Patent · US Active

Multiple angles of incidence semiconductor metrology systems and methods

US9116103B2 · kind B2 · utility

5Cited by
13References
34Claims
0Family size

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Key dates

Filing dateOct 1, 2013
Grant dateAug 25, 2015
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 22, 2033

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01N2201/0636
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An apparatus includes (i) a bright light source for providing an illumination beam at multiple wavelengths selectable with a range from a deep ultraviolet wavelength to an infrared wavelength, (ii) illumination optics for directing the illumination beam towards a sample at selectable sets of angles of incidence (AOI's) or azimuth angles (AZ's) and polarization states to provide spectroscopic ellipsometry, wherein the illumination optics include an apodizer for controlling a spot size of the illumination beam on the sample at each of the selectable AOI/AZ sets, (iii) collection optics for directing an output beam from the sample in response to the illumination beam at each of the selectable AOI/AZ sets and polarization states towards a detector that generates an output signal or image based on the output beam, and (v) a controller for characterizing a feature of the sample based on the output signal or image.

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