Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090050823 | APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR SCATTERING-BASED SEMICONDUCTOR INSPECTION AND METROLOGY - Disclosed are apparatus and methods for inspecting or measuring one or more semiconductor targets. An incident beam is directed towards a first target as the first target substantially, continuously moves such that the incident beam remains directed at such first target during a first time period in which the first target substantially, continuously moves between a first position and a second position. An output beam scattered from the first target, in response to the incident beam being directed towards the first target during the first time period in which the first target substantially, continuously moves between the first and second positions, is detected such that information is obtained from the detected output beam during the first time period. The first time period is selected so that the information that is collected from the detected output beam during such first time period can be used to determine a characteristic of the first target. | 02-26-2009 |
20100175033 | SCATTEROMETRY METROLOGY TARGET DESIGN OPTIMIZATION - A metrology target design may be optimized using inputs including metrology target design information, substrate information, process information, and metrology system information. Acquisition of a metrology signal with a metrology system may be modeled using the inputs to generate one or more optical characteristics of the metrology target. A metrology algorithm may be applied to the characteristics to determine a predicted accuracy and precision of measurements of the metrology target made by the metrology system. Part of the information relating to the metrology target design may be modified and the signal modeling and metrology algorithm may be repeated to optimize the accuracy and precision of the one or more measurements. The metrology target design may be displayed or stored after the accuracy and precision are optimized. | 07-08-2010 |
20110069312 | METROLOGY SYSTEMS AND METHODS - Various metrology systems and methods are provided. | 03-24-2011 |
20110310388 | DISCRETE POLARIZATION SCATTEROMETRY - Systems and methods for discrete polarization scatterometry are provided. | 12-22-2011 |
20120033226 | OPTICS SYMMETRIZATION FOR METROLOGY - The present invention includes an illumination source, at least one illumination symmetrization module (ISM) configured to symmetrize at least a portion of light emanating from the illumination source, a first beam splitter configured to direct a first portion of light processed by the ISM along an object path to a surface of one or more specimens and a second portion of light processed by the ISM along a reference path, and a detector disposed along a primary optical axis, wherein the detector is configured to collect a portion of light reflected from the surface of the one or more specimens. | 02-09-2012 |
20120327503 | ILLUMINATION CONTROL - An optical system may include an objective, a source of illumination, an illumination system having illumination optics configured to direct the illumination onto the objective, and at least two dynamic optical array devices located at a pupil conjugate plane and a field conjugate plane, respectively in the illumination optics. The dynamic optical array devices are configured to control one or more properties of illumination coupled from the illumination system to the objective. | 12-27-2012 |
20130044331 | OVERLAY METROLOGY BY PUPIL PHASE ANALYSIS - The present invention may include measuring a first phase distribution across a pupil plane of a portion of illumination reflected from a first overlay target of a semiconductor wafer, wherein the first overlay target is fabricated to have a first intentional overlay, measuring a second phase distribution across the pupil plane of a portion of illumination reflected from a second overlay target, wherein the second overlay target is fabricated to have a second intentional overlay in a direction opposite to and having the same magnitude as the first intentional overlay, determining a first phase tilt associated with a sum of the first and second phase distributions, determining a second phase tilt associated with a difference between the first and second phase distributions, calibrating a set of phase tilt data, and determining a test overlay value associated with the first and second overlay target. | 02-21-2013 |
20130229661 | Metrology Systems and Methods - Various metrology systems and methods are provided. One metrology system includes a light source configured to produce a diffraction-limited light beam, an apodizer configured to shape the light beam in the entrance pupil of illumination optics, and optical elements configured to direct the diffraction-limited light beam from the apodizer to an illumination spot on a grating target on a wafer and to collect scattered light from the grating target. The metrology system further includes a field stop and a detector configured to detect the scattered light that passes through the field stop. In addition, the metrology system includes a computer system configured to determine a characteristic of the grating target using output of the detector. | 09-05-2013 |
