The present invention is directed to several inventive methods for characterizing
implant profiles. In one embodiment, the method comprises forming a first plurality
of implant regions in a substrate, and illuminating the implant regions with a
light source in a scatterometry tool, the scatterometry tool generating a trace
profile corresponding to an implant profile of the illuminated implant regions.
In another embodiment, the method comprises measuring profiles of implant regions
by forming a plurality of implant regions in a substrate, illuminating the implant
regions, measuring light reflected off the substrate to generate a profile trace
for the implant regions, comparing the generated profile trace to a target profile
trace from a library, and modifying, based upon a deviation between the generated
profile trace and the target profile trace, at least one parameter of an ion implant
process used to form implant regions on subsequently processed substrates. In yet
another embodiment, the generated profile trace is compared or correlated to at
least one of a plurality of calculated profile traces stored in a library, each
of which has an associated implant region profile, and modifying, based upon the
comparison of the generated profile trace and the calculated profile trace, at
least one parameter of an ion implant process used to form implant regions on subsequently
processed substrates.