Spectrometer measurement of diffracting structures

Optics: measuring and testing – By dispersed light spectroscopy – Utilizing a spectrometer

Reexamination Certificate

Rate now

  [ 0.00 ] – not rated yet Voters 0   Comments 0

Details

Reexamination Certificate

active

07372565

ABSTRACT:
A normal incidence reflectometer includes a rotatable analyzer/polarizer for measurement of a diffracting structure. Relative rotation of the analyzer/polarizer with respect to the diffracting structure permits analysis of the diffracted radiation at multiple polarity orientations. A spectograph detects the intensity of the spectral components at different polarity orientations. Because the normal incidence reflectometer uses normally incident radiation and an analyzer/polarizer that rotates relative to the diffracting structure, or vice-versa, the orientation of the diffracting structure does not affect the accuracy of the measurement. Thus, the sample holding stage may use X, Y, and Z, as well as r-θ type movement and there is no requirement that the polarization orientation of the incident light be aligned with the grating of the diffraction structure. A non-linear multivariate regression process is used to adjust the parameters of an optical model, such as rigorous coupled-wave analysis, to provide a match with the measured data.

REFERENCES:
patent: 4141780 (1979-02-01), Kleinknecht et al.
patent: 4172664 (1979-10-01), Charsky et al.
patent: 4408884 (1983-10-01), Kleinknecht et al.
patent: 4555767 (1985-11-01), Case et al.
patent: 4582389 (1986-04-01), Wood et al.
patent: 4593368 (1986-06-01), Fridge et al.
patent: 4672196 (1987-06-01), Canino
patent: 4707610 (1987-11-01), Lindow et al.
patent: 4748335 (1988-05-01), Lindow et al.
patent: 5007708 (1991-04-01), Gaylord et al.
patent: 5035770 (1991-07-01), Braun
patent: 5042949 (1991-08-01), Greenberg et al.
patent: 5042951 (1991-08-01), Gold et al.
patent: 5045704 (1991-09-01), Coates
patent: 5164790 (1992-11-01), McNeil et al.
patent: 5191216 (1993-03-01), Henderson et al.
patent: 5216680 (1993-06-01), Magnusson et al.
patent: 5337146 (1994-08-01), Azzam
patent: 5349440 (1994-09-01), DeGroot
patent: RE34783 (1994-11-01), Coates
patent: 5363171 (1994-11-01), Mack
patent: 5519493 (1996-05-01), Reiley
patent: 5555474 (1996-09-01), Ledger
patent: 5596406 (1997-01-01), Rosencwaig et al.
patent: 5607800 (1997-03-01), Ziger
patent: 5739909 (1998-04-01), Blayo et al.
patent: 5747813 (1998-05-01), Norton et al.
patent: 5841139 (1998-11-01), Sostek et al.
patent: 5867276 (1999-02-01), McNeil et al.
patent: 5880838 (1999-03-01), Marx et al.
patent: 5889593 (1999-03-01), Bareket
patent: 5900633 (1999-05-01), Solomon et al.
patent: 5956145 (1999-09-01), Green et al.
patent: 5963329 (1999-10-01), Conrad et al.
patent: 6031614 (2000-02-01), Michaelis et al.
patent: 6097488 (2000-08-01), Grek et al.
patent: 6100985 (2000-08-01), Scheiner et al.
patent: 6281974 (2001-08-01), Scheiner et al.
patent: 6366861 (2002-04-01), Waldhauer et al.
patent: 6368881 (2002-04-01), Brouillette et al.
patent: 6429930 (2002-08-01), Littau et al.
patent: 6429943 (2002-08-01), Opsal et al.
patent: 6476920 (2002-11-01), Scheiner et al.
patent: 6483580 (2002-11-01), Xu et al.
patent: 6556947 (2003-04-01), Scheiner et al.
patent: 6657736 (2003-12-01), Finarov et al.
patent: 6673637 (2004-01-01), Wack et al.
patent: 6690469 (2004-02-01), Shibata et al.
patent: 7115858 (2006-10-01), Holden et al.
patent: 2002/0018217 (2002-02-01), Weber-Grabau et al.
patent: 2002/0024669 (2002-02-01), Danner et al.
patent: 2002/0033945 (2002-03-01), Xu et al.
patent: 2002/0033954 (2002-03-01), Niu et al.
patent: 2002/0035455 (2002-03-01), Niu et al.
patent: 2002/0038196 (2002-03-01), Johnson et al.
patent: 2002/0051564 (2002-05-01), Benesh et al.
patent: 0 402 191 (1990-12-01), None
patent: 0 402 191 (1990-12-01), None
patent: 0 601 580 (1994-06-01), None
patent: 1 037 012 (2000-09-01), None
patent: 59-0225038 (1984-12-01), None
patent: 11-211421 (1999-08-01), None
patent: 11-211422 (1999-08-01), None
patent: 1747877 (1992-07-01), None
patent: WO 99/45340 (1999-09-01), None
patent: WO 02/25723 (2002-03-01), None
patent: WO 02/27288 (2002-04-01), None
patent: WO 02/50501 (2002-06-01), None
patent: WO 02/079760 (2002-10-01), None
