Emerging x-ray metrology techniques with evolving front-end-of-line high-technology IC nodes

This article reviews non-destructive x-ray metrology for next-generation semiconductor devices, focusing on Front-End-of-Line (FEOL) processes. As IMEC highlights, the transition to Gate-All-Around (GAA) architectures demands precise, buried-depth metrology for HAR (High-Aspect-Ratio) 3D structures. Advanced architectures like nanosheets, forksheets, and complementary field-effect transistors (CFET) push current measurement techniques to their limits, requiring atomic-level accuracy in critical dimension (CD) measurements. Given the limitations of conventional metrology, this article explores emerging x-ray-based techniques, their development, and future potential.