# US 11,442,025 B1 · Optical sensor for surface inspection and metrology

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- Number: US 11,442,025 B1
- Document ID: US11442025B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 17/704,961
- Filed: 2022-03-25
- Published: 2022-09-29
- Granted: 2022-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 2021-03-26
- Applicants: Arun Anath Aiyer
- Inventors: Arun Anath Aiyer
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11442025B1

## CPC

- G01B 9/02057: {by using common path configuration, i.e. reference and object path almost entirely overlapping}
- G01N 21/9501: {Semiconductor wafers (manufacturing processes per se of semiconductor devices implementing a measuring step H10P74/20)}
- G01B 9/02002: using two or more frequencies
- G01B 9/02005: {using discrete frequency stepping or switching}
- G01B 9/0203: {With imaging systems}
- G01B 9/02065: {using a second interferometer before or after measuring interferometer}
- G01B 9/02087: {Combining two or more images of the same region}
- G01B 11/0675: {using interferometry}
- G01N 21/8806: {Specially adapted optical and illumination features}
- G01N 21/8851: {Scan or image signal processing specially adapted therefor, e.g. for scan signal adjustment, for detecting different kinds of defects, for compensating for structures, markings, edges (G01N21/8806 and G01N21/93 - G01N21/95692 take precedence; optical measurement of dimensions G01B11/00; optical scanning G02B26/10; image transformation G06T3/00; computerised image enhancement G06T5/00; image processing per se for flaw detection G06T7/0002)}
- G01N 21/956: Inspecting patterns on the surface of objects {(contactless testing of electronic circuits G01R31/308; testing currency G07D; manufacturing processes per se of semiconductor devices implementing a measuring step H10P74/20)}
- G01B 2210/56: Measuring geometric parameters of semiconductor structures, e.g. profile, critical dimensions or trench depth
- G01B: MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEAR DIMENSIONS; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)

## Abstract

An interferometer and an imager may include a tunable light source, a beam splitter, a digital imager, and a processor system. The tunable light source may be configured to emit a beam. The beam splitter may be configured to direct the beam toward a sample with a floor surface and a raised surface feature. The digital imager may be configured to receive a reflected beam and to generate an image based on the reflected beam. The reflected beam may be a coherent addition of a first reflection of the beam off a reference plate and a second reflection of the beam off the raised surface feature and third reflection of the beam off the floor surface. The processor system may be coupled to the digital imager and may be configured to determine a distance between the reference surface and the feature surface based on the image. A second digital imager may also be configured to receive a reflected beam and scattered beam to generate a two-dimensional grayscale image of the surface based on these beams and may also be configured to receive fluorescent light generated by the incident light to generate a two-dimensional gray scale an image of the surface based on fluorescent emission.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method, comprising:
emitting a first light beam of a first wavelength at a first time;
directing the first light beam toward a reference plate and a first sample facing the reference plate, the first sample defining a floor surface and a raised surface feature rising above the floor surface;
generating a first image based on a first reflected light beam, the first reflected light beam being a coherent addition of a first reflection of the first light beam off of a surface of the reference plate, a second reflection of the first light beam off of the raised surface feature and a third reflection of the first light beam off of the floor surface; and
based on the generated first image, determining a distance between the reference plate and the raised surface feature and determining a distance between the surface of the reference plate and the floor surface.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
emitting a second light beam of a second wavelength at a second time different from the first time;
directing the second light beam toward the first sample; and
generating a second image based on a reflected second light beam, the reflected second light beam being a coherent addition of a first reflection of the second light beam off of the reference plate, a second reflection of the second light beam off of the raised surface feature and a third reflection of the second light beam off of the floor surface;
based on the generated first and second images, determining the distance between the reference plate and the raised surface feature, and a distance between the reference plate and the floor surface.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, further comprising:
selecting a wavelength difference between the first wavelength and the second wavelength based on a distance between the floor surface and the raised surface feature; and
selecting a first bandwidth of the first light beam and a second bandwidth of the second light beam based on a distance between the reference plate and different raised surface features on the first sample.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein determining the distance between the reference plate and the raised surface feature based on the first image and the second image includes:
constructing a fringe pattern based on first intensity values of pixels from the first image of and second intensity values from pixels of the second image; and
performing a frequency domain transform on the constructed fringe pattern.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein determining the distance between the reference plate and the raised surface feature based on the first image comprises:
comparing an intensity of a pixel of the image to a plurality of model-based pixel intensities that correspond with respective different distances; and
selecting one of the plurality of model-based pixel intensities that is closest to the intensity of the pixel, wherein the determined distance is the distance corresponding to the selected one of the plurality of model-based pixel intensities.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the first sample is part of a semiconductor formed on a wafer, and wherein the method further comprises:
emitting a second light beam;
directing the second light beam toward a second sample of the semiconductor, the second sample being unilluminated by the first light beam and located on a different part of the semiconductor than the first sample;
generating a second image based on a reflected second light beam, the reflected second light beam being a coherent addition of a first reflection of the second light beam off of the reference plate, of a second reflection of the second light beam off of a raised surface feature on the second sample and a third reflection of the second light beam off of the floor surface of the second sample; and
based on the second image, determining second distances between the reference plate and the raised surface feature of the second sample, and between the reference plate and a floor surface of the second sample.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein directing the first light beam comprises directing the first light beam toward the reference plate and the first sample at an angle normal to the reference plate.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
emitting a second light beam;
directing the second light beam toward the reference plate and the first sample at angles away from normal to the floor surface of the sample;
generating a second image based on a second reflected light beam, the second reflected light beam being a coherent addition of a second reflection/scatter of the second light beam off of the reference plate, a second reflection/scatter of the second light beam off of the raised surface feature and a third reflection/scatter of the second light beam off of the floor surface;
based on the generated second image, determining the distance between the reference plate and the raised surface feature and determining the distance between the reference plate and the floor surface.

