Metrology Tool With Combined X-Ray And Optical Scatterometers

• US 20130304424A1
• Filed: 05/05/2013
• Published: 11/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KLA-Tencor Corporation
• Original Assignee: KLA-Tencor Corporation
• Inventors: Shchegrov, Andrei V., Bakeman, Michael S.
• Granted Patent: US 10,801,975 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/189
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 2210/56 Measuring geometric parameters of semiconductor structures, e.g. profile, critical dimensions or trench depth
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/84 Systems specially adapted for particular applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/956 Inspecting patterns on the surface of objects contactless testing of electronic circuits G01R31/308; testing currency G07D; manufacturing processes per se of semiconductor devices implementing a measuring step H01L22/10
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/201 by measuring small-angle scattering
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70625 Dimensions, e.g. line width, critical dimension [CD], profile, sidewall angle or edge roughness
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70633 Overlay, i.e. relative alignment between patterns printed by separate exposures in different layers, or in the same layer in multiple exposures or stitching

Abstract

Methods and systems for performing simultaneous optical scattering and small angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) measurements over a desired inspection area of a specimen are presented. SAXS measurements combined with optical scatterometry measurements enables a high throughput metrology tool with increased measurement capabilities. The high energy nature of x-ray radiation penetrates optically opaque thin films, buried structures, high aspect ratio structures, and devices including many thin film layers. SAXS and optical scatterometry measurements of a particular location of a planar specimen are performed at a number of different out of plane orientations. This increases measurement sensitivity, reduces correlations among parameters, and improves measurement accuracy. In addition, specimen parameter values are resolved with greater accuracy by fitting data sets derived from both SAXS and optical scatterometry measurements based on models that share at least one geometric parameter. The fitting can be performed sequentially or in parallel.

Claims

1. A metrology tool comprising:

a liquid metal based x-ray illumination system including a liquid metal x-ray illumination source and x-ray illumination optics configured to shape and direct an incident x-ray beam from the x-ray illumination source to an inspection area of a specimen;

an x-ray detector configured to receive radiation from the specimen in response to the incident x-ray beam and generate signals indicative of a first property of the specimen;

an optical illumination system including an optical illumination source and optical illumination optics configured to shape and direct an incident optical illumination beam from the optical illumination source to the inspection area of the specimen simultaneous with the incident x-ray beam, wherein the incident optical illumination beam and the incident x-ray beam spatially overlap at the inspection area of the specimen; and

an optical detector configured to receive optical radiation from the specimen in response to the incident optical illumination beam and generate signals indicative of a second property of the specimen.

2. The metrology tool of claim 1, further comprising:

a beam controller operable to communicate a first command signal to the x-ray illumination optics system to redirect the incident x-ray beam and a second command signal to the optical illumination optics system to redirect the incident optical illumination beam such that the incident optical illumination beam and the incident x-ray beam spatially overlap at the inspection area of the specimen, wherein the first command signal and the second command signal are determined based at least in part on the radiation received from the specimen in response to the incident x-ray beam and the radiation received from the specimen in response to the incident optical illumination beam, respectively.

3. The metrology tool of claim 1, further comprising:

a wafer positioning system configured to selectively position the specimen at a plurality of different orientations out of plane from a planar surface of the specimen for the simultaneous illumination of the inspection area by both the incident x-ray beam and the incident optical illumination beam.

4. The metrology tool of claim 1, wherein the wafer positioning system is configured to selectively position the specimen within a range of at least one degree about one or more axes of rotation aligned in-plane with the surface of the specimen.

5. The metrology tool of claim 1, further comprising:

a model building and analysis engine configured to;

generate a geometric model of a structure of the specimen;

generate an optical response model and an x-ray response model based at least in part on the geometric model, wherein both the optical response model and the x-ray response model include at least one common geometric parameter from the geometric model;

receive the signals generated by the x-ray detector to obtain a x-ray measurement data set;

receive the signals generated by the optical detector to obtain an optical measurement data set; and

determine at least one specimen parameter value based on a fitting analysis on the x-ray measurement data set with the x-ray response model and a fitting analysis of the optical measurement data set with the optical response model; and

store the at least one specimen parameter value.

