# US 12,222,281 B2 · Method for measuring element concentration of material > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,222,281 B2 - Document ID: US12222281B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/814,522 - Filed: 2022-07-24 - Published: 2023-04-13 - Granted: 2025-02-11 - Earliest claimed: 2021-10-13 - Assignees: Changxin Memory Technologies, Inc. - Applicants: Changxin Memory Technologies, Inc. - Inventors: Ying-Chih Wang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12222281B2 ## CPC - G01N 21/211: {Ellipsometry (optical thickness measurement G01B11/06)} - G01B 11/0641: {with measurement of polarization} - G01N 21/17: Systems in which incident light is modified in accordance with the properties of the material investigated (where the material investigated is optically excited causing a change in wavelength of the incident light G01N21/63) - G01N 21/21: Polarisation-affecting properties (G01N21/19 takes precedence) - G01N 21/41: Refractivity; Phase-affecting properties, e.g. optical path length (G01N21/21 takes precedence) - G01N 21/73: using plasma burners or torches - G01N 21/8422: {Investigating thin films, e.g. matrix isolation method} - G01N 23/2273: Measuring photoelectron spectrum, e.g. electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis [ESCA] or X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy [XPS] - G01N 2021/216: {using circular polarised light} - G01N 2021/8427: {Coatings} - G01N 2021/8472: {Investigation of composite materials} - G01N 2223/085: photo-electron spectrum [ESCA, XPS] - G01N 2223/6116: semiconductor wafer - 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) - G01B: MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEAR DIMENSIONS; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS ## Abstract A method for measuring an element concentration of a material includes: a material sample is irradiated with first electromagnetic waves; second electromagnetic waves radiated by the material sample are obtained under the action of the first electromagnetic waves; material property parameters of the material sample are determined by detecting the second electromagnetic waves; and an element concentration of the material sample is determined according to the material property parameters. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for measuring an element concentration of a material, comprising: irradiating a sample to be measured and one or more reference samples respectively with first electromagnetic waves, wherein the sample to be measured is a compound containing an element to be measured, each reference sample is a mixture of at least two substances, and the at least two substances comprise a substance containing the element to be measured in the sample to be measured; obtaining second electromagnetic waves radiated by the sample to be measured and one or more reference samples under the action of the first electromagnetic waves; determining material property parameters of the sample to be measured and one or more reference samples by detecting the second electromagnetic waves; and determining a reference function according to correspondences between the material property parameters of the one or more reference samples and the element concentrations of the one or more reference samples; determining a proportionality coefficient of each substance in each reference sample according to dielectric constants of individual substances in the reference sample and a dielectric constant of the reference sample determining an element content of the element to be measured in the compound according to the reference function, the material property parameters of the sample to be measured, and the proportionality coefficient. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein determining the reference function according to the correspondences between the material property parameters of the one or more reference samples and the element concentration of the one or more reference samples comprises: determining the reference function according to material property parameters and element concentrations of at least two reference samples, wherein the at least two reference samples have different element concentrations. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein determining the material property parameters of the sample to be measured and one or more reference samples by detecting the second electromagnetic waves comprises: obtaining wave parameters of the second electromagnetic waves by detecting the second electromagnetic waves; and determining the material property parameters of the sample to be measured and one or more reference samples according to the wave parameters. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the first electromagnetic waves and the second electromagnetic waves are polarized light, and the wave parameters comprise ellipsometry parameters of the second electromagnetic waves. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the material property parameters comprise at least one of: a film thickness; a refractive index; or an absorptivity. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the sample to be measured and one or more reference samples at least comprises: oxygen, silicon, and nitrogen. ### Claim 7 A method for measuring an element concentration of a material, comprising: irradiating one or more reference samples with first electromagnetic waves, wherein each reference sample is a mixture of at least two substances, and the at least two substances comprise a substance containing an element to be measured, wherein the first electromagnetic waves comprise: at least two groups of electromagnetic waves having different wavelengths; obtaining second electromagnetic waves radiated by the one or more reference samples under the action of the first electromagnetic waves; determining material property parameters of the one or more reference samples by detecting the second electromagnetic waves; and determining a reference function according to correspondences between the material property parameters and element concentrations of the one or more reference samples, wherein the element concentration is concentration of the element to be measured in each reference sample, and the reference function is used for determining the element concentration of the element to be measured in a sample to be measured; wherein determining the reference function according to correspondences between the material property parameters and the element concentration of the one or more reference samples comprises: determining at least two relationship curves according to the material property parameters respectively obtained according to the at least two groups of electromagnetic waves having different wavelengths and corresponding element concentrations; and determining a relationship curve with a largest change rate among the at least two relationship curves as the reference function. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein determining material property parameters of the one or more reference samples by detecting the second electromagnetic waves comprises: obtaining wave parameters of the second electromagnetic waves by detecting the second electromagnetic waves; and determining the material property parameters of each reference sample according to the wave parameters. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the first electromagnetic waves and the second electromagnetic waves are polarized light, and the wave parameters comprise ellipsometry parameters of the second electromagnetic waves. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the material property parameters comprise at least one of: a film thickness; a refractive index; or an absorptivity.