Combined X-ray reflectometer and diffractometer

X-ray or gamma ray systems or devices – Specific application – Diffraction – reflection – or scattering analysis

Reexamination Certificate

Rate now

  [ 0.00 ] – not rated yet Voters 0   Comments 0

Details

C378S070000, C378S076000, C378S089000

Reexamination Certificate

active

07120228

ABSTRACT:
Apparatus for analysis of a sample includes a radiation source, which is adapted to direct a converging beam of X-rays toward a surface of the sample. At least one detector array is arranged to sense the X-rays scattered from the sample as a function of elevation angle over a range of elevation angles simultaneously, and to generate output signals responsively to the scattered X-rays. The detector array has a first configuration in which the detector array senses the X-rays that are reflected from the surface of the sample at a grazing angle, and a second configuration in which the detector array senses the X-rays that are diffracted from the surface in a vicinity of a Bragg angle of the sample. A signal processor processes the output signals so as to determine a characteristic of the surface layer of the sample.

REFERENCES:
patent: 4446568 (1984-05-01), Williams et al.
patent: 4725963 (1988-02-01), Taylor et al.
patent: 4989226 (1991-01-01), Woodbury et al.
patent: 5151588 (1992-09-01), Kiri et al.
patent: 5574284 (1996-11-01), Farr
patent: 5619548 (1997-04-01), Koppel
patent: 5740226 (1998-04-01), Koppel
patent: 5923720 (1999-07-01), Barton et al.
patent: 5949847 (1999-09-01), Terada et al.
patent: 5963329 (1999-10-01), Conrad et al.
patent: 6041098 (2000-03-01), Touryanski et al.
patent: 6192103 (2001-02-01), Wormington et al.
patent: 6226347 (2001-05-01), Golenhofen
patent: 6226349 (2001-05-01), Schuster et al.
patent: 6381303 (2002-04-01), Vu et al.
patent: 6389102 (2002-05-01), Mazor et al.
patent: 6453006 (2002-09-01), Koppel et al.
patent: 6507634 (2003-01-01), Koppel et al.
patent: 6512814 (2003-01-01), Yokhin et al.
patent: 6556652 (2003-04-01), Mazor et al.
patent: 6639968 (2003-10-01), Yokhin et al.
patent: 6643354 (2003-11-01), Koppel et al.
patent: 6680996 (2004-01-01), Yokhin et al.
patent: 6711232 (2004-03-01), Janik
patent: 6744950 (2004-06-01), Aleksoff
patent: 6750952 (2004-06-01), Grodnensky et al.
patent: 6771735 (2004-08-01), Janik et al.
patent: 6977986 (2005-12-01), Beanland et al.
patent: 2001/0028699 (2001-10-01), Iwasaki
patent: 2001/0043668 (2001-11-01), Hayashi et al.
patent: 2002/0097837 (2002-07-01), Fanton et al.
patent: 2002/0110218 (2002-08-01), Koppel et al.
patent: 2003/0157559 (2003-08-01), Omote et al.
patent: 2004/0052330 (2004-03-01), Koppel et al.
patent: 2004/0156474 (2004-08-01), Yokhin et al.
patent: 2004/0218717 (2004-11-01), Koppel et al.
patent: 2006/0062351 (2006-03-01), Yokhin et al.
patent: 9-308339 (1997-12-01), None
Neissendorfer, et al., The energy-dispersive reflectometer/diffractometer at BESSY-I, 1999, IOP Publishing, Ltd., Measurement Science Technology, vol. 10, pp. 354-361.
Powell, et al., X-ray diffraction and reflectivity characterization of SiGe superlattice structures, 1992, Semiconductor Science Technology, vol. 7, pp. 627-631.
Wiener et al., “Characterization of Titanium Nitride Layers by Grazing-Emission X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry”, in Applied Surface Science 125 (1998), p. 129.
Hayashi et al., “Refracted X-Rays Propagating Near the Surface under Grazing Incidence Condition”, Spectrochimica Acta, Part B 54, 1999, pp. 227-230.
Series 5000 Model XTF5011 X-Ray Tube Information, Oxford Instruments Inc., Scotts Valley, GA, U.S.A., Jun. 1998.