6. The metrology tool of claim 5, wherein a value of the at least one common geometric parameter is determined based on the fitting analysis on the x-ray measurement data set and the determined value is treated as a constant in the fitting analysis of the optical measurement data set.

7. The metrology tool of claim 5, wherein the at least one common geometric parameter is treated as a global parameter in a parallel fitting analysis including both the fitting analysis on the x-ray measurement data set and the fitting analysis of the optical measurement data set.

8. The metrology tool of claim 1, wherein the liquid metal based x-ray illumination system, the x-ray illumination optics system, and the x-ray detector are configured as any of a transmission small angle x-ray scattering system and a grazing incidence small angle x-ray scattering system.

9. The metrology tool of claim 1, wherein the x-ray detector is located within a localized vacuum environment separated from the specimen by a vacuum window.

10. The metrology tool of claim 1, wherein the first property and the second property of the specimen are the same property.

11. The metrology tool of claim 1, wherein the liquid metal x-ray illumination source comprises,

a liquid metal source for heating and melting at least one metal and producing a liquid metal jet,

a liquid metal collector for acquiring the liquid metal jet,

a liquid metal circulation system for returning liquid metal from the liquid metal collector to the liquid metal source, and

an electron beam source for directing an electron beam at the liquid metal jet, thereby producing the incident x-ray beam that is directable toward the inspection area.

12. A method comprising:

simultaneously illuminating a specimen with an x-ray illumination beam and an optical illumination beam such that the x-ray illumination beam and the optical illumination beam spatially overlap at a desired inspection area on a surface of the specimen;

detecting an amount of optical radiation from the specimen in response to the optical illumination beam incident on the specimen;

detecting an amount of x-ray radiation from the specimen in response to the x-ray illumination beam incident on the specimen;

generating a first signal indicative of a first property of the specimen in response to the detected amount of optical radiation; and

generating a second signal indicative of a second property of the specimen in response to the detected amount of x-ray radiation.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

redirecting the optical illumination beam based on the first signal such that the optical illumination beam is incident on the surface of the specimen at the desired inspection area; and

redirecting the x-ray illumination beam based on the second signal such that the x-ray illumination beam is incident on the surface of the specimen at the desired inspection area.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

rotating the specimen to a plurality of different orientations out of plane from the surface of the specimen.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

generating a geometric model of a structure of the specimen;

generating an optical response model and an x-ray response model based at least in part on the geometric model, wherein both the optical response model and the x-ray response model include at least one common geometric parameter from the geometric model;

receiving the first and second signals;

determining at least one specimen parameter value based on a fitting analysis of the first signal with the optical response model and a fitting analysis on the second signal with the x-ray response model; and

storing the at least one specimen parameter value.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining a value of the at least one common geometric parameter based on the fitting analysis on the second signal, wherein the determined value of the at least one common geometric parameter is treated as a constant in the fitting analysis on the first signal.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining a value of the at least one common geometric parameter based on a parallel fitting analysis on the first signal with the optical response model and on the second signal with the x-ray response model.

18. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium, comprising:

code for causing a computer to generate a geometric model of a structure of a specimen simultaneously illuminated by an x-ray illumination beam and an optical illumination beam such that the x-ray illumination beam and the optical illumination beam spatially overlap at a desired inspection area on a surface of the specimen;

code for causing the computer to generate an optical response model and an x-ray response model based at least in part on the geometric model, wherein both the optical response model and the x-ray response model include at least one common geometric parameter from the geometric model;

code for causing the computer to receive a first signal indicative of an amount of optical radiation detected from the specimen in response to the optical illumination beam;

code for causing the computer to receive a second signal indicative of an amount of x-ray radiation detected from the specimen in response to the x-ray illumination beam;

code for causing the computer to determine at least one specimen parameter value based on a fitting analysis of the first signal with the optical response model and a fitting analysis on the second signal with the x-ray response model; and

code for causing the computer to store the at least one specimen parameter value.

19. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 18, further comprising:

code for causing the computer to determine a value of the at least one common geometric parameter based on the fitting analysis on the second signal, wherein the determined value of the at least one common geometric parameter is treated as a constant in the fitting analysis on the first signal.

20. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 18, further comprising:

code for causing the computer to determine a value of the at least one common geometric parameter based on a parallel fitting analysis on the first signal with the optical response model and on the second signal with the x-ray response model.