AVS 45th International Symposium
    Applied Surface Science Division Tuesday Sessions
       Session AS-TuM

Paper AS-TuM11
Two-Dimensional Surface Roughness Measurements of Sidewalls of High Aspect Ratio Patterns Using the Atomic Force Microscope

Tuesday, November 3, 1998, 11:40 am, Room 307

Session: Sample Preparation and Tricks of the Trade
Presenter: R.J. Plano, Charles Evans & Associates
Authors: K.-J. Chao, Charles Evans & Associates
R.J. Plano, Charles Evans & Associates
J.R. Kingsley, Charles Evans & Associates
Correspondent: Click to Email
Methods of measuring the surface roughness of the sidewalls of high aspect ratio patterns are presented. Cleaving developed resist and etched silicon samples parallel to the long direction of the patterns and tipping over the sample 90 degrees fully exposes the sidewall surfaces, allowing investigation by either the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) or the Atomic Force Microscope (AFM). Another method, simply tipping over the lines in the developed resist samples, also allows full access to the resist sidewall. While the SEM can be used to confirm the sidewall surface features, the AFM provides quantitative information such as the Root-Mean-Square (RMS) roughness, unobtainable through other methods.