System, method and computer program product for fast automatic determination of signals for efficient metrology

A computer program product embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium, the computer program product including code adapted to be executed by a computer to perform a method comprising:

• simulating, via a processor executing a simulator module, a set of signals for measuring one or more parameters of a metrology target, each signal in the set of signals having one or more configurations for measuring the one or more parameters of the metrology target;
• generating a normalized Jacobian matrix corresponding to the set of signals;
• selecting a subset of signals in the simulated set of signals that optimizes a performance metric associated with measuring the one or more parameters of the metrology target, based on the normalized Jacobian matrix, wherein the subset of signals includes fewer signals than the set of signals;
• and
• utilizing a metrology tool to collect a measurement for the one or more parameters of the metrology target using the selected subset of signals, wherein the metrology tool includes one of:
• a spectroscopic ellipsometer (SE);
• a SE with multiple angles of illumination;
• a SE measuring Mueller matrix elements;
• a single-wavelength ellipsometers;
• a beam profile ellipsometer;
• a beam profile reflectometer;
• a broadband reflective spectrometer;
• a single-wavelength reflectometer;
• an angle-resolved reflectometer;
• an imaging system;
• a scatterometer;
• a small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) device;
• an x-ray powder diffraction (XRD) device;
• an x-ray Fluorescence (XRF) device;
• an x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) device;
• an x-ray reflectivity (XRR) device;
• a Raman spectroscopy device;
• a scanning electron microscopy (SEM) device;
• a tunneling electron microscope (TEM) device;
• and
• an atomic force microscope (AFM) device.

A system, comprising:

• a memory storing a simulator module;
• a metrology tool for collecting measurements associated with metrology targets on a wafer;
• and
• a processor coupled to the memory and configured to:
• simulate, via the simulator module, a set of signals for measuring one or more parameters of a metrology target, each signal in the set of signals having one or more configurations for measuring the one or more parameters of the metrology target,
• generate a normalized Jacobian matrix corresponding to the set of signals,
• select a subset of signals in the simulated set of signals that optimizes a performance metric associated with measuring the one or more parameters of the metrology target, based on the normalized Jacobian matrix, wherein the subset of signals includes fewer signals than the set of signals, and
• utilize the metrology tool to collect a measurement for the one or more parameters of the metrology target using the selected subset of signals, wherein the metrology tool includes one of:
• a spectroscopic ellipsometer (SE);
• a SE with multiple angles of illumination;
• a SE measuring Mueller matrix elements;
• a single-wavelength ellipsometers;
• a beam profile ellipsometer;
• a beam profile reflectometer;
• a broadband reflective spectrometer;
• a single-wavelength reflectometer;
• an angle-resolved reflectometer;
• an imaging system;
• a scatterometer;
• a small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) device;
• an x-ray powder diffraction (XRD) device;
• an x-ray Fluorescence (XRF) device;
• an x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) device;
• an x-ray reflectivity (XRR) device;
• a Raman spectroscopy device;
• a scanning electron microscopy (SEM) device;
• a tunneling electron microscope (TEM) device;
• and
• an atomic force microscope (AFM) device.