The miniaturization of the semiconductor devices is made possible by the improvemen of technological processing steps (such as lithography, etching, etc.). This progress goes with the need of fast reliable characterization techniques. Optical metrology based on the analysis of light diffracted by a periodic pattern, namely scatterometry, positions itself as a very promising technique for monitoring in situ and real-time manufacturing processes. In this work, we validated scatterometry for the real-time monitoring of manufacturing processes; such as the resist trimming. First, the technique was successfully validated on 248nm photo resist, under various experimental conditions, then on 193nm photo resist. The latter case is more interesting for semiconductor manufacturing application, but it is more difficult to address because the optical properties of the materials used change during the course of the process as a result of the plasma impact. These optical properties must be considered as variable parameters in the model used for solving the inverse problem. We have also contributed to the extension of the method to innovative applications such as porosimetry. This technique known as scatterometric porosimetry allows determining porosity as well as permeability of the surface and the thickness of the hydrophilic layer on pattern sidewalls.
