Methods and systems for determining a property of a specimen prior to, during, or subsequent to an etch process

US6917433B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• KLA-Tencor Technologies Corp. · US

Inventors

• Ady Levy · Sunnyvale, US
• Kyle Brown · Irvine, US
• Gary Bultman · Los Altos, US
• Mehrdad Nikoonahad · Menlo Park, US
• Dan Wack · Los Altos, US
• John Fielden · Los Altos, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 20, 2001
• Grant date: Jul 12, 2005
• Expiry date: Jun 3, 2023

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10T117/1004
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Methods and systems for monitoring semiconductor fabrication processes are provided. A system may include a stage configured to support a specimen and coupled to a measurement device. The measurement device may include an illumination system and a detection system. The illumination system and the detection system may be configured such that the system may be configured to determine multiple properties of the specimen. For example, the system may be configured to determine multiple properties of a specimen including, but not limited to, a property of a specimen prior to, during, or subsequent to an etch process. In this manner, a measurement device may perform multiple optical and/or non-optical metrology and/or inspection techniques.