Photoresist defect diagnosis using a rigorous topography simulator

Defects in photoresist are often difficult to diagnose, because patterned wafer inspections can only be done after the photoresist is developed. In this paper, defect simulation is used to understand the relation between defects in the photoresist and the resulting photoresist profiles. It is shown that particles and bubbles in the photoresist translate into a wide variety of defective photoresist profiles. Knowledge of the relation between defects and photoresist profiles can assist in yield improvement efforts, since defects may be diagnosed by comparing simulated and observed photoresist profiles.