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US 7,397,553 B1Granted
Surface scanning
AssigneeKLA-Tencor Technologies Corporation
InventorsCourosh Mehanian, Steven W. Meeks, Eliezer Rosengaus
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In one embodiment, a surface scanning system comprises a radiation directing assembly that scans a surface using a Cartesian scanning pattern; and a radiation collecting assembly that collects radiation reflected from the surface. A scattered radiation collection system is included that measures the scattered light from the surface.
Claims15
A surface scanning system, comprising:
- a radiation directing assembly to scan a surface using a Cartesian scanning pattern;
- and
- a radiation collecting assembly that collects radiation reflected from the surface, the radiation collecting assembly comprising:
- a quarter-wave plate;
- and
- a polarizing beam splitter oriented at an oblique angle relative to the plane of incidence, such that a portion of the radiation reflected from the surface is split into a first mixed component and a second mixed component, each mixed component comprising both P-polarized and S-polarized radiation.
3 more elements
A surface analysis method, comprising:
- scanning a radiation beam across a surface along a Cartesian scanning path;
- collecting radiation reflected from the surface, and radiation scattered from the surface, wherein collecting radiation comprises a splitting a portion of the radiation with a polarizing beam splitter oriented at an oblique angle relative to the plane of incidence, such that a portion of the radiation reflected from the surface is split into a first mixed component and a second mixed component, each mixed component comprising both P-polarized and S-polarized radiation;
- and
- using at least one of the radiation reflected from the surface or the radiation scattered from the surface to detect profile variations in the surface.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.