20140060148 | METHOD FOR ESTIMATING AND CORRECTING MISREGISTRATION TARGET INACCURACY - Aspects of the present disclosure describe systems and methods for calibrating a metrology tool by using proportionality factors. The proportionality factors may be obtained by measuring a substrate under different measurement conditions. Then calculating the measured metrology value and one or more quality merits. From this information, proportionality factors may be determined. Thereafter the proportionality factors may be used to quantify the inaccuracy in a metrology measurement. The proportionality factors may also be used to determine an optimize measurement recipe. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. | 03-06-2014 |
20140111791 | PHASE CHARACTERIZATION OF TARGETS - Systems and methods are provided which derive target characteristics from interferometry images taken at multiple phase differences between target beams and reference beams yielding the interferometry images. The illumination of the target and the reference has a coherence length of less than 30 microns to enable scanning the phase through the coherence length of the illumination. The interferometry images are taken at the pupil plane and/or in the field plane to combine angular and spectroscopic scatterometry data that characterize and correct target topography and enhance the performance of metrology systems. | 04-24-2014 |
20140136137 | METROLOGY TARGET CHARACTERIZATION - Methods and systems are provided, which identify specified metrology target abnormalities using selected metrics and classify the identified target abnormalities geometrically to link them to corresponding sources of error. Identification may be carried out by deriving target signals such as kernels from specified regions of interest (ROIs) from corresponding targets on a wafer, calculating the metrics from the target signals using respective functions and analyzing the metrics to characterize the targets. | 05-15-2014 |
20140146322 | Apodization for Pupil Imaging Scatterometry - The disclosure is directed to various apodization schemes for pupil imaging scatterometry. In some embodiments, the system includes an apodizer disposed within a pupil plane of the illumination path. In some embodiments, the system further includes an illumination scanner configured to scan a surface of the sample with at least a portion of apodized illumination. In some embodiments, the system includes an apodized pupil configured to provide a quadrupole illumination function. In some embodiments, the system further includes an apodized collection field stop. The various embodiments described herein may be combined to achieve certain advantages. | 05-29-2014 |
20140168650 | Spectral Control System - The disclosure is directed to a system and method of controlling spectral attributes of illumination. According to various embodiments, a portion of illumination including an excluded selection of illumination spectra is blocked, while another portion of the illumination including a transmitted selection of illumination spectra is directed along an illumination path. In some embodiments, optical metrology is performed utilizing the spectrally controlled illumination to enhance measurement capability. For instance, the spectral attributes of illumination utilized to analyze different portions of a sample, such as different semiconductor layers, may be selected according to certain measurement characteristics associated with the analyzed portions of the sample. | 06-19-2014 |
20140240951 | Systems for Providing Illumination in Optical Metrology - The disclosure is directed to systems for providing illumination to a measurement head for optical metrology. In some embodiments of the disclosure, illumination beams from a plurality of illumination sources are combined to deliver illumination at one or more selected wavelengths to the measurement head. In some embodiments of the disclosure, intensity and/or spatial coherence of illumination delivered to the measurement head is controlled. In some embodiments of the disclosure, illumination at one or more selected wavelengths is delivered from a broadband illumination source configured for providing illumination at a continuous range of wavelengths. | 08-28-2014 |
20150036142 | Metrology Systems and Methods - Various metrology systems and methods are provided. One metrology system includes a light source configured to produce a diffraction-limited light beam, an apodizer configured to shape the light beam in the entrance pupil of illumination optics, and optical elements configured to direct the diffraction-limited light beam from the apodizer to an illumination spot on a grating target on a wafer and to collect scattered light from the grating target. The metrology system further includes a field stop and a detector configured to detect the scattered light that passes through the field stop. In addition, the metrology system includes a computer system configured to determine a characteristic of the grating target using output of the detector. | 02-05-2015 |