Prosecution History of U.S. Appl. No. 09/670,000 filed Sep. 25, 2000, by Holden et al.
Prosecution History of U.S. Appl. No. 10/085,832 filed Feb. 27, 2002, by Holden et al., now abandoned.
“A Diffraction Grating Analysis Tool”, downloaded May 7, 2001 from <http://www.gsolver.com/gsprod.html>, Grating Solve Development Co. (1999).
Ahmed, S., et al. “Comparison of beam propagation method and rigorous coupled-wave analysis for single and multiplexed volume gratings”, Applied Optics, vol. 35, No. 22, Aug. 1, 1996, pp. 4426-4435.
Azzam, R. et al., “Ellipsometry And Polarized Light”Elsevier Science Publishers(1977, 1987) pp. 476-481.
Bao, G. et al., “Mathematical studies in rigorous grating theory”,J. Opt. Soc. Am. A, vol. 12, No. 5 (1995), pp. 1029-1042.
Bao, G. et al., “Modeling and Optimal Design of Diffractive Optical Structures”, pp. 1-27. (The correct site is Survey on Industrial Math. 8 (1998), 37-62).
Benson, T. et al., “In-situ Spectroscopic Reflectometry for Polycrystalline Silicon Thin Film Etch Rate Determination During Reactive Ion Etching”, Dept. of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science an the Center for Display Technology & Manfuacturing, University of Michigan, pp. 1-34.
Bischoff J. et al., “Modeling of optical scatterometry with finite-number-of periods gratings”,SPIEvol. 3743 (1999) pp. 41-46.
Bischoff, J. et al., “Single feature metrology by means of light scatter analysis”,SPIEvol. 3050 (1997) pp. 574-589.
Bishop, K. P. et al., “Gratings line shape characterization using scatterometry”,SPIE, vol. 1545 (1991) pp. 64-73.
Bishop, K. P. et al., “Use of scatterometry for resist process control”,Proc. SPIE—Int. Soc. Opt. Eng., vol. 1673 (1992) pp. 441-452.
Bosenberg, W. et al., “Linewidth Measurement on IC Wafers by Diffraction from Grating Test Patterns”,Solid State Technology, vol. 26, No. 7 (1983) pp. 79-85.
Brauer, R. et al., “Eletromagnetic diffraction analysis of two-dimensional gratings”, Optics Communications, vol. 100 (1993) pp. 1-5.
Chateau, N. et al., “Algorithm for the rigorous coupled-wave analysis of grating diffraction,”J. Opt. Soc. Am.A, vol. 11 (1994), pp. 1321-1331.
Corle, T., et al., “Polarization-enhanced imaging of photoresist gratings in the real-time scanning optical microscope”,Applied Optics, vol. 33, No. 4 (1994) pp. 670-677.
Coulombe, S. A. et al., “Modal characteristics of short-pitch photoresist gratings exhibiting zero-order diffraction anomalies”,J. Opt. Soc. Am. A, vol. 16, No. 12 (Dec. 1999), pp. 2904-2913.
Coulombe, S. A. et al., “Scatterometry measurement of sub-0.1 μm linewidth gratings”,J. Vac. Sci. Technol.. B, vol. 16, No. 1 (1998) pp. 80-87.
Coulombe, S. et al., “Ellipsometric-Scatterometry for sub-01. mm CD measurements”SPIEvol. 3332 (1988) pp. 282-292.
Damar, H. et al., “Diffraction Characterization for Process Monitoring, Linewidth Measurement and Alignment”SPIEvol. 470 (1984) pp. 157-163.
Davidson, M. et al., “A comparison between rigorous light scattering methods”,SPIEvol. 3051 (1997) pp. 606-619.
Dong Hoon Lee, et al., “Analysis of topological efffects of phase-shifting mask by boundary element method”, J. Inst. Electron. Eng. Korea D (South Korea), vol. 36-D, No. 11, Nov. 1999, pp. 33-44.
Galarza, C. et al., “Real-time Estimation of Patterned Wafer Parameters Using In Situ Spectroscopic Ellipsometry”,Proceedings of the IEEE(1999) pp. 773-778.
Gaspar, S. M. et al., “Laser scatterometry for process characterization”,AIP Conference Proceedings, vol. 227, No. 1, (1991) pp. 54-55.
Gaylord, T. et al., “Analysis and Applications of Optical Diffraction by Gratings,”Proceedings of the IEEE, vol. 73, (1984), pp. 894-937 (1985).
Glytsis, E. et al., “Rigorous Coupled-Wave Analysis And Applications Of Grating Diffraction”,Critical Reviews Of O

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

Spectrometer measurement of diffracting structures does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Spectrometer measurement of diffracting structures, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Spectrometer measurement of diffracting structures will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

     

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3986339

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