Multiple angles of incidence semiconductor metrology systems and methods

An ellipsometer apparatus for performing metrology of a semiconductor sample, comprising:

• an illumination optics module for providing an illumination beam at a plurality of wavelengths that are selectable within a range from a vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) wavelength to an infrared (IR) wavelength and directing the illumination beam towards the sample at a plurality of angles of incidence (AOI's) and/or azimuth angles (AZ's), wherein the illumination optics comprises:
• a beam splitter;
• an off axis parabolic (OAP) mirror,
• a translation mirror that is movable to receive the illumination beam via the beam splitter at a plurality of translation positions of the translation mirror so as to direct the illumination beam to a plurality of corresponding positions on the OAP mirror so that the OAP reflects the illumination beam to the sample at the discrete ranges of AOI and/or AZ one at a time, and
• polarization generating optical elements for generating a plurality of polarization states for the illumination beam;
• a collection optics module for collecting an output beam emanating from the sample at a plurality of discrete ranges of AOI and/or AZ and directing such output beam to a detector module, wherein the discrete ranges are collected one at a time and the output beam being in response to the illumination beam on the sample, wherein the collection optics module comprises:
• the beam splitter,
• the OAP,
• the translation mirror,
• a spherical mirror for reflecting the output beam back towards the sample to cause a second output beam to emanate off the sample to reflect off the corresponding positions on the OAP and then reflect off the translation mirror at the plurality of translation positions towards the beam splitter and to the detector so as to collect the second output beam at the discrete ranges of AOI and/or AZ one at a time, and
• polarization analyzing optical elements for analyzing the polarization state of the second output beam;
• the detection module for receiving and detecting the second output beam from the sample at the discrete ranges of AOI and/or AZ and the polarization states and generating a plurality of signals based on the second output beam at the discrete ranges of AOI and/or AZ and the polarization states;
• and
• one or more controllers that are each configured to control one or more of the following:
• selecting a wavelength range, selecting one or more of the discrete ranges of AOI and/or AZ for collection of the output beam, selecting the polarization states, and analyzing the signals at the discrete ranges of AOI and/or AZ and the polarization states to determine a characteristic of the sample,
• wherein the illumination optics module and the collections optics modules comprises reflective optical elements between the polarization generation optical elements and the polarization analyzing optical elements.

An ellipsometer apparatus for performing metrology of a semiconductor sample, comprising:

• an illumination optics module for providing an illumination beam at a plurality of wavelengths that are selectable within a range from a vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) wavelength to an infrared (IR) wavelength and directing the illumination beam towards the sample at a plurality of angles of incidence (AOI's) and/or azimuth angles (AZ's);
• a collection optics module for collecting an output beam emanating from the sample at substantially all of the AOI's or AZ's and directing such output beam substantially simultaneously onto one or more detectors, the output beam being in response to the illumination beam on the sample,
• wherein the illumination optics module includes polarization generating optical elements for generating a plurality of polarization states for the illumination beam, the collection optics module includes polarization analyzing optical elements for analyzing the polarization state of the output beam,
• wherein the illumination optics module and collection optics module include reflective optical elements between the optical elements for generating the plurality of polarization states and the optical elements for analyzing the polarization states;
• the one or more detectors for receiving and detecting the output beam from the sample at the AOI's and/or AZ's and the polarization states to generate a plurality of signals or images based on the output beam at such AOI's and AZ's and polarization states;
• and
• one or more controllers that are each configured to control one or more of the following operations:
• selecting a wavelength range, selecting the polarization states, and analyzing the signals or images at the wavelengths, AOI's and/or AZ's, and the selected polarization states to determine a characteristic of the sample.

An ellipsometer apparatus for performing metrology of a semiconductor sample, comprising:

• one or more bright light sources for providing an illumination beam at a plurality of wavelengths that are selectable within a range from a vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) wavelength to an infrared (IR) wavelength;
• illumination optics for directing the illumination beam towards a sample at a plurality of selectable ranges of angles of incidence (AOI) and/or azimuth angle (AZ) and a plurality of polarization states to provide spectroscopic ellipsometry metrology, wherein the illumination optics comprise at least one apodizer for controlling a spot size of an illumination spot of the illumination beam on the sample at each of the selectable sets of AOI's and/or AZ's;
• collection optics for directing an output beam, which is emanating from the sample in response to the illumination beam, at each of the selectable sets of AOI's and/or AZ's and polarization states towards a detector;
• the detector for generating an output signal or image based on the output beam;
• and
• a controller for characterizing a feature of the sample or detecting defects based on the output signal or image as a function of wavelength, AOI and/or AZ, and/or polarization state.