X-ray based metrology with primary and secondary illumination sources
US10012606B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 23, 2015 |
| Grant date | Jul 3, 2018 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 23, 2035 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01L22/12
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
Methods and systems for performing relatively high energy X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) measurements and relatively low energy X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements over a desired inspection area of a specimen are presented. Combined XPS and XRF measurements of a specimen are achieved with illumination tailored to each respective metrology technique. A high brightness, high energy x-ray illumination source is employed in combination with one or more secondary fluorescence targets. The high energy x-ray illumination source supplies high energy x-ray illumination to a specimen to perform high energy XRF measurements. In addition, the high energy x-ray illumination source supplies high energy x-ray illumination to one or more secondary fluorescence targets. The one or more secondary fluorescence targets absorb some of the high energy x-ray photons and emit x-ray emission lines at a lower energy. The relatively low energy x-ray illumination is directed to the specimen to perform relatively low energy XPS measurements.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.