Patent · US Expired

Methods and systems for determining a critical dimension, a presence of defects, and a thin film characteristic of a specimen

US6919957B2 · kind B2 · utility

66Cited by
268References
90Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 20, 2001
Grant dateJul 19, 2005
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 8, 2022

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01L2924/0002
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

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, critical dimension, a presence of defects, and a thin film characteristic. In this manner, a measurement device may perform multiple optical and/or non-optical metrology and/or inspection techniques.

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