An advanced defect-monitoring test structure for electrical measurements and defect localization

A new test structure for the detection and localization of short and open defects in LSI intra-layer wiring processes is proposed. In the structure, an open-monitoring element (OME) in the first metal layer meanders around lines of short-monitoring elements (SME) placed in contact with N-type diffusion regions to make the structure compact. The proposed structure allows defective test structures to be screened through electrical measurements and killer defects to be localized through voltage contrast or optical microscopy methods.