公开(公告)号：US20190195782A1

公开(公告)日：2019-06-27

申请号：US16284950

申请日：2019-02-25

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Andrei V. Shchegrov ,  Lawrence D. Rotter ,  David Y. Wang ,  Andrei Veldman ,  Kevin Peterlinz ,  Gregory Brady ,  Derrick A. Shaughnessy

IPC: G01N21/21 ,  G03F7/20 ,  G01N21/47 ,  G01B11/06 ,  G01N21/55

CPC classification number: G01N21/211 ,  G01B11/0616 ,  G01N21/4738 ,  G01N21/55 ,  G01N2021/213 ,  G03F7/70608 ,  G03F7/70625 ,  G03F7/70633

Abstract: The system includes a modulatable illumination source configured to illuminate a surface of a sample disposed on a sample stage, a detector configured to detect illumination emanating from a surface of the sample, illumination optics configured to direct illumination from the modulatable illumination source to the surface of the sample, collection optics configured to direct illumination from the surface of the sample to the detector, and a modulation control system communicatively coupled to the modulatable illumination source, wherein the modulation control system is configured to modulate a drive current of the modulatable illumination source at a selected modulation frequency suitable for generating illumination having a selected coherence feature length. In addition, the present invention includes the time-sequential interleaving of outputs of multiple light sources to generate periodic pulse trains for use in multi-wavelength time-sequential optical metrology.

公开(公告)号：US10324050B2

公开(公告)日：2019-06-18

申请号：US14994817

申请日：2016-01-13

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： John J. Hench ,  Andrei V. Shchegrov ,  Michael S. Bakeman

IPC: G01N23/20008

Abstract: Methods and systems for optimizing measurement system parameter settings of an x-ray based metrology system are presented. X-ray based metrology systems employing an optimized set of measurement system parameters are used to measure structural, material, and process characteristics associated with different semiconductor fabrication processes with greater precision and accuracy. In one aspect, a set of values of one or more machine parameters that specify a measurement scenario is refined based at least in part on a sensitivity of measurement data to a previous set of values of the one or more machine parameters. The refinement of the values of the machine parameters is performed to maximize precision, maximize accuracy, minimize correlation between parameters of interest, or any combination thereof. Refinement of the machine parameter values that specify a measurement scenario can be used to optimize the measurement recipe to reduce measurement time and increase measurement precision and accuracy.

公开(公告)号：US10203247B2

公开(公告)日：2019-02-12

申请号：US15369560

申请日：2016-12-05

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Gregory R. Brady ,  Andrei V. Shchegrov ,  Lawrence D. Rotter ,  Derrick A. Shaughnessy ,  Anatoly Shchemelinin ,  Ilya Bezel ,  Muzammil A. Arain ,  Anatoly A. Vasiliev ,  James Andrew Allen ,  Oleg Shulepov ,  Andrew V. Hill ,  Ohad Bachar ,  Moshe Markowitz ,  Yaron Ish-Shalom ,  Ilan Sela ,  Amnon Manassen ,  Alexander Svizher ,  Maxim Khokhlov ,  Avi Abramov ,  Oleg Tsibulevsky ,  Daniel Kandel ,  Mark Ghinovker

IPC: H01J65/04 ,  G01J3/02 ,  G01J3/10 ,  F21V13/08 ,  F21V13/00 ,  F21V13/12 ,  G02B6/35 ,  G02B6/293 ,  G01J3/12

Abstract: A system for providing illumination to a measurement head for optical metrology is configured to combine illumination beams from a plurality of illumination sources to deliver illumination at one or more selected wavelengths to the measurement head. The intensity and/or spatial coherence of illumination delivered to the measurement head is controlled. Illumination at one or more selected wavelengths is delivered from a broadband illumination source configured for providing illumination at a continuous range of wavelengths.

