Line profile asymmetry measurement using scatterometry
AssigneeAccent Optical Technologies, Inc.
InventorChristopher J. Raymond
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of and apparatus for measuring line profile asymmetries in microelectronic devices comprising directing light at an array of microelectronic features of a microelectronic device, detecting light scattered back from the array comprising either or both of one or more angles of reflection and one or more wavelengths, and comparing one or more characteristics of the back-scattered light by examining data from complementary angles of reflection or performing a model comparison.
Claims56
A method of measuring line profile asymmetries in microelectronic devices, the method comprising the steps of:
- directing light at an array of microelectronic features of a microelectronic device;
- detecting light scattered back from the array comprising one or more features selected from the group consisting of one or more angles of reflection and one or more wavelengths;
- and
- comparing one or more characteristics of the back-scattered light by performing an operation comprising examining data from complementary angles of reflection.
An apparatus for measuring line profile asymmetries in microelectronic devices, said apparatus comprising:
- means for directing light at an array of microelectronic features of a microelectronic device;
- means for detecting light scattered back from the array comprising one or more features selected from the group consisting of one or more angles of reflection and one or more wavelengths;
- and
- means for comparing one or more characteristics of the back-scattered light by performing an operation comprising examining data from complementary angles of reflection.
A method of measuring line profile asymmetries in microelectronic devices, the method comprising the steps of:
- directing light at an array of microelectronic features of a microelectronic device;
- detecting light scattered back from the array comprising one or more features selected from the group consisting of one or more angles of reflection and one or mare wavelengths;
- and
- comparing one or more characteristics of the back-scattered light by performing an operation comprising performing a model comparison with an asymmetric model.
An apparatus for measuring line profile asymmetries in microelectronic devices, said apparatus comprising:
- means for directing light at an array of microelectronic features of a microelectronic device;
- means for detecting light scattered back from the array comprising one or more features selected from the group consisting of one or more angles of reflection and one or more wavelengths;
- and
- means for comparing one or more characteristics of the back-scattered light by performing an operation comprising performing a model comparison with an asymmetric model.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.