Photoresist pattern, method of fabricating the same, and method of assuring the quality thereof

Abstract

A photoresist pattern and a method of fabricating the same make it easy to quickly identify a particular portion of a photolithography process that is responsible for causing process defects. The method of fabricating the photoresist pattern includes forming main patterns having a predetermined critical dimension in device-forming regions of a semiconductor substrate, and forming a plurality of test patterns in scribe regions of the substrate. The scribe regions are defined alongside the device-forming regions and separate the device-forming regions from one another. The test patterns have shapes similar to that of the main patterns. Also, one of the test patterns has a critical dimensions similar to that of the main patterns, and other test patterns have respective critical dimensions that are different from the critical dimension of the main patterns.

1 . A product for use in forming a semiconductor device, said product comprising: 
 a substrate;    a film of material disposed on said substrate;    at least one main pattern in the film, wherein each said main pattern defines a series of openings in the film that expose a layer disposed beneath the film, said openings having a critical dimension; and    a plurality of test patterns in the film alongside the main patterns, the plurality of test patterns each defining at least one opening having a shape similar to that of the openings defined by said at least one main pattern, the at least one opening defined by one of said test patterns having a critical dimension similar to that of the openings defined by said at least one main pattern, and the at least one opening defined by another of said test patterns having a critical dimension different from that of the openings defined by said at least one main pattern.    
   
   
       2 . The product according to claim  17 , wherein said substrate is a semiconductor substrate, said film is a film of photoresist, said at least one main pattern comprises a plurality of main patterns disposed over a plurality of device-forming regions of the semiconductor substrate, respectively, and said test patterns are disposed along scribe regions of the semiconductor substrate, the scribe regions extending between the device-forming regions and separating the device-forming regions from one another.