Potentials of on-line scanning electron microscope performance analysis using NIST Reference Material 8091

On-line instrument testing can be employed by the analysis of sharpness using either the commercial product SEM Monitor or the public domain method referred to as kurtosis analysis. Both of these software programs require an appropriate sample artifact for the analysis. This paper discusses NIST Reference Material (RM) 8091 and its application to these programs. RM 8091 is intended primarily for use in checking the sharpness performance of scanning electron microscopes. It is composed of a granular tungsten layer deposited on a silicon wafer. The procedure for fabrication is provided if the user wishes to manufacture a full-wafer standard. This reference material is fully compatible with state-of-the-art integrated circuit technology. Optimization parameters and some data on the use of sharpness analysis in the semiconductor fab will be included in the presentation.