# US 11,994,374 B2 · Integrated measurement system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,994,374 B2 - Document ID: US11994374B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/309,318 - Filed: 2019-11-17 - Published: 2021-12-23 - Granted: 2024-05-28 - Earliest claimed: 2018-11-19 - Assignees: Nova Ltd. - Applicants: Nova Ltd. - Inventors: Elad Dotan; Moshe Vanhotsker; Shimon Yalov; Valery Deich; Roi Ringel; Beni Shulman; Yosi Bar On; Shahar Bassan - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11994374B2 ## CPC - G01B 11/02: for measuring length, width or thickness (G01B11/08 takes precedence) - G01B 5/0004: {Supports (G01B5/025 takes precedence)} - G01N 21/8806: {Specially adapted optical and illumination features} - G01N 21/9501: {Semiconductor wafers (manufacturing processes per se of semiconductor devices implementing a measuring step H10P74/20)} - 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)} - G01N 33/0003: {Composite materials} - G01N 33/0078: {Testing material properties on manufactured objects} - G01N 33/0095: {Semiconductive materials} - G03F 7/70625: {Dimensions, e.g. line width, critical dimension [CD], profile, sidewall angle or edge roughness} - G03F 7/706849: {Irradiation branch, e.g. optical system details, illumination mode or polarisation control} - G03F 7/706851: {Detection branch, e.g. detector arrangements, polarisation control, wavelength control or dark/bright field detection} - H10P 74/203: {Structural properties, e.g. testing or measuring thicknesses, line widths, warpage, bond strengths or physical defects} - G01B 2210/56: Measuring geometric parameters of semiconductor structures, e.g. profile, critical dimensions or trench depth - G01N 2021/8411: {Application to online plant, process monitoring} - G01N 2021/8825: {Separate detection of dark field and bright field} - 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) - G03F: PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR; (phototypographic composing devices B41B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; electrophotography, sensitive layers or processes therefor G03G) - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract A measurement system is presented configured for integration with a processing equipment for applying optical measurements to a structure. The measurement system comprises: a support assembly for holding a structure under measurements in a measurement plane, configured and operable for rotation in a plane parallel to the measurement plane and for movement along a first lateral axis in said measurement plane; an optical system defining illumination and collection light channels of normal and oblique optical schemes and comprising an optical head comprising at least three lens units located in the illumination and collection channels; a holder assembly comprising: a support unit for carrying the optical head, and a guiding unit for guiding a sliding movement of the support unit along a path extending along a second lateral axis perpendicular to said first lateral axis; and an optical window arrangement comprising at least three optical windows made in a faceplate located between the optical head at a certain distance from the measurement plane. The optical windows are aligned with the illumination and collection channels for, respectively, propagation of illuminating light from the optical head and propagation of light returned from an illuminated region to the optical head, in accordance with the normal and oblique optical schemes. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A measurement system configured for integration with a processing equipment for applying optical measurements to a structure, the measurement system comprising: a support assembly for holding a structure under measurements in a measurement plane, the support assembly being configured and operable for rotation in a plane parallel to the measurement plane and for movement along a first lateral axis in said measurement plane; an optical system defining illumination and collection light channels of normal and oblique optical schemes; the optical system comprising an optical head comprising at least three lens units located in the illumination and collection channels; a holder assembly comprising: a support unit for carrying the optical head, and a guiding unit configured and operable for guiding a sliding movement of the support unit along a path extending along a second lateral axis perpendicular to said first lateral axis; and an optical window arrangement comprising at least three optical windows made in a faceplate located between the optical head at a certain distance from the measurement plane, the at least three optical windows being arranged in spaced-apart parallel relationship and extending parallel to said path, said at least three optical windows being aligned with the illumination and collection channels for, respectively, propagation of illuminating light from the optical head and propagation of light returned from an illuminated region to the optical head, in accordance with said normal and oblique optical schemes. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The measurement system according to claim 1, further comprising a controller configured and operable for controllably shifting the optical system operation between the normal and oblique optical schemes. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The measurement system according to claim 1, wherein the optical system comprises a common illumination assembly optically coupled with the illumination channels of the normal and oblique optical schemes, and separate detection devices accommodated in the respective collection channels of the normal and oblique optical schemes. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The measurement system according to claim 1, wherein the. optical head comprises at least three objective lens units located in, respectively, the normal and oblique optical schemes. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The measurement system according to claim 1, wherein the at least three optical windows are configured to maintain polarization of light passing therethrough. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The measurement system according to claim 1, wherein the faceplate has a planar facet in which a central one of the at least three optical windows is made, and two tilted side facets at opposite sides of the planar facet in which two other of the at least three optical windows are made, such that each of the at least three optical windows is located in a plane of 90 degrees orientation with respect to an optical axis of one of the least three lens units. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The measurement system according to claim 1, wherein said support assembly is configured and operable by a driving mechanism to control a position of the measurement plane with the respect to the optical head. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The measurement system according to claim 7, wherein said driving mechanism comprises a double-wedge engine. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The measurement system according to claim 1, wherein the optical system comprises a polarizing assembly comprising at least one polarizer located in at least one of the illumination and collection channels. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The measurement system according to claim 9, wherein the polarizer assembly is located within the optical head and comprises three polarizers located in, respectively, illumination and detection channels of the normal and oblique optical schemes. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The measurement system according to claim 1, wherein each of the at least three optical windows has a length which is at least two orders of magnitude higher than (a) a maximal thickness of the optical window and (b) a minimal thickness of the window. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The measurement system according to claim 11, wherein the maximal thickness of the optical window is two millimeters. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The measurement system according to claim 1, wherein the light returned wherein each of the collection channels is configured for directing the light returned to spatially separated imaging and measurement channels. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The measurement system according to claim 13, wherein each of the collection channels comprises a pinhole mirror device for spatially separating the collected light into imaging and measurement light portions and directing them to propagate through imaging and measurement channels. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The measurement system according to claim 14, wherein said imaging and measurement channels are optically coupled to imaging and measurement detection devices. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The measurement system according to claim 15, wherein the measurement channels of the normal and oblique optical schemes are optically coupled to a shared spectrometric detector. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The measurement system according to claim 1 , further comprising a navigation movement system configured and operable to drive rotational movement of the support assembly and the movements of the support assembly and the support unit of the holder assembly along said first and second lateral axes, respectively. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The measurement system according to claim 17, wherein navigation movement system comprises a drive assembly configured and operable for driving the sliding movement of the support unit of the holder assembly along a guiding rail of the guiding unit. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The measurement system of claim 18, wherein said drive assembly comprises a linear magnetic motor. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The measurement system according to claim 19, wherein the linear magnetic motor comprises a movable magnet and a static coils assembly. ### Claim 21 A measurement system configured for integration with a processing equipment for applying optical measurements to a structure, the measurement system comprising: a support assembly defining a measurement plane for holding a structure under measurements in the measurement plane, the support assembly being configured and operable as an x-Theta stage; an optical system configured with normal and oblique optical measurement schemes and comprising an optical head and light directing elements for directing incident light from a light source to the optical head and directing light collected by the optical head to a detection system; a holder assembly configured and operable as a y-stage for guiding a sliding movement of the optical head along an y-axis; and an optical window arrangement comprising at least three optical windows made in a faceplate located between the optical head and the measurement plane at a certain distance from the measurement plane, the at least three optical windows being arranged in spaced-apart parallel relationship and extending along the y-axis, providing propagation of illuminating light from the optical head and propagation of light returned from an illuminated region to the optical head, in accordance with said normal and oblique optical measurement schemes of the optical head.