公开(公告)号：US10006865B1

公开(公告)日：2018-06-26

申请号：US15640961

申请日：2017-07-03

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Derrick Shaughnessy ,  Michael S. Bakeman ,  Guorong V. Zhuang ,  Andrei V. Shchegrov ,  Leonid Poslavsky

IPC: G01N21/55 ,  G01N21/67 ,  H01S3/0915 ,  G01N21/95

CPC classification number: G01N21/9501 ,  G01N2201/061 ,  G03F7/70616 ,  H01L22/12

Abstract: Methods and systems are described herein for producing high radiance illumination light for use in semiconductor metrology based on a confined, sustained plasma. One or more plasma confining circuits introduce an electric field, a magnetic field, or a combination thereof to spatially confine a sustained plasma. The confinement of the sustained plasma decreases the size of the induced plasma resulting in increased radiance. In addition, plasma confinement may be utilized to shape the plasma to improve light collection and imaging onto the specimen. The induced fields may be static or dynamic. In some embodiments, additional energy is coupled into the confined, sustained plasma to further increase radiance. In some embodiments, the pump energy source employed to sustained the plasma is modulated in combination with the plasma confining circuit to reduce plasma emission noise.

公开(公告)号：US20180059019A1

公开(公告)日：2018-03-01

申请号：US15649843

申请日：2017-07-14

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Houssam Chouaib ,  Qiang Zhao ,  Andrei V. Shchegrov ,  Zhengquan Tan

IPC: G01N21/47 ,  G01N21/95 ,  G01B11/30

CPC classification number: G01N21/4788 ,  G01B11/24 ,  G01B11/30 ,  G01B11/303 ,  G01B2210/56 ,  G01N21/211 ,  G01N21/9501 ,  G01N21/9515 ,  G01N21/956 ,  G01N2021/8883 ,  G03F7/70616 ,  G03F7/70625

Abstract: Methods and systems for performing optical, model based measurements of a small sized semiconductor structure employing an anisotropic characterization of the optical dispersion properties of one or more materials comprising the structure under measurement are presented herein. This reduces correlations among geometric parameters and results in improved measurement sensitivity, improved measurement accuracy, and enhanced measurement contrast among multiple materials under measurement. In a further aspect, an element of a multidimensional tensor describing the dielectric permittivity of the materials comprising the structure is modelled differently from another element. In a further aspect, model based measurements are performed based on measurement data collected from two or more measurement subsystems combined with an anisotropic characterization of the optical dispersion of the materials under measurement. In another aspect, the characterization of the optical dispersion of one or more materials comprising the structure under measurement depends on the geometry of the structure.

公开(公告)号：US09875946B2

公开(公告)日：2018-01-23

申请号：US14252323

申请日：2014-04-14

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Andrei V. Shchegrov ,  Jonathan M. Madsen ,  Stilian Ivanov Pandev ,  Ady Levy ,  Daniel Kandel ,  Michael E. Adel ,  Ori Tadmor

IPC: H01L21/66

CPC classification number: H01L22/12 ,  H01L22/20 ,  H01L22/30 ,  H01L2924/0002 ,  H01L2924/00

Abstract: Methods and systems for performing semiconductor metrology directly on device structures are presented. A measurement model is created based on measured training data collected from at least one device structure. The trained measurement model is used to calculate process parameter values, structure parameter values, or both, directly from measurement data collected from device structures of other wafers. In some examples, measurement data from multiple targets is collected for model building, training, and measurement. In some examples, the use of measurement data associated with multiple targets eliminates, or significantly reduces, the effect of under layers in the measurement result, and enables more accurate measurements. Measurement data collected for model building, training, and measurement may be derived from measurements performed by a combination of multiple, different measurement techniques.

公开(公告)号：US09846132B2

公开(公告)日：2017-12-19

申请号：US14515322

申请日：2014-10-15

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Michael S. Bakeman ,  Andrei V. Shchegrov ,  Ady Levy ,  Guorong V. Zhuang ,  John J. Hench

IPC: G01N23/00 ,  G01N23/201 ,  G01N33/00

CPC classification number: G01N23/201 ,  G01N2033/0095

Abstract: Disclosed are apparatus and methods for performing small angle x-ray scattering metrology. This system includes an x-ray source for generating x-rays and illumination optics for collecting and reflecting or refracting a portion of the generated x-rays towards a particular focus point on a semiconductor sample in the form of a plurality of incident beams at a plurality of different angles of incidence (AOIs). The system further includes a sensor for collecting output x-ray beams that are scattered from the sample in response to the incident beams on the sample at the different AOIs and a controller configured for controlling operation of the x-ray source and illumination optics and receiving the output x-rays beams and generating an image from such output x-rays.

