公开(公告)号：US20240087869A1

公开(公告)日：2024-03-14

申请号：US18469517

申请日：2023-09-18

Applicant: NOVA MEASURING INSTRUMENTS INC.

Inventor： David A. REED ,  Bruno W. SCHUELER ,  Bruce H. NEWCOME ,  Rodney SMEDT ,  Chris BEVIS

IPC: H01J49/14 ,  G01N23/22 ,  G01N23/2258 ,  G01Q10/04 ,  H01J49/12 ,  H01J49/26 ,  H01L21/66

CPC classification number: H01J49/142 ,  G01N23/22 ,  G01N23/2258 ,  G01Q10/04 ,  H01J49/126 ,  H01J49/26 ,  H01L22/12

Abstract: Systems and approaches for semiconductor metrology and surface analysis using Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) are disclosed. In an example, a secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) system includes a sample stage. A primary ion beam is directed to the sample stage. An extraction lens is directed at the sample stage. The extraction lens is configured to provide a low extraction field for secondary ions emitted from a sample on the sample stage. A magnetic sector spectrograph is coupled to the extraction lens along an optical path of the SIMS system. The magnetic sector spectrograph includes an electrostatic analyzer (ESA) coupled to a magnetic sector analyzer (MSA).

公开(公告)号：US11764050B2

公开(公告)日：2023-09-19

申请号：US17821785

申请日：2022-08-23

Applicant: NOVA MEASURING INSTRUMENTS INC.

Inventor： David A. Reed ,  Bruno W. Schueler ,  Bruce H. Newcome ,  Rodney Smedt ,  Chris Bevis

IPC: G01N23/2258 ,  G01N23/22 ,  H01J49/14 ,  H01L21/66 ,  H01J49/12 ,  G01Q10/04 ,  H01J49/26

CPC classification number: H01J49/142 ,  G01N23/22 ,  G01N23/2258 ,  G01Q10/04 ,  H01J49/126 ,  H01J49/26 ,  H01L22/12

Abstract: Systems and approaches for semiconductor metrology and surface analysis using Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) are disclosed. In an example, a secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) system includes a sample stage. A primary ion beam is directed to the sample stage. An extraction lens is directed at the sample stage. The extraction lens is configured to provide a low extraction field for secondary ions emitted from a sample on the sample stage. A magnetic sector spectrograph is coupled to the extraction lens along an optical path of the SIMS system. The magnetic sector spectrograph includes an electrostatic analyzer (ESA) coupled to a magnetic sector analyzer (MSA).

公开(公告)号：US11668663B2

公开(公告)日：2023-06-06

申请号：US16741515

申请日：2020-01-13

Applicant: Nova Measuring Instruments, Inc.

Inventor： Wei Ti Lee ,  Heath Pois ,  Mark Klare ,  Cornel Bozdog

IPC: G01N23/223 ,  G01N23/2208 ,  G01B11/06 ,  G01B15/02 ,  G01N23/2273 ,  H01L21/66

CPC classification number: G01N23/2273 ,  G01B11/06 ,  G01B15/02 ,  G01N23/223 ,  G01N23/2208 ,  H01L22/12 ,  G01N2223/305 ,  G01N2223/61 ,  G01N2223/633

Abstract: Determining a property of a layer of an integrated circuit (IC), the layer being formed over an underlayer, is implemented by performing the steps of: irradiating the IC to thereby eject electrons from the IC; collecting electrons emitted from the IC and determining the kinetic energy of the emitted electrons to thereby calculate emission intensity of electrons emitted from the layer and electrons emitted from the underlayer calculating a ratio of the emission intensity of electrons emitted from the layer and electrons emitted from the underlayer; and using the ratio to determine material composition or thickness of the layer. The steps of irradiating IC and collecting electrons may be performed using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) or x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF).

公开(公告)号：US11430647B2

公开(公告)日：2022-08-30

申请号：US17164499

申请日：2021-02-01

Applicant: NOVA MEASURING INSTRUMENTS INC.

Inventor： David A. Reed ,  Bruno W. Schueler ,  Bruce H. Newcome ,  Rodney Smedt ,  Chris Bevis

IPC: H01J49/14 ,  H01L21/66 ,  H01J49/12 ,  G01N23/2258 ,  G01N23/22 ,  G01Q10/04 ,  H01J49/26

Abstract: Systems and approaches for semiconductor metrology and surface analysis using Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) are disclosed. In an example, a secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) system includes a sample stage. A primary ion beam is directed to the sample stage. An extraction lens is directed at the sample stage. The extraction lens is configured to provide a low extraction field for secondary ions emitted from a sample on the sample stage. A magnetic sector spectrograph is coupled to the extraction lens along an optical path of the SIMS system. The magnetic sector spectrograph includes an electrostatic analyzer (ESA) coupled to a magnetic sector analyzer (MSA).

公开(公告)号：US20220223395A1

公开(公告)日：2022-07-14

申请号：US17531674

申请日：2021-11-19

Applicant: NOVA MEASURING INSTRUMENTS, INC.

Inventor： Christopher F. BEVIS ,  Yungman Alan LIU ,  David Allen REED ,  Eli CHEIFETZ ,  Amit WEINGARTEN ,  Alexander KADYSHEVITCH

IPC: H01J49/02 ,  H01J49/06 ,  G01T1/20 ,  G01T1/208 ,  G01T1/29 ,  G01T1/28

Abstract: An ion detector for secondary ion mass spectrometer, the detector having an electron emission plate coupled to a first electrical potential and configured to emit electrons upon incidence on ions; a scintillator coupled to a second electrical potential, different from the first electrical potential, the scintillator having a front side facing the electron emission plate and a backside, the scintillator configured to emit photons from the backside upon incidence of electrons on the front side; a lightguide coupled to the backside of the scintillator and confining flow of photons emitted from the backside of the scintillator; and a solid-state photomultiplier coupled to the light guide and having an output configured to output electrical signal corresponding to incidence of photons from the lightguide. A SIMS system includes a plurality of such detectors movable arranged over the focal plane of a mass analyzer.

