Method of fabricating semiconductor device including step of forming superposition error measuring patterns

Claim 1

A method of fabricating a semiconductor device having an inner circuit including a plurality of recurring basic cells which are formed on a semiconductor substrate through a first and a second lithographic step, said method comprising steps of: forming a cell test pattern at a peripheral portion of said inner circuit, including a test cell array having at least one test basic cell of a same design and being subject to a same proximity effect as said basic cells and a plurality of test dummy cells of the same design as said basic cells, placed in a same disposition as said basic cells around said test cell array within said inner circuit and used solely for testing purposes and possessing a same light reflection influence as that of said basic cells; and forming a superposition error measurement pattern which is disposed in the vicinity of said cell test pattern, including a first and a second pattern formed in the steps of said first and second lithographic steps, respectively, performed in the formation of said basic cells, such that a measurement is substantially free of image distortion, wafer distortion, and reticle manufacture errors, said inner circuit, said cell test pattern and said superposition error measurement pattern being integrated on the same semiconductor substrate; and performing a superposition error measurement using said basic test cell and said superposition error measurement pattern.

Claim 2

A method of fabricating a semiconductor device having an inner circuit including a plurality of recurring basic cells which are formed on a semiconductor substrate through a first and a second lithographic step, said method comprising steps of: forming a cell test pattern at a peripheral portion of said inner circuit, including a test cell array having at least one test basic cell of a same design and being subject to a same proximity effect as said basic cells and a plurality of test dummy cells of the same design as said basic cells, placed in a same disposition as said basic cells around said test cell array within said inner circuit and used solely for testing purposes and possessing a same light reflection influence as that of said basic cells; and forming a superposition error measurement pattern which is disposed in the vicinity of said cell test pattern, including a first and a second pattern formed in the steps of said first and second lithographic steps, respectively, performed in the formation of said basic cells, such that a measurement is substantially free of image distortion, wafer distortion, and reticle manufacture errors, said inner circuit, said cell test pattern and said superposition error measurement pattern being integrated on the same semiconductor substrate; and performing a superposition error measurement using said basic test cell and said superposition error measurement pattern.

Claim 10

A method of fabricating a semiconductor device having an inner circuit including a plurality of recurring basic cells which are formed on a semiconductor substrate through a first and a second lithographic step, said method comprising steps of: forming a cell test pattern at a peripheral portion of said inner circuit, including a test cell array having at least one test basic cell of a same design and being subject to a same proximity effect as said basic cells and a plurality of test dummy cells of the same design as said basic cells, placed in a same disposition as said basic cells around said test cell array within said inner circuit and used solely for testing purposes and possessing a same light reflection influence as that of said basic cells; forming a superposition error measurement pattern which is disposed in the vicinity of said cell test pattern, including a first and a second pattern formed in the steps of said first and second lithographic steps, respectively, performed in the formation of said basic cells, such that a measurement is substantially free of image distortion, wafer distortion, and reticle manufacture errors, said inner circuit, said cell test pattern and said superposition error measurement pattern being integrated on the same semiconductor substrate; and performing a superposition error measurement using said basic test cell and said superposition error measurement pattern, wherein said measurement is substantially free from image distortion, wafer distortion, and reticle manufacturing errors when a separation between said basic test cell and said superposition error measurement pattern is 100 microns or less.

Claim 11

A method of fabricating a semiconductor device having an inner circuit including a plurality of recurring basic cells which are formed on a semiconductor substrate through a first and a second lithographic step, said method comprising steps of: forming a cell test pattern at a peripheral portion of said inner circuit, including a test cell array having at least one test basic cell of a same design and being subject to a same proximity effect as said basic cells and a plurality of test dummy cells of the same design as said basic cells, placed in a same disposition as said basic cells around said test cell array within said inner circuit and used solely for testing purposes and possessing a same light reflection influence as that of said basic cells; forming a superposition error measurement pattern which is disposed in the vicinity of said cell test pattern, including a first and a second pattern formed in the steps of said first and second lithographic steps, respectively, performed in the formation of said basic cells, such that a measurement is substantially free of image distortion, wafer distortion, and reticle manufacture errors, said inner circuit, said cell test pattern and said superposition error measurement pattern being integrated on the same semiconductor substrate; and performing a superposition error measurement using said basic test cell and said superposition error measurement pattern, wherein said measurement is substantially free from image distortion, wafer distortion, and reticle manufacturing errors when a separation between said basic test cell and said superposition error measurement pattern is 100 microns or less.