Monolithic Polycapillary Lens Information, X-Ray Optical Systems, Inc., Albany, NY, U.S.A., Dec. 29, 1998. (web site: www.xox.com).
S. Di Fonzo et al., “Non-Destructive Determination of Local Strain with 100-Nanometre Spatial Resolution”, Nature, vol. 403, Feb. 10, 2000. (web site: www.nature.com).
Hugues Guerault, “Specular reflectivity and off-specular scattering”, Tools for roughness investigation, Dec. 2000.
Jones, et al., “Small angle x-ray scattering for sub-100 nm pattern characterization”, Applied Physics Letters 83:19 (2003), pp. 4059-4061.
Hu et al., “Small angle x-ray scattering metrology for sidewall angle and cross section of nanometer scale line gratings”, Journal of Applied Physics 96:4 (2004), pp. 1983-1987.
Wu et al., “Small angle neutron scattering measurements of nanoscale lithographic features”, Journal of Applied Physics 88:12 (2000), pp. 7298-7303.
Kojima, et al., “Structural characterization of thin films by x-ray reflectivity”, Rigaku Journal 16:2 (1999), pp. 31-41.
Stommer, “X-ray scattering from silicon surfaces”, in Semiconductor International (May 1, 1998).
Yoneda, “Anomalous surface reflection of X Rays”, Physical Review 131, pp. 2010-2013, 1963.
Stommer, et al., “Characterization of semiconductor materials by X-ray scattering”, Electrochemical Society Proceedings vol. 99-16, pp. 117-133, 1999.
Bowen, et al., “X-Ray metrology by diffraction and reflectivity”, Characterization and Metrology for ULSI Technology, 2000 International Conference (American Institute of Physics, 2001).
Ulyanekov, “Introduction to high resolution X-Ray diffraction”, Workshop on X-ray characterization of thin layers (Uckley, May 21-23, 2003).
Ito, “X-ray Scattering Method for Determining Pore-Size Distribution in Low-k Thin Films”, Presented at the International Sematech Ultra-Low-k Workshop (San Francisco, CA, Jun. 6-7, 2002).
Naudon, et al., “New apparatus for grazing X-ray reflectometry in the angle-resoived dispresive mode”, J. Appl. Cryst. 1989, vol. 22, pp. 46-464.
N. Wu, et al, “Substepping and its Application to HST Imaging”, Jul. 27, 2003.
Wormington, Characterization of Pore Size Distribution in Low k Dielectrics Using X-ray Reflectivity, presented at the Sematech Gate Stack Engineering Workshop (Austin, Texas, May 2, 2002).
J. Spear, “Metrology for low-k materials”, Silknet Aliance, 2003.
J.R. Levine Parrill, et al, “GISAXS—Glancing Incidence Small Angle X-ray Scattering”, Journal de Physique IV 3 (Dec. 1993), pp. 411-417.
Jaklevic, et al., “High Rate X-Ray Fluorescence Analysis by Pulsed Excitation”, IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science NS-19:3 (1972), pp. 392-395.
Jaklevic, et al., “Small X-Ray Tubes for Energy Dispersive Analysis Using Semiconductor Spectrometers”, Advances in X-Ray Analysis 15 (1972), pp. 266-275.
Jaklevic, et al., “Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry Using Pulsed X-Ray Excitation”, Advances in X-Ray Analysis 19 (1976).

LandOfFree

Say what you really think

Search LandOfFree.com for the USA inventors and patents. Rate them and share your experience with other people.

Rating

Combined X-ray reflectometer and diffractometer does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Combined X-ray reflectometer and diffractometer, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Combined X-ray reflectometer and diffractometer will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

     

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3625529

  Search
All data on this website is collected from public sources. Our data reflects the most accurate information available at the time of publication.