Patent · US Active

Diffraction based overlay scatterometry

US10824079B2 · kind B2 · utility

7Cited by

1References

16Claims

0Family size

Assignee

KLA-TENCOR CORPORATION · US

Inventors

Yuval Lubashevsky · Haifa, IL
Yuri Paskover · Or Akiva, IL
Vladimir Levinski · Milpitas, US
Amnon Manassen · Haifa, IL

Key dates

Filing date	Sep 5, 2018
Grant date	Nov 3, 2020
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Sep 5, 2038

Classification

Technology area (CPC G)Physics
CPC primaryG03F7/70625
WIPO fieldMeasurement
WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A method of monitoring overlay is used in a manufacturing process in which successive layers are deposited one over another to form a stack. Each layer may include a periodic structure such as a diffraction grating to be aligned with a periodic structure in another layer. The stacked periodic structures may be illuminated to form + and − first order diffraction patterns from the periodic structures. An image of the stacked periodic structures may be captured including + and − diffraction patterns. The + and − diffraction patterns may be compared to calculate the overlay between successive layers.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.