公开(公告)号：US09826614B1

公开(公告)日：2017-11-21

申请号：US14181697

申请日：2014-02-16

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Michael S. Bakeman ,  Andrei V. Shchegrov

IPC: H05G2/00

CPC classification number: H05G2/00 ,  G21K7/00 ,  H05G2/008

Abstract: Methods and systems for realizing a high brightness, compact x-ray source suitable for high throughput, in-line x-ray metrology are presented herein. A compact electron beam accelerator is coupled to a compact undulator to produce a high brightness, compact x-ray source capable of generating x-ray radiation with wavelengths of approximately one Angstrom or less with a flux of at least 1e10 photons/s*mm^2. In some embodiments, the electron path length through the electron beam accelerator is less than ten meters and the electron path length through the undulator is also less than 10 meters. The compact x-ray source is tunable, allowing for adjustments of both wavelength and flux of the generated x-ray radiation. The x-ray radiation generated by the compact x-ray source is delivered to the specimen over a small spot, thus enabling measurements of modern semiconductor structures.

公开(公告)号：US09535018B2

公开(公告)日：2017-01-03

申请号：US14074689

申请日：2013-11-07

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Kevin A. Peterlinz ,  Andrei V. Shchegrov ,  Michael S. Bakeman ,  Thaddeus Gerard Dziura

IPC: G01N23/203 ,  G01B15/00 ,  G01N23/22 ,  H01L21/66

CPC classification number: G01N23/203 ,  G01B15/00 ,  G01B2210/56 ,  G01N23/2206 ,  H01L22/12 ,  H01L22/20

Abstract: Structural parameters of a specimen are determined by fitting models of the response of the specimen to measurements collected by different measurement techniques in a combined analysis. X-ray measurement data of a specimen is analyzed to determine at least one specimen parameter value that is treated as a constant in a combined analysis of both optical measurements and x-ray measurements of the specimen. For example, a particular structural property or a particular material property, such as an elemental composition of the specimen, is determined based on x-ray measurement data. The parameter(s) determined from the x-ray measurement data are treated as constants in a subsequent, combined analysis of both optical measurements and x-ray measurements of the specimen. In a further aspect, the structure of the response models is altered based on the quality of the fit between the models and the corresponding measurement data.

Abstract translation: 样本的结构参数是通过将样本的响应拟合到通过不同测量技术在综合分析中收集的测量结果来确定的。 分析样本的X射线测量数据，以确定在样本的光学测量和x射线测量的组合分析中被视为常数的至少一个样本参数值。 例如，基于x射线测量数据确定特定结构性质或特定材料性质，例如样品的元素组成。 从x射线测量数据确定的参数在随后的样本的光学测量和x射线测量的组合分析中被视为常数。 在另一方面，响应模型的结构基于模型与相应测量数据之间的拟合质量而改变。

公开(公告)号：US20160139032A1

公开(公告)日：2016-05-19

申请号：US14668879

申请日：2015-03-25

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Claudio Rampoldi ,  Barry Blasenheim ,  Alexander Kuznetsov ,  Shankar Krishnan ,  Andrei V. Shchegrov

IPC: G01N21/21 ,  G01N21/55 ,  G01N21/47

CPC classification number: G01N21/211 ,  G01B11/0625 ,  G01B11/0641 ,  G01B2210/56 ,  G01N21/9501 ,  G01N2021/213

Abstract: An inspection system is provided that can include a reflectometer having a light source for projecting light, and a light splitter for receiving the light projected by the light source, transforming at least one aspect of the light, and projecting the light once transformed. The reflectometer further has an off-axis unobscured objective lens through which the light transformed by the light splitter passes to contact a fabricated component, and has a detector for detecting a result of the transformed light contacting the fabricated component. The inspection system can additionally, or alternatively, include an ellipsometer having a light source similar to the reflectometer, and further a polarizing element to polarize the light of the light splitter. The polarized light passes through an off-axis unobscured objective lens to contact a fabricated component, and a detector detects a result of the polarized light contacting the fabricated component.

Abstract translation: 提供了一种检查系统，其可以包括具有用于投射光的光源的反射计，以及用于接收由光源投影的光的光分离器，转化至少一个方面的光，并且一旦转换就投射光。 反射计进一步具有离轴未遮蔽的物镜，由光分离器变换的光穿过该物镜接触制造的部件，并具有检测器，用于检测与制造的部件接触的变形光的结果。 检查系统可另外地或替代地包括具有类似于反射计的光源的椭圆计，还有一个使光分离器的光偏振的偏振元件。 偏振光通过离轴未遮蔽的物镜接触制造的部件，并且检测器检测与制造的部件接触的偏振光的结果。