公开(公告)号：US20250052704A1

公开(公告)日：2025-02-13

申请号：US18809283

申请日：2024-08-19

Applicant: NOVA MEASURING INSTRUMENTS INC.

Inventor： Wei Ti LEE ,  Heath POIS ,  Mark KLARE ,  Cornel BOZDOG

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

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：US12165863B2

公开(公告)日：2024-12-10

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

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：US20240401940A1

公开(公告)日：2024-12-05

申请号：US18668048

申请日：2024-05-17

Applicant: NOVA MEASURING INSTRUMENTS INC.

Inventor： Heath POIS ,  Wei Ti LEE ,  Laxmi WARAD ,  Dmitry Kislitsyn ,  Parker Lund ,  Benny Tseng ,  James CHEN ,  Saurabh Singh

IPC: G01B15/02 ,  G01N23/2273 ,  H01L21/66

Abstract: A system to characterize a film layer within a measurement box is disclosed. The system obtains a first mixing fraction corresponding to a first X-ray beam, the mixing fraction represents a fraction of the first X-ray beam inside a measurement box of a wafer sample, the measurement box represents a bore structure disposed over a substrate and having a film layer disposed inside the bore structure. The system obtains a contribution value for the measurement box corresponding to the first X-ray beam, the contribution value representing a species signal outside the measurement box that contributes to a same species signal inside the measurement box. The system obtains a first measurement detection signal corresponding to a measurement of the measurement box using the first X-ray beam. The system determines a measurement value of the film layer based on the first measurement detection signal, the contribution value, and the first mixing fraction.

公开(公告)号：US11823883B2

公开(公告)日：2023-11-21

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

CPC classification number: H01J49/025 ,  G01T1/2006 ,  G01T1/208 ,  G01T1/28 ,  G01T1/2928 ,  H01J49/06 ,  H01J2237/2445

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：US11733035B2

公开(公告)日：2023-08-22

申请号：US17303834

申请日：2021-06-08

Applicant: NOVA MEASURING INSTRUMENTS INC.

Inventor： Heath Pois ,  Wei T Lee ,  Lawrence Bot ,  Michael Kwan ,  Mark Klare ,  Charles Larson

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

CPC classification number: G01B15/02 ,  G01N23/223 ,  G01N23/225 ,  G01N23/2251 ,  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.

公开(公告)号：US20220390395A1

公开(公告)日：2022-12-08

申请号：US17754998

申请日：2020-10-22

Applicant: NOVA MEASURING INSTRUMENTS INC.

Inventor： David A. REED ,  Bruce H. NEWCOME ,  Bruno W. SCHUELER

IPC: G01N23/223 ,  G01N23/20008

Abstract: The present invention is intended to provide improved patterned X-ray emitting targets as well as X-ray sources that include patterned X-ray emitting targets as well as X-ray reflectance scatterometry (XRS) systems and also including X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) systems and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) systems which employ such X-ray emitting targets.

公开(公告)号：US20200258733A1

公开(公告)日：2020-08-13

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：US20190033069A1

公开(公告)日：2019-01-31

申请号：US16140340

申请日：2018-09-24

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 ,  G01N23/2273 ,  G01N23/223

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：US20180328871A1

公开(公告)日：2018-11-15

申请号：US15773145

申请日：2016-11-02

Applicant: Nova Measuring Instruments, Inc.

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

IPC: G01N23/2273 ,  G01N23/2208 ,  G01B15/02

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

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：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.