Combined X-ray reflectometer and diffractometer

A cluster tool for producing microelectronic devices, comprising:

• a deposition station, which is adapted to form a thin-film layer on a surface of a semiconductor wafer;
• and
• an inspection station, comprising:
• a radiation source, which is adapted to direct a converging beam of X-rays toward a surface of the wafer from a first source location with respect to the sample in which the X-rays impinge on the surface at a grazing angle and from a second source location with respect to the sample at a higher angle than the grazing angle;
• a detector array, which is arranged to sense the X-rays scattered from the wafer as a function of elevation angle over a range of elevation angles simultaneously, and to generate output signals responsively to the scattered X-rays, the detector array having a first detector location, in which the detector array senses the X-rays that are reflected from the surface of the wafer at the grazing angle while the radiation source is in the first source location, and a second detector location, in which the detector array senses the X-rays that are diffracted from the wafer in a vicinity of a Bragg angle of the wafer while the radiation source is in the second source location;
• a motion assembly, which is coupled to move the radiation source between the first and second source locations and to move the at least one detector array between the first and second detector locations;
• and
• a signal processor, which is coupled to receive and process the output signals generated by the at least one detector array in the first and second detector locations so as to determine a characteristic of the surface layer of the wafer.

Apparatus for producing microelectronic devices, comprising:

• a production chamber, which is adapted to receive a semiconductor wafer;
• a deposition device, which is adapted to deposit a thin-film layer on a surface of the semiconductor wafer within the chamber;
• a radiation source, which is adapted to direct a converging beam of X-rays toward a surface of the wafer in the chamber from a first source location with respect to the sample in which the X-rays impinge on the surface at a grazing angle and from a second source location with respect to the sample at a higher angle than the grazing angle;
• a detector array, which is arranged to sense the X-rays scattered from the wafer in the chamber as a function of elevation angle over a range of elevation angles simultaneously, and to generate output signals responsively to the scattered X-rays, the detector array having a first detector location, in which the detector array senses the X-rays that are reflected from the surface of the wafer at the grazing angle while the radiation source is in the first source location, and a second detector location, in which the detector array senses the X-rays that are diffracted from the wafer in a vicinity of a Bragg angle of the wafer while the radiation source is in the second source location;
• a motion assembly, which is coupled to move the radiation source between the first and second source locations and to move the at least one detector array between the first and second detector locations;
• and
• a signal processor, which is coupled to receive and process the output signals generated by the at least one detector array in the first and second detector locations so as to determine a characteristic of the surface layer of the wafer.

A method for analysis of a sample having a surface layer, the method comprising:

• acquiring an X-ray reflectance (XRR) spectrum of the sample by directing a converging beam of X-rays from a radiation source at a first source location with respect to the sample toward a surface of the sample at a grazing angle, and detecting the X-rays scattered from the sample as a function of elevation angle over a first range of elevation angles simultaneously using at least one detector array in a first detector location;
• acquiring an X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectrum of the sample by directing the converging beam of X-rays from the radiation source at a second source location with respect to the sample toward the surface of the sample at a higher angle than the grazing angle, and detecting the X-rays scattered from the sample as a function of elevation angle over a second range of elevation angles in a vicinity of a Bragg angle of the sample simultaneously using the at least one detector array in a second detector location;
• moving the radiation source between the first and second source locations, and moving the at least one detector array between the first and second detector locations;
• and
• processing the XRR and XRD spectra so as to determine a characteristic of the surface layer of the sample.