Level crossing methodology applied to line-edge roughness characterization

Stochastic-induced roughness of lithographic features continues to be of great concern due to its impact on semiconductor devices. In particular, rare events (large deviations in edge positions due to roughness) can cause catastrophic failure of a chip, but are hard to predict. Here, a new methodology, the level crossing method, is used to characterize the statistical behavior of edge roughness with the goal of predicting extreme events. Using experimental results from EUV lithography, the distribution of edge deviations was found to have tails significantly heavier than a normal distribution. While further work is required, these heavy tails could prove problematic when EUV is used in high volume manufacturing.