# US 9,752,866 B2 · Measurement system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,752,866 B2 - Document ID: US9752866B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/983,053 - Filed: 2015-12-29 - Published: 2017-05-25 - Granted: 2017-09-05 - Earliest claimed: 2015-11-23 - Assignees: Industrial Technology Research Institute - Applicants: Industrial Technology Research Institute - Inventors: Hsiang-Chun Wei; Yi-Sha Ku; Chia-Hung Cho; Chieh-Yu Wu; Chun-Wei Lo; Chih-Hsiang Liu - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9752866B2 ## CPC - G01B 11/22: for measuring depth - G01B 11/0616: {of coating} - H10P 74/203: {Structural properties, e.g. testing or measuring thicknesses, line widths, warpage, bond strengths or physical defects} - G01B 11/2441: {using interferometry} - G01B 2210/56: Measuring geometric parameters of semiconductor structures, e.g. profile, critical dimensions or trench depth - G01B: MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEAR DIMENSIONS; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract A measurement system is configured to measure a surface structure of a sample. The surface of the sample has a thin film and a via, the depth of the via is larger than the thickness of the thin film. The measurement system includes a light source, a first light splitter, a first aperture stop, a lens assembly, a second aperture stop, a spectrum analyzer and an analysis module. The first light splitter disposed in the light emitting direction of the light source. The first aperture stop disposed between the light source and the first light splitter. The lens assembly is disposed between the first light splitter and the sample. The second aperture stop is disposed between the lens assembly and the first light splitter. The spectrum analyzer is disposed to at a side of the first light splitter opposite to the sample. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A measurement system for measuring a surface structure of a sample, a surface of the sample having a via, and the measurement system comprising: a light source, for generating incident light, a cross section of the incident light covering an opening of the via; a first light splitter, disposed in a light emitting direction of the light source and configured to reflect the incident light to form first reflected light; a first aperture stop, disposed between the light source and the first light splitter, a size of the first aperture stop being adjustable and configured to adjust a size of the cross section of the incident light, the first aperture stop and the first light splitter being a first default distance apart; an lens assembly, disposed between the first light splitter and the sample and configured to guide the first reflected light to the sample to form second reflected light, the lens assembly having a focal length reference point, the focal length reference point and the sample being a default object distance apart, the focal length reference point and the first light splitter being a second default distance apart; a second aperture stop, disposed between the lens assembly and the first light splitter, a size of the second aperture stop being adjustable to filter the second reflected light, the second aperture stop and a back focal plane of the lens assembly being a third default distance apart; a spectrum analyzer, disposed at a side of the first light splitter opposite to the sample, the spectrum analyzer and the first light splitter being a fourth default distance apart, the filtered second reflected light passing through the first light splitter and being received by the spectrum analyzer, the spectrum analyzer forming an optical spectrum according to the received second reflected light; and a computer, electrically connected to the spectrum analyzer and configured to separate the optical spectrum into a high frequency spectrum and a low frequency spectrum, and determine a depth of the via according to the high frequency spectrum; wherein the first default distance is substantially equal to the fourth default distance, a sum of the second default distance and the fourth default distance is substantially equal to an image distance of the lens assembly. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The measurement system of claim 1, further comprising: a locator, configured to move the sample, so as to make the first reflected light cover the via in the sample. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The measurement system of claim 1, further comprising: a second light splitter and a camera, the second light splitter being disposed between the first light splitter and the spectrum analyzer, the second light splitter being configured to guide a part of the second reflected light, which passes through the first light splitter, to the spectrum analyzer, and reflect another part of the second reflected light to form third reflected light, the camera being configured to form an image corresponding to a structure of the sample according to the third reflected light. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The measurement system of claim 3, wherein the second light splitter and the camera are a fifth default distance apart, the second light splitter and the first light splitter are a sixth default distance apart, a sum of the fifth default distance and the sixth default distance is substantially equal to the first default distance and the fourth default distance. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The measurement system of claim 1, wherein the computer further determines a thickness of a thin film according to the low frequency spectrum when the surface of the sample has the thin film. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The measurement system of claim 5, wherein the computer applies a discrete Fourier transform to the high frequency spectrum and the low frequency spectrum to determine the depth of the via or the thickness of the thin film. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The measurement system of claim 1, further comprising a controller, coupled to the first aperture stop and the second aperture stop, respectively and configured to adjust the size of the first aperture stop and the size of the second aperture stop. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The measurement system of claim 7, wherein the controller adjusts the size of the first aperture stop according to a size of the opening of the via, so the cross section of the incident light is larger than the opening of the via and covers the opening of the via. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The measurement system of claim 7, wherein the controller adjusts the size of the second aperture stop according to a signal-to-noise ratio of the measurement system; and when the signal-to-noise ratio of the measurement system is larger than a default threshold value, the controller reduces the size of the second aperture stop, so the signal-to-noise ratio of the measurement system decreases to smaller than the default threshold value. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The measurement system of claim 1, further comprising an optical fiber, coupled to the spectrum analyzer and disposed between the spectrum analyzer and the first light splitter, and the optical fiber being configured to couple the second reflected light and receive the second reflected light. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The measurement system of claim 1, wherein the lens assembly is configured to focus the first reflected light. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The measurement system of claim 1, wherein the first default distance is equal to the fourth default distance. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The measurement system of claim 1, wherein an absolute value of the third default distance is shorter than 5 μm. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The measurement system of claim 1, wherein the computer applies a discrete Fourier transform to the high frequency spectrum and the low frequency spectrum to determine the depth of the via or a thickness of a thin film.