### Claim 9

An optical system configured to measure raised surface features on a surface of a sample, comprising:
a first digital imager and a second digital imager;
a processor system coupled to the first and to the second digital imagers;
a tunable light source configured to emit a first light beam and a second light beam;
a first lens system configured to focus incident light onto the sample surface and to focus reflected light back on the first and second digital imagers;
a reference plate disposed above and facing the sample surface;
an off-axis ring illuminator and configured to receive and direct the second light beam toward the reference plate at angles other than normal to the sample surface;
a first beam splitter configured to direct the first light beam through the first lens system toward the reference plate in a direction normal to the sample surface and to transmit a first reflected light beam of the first light beam reflected by the reference plate and a second reflected light beam of the second light beam reflected by a raised surface feature on the sample;
a second beam splitter configured to transmit at least a portion of the first reflected light beam toward the first digital imager and to reflect at least a portion of the second reflected light beam toward the second digital imager;
wherein the first digital imager is configured to generate a first digital image based at least on the first reflected light beam and wherein the second digital imager is configured to generate a second digital image based at least on the second reflected light beam, and
wherein the processor system is configured to determine a distance between the reference plate and the raised surface feature of the sample based at least on the first and second digital images.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The optical system of claim 9, wherein the first reflected light comprises a coherent addition of reflections of the first light beam on the reference plate, on the raised surface feature and on the sample surface and wherein the second reflected light comprises a coherent addition of reflections of the second light beam on the reference plate, on the raised surface feature and on the sample surface.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The optical system of claim 9, wherein the processor system is further configured to generate an image of the sample surface for defect inspection and to generate a fluorescence image of the sample for residue-defect inspection.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The optical system of claim 9, wherein the second beam splitter is a dichroic mirror configured to primarily transmit a first pre-determined band of wavelengths and to primarily reflect a second pre-determined band of wavelengths, wherein the first light beam has a wavelength within the first pre-determined band of wavelengths and wherein the second light beam has a wavelength within the second pre-determined band of wavelengths.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

The optical system of claim 9, wherein the first digital imager and the second digital imager are configured to generate digital images based on sample fluorescence emission, generated via excitation of the sample surface and of the raised surface feature by the first and second light beams.

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

The optical system of claim 9, wherein the reference plate positioned above the surface of the sample has an optical thickness configured to provide a near common path Mirau interferometer functionality.

### Claim 15 (depends on 9)

The optical system of claim 9, further configured to optically scan the sample surface using a translation system whose travel speed across a field of view of the optical system determines a sampling pixel size of the first and second images.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The optical system of claim 15, wherein the translation system is configured to at least one of move the sample and move the optical system.

