Patent · US Expired

Scatterometer including an internal calibration system

US6795193B2 · kind B2 · utility

10Cited by
12References
27Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateNov 26, 2002
Grant dateSep 21, 2004
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 30, 2022

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01N21/956
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A scatterometer system comprises a pitch calibration station that allows the monitoring of a tool status of the scatterometry system without involving a user's interaction. The pitch calibration station comprises a pitch calibration standard, for example in the form of a grid pattern that may conveniently be evaluated on the basis of a reference data library. By providing the pitch calibration station, the measurement process may easily be adapted to include reference measurements on a regular basis so as to increase the reliability of measurement values obtained by scatterometry. In one particular example, a corresponding set of instructions for performing the calibration measurement may be implemented into a self-test routine of the scatterometry system.

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