Patent · US Expired

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

US7106425B1 · kind B1 · utility

39Cited by
267References
86Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 20, 2001
Grant dateSep 12, 2006
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 6, 2023

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01N2021/8825
  • 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, a presence of defects on the specimen and a thin film characteristic of the specimen. 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.