Parametric profiling using optical spectroscopic systems

A method for measuring one or more parameters of a first periodic diffracting structure of a sample, comprising:

• performing scatterometric measurements on a second reference diffracting structures to obtain intensity or phase data;
• performing scatterometric measurements on the first diffracting structure to obtain intensity or phase data;
• and
• obtaining the one or more parameters on the first diffracting structure using results from the measurements on the second diffracting structure.

A method for measuring one or more parameters of a sample having one or more periodic diffracting structures thereon, comprising:

• performing scatterometric measurements on a first one of the diffracting structures to obtain intensity or ellipsometric data;
• performing SEM measurements on a second one of the diffracting structures to obtain critical dimension or profile data, the second one being the same or different from the first diffracting structure;
• and
• obtaining the one or more parameters on the second diffracting structure using results from the measurements on the first diffracting structure.

A method for measuring one or more parameters of a sample having a plurality of periodic diffracting structures thereon, comprising:

• performing scatterometric measurements on a first one of the diffracting structures to obtain intensity or ellipsometric data;
• performing overlay measurements on a pair of the diffracting structures or lines or bars or boxes useful for deriving misalignment information between the pair;
• and
• deriving the misalignment information between the pair from result of the overlay measurements wherein a result of scatterometric measurements is employed to derive the misalignment information.

A method for measuring one or more parameters of a periodic diffracting structure with or with-out an adjacent film structure having associated thickness and optical index information, comprising:

• providing a profile type for the periodic diffracting structure and the film structure, said profile type associated with one or more parameters related to the periodic diffracting structure and information related to the film structure, said profile type also associated with a plurality of sets of radiation data of different radiation parameters, said radiation parameters including reflectance or transmittance parameters and ellipsometric parameters;
• selecting at least one set of radiation data from the sets of radiation data of different parameters associated with the profile type based on sensitivity of such data to a change in the information associated with the film structure as derived from the film structure or the periodic diffracting structure;
• detecting radiation data from the periodic diffracting structure;
• and
• comparing the detected radiation data to the set selected to arrive at a set of value(s) of the one or more parameters.