Photomask Inspection with SEM-EDS - A Critical Part of the Semiconductor Manufacturing Process

A photomask is a stencil for printing patterns on a wafer during the semiconductor device manufacturing process; it contains the patterns used to create integrated circuits and can be used to manufacture nanoscale features. The photomask must have accurately controlled patterns and zero defects, because mask errors will be amplified and repeated on the wafer. Optical inspection lacks the required spatial resolution, so the electron microscopy EDS inspection is the solution.

By downloading this application note, you will learn how:

• To inspect photomask quality in terms of defects and cleanliness
• E-beam analysis with an SEM + EDS can help quickly locate different types of defects on a mask
• Ultim Extreme detector can help you - optimised for low kV analysis, and user can acquire valuable hyperspectral map data in a timescale of a few minutes
• Compositional data aids in finding the cause of defects and ultimately helps to eliminate their occurrence and increase manufacturing yield

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