The device manufacturing method includes a length measuring step (S5) of, on the basis of an observation target image of an SEM image taken from a direction having a predetermined angle from a direction perpendicular to a plane of a substrate, measuring the thickness of a target object, or the depth of etching, formed on the substrate. In addition, in the length measuring step, an etching angle made by a cross section of the etching and the direction perpendicular to the plane of the substrate is calculated from processing data of the target object, and the thickness of the target object or the depth of the etching is measured on the basis of the calculated etching angle.

A system includes three related structures. A first structure includes a first finger interposed between a first pair of sidewalls. The first finger has a first length and a first width, and is separated from each of the sidewalls by a first gap having a first spacing. A second structure includes a second finger interposed between a second pair of sidewalls. The second finger has a second length and the first width, and is separated from each of the sidewalls by a second gap having a second spacing. A third structure includes a third finger interposed between a third pair of sidewalls. The third finger has the second length and a second width, and is separated from each of the sidewalls by a third gap having a second spacing. Resistance and capacitance measurements of the three structures are used to extract critical parameters resulting from a semiconductor device fabrication process.

The device manufacturing method includes a length measuring step (S5) of, on the basis of an observation target image of an SEM image taken from a direction having a predetermined angle from a direction perpendicular to a plane of a substrate, measuring the thickness of a target object, or the depth of etching, formed on the substrate. In addition, in the length measuring step, an etching angle made by a cross section of the etching and the direction perpendicular to the plane of the substrate is calculated from processing data of the target object, and the thickness of the target object or the depth of the etching is measured on the basis of the calculated etching angle.

Some embodiments of the present invention provide processes and apparatus for electrochemically fabricating multilayer structures (e.g. mesoscale or microscale structures) with improved endpoint detection and parallelism maintenance for materials (e.g. layers) that are planarized during the electrochemical fabrication process. Some methods involve the use of a fixture during planarization that ensures that planarized planes of material are parallel to other deposited planes within a given tolerance. Some methods involve the use of an endpoint detection fixture that ensures precise heights of deposited materials relative to an initial surface of a substrate, relative to a first deposited layer, or relative to some other layer formed during the fabrication process. In some embodiments planarization may occur via lapping while other embodiments may use a diamond fly cutting machine.

A method is for etching the whole width of a substrate to expose buried features. The method includes etching a face of a substrate across its width to achieve substantially uniform removal of material; illuminating the etched face during the etch process; applying edge detection techniques to light reflected or scattered from the face to detect the appearances of buried features; and modifying the etch in response to the detection of the buried feature. An etching apparatus for etching substrate across its width to expose buried is also disclosed.

An adaptive feedback control method is provided for a chemical mechanical polish process to minimize a dielectric layer clearing time difference between two annular regions on a substrate. An optical system with an optical window passes below the polishing pad and detects reflected light interference signals from at least two annular regions. A pre-clearing time difference is determined and is used to calculate an adjustment to one or both of a CMP head membrane pressure and a retaining ring pressure. The pressure adjustment is applied before the end of the polish cycle to avoid the need for a second polish cycle and to reduce a dishing difference and a resistance difference in a metal layer in the at least two annular regions. In some embodiments, a second pressure adjustment is performed before the end of the cycle and different CMP head membrane pressure adjustments are made in different pressure zones.