Non-destructive in-situ elemental profiling
US7256399B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 7, 2005 |
| Grant date | Aug 14, 2007 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 5, 2025 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N23/2273
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A non-destructive in-situ elemental profiling of a layer in a set of layers method and system are disclosed. In one embodiment, a first emission of a plurality of photoelectrons is caused from the layer to be elementally profiled. An elemental profile of the layer is determined based on the emission. In another embodiment, a second emission of a plurality of photoelectrons is also received from the layer, and an elemental profile is determined by comparison of the resulting signals. A process that is altering the layer can then be controlled “on-the-fly” to obtain a desired material composition. Since the method can be employed in-situ and is non-destructive, it reduces turn around time and lowers wafer consumption. The invention also records the composition of all processed wafers, hence, removing the conventional statistical sampling problem.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.