Method and system for measuring in patterned structures
AssigneeNova Measuring Instruments Ltd.
InventorsBoaz Brill, Moshe Finarov
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A measurement method and system are presented for measuring parameters of a patterned structure. Scatterometry and SEM measurements are applied to the structure, measured data indicative of, respectively, the structure parameters and lateral pattern dimensions of the structure are generated. The entire measured data are analyzed so as to enable using measurement results of either one of the scatterometry and SEM measurements for optimizing the other measurement results.
Claims24
A method of measuring parameters of a patterned structure, the method comprising
- operating a handling system, operable for moving the patterned structure between first and second measurement zone, to locate the structure in a first measurement zone and support the structure during measurements, applying scatterometry measurements to the structure while in the first measurement zone, and generating first measured data presenting first measurement results indicative of at least one predetermined parameter of the structure;
- operating sail handling system to locate the structure in a second measurement zone and support the structure during measurements, applying scanning electron microscopy (SEM) measurements to the structure in second measurement zone, and generating second measured data presenting second measurement results indicative of critical dimensions of the structure;
- analyzing the first and second measured data to use either one of said first and second measurement results for optimizing the other measurement results.
A measurement system for measuring parameters of a patterned structure, the system comprising:
- (a) a scatterometry measurement tool operable to apply measurements to the structure when located in a first measurement zone, and generate first measured data presenting first measurement results indicative of at least one predetermined parameter of the structure characterizing a file of the pattern;
- (b) a scanning electron microscope (SEM) measurement tool operable to apply SEM measurements to the structure when located in a second measurement zone, and generate second measured data presenting second measurement results indicative of critical dimensions of the patterned structure;
- (c) a handling system operable for moving the structure between the first and second measurement zones and supporting the structure during measurements;
- (d) a control system for selectively operating the scatterometry measurement tools and the SEM measurement tool to apply respective measurements to the structure, the control system having a data processing and analyzing utility preprogrammed to be responsive to the first and second measured data and analyzing said data by using either one of first and second measurement results for optimizing the other of the first and second measurement results of the other tool.
A method of measuring parameters of a patterned structure, the method comprising:
- (a) applying scatterometry measurements to the structure while located in a first measurement zone, and generating first measured data presenting first measurement results indicative of at least one predetermined parameter of the structure;
- (b) applying scanning electron microscopy (SEM) measurements to the structure while located in a second measurement zone, and generating second measured data presenting second measurement results indicative of critical dimensions of the structure;
- (c) analyzing the first and second measured data to use said first measurement results for optimizing the q second measurement results.
A method of measuring parameters of a patterned structure, the method comprising:
- (a) applying scatterometry measurements to the structure while located in a first measurement zone, and generating first measured data presenting first measurement results indicative of at least one predetermined parameter of the structure;
- (b) applying scanning electron microscopy (SEM) measurements to the structure while located in a second measurement zone, and generating second measured data presenting second measurement results indicative of critical dimensions of the structure;
- (c) analyzing the first and second measured data to use said first measurement results for optimizing the second measurement results to include data indicative of structure parameters other than the critical dimensions of the pattern.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.