculated image waveforms for a typical patterned polysilicon line on a silicon dioxide layer upon a silicon substrate.
