Full beam metrology for X-ray scatterometry systems

A method comprising:

• illuminating a measurement target formed on a wafer surface with an amount of x-ray radiation at a plurality of different orientations with respect to the measurement target;
• simultaneously detecting an intensity associated with a zero diffraction order and an intensity associated with a higher diffraction order of an amount of radiation scattered from the measurement target in response to the incident x-ray radiation at each orientation;
• determining a value of a parameter of interest associated with a model of the measurement target based on the detected intensities of the diffraction orders at the plurality of different orientations;
• and
• determining an indication of measurement quality and performance based on a property of the detected zero diffraction order.

A metrology system comprising:

• an x-ray illumination source configured to generate an amount of x-ray radiation;
• an x-ray illumination optics subsystem configured to illuminate a measurement target formed on a wafer surface with the amount of x-ray radiation at a plurality of orientations with respect to the measurement target;
• an x-ray detector configured to simultaneously detect an intensity associated with a zero diffraction order and an intensity associated with a higher diffraction order of an amount of radiation scattered from the measurement target in response to the incident x-ray radiation at each orientation;
• and
• a non-transitory, computer-readable medium, comprising:
• code for causing a computing system to determine a value of a parameter of interest associated with a model of the measurement target based on the detected intensities of the diffraction orders at the plurality of orientations, and
• code for causing the computing system to determine an indication of measurement quality and performance based on a property of the detected zero diffraction order.