Patent · US Expired

Apparatus for analyzing multi-layer thin film stacks on semiconductors

US6297880A · kind A · utility

112Cited by
74References
13Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 2, 2000
Grant dateOct 2, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 2, 2020

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01B11/0641
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An optical measurement system is disclosed for evaluating samples with multi-layer thin film stacks. The optical measurement system includes a reference ellipsometer and one or more non-contact optical measurement devices. The reference ellipsometer is used to calibrate the other optical measurement devices. Once calibration is completed, the system can be used to analyze multi-layer thin film stacks. In particular, the reference ellipsometer provides a measurement which can be used to determine the total optical thickness of the stack. Using that information coupled with the measurements made by the other optical measurement devices, more accurate information about individual layers can be obtained.

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