Electron Beam Inspection: Voltage Contrast Inspection to Characterize Contact Isolation

For a recent replacement metal gate (RMG) FINFET technology using a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate, contact to gate electrical isolation is monitored with Electron Beam Inspection (EBI). The variation in isolation could be due to either lithography overlay error or critical dimensions. The inspection is performed in a Voltage contrast mode (VC). A within reticle inspection using EBI is proposed to characterize the within-reticle and within-wafer variation.