ISO/TC 202/SC 4 - Scanning electron microscopy

This document describes methods to qualify the scanning electron microscope with the digital imaging system for quantitative and qualitative SEM measurements by evaluating essential scanning electron microscope performance parameters to maintain the performance after installation of the instruments. The items and evaluating methods of the performance parameters are selected by users for their own purposes.

This document specifies the structure model with related parameters, file format and fitting procedure for characterizing critical dimension (CD) values for wafer and photomask by imaging with a critical dimension scanning electron microscope (CD-SEM) by the model-based library (MBL) method. The method is applicable to linewidth determination for specimen, such as, gate on wafer, photomask, single isolated or dense line feature pattern down to size of 10 nm.

ISO 16700:2016 specifies a method for calibrating the magnification of images generated by a scanning electron microscope (SEM) using an appropriate reference material. This method is limited to magnifications determined by the available size range of structures in the calibrating reference material. It does not apply to the dedicated critical dimension measurement SEM.

ISO/TS 24597:2011 specifies methods of evaluating the sharpness of digitized images generated by a scanning electron microscope by means of a Fourier transform method, a contrast-to-gradient method and a derivative method.

ISO 16700:2004 specifies a method for calibrating the magnification of images generated by a scanning electron microscope (SEM) using an appropriate reference material. This method is limited to magnifications determined by the available size range of structures in the calibrating reference material. This International Standard does not apply to the dedicated critical dimension measurement SEM.