Re-Evaluation of Calibration and Measurement Capabilities of Pitch Calibration Systems Designed by Using the Diffraction Method

Abstract

One-dimensional grating is one of the most important standards that are used to calibrate magnification of critical-dimension scanning electron microscopes (CD-SEMs) in the semiconductor industry. Long-term stability of pitch calibration systems is required for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories determined in ISO/IEC 17025:2005. In this study, calibration and measurement capabilities of two types of pitch calibration systems owned by a calibration laboratory are re-evaluated through comparison to a reference value and its expanded uncertainty given by a metrological atomic force microscope (metrological AFM) at National Metrology Institute of Japan (NMIJ), AIST. The calibration laboratory’s pitch calibration systems are designed by using the diffraction method (optical and X-ray).