US 12,111,580 B2Granted

Optical metrology utilizing short-wave infrared wavelengths

AssigneeKLA Corporation

InventorsAmnon Manassen, Isaac Salib, Raviv Yohanan, Diana Shaphirov, Eitan Hajaj, Vladimir Levinski, Avi Abramov, Michael Shentcis, Ariel Hildesheim, Yoav Grauer, Shlomo Eisenbach, Etay Lavert, Iftach Nir

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Abstract

An optical metrology tool may include one or more illumination sources to generate illumination having wavelengths both within a short-wave infrared (SWIR) spectral range and outside the SWIR spectral range, illumination optics configured to direct the illumination to a sample, a first imaging channel including a first detector configured to image the sample based on a first wavelength range including at least some wavelengths in the SWIR spectral range, a second imaging channel including a second detector configured to image the sample based on a second wavelength range including at least some wavelengths outside the SWIR spectral range, and a controller. The controller may receive first images of the sample from the first detector, receive second images of the sample from the second detector, and generate an optical metrology measurement of the sample based on the first and second images.

Claims38

Dependent claims

An optical metrology tool comprising:

one or more illumination sources, wherein at least one of the one or more illumination sources is configured to generate illumination in a short-wave infrared (SWIR) spectral range, wherein at least one of the one or more illumination sources is configured to generate illumination outside the SWIR spectral range;
one or more illumination optics configured to direct illumination from the one or more illumination sources to a sample;
a first imaging channel including a first detector configured to image the sample based on illumination with a first wavelength range, wherein the first wavelength range includes at least some wavelengths in the SWIR spectral range from the one or more illumination sources;
a second imaging channel including a second detector configured to image the sample based on illumination with a second wavelength range different than the first wavelength range, wherein the second wavelength range includes at least some wavelengths outside the SWIR spectral range from the one or more illumination sources, wherein the first and second wavelength ranges are non-overlapping and are separated by a cutoff wavelength, wherein the first wavelength range includes wavelengths above the cutoff wavelength, wherein the second wavelength range includes wavelengths below the cutoff wavelength, wherein the cutoff wavelength corresponds to a wavelength at which a quantum efficiency of the first detector and a quantum efficiency of the second detector are equal;
and
a controller communicatively coupled to first and second detectors, the controller including one or more processors configured to execute program instructions causing the one or more processors to:
receive one or more first images of the sample from the first detector;
receive one or more second images of the sample from the second detector;
and
generate one or more optical metrology measurements of the sample based on the one or more first images and the one or more second images.

7 more elements

An optical metrology tool comprising:

one or more illumination sources, wherein at least one of the one or more illumination sources is configured to generate illumination in a short-wave infrared (SWIR) spectral range, wherein at least one of the one or more illumination sources is configured to generate illumination outside the SWIR spectral range;
one or more illumination optics configured to direct illumination from the one or more illumination sources to a sample;
a first imaging channel, the first imaging channel including a first detector configured to image the sample based on illumination with a first wavelength range, wherein the first wavelength range includes at least some wavelengths in the SWIR spectral range from the one or more illumination sources, the first imaging channel further including a second detector configured to image the sample based on illumination with a second wavelength range different than the first wavelength range, wherein the second wavelength range includes at least some wavelengths outside the SWIR spectral range from the one or more illumination sources, wherein the first detector and the second detector are mounted on a camera changer to selectively position the first detector or the second detector in a collection path for imaging the sample;
a second imaging channel including a third detector configured to image the sample based on illumination with a third wavelength range different than the first wavelength range, wherein the third wavelength range includes at least some wavelengths outside the SWIR spectral range from the one or more illumination sources;
and
a controller communicatively coupled to first and second detectors, the controller including one or more processors configured to execute program instructions causing the one or more processors to:
receive one or more first images of the sample from the first detector;
receive one or more second images of the sample from the second detector;
receive one or more third images of the sample from the third detector;
and
generate one or more optical metrology measurements of the sample based on the one or more first images, the one or more second images, and the one or more third images.

8 more elements

An optical metrology tool comprising:

one or more illumination sources, wherein at least one of the one or more illumination sources is configured to generate illumination in a short-wave infrared (SWIR) spectral range, wherein at least one of the one or more illumination sources is configured to generate illumination outside the SWIR spectral range;
one or more illumination optics configured to direct illumination from the one or more illumination sources to a sample;
a first detector sensitive to illumination within a first wavelength range including at least some wavelengths in the SWIR spectral range generated by the one or more illumination sources and a second detector sensitive to_illumination within a second wavelength range including at least some wavelengths outside the SWIR spectral range generated by the one or more illumination sources, wherein the first and second wavelength ranges are non-overlapping and are separated by a cutoff wavelength, wherein the first wavelength range includes wavelengths above the cutoff wavelength, wherein the second wavelength range includes wavelengths below the cutoff wavelength, wherein the cutoff wavelength corresponds to a wavelength at which a quantum efficiency of the first detector and a quantum efficiency of the second detector are equal;
a controller communicatively coupled to the first detector and the second detector, the controller including one or more processors configured to execute program instructions causing the one or more processors to:
receive one or more first images of the sample from the first detector based on illumination with the at least some wavelengths in the SWIR spectral range generated by the one or more illumination sources;
receive one or more second images of the sample from the second detector based on illumination with the at least some wavelengths outside the SWIR spectral range generated by the one or more illumination sources;
and
generate one or more optical metrology measurements of the sample based on the one or more first images and the one or more second images.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/243,912Filed 29 Apr 2021 · us provisional application
Priority: 11 Mar 2021
Published: US 2022/0291143 A115 Sep 2022
Granted: 8 Oct 2024
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification11 codes

G03F 7/706851
Metrology apparatus: detection branch, e.g. detector arrangements, polarisation control, wavelength control or dark/bright field detection
G01B 11/272
For testing the alignment of axes: using photoelectric detection means
G01N 21/35
Investigating relative effect of material at wavelengths characteristic of specific elements or molecules, e.g. atomic absorption spectrometry:…
G01N 21/956
Characterised by the material or shape of the object to be examined: inspecting patterns on the surface of objects

Family

Application63/159,451Us provisional application · filed 11 Mar 2021
US 2022/0291143 A1Pre-grant publication · published 15 Sep 2022
US 12,111,580 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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