Within the European Chips Act, CEA-Leti is strongly committed to support the reduction of component dimensions to reach the future technological nodes (below 10 nm). To detect and account the line edge roughness becomes critical for such small dimensions since ‘the few Angstrom error’ becomes critical (several % of error) for sub-10nm devices.
This PhD work will focus mainly on the use of CD-SAXS to define the sensibility of the technique. To do so, we propose to follow two main complementary directions: first to perform simulations with tools under developments to identify the exact impact of roughness on a CD-SAXS pattern; and secondly to lead the experimental measurements on samples specifically designed at the CEA-LETI with controlled roughness. . CD-SAXS measurements will be done both on the laboratory equipment at the CEA as well as at synchrotrons (ESRF, NSLS-II). These results will be compared with results obtained from CEA-LETI cleanroom metrology equipment, such as AFM-3D and CD-SEM.
This PhD will take place between the Nanocharacterization platform of the CEA–LETI witch offer world-class analytical techniques and state-of-the-art instruments and the cleanroom metrology team from the CEA-LETI.