公开(公告)号：US11029148B2

公开(公告)日：2021-06-08

申请号：US16872568

申请日：2020-05-12

Applicant: NOVA MEASURING INSTRUMENTS, INC.

Inventor： Heath A. Pois ,  Wei Ti Lee ,  Lawrence V. Bot ,  Michael C. Kwan ,  Mark Klare ,  Charles Thomas Larson

IPC: G01B15/02 ,  G01N23/2251 ,  G01N23/225 ,  G01N23/223 ,  G01N23/2273 ,  G01N23/22

Abstract: Methods and systems for feed-forward of multi-layer and multi-process information using XPS and XRF technologies are disclosed. In an example, a method of thin film characterization includes measuring first XPS and XRF intensity signals for a sample having a first layer above a substrate. The first XPS and XRF intensity signals include information for the first layer and for the substrate. The method also involves determining a thickness of the first layer based on the first XPS and XRF intensity signals. The method also involves combining the information for the first layer and for the substrate to estimate an effective substrate. The method also involves measuring second XPS and XRF intensity signals for a sample having a second layer above the first layer above the substrate. The second XPS and XRF intensity signals include information for the second layer, for the first layer and for the substrate. The method also involves determining a thickness of the second layer based on the second XPS and XRF intensity signals, the thickness accounting for the effective substrate.

公开(公告)号：US10910208B2

公开(公告)日：2021-02-02

申请号：US16856940

申请日：2020-04-23

Applicant: NOVA MEASURING INSTRUMENTS INC.

Inventor： David A. Reed ,  Bruno W. Schueler ,  Bruce H. Newcome ,  Rodney Smedt ,  Chris Bevis

IPC: H01J49/14 ,  H01L21/66 ,  H01J49/12 ,  G01N23/22 ,  G01Q10/04 ,  H01J49/26

Abstract: Systems and approaches for semiconductor metrology and surface analysis using Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) are disclosed. In an example, a secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) system includes a sample stage. A primary ion beam is directed to the sample stage. An extraction lens is directed at the sample stage. The extraction lens is configured to provide a low extraction field for secondary ions emitted from a sample on the sample stage. A magnetic sector spectrograph is coupled to the extraction lens along an optical path of the SIMS system. The magnetic sector spectrograph includes an electrostatic analyzer (ESA) coupled to a magnetic sector analyzer (MSA).

公开(公告)号：US10859519B2

公开(公告)日：2020-12-08

申请号：US16686953

申请日：2019-11-18

Applicant: NOVA MEASURING INSTRUMENTS, INC.

Inventor： Heath A. Pois ,  David A. Reed ,  Bruno W. Schueler ,  Rodney Smedt ,  Jeffrey T. Fanton

IPC: G01N23/201 ,  G01N23/207 ,  H01L21/66

Abstract: Methods and systems for measuring periodic structures using multi-angle X-ray reflectance scatterometry (XRS) are disclosed. For example, a method of measuring a sample by X-ray reflectance scatterometry involves impinging an incident X-ray beam on a sample having a periodic structure to generate a scattered X-ray beam, the incident X-ray beam simultaneously providing a plurality of incident angles and a plurality of azimuthal angles. The method also involves collecting at least a portion of the scattered X-ray beam.

公开(公告)号：US10056242B2

公开(公告)日：2018-08-21

申请号：US15550014

申请日：2016-02-10

Applicant: NOVA MEASURING INSTRUMENTS INC.

Inventor： David A. Reed ,  Bruno W. Schueler ,  Bruce H. Newcome ,  Rodney Smedt ,  Chris Bevis

IPC: H01J49/14 ,  H01L21/66 ,  G01Q10/04 ,  G01N23/22 ,  H01J49/26

CPC classification number: H01J49/142 ,  G01N23/22 ,  G01Q10/04 ,  H01J49/26 ,  H01L22/12

Abstract: Systems and approaches for semiconductor metrology and surface analysis using Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) are disclosed. In an example, a secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) system includes a sample stage. A primary ion beam is directed to the sample stage. An extraction lens is directed at the sample stage. The extraction lens is configured to provide a low extraction field for secondary ions emitted from a sample on the sample stage. A magnetic sector spectrograph is coupled to the extraction lens along an optical path of the SIMS system. The magnetic sector spectrograph includes an electrostatic analyzer (ESA) coupled to a magnetic sector analyzer (MSA).

公开(公告)号：US20250067691A1

公开(公告)日：2025-02-27

申请号：US18725804

申请日：2022-12-30

Applicant: NOVA MEASURING INSTRUMENTS INC.

Inventor： Heath POIS ,  Dmitry KISLITSYN ,  Mark KLARE ,  Paul ISBESTER ,  Daniel Kandel ,  Michal Haim YACHINI

IPC: G01N23/223 ,  G01N23/2273

Abstract: Determining process excursions in a semiconductor processing using unsupervised machine learning on photoelectron emission dataset obtained by XPS or XRF tool. Principal component analysis is applied to the emission dataset and the variances of each principal component is analyzed to thereby select a number of N principal components whose variance is the highest. All data points of the dataset which do not correspond to any of the N principal components are removed from the dataset to obtain a filtered dataset. An emission intensity is then calculated from the filtered dataset and is plotted on a SPC chart to inspect for excursions.