Wafer metrology technologies

• US 10,591,525 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2017
• Issued: 03/17/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Femtometrix Inc
• Original Assignee: Femtometrix Inc
• Inventors: Koldiaev, Viktor, Kryger, Marc, Changala, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Ayub, Hina F
• Application Number:
  US15/806,271
• Publication Number:
  US 20180217193A1
• Time in Patent Office: 861 Days
• Field of Search: 356237
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/636 using an arrangement of pump beam and probe beam; using the measurement of optical non-linear properties; non-linear optics per se G02F1/35
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/8806 Specially adapted optical and illumination features
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/94 Investigating contamination, e.g. dust G01N21/85 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/9501 Semiconductor wafers manufacturing processes per se of semiconductor devices implementing a measuring step H01L22/10
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/06113 Coherent sources; lasers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/00 Investigating or analysing materials by the use of electric, electrochemical, or magnetic means G01N3/00 – G01N25/00 take precedence; measurement or testing of electric or magnetic variables or of electric or magnetic properties of materials G01R
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 29/24 Arrangements for measuring quantities of charge
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2601 Apparatus or methods therefor G01R31/2607, G01R31/2642 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2656 using non-ionising electromagnetic radiation, e.g. optical radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2831 Testing of materials or semi-finished products, e.g. semiconductor wafers or substrates G01R31/318511 takes precedence; testing during manufacture H01L22/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/308 using non-ionising electromagnetic radiation, e.g. optical radiation investigating or analysing materials by the use of optical means G01N21/00; image analysis G06T7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 22/12 for structural parameters, e.g. thickness, line width, refractive index, temperature, warp, bond strength, defects, optical inspection, electrical measurement of structural dimensions, metallurgic measurement of diffusions electrical measurement of diffusions H01L22/14

Abstract

Various approaches can be used to interrogate a surface such as a surface of a layered semiconductor structure on a semiconductor wafer. Certain approaches employ Second Harmonic Generation and in some cases may utilize pump and probe radiation. Other approaches involve determining current flow from a sample illuminated with radiation. Decay constants can be measured to provide information regarding the sample. Additionally, electric and/or magnetic field biases can be applied to the sample to provide additional information.

Claims

1. A system for optically interrogating a surface, comprising

a pump optical source configured to emit pumping radiation, the pumping radiation having an average optical pump power;

a probe optical source configured to emit probing radiation, the probing radiation having an average optical probe power less than the average optical pump power;

at least one optical detector configured to detect second harmonic generated light generated by at least one of the pumping radiation or the probing radiation, the second harmonic generated light being generated by a semiconductor wafer whose surface is to be interrogated;

at least one of a shutter, a modulator or a variable optical path that is configured to introduce a variable time offset between the pumping and the probing radiation; and

a processor configured to determine a characteristic of the detected second harmonic generated light,

wherein the system is configured to obtain a time dependence of the detected second harmonic generated light in less than 10 seconds after applying at least one of the pumping radiation and the probing radiation.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the pump optical source comprises a UV flash lamp.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the pump optical source comprises a laser.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the pump optical source comprises a pulsed laser.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the pulsed laser is selected from a group consisting of nanosecond, picosecond and femtosecond lasers.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the pulsed laser comprises a wavelength tunable laser.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the probe optical source comprises a pulsed laser.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the optical detector is selected from a photomultiplier tube, a CCD camera, an avalanche detector, a photodiode detector, a streak camera and a silicon detector.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the system is configured to obtain the second harmonic generated light in less than 1 second after applying at least one of the pumping radiation and the probing radiation.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the system comprises the variable optical path that is configured to introduce a variable time offset between the pumping and the probing radiation.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the variable optical path is a programmable optical delay.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the shutter is an optical shutter selected from a Kerr cell and a Pockels cell.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the shutter is a mechanical shutter.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the shutter is configured to introduce a time offset between about 1 millisecond and about 60 seconds.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to obtain a time dependence of the detected second harmonic generated light in less than 10 seconds after applying at least one of the pumping radiation and the probing radiation.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to determine a characteristic of the detected second harmonic generated light including a reduction in intensity of the detected second harmonic generated light in the presence of pumping energy.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to determine a characteristic of the detected second harmonic generated light including an increase in intensity of the detected second harmonic generated light in the presence of pumping energy.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the variable optical path comprises an optical delay line.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the optical delay line comprises at least one of a fiber-based device, a mirror-based device, a plurality of set-time delay lines, or a variable delay line.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine a characteristic of the surface based on the detected second harmonic generated light and the variable time offset.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the average optical pump power is less than 10 W.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the average optical probe power is less than 150 mW.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein the pumping radiation comprises a plurality of optical pulses having a peak optical pump power, and wherein the probing radiation comprises a plurality of optical pulses having a peak optical probe power greater than the peak optical pump power.

24. A system for optically interrogating a surface, comprising:

a pump optical source configured to emit pumping radiation, the pumping radiation having an average optical pump power;

a probe optical source configured to emit probing radiation, the probing radiation having an average optical probe power less than the average optical pump power;

at least one optical detector configured to detect second harmonic generated light generated by at least one of the pumping radiation or the probing radiation, the second harmonic generated light being generated by a semiconductor wafer whose surface is to be interrogated; and

a controller configured to obtain information regarding time dependence of the detected second harmonic generated light produced in less than 10 seconds after applying at least one of the pumping radiation and the probing radiation.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the average optical pump power is less than 10 W.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the average optical probe power is less than 150 mW.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein the pumping radiation comprises a plurality of optical pulses having a peak optical pump power, and wherein the probing radiation comprises a plurality of optical pulses having a peak optical probe power greater than the peak optical pump power.

28. A system for optically interrogating a surface, comprising

a pump optical source configured to emit pumping radiation with variable energy, the pumping radiation having an average optical pump power;

a probe optical source configured to emit probing radiation, the probing radiation having an average optical probe power less than the average optical pump power;

an optical detector configured to detect second harmonic generated light generated by at least one of the pumping radiation or the probing radiation, the second harmonic generated light being generated by a semiconductor wafer whose surface is to be interrogated; and

processing electronics configured to;

obtain information regarding time dependence of the detected second harmonic generated light generated less than 10 seconds after applying at least one of the pumping radiation and the probing radiation; and

detect a region of discontinuity in the second harmonic generated light to determine threshold injection carrier energy as the energy of the pumping radiation is varied.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the intensity of the second harmonic generated light increases as the energy of the pumping radiation increases after the region of discontinuity.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein the average optical pump power is less than 10 W.

31. The system of claim 28, wherein the average optical probe power is less than 150 mW.

32. The system of claim 28, wherein the pumping radiation comprises a plurality of optical pulses having a peak optical pump power, and wherein the probing radiation comprises a plurality of optical pulses having a peak optical probe power greater than the peak optical pump power.