System and method for measuring properties of a semiconductor substrate in a fabrication line
AssigneeBoxer Cross, Inc.
InventorPeter G. Borden
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for measuring a property of a semiconductor substrate, wherein an analyzer beam is generated and transmitted to the substrate, and a generation beam, superposed on top of the analyzer beam, is also generated and transmitted to the substrate. A response generated by the generation beam, in the substrate, causes a change in a predetermined characteristic of the analyzer beam that is measured by a detector. The property of the substrate is then determined from the change in a predetermined characteristic. The property measuring system may be used in a semiconductor fabrication process.
Claims41
A system for measuring the value of a property of a semiconductor substrate, comprising:
- means for generating an analyzer beam;
- means for generating a generation beam;
- means for focusing the generation beam on the substrate and for focusing the analyzer beam on the substrate, the generation beam being superposed over the analyzer beam, and the generation beam generating carriers in an area of the substrate contacted by the generation beam, the generated carriers causing a change in a predetermined characteristic of the analyzer beam, the change in the predetermined characteristic of the analyzer beam corresponding to the property of the substrate;
- means for detecting the change in the predetermined characteristic of the analyzer beam;
- and
- means for determining the value of the property of the substrate from the change in the predetermined characteristic of the analyzer beam.
A method for measuring a value of a property of a semiconductor substrate, comprising:
- generating an analyzer beam;
- generating a generation beam;
- focusing the generation beam on the substrate and focusing the analyzer beam on the substrate, the generation beam being superposed over the analyzer beam, and the generation beam generating carriers in an area of the substrate contacted by the generation beam, the generated carriers causing a change in a predetermined characteristic of the analyzer beam, the change in a predetermined characteristic of the analyzer beam corresponding to the property of the substrate;
- detecting the change in a predetermined characteristic of the analyzer beam;
- and
- determining the value of the property of the substrate from the change in a predetermined characteristic of the analyzer beam.
A method of measuring the value of a property of a device on a semiconductor substrate during the fabrication process of the device, the fabrication process including a plurality of processes for forming various portions of the device, the method of measuring properties of the semiconductor substrate and device, comprising:
- generating an analyzer beam;
- generating a generation beam;
- focusing the generation beam on the substrate and focusing the analyzer beam on the substrate, the generation beam being superposed over the analyzer beam, and the generation beam generating carriers in an area of the substrate contacted by the generation beam, the generated carriers causing a change in a predetermined characteristic of the analyzer beam, the change in the predetermined characteristic of the analyzer beam corresponding to the property of the substrate;
- detecting the change in the predetermined characteristic of the analyzer beam;
- and
- determining the value of the property of the substrate from the change in the predetermined characteristic of the analyzer beam.
A system for measuring the value of a property of a semiconductor substrate, comprising:
- means for directing a first beam of electromagnetic energy to the substrate to generate a plurality of charge carriers in a localized region of the substrate impinged by the first beam;
- means for directing a second beam of electromagnetic energy to the substrate;
- means for measuring a property of the substrate, based on the plurality of generated charge carriers, by detecting a change in a predetermined characteristic of the second beam of electromagnetic energy;
- and
- means for determining the property of the substrate from the change in the predetermined characteristic of the second beam.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.