### Claim 17 (depends on 9)

The optical system of claim 9, wherein the first light beam has a first wavelength and is emitted at a first time, and wherein the second light beam has a second wavelength that is different form the first wavelength and is emitted at a second time that is different than the first time, and wherein the processor system is configured to determine the distance between the reference plate and the raised surface feature based on the first digital image and the second digital image.

### Claim 18 (depends on 9)

The optical system of claim 9, wherein the tunable light source is configured to emit a plurality of light beams, the plurality of light beams including the first light beam and the second light beam, each of the plurality of light beams having a different wavelength, a number of the plurality of light beams being selected based on the distance between the reference plate and the raised surface feature, and wherein the determined distance between the reference plate and the raised surface feature being based on a plurality of first and second images generated by the first and second digital imagers based on the plurality of light beams.

### Claim 19 (depends on 9)

The optical system of claim 9, wherein the tunable light source comprises:
a broadband light source configured to emit the first light beam at a first time and the second light beam at a second time; and
a tunable filter, wherein the tunable filter is configured to filter the first light beam to have a first wavelength and to filter the second light beam to have a second wavelength.

### Claim 20 (depends on 9)

The optical system of claim 9, wherein the distance between the reference plate and the raised surface feature is determined based on a first intensity value of a first pixel location in the first digital image and a second intensity value of a corresponding first pixel location in the second digital image.

### Claim 21 (depends on 9)

The optical system of claim 9, wherein the first lens system is positioned between the sample and the first beam splitter and wherein the optical system further comprises:
a second lens system positioned between the first and second beam splitters; and
an adjustable system aperture positioned one of:
in an aperture plane of the first lens system, and
between the first lens system and the second lens system.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The optical system of claim 21, wherein a size of an aperture of the adjustable system aperture is configured to be adjustable based on at least one of a lateral resolution and a field of view of the optical system.

### Claim 23 (depends on 9)

The optical system of claim 9, wherein the first beam splitter is controllable to redirect the first light beam away from the raised surface feature toward another part of the sample, such that the raised surface feature is unilluminated by the redirected first light beam;
wherein the processor system is configured to determine a distance between the reference plate and the other part of the sample.

### Claim 24 (depends on 9)

The optical system of claim 9, wherein the second digital imager is configured to receive at least a portion of the first light beam that includes a reflected light beam from normal incidence illumination and at least a portion of the second light beam that includes scattered light beam from off-axis illumination to generate at least one third digital image based on the reflected and scattered light beams and wherein the processor system is further configured to generate a two-dimensional digital image from the at least one third digital image.

### Claim 25 (depends on 9)

The optical system of claim 9, wherein the sample is moved under the imaging system by a translation system comprising a moving stage and wherein the second digital imager is configured to receive at least a portion of the first light beam that includes a reflected light beam from normal incidence and at least a portion of the second light beam that includes scattered light beam from off-axis illumination to generate at least one third digital image based on the reflected and scattered light beams and wherein the processor system is further configured to generate a two-dimensional digital image of an entire surface of the sample from the at least one third digital image.

### Claim 26 (depends on 9)

The optical system of claim 9, wherein the tunable light source is configured to emit a single wavelength of light beam toward the sample and to enable repeated multiple single wavelength inspection of the sample in both a bright field mode and in a dark field mode.

### Claim 27 (depends on 26)

The optical system of claim 26, wherein the single wavelength of light beam incident on the surface of the sample causes at least a portion of the surface of the sample to fluoresce,
wherein the second digital imager is configured to receive a fluorescence emission from the sample surface via a first dichroic mirror as the sample is moved under the imaging system by translation system comprising a moving stage; and
wherein the second processor system is configured to generate a two-dimensional digital image based on the received fluorescence emission.

### Claim 28 (depends on 9)

The optical system of claim 9, further comprising an auto-correlation interferometer comprising a first movable mirror and a second movable mirror both disposed along an optical path of the second reflected light beam and aligned with the second digital imager.

### Claim 29 (depends on 9)

The optical system of claim 9, wherein the first light beam comprises a wavelength or a band of wavelengths that causes the fluorescence emission at the sample.

### Claim 30 (depends on 9)

The optical system of claim 9, wherein at least one of the first and second digital imagers is configured to receive at least a portion of the fluorescence emission and to generate a fluorescence image.