X-ray reflectometry with small-angle scattering measurement

• US 6,895,075 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2003
• Issued: 05/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bruker Technologies Ltd. (Bruker Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Jordan Valley Applied Radiation Ltd.
• Inventors: Dikopoltsev, Alexander, Gvirtzman, Amos, Yokhin, Boris, Rafaeli, Tzachi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho, Allen C.
• Application Number:
  US10/364,883
• Publication Number:
  US 20040156474A1
• Time in Patent Office: 825 Days
• Field of Search: 378/44, 378/45, 378/46, 378/50, 378/70, 378/86, 378/88, 378/89, 378/90, 356/237.2, 356/237.3, 356/237.4, 356/237.5
• US Class Current: 378/90
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/20 by using diffraction of the radiation by the materials, e.g. for investigating crystal structure; by using scattering of the radiation by the materials, e.g. for investigating non-crystalline materials; by using reflection of the radiation by the materials

Abstract

Apparatus for inspection of a sample includes a radiation source and an array of detector elements arranged to receive radiation from the surface due to irradiation of an area of the surface by the radiation source. The array has a first operative configuration for resolving the received radiation along a first axis perpendicular to the surface, and a second operative configuration for resolving the received radiation along a second axis parallel to the surface. A signal processor processes the signal from the detector array in the two configurations so as to determine a reflectance of the surface as a function of elevation angle relative to the surface and a scattering profile of the surface as a function of azimuthal angle in a plane of the surface.

Claims

1. Apparatus for inspection of a sample, comprising:

an X-ray source, which is adapted to emit a beam of X-rays so as to irradiate an area on a surface of the sample;

a detector assembly, comprising an array of detector elements arranged to receive radiation from the surface due to irradiation of the area by the radiation source and to generate a signal responsive to the received radiation, the array having a first operative configuration for resolving the received radiation along a first axis perpendicular to the surface, and a second operative configuration for resolving the received radiation along a second axis parallel to the surface;

X-ray optics, which are adapted to adjust a convergence angle of the beam depending upon whether the array is in the first or the second operative configuration; and

a signal processor, which is coupled to process the signal from the detector assembly in the first configuration so as to determine a reflectance of the surface as a function of elevation angle relative to the surface, and to process the signal from the detector assembly in the second configuration so as to determine a scattering profile of the surface as a function of azimuthal angle in a plane of the surface.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the X-ray optics are adapted to adjust a transverse dimension of the beam depending upon whether the array is in the first or the second operative configuration.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the X-ray optics comprise a shutter assembly, which is adjustable so as to adjust a range of angles, relative to the surface of the sample, within which the beam of X-rays is incident on the surface.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the signal processor is adapted to determine the scattering profile due to a surface layer that overlies a substrate of the sample, and wherein the shutter assembly is adjustable so that the range of angles within which the beam of X-rays is incident on the surface is approximately bounded by a first critical angle for total external reflection from the surface layer and by a second critical angle for total external reflection from the substrate, wherein the second critical angle is greater than the first critical angle.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the array of detector elements has an array axis, and wherein the array is rotatable so that the array axis is perpendicular to the surface in the first operative configuration, and the array axis is parallel to the surface in the second operative configuration.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the array comprises a linear array, and wherein the detector elements have a transverse dimension, perpendicular to the array axis, that is substantially greater than a pitch of the array.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the array comprises a two-dimensional matrix of the detector elements, and wherein the detector assembly is adapted to bin the detector elements in respective rows of the array along a direction perpendicular to the array axis.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the array comprises a two-dimensional matrix of the detector elements.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the signal processor is adapted to determine the reflectance and the scattering profile due to a porous surface layer that overlies a substrate of the sample, and to estimate, based on the reflectance and the scattering profile, one or more characteristics of pores located within the porous surface layer.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the one or more characteristics comprise a density and average size of the pores.

11. Apparatus for inspection of a sample, comprising:

an X-ray source, which is adapted to emit a beam of X-rays so as to irradiate an area on a surface of the sample;

a detector assembly, comprising an array of detector elements arranged to receive radiation from the surface due to irradiation of the area by the radiation source and to generate a signal responsive to the received radiation, the array having a first operative configuration for resolving the received radiation along a first axis perpendicular to the surface, and a second operative configuration for resolving the received radiation along a second axis parallel to the surface;

X-ray optics, which are adapted to adjust a transverse dimension of the beam depending upon whether the array is in the first or the second operative configuration; and

a signal processor, which is coupled to process the signal from the detector assembly in the first configuration so as to determine a reflectance of the surface as a function of elevation angle relative to the surface, and to process the signal from the detector assembly in the second configuration so as to determine a scattering profile of the surface as a function of azimuthal angle in a plane of the surface,

wherein the X-ray optics are adapted to adjust the beam so as to define a cone of rays, converging on the area on the surface of the sample, when the array is in the first operative configuration, and to substantially collimate the beam when the array is in the second operative configuration.

12. A method for inspection of a sample, comprising:

directing a beam of X-rays so as to irradiate an area on a surface of the sample;

configuring an array of detector elements in a first operative configuration to receive radiation from the surface due to irradiation of the area by the radiation source while resolving the received radiation along a first axis perpendicular to the surface, so as to generate a first signal responsive to the received radiation;

configuring the array of detector elements in a second operative configuration to receive the radiation from the surface due to irradiation of the area by the radiation source while resolving the received radiation along a second axis parallel to the surface, so as to generate a second signal responsive to the received radiation;

adjusting a convergence angle of the beam depending upon whether the array is in the first or the second operative configuration;

processing the first signal so as to determine a reflectance of the surface as a function of elevation angle relative to the surface; and

processing the second signal so as to determine a scattering profile of the surface as a function of azimuthal angle in a plane of the surface.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein irradiating the area comprises adjusting a transverse dimension of the beam depending upon whether the array is in the first or the second operative configuration.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein adjusting the transverse dimension comprises limiting the transverse dimension when the array is in the second operative configuration so that a range of angles within which the beam of X-rays is incident on the surface is approximately bounded by a first critical angle for total external reflection from a surface layer overlying a substrate of the sample and by a second critical angle for total external reflection from the substrate, wherein the second critical angle is greater than the first critical angle.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein processing the first signal comprises determining the first and second critical angles, for use in adjusting the transverse dimension of the beam when the array is in the second operative configuration.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein the array of detector elements has an array axis, and wherein configuring the array in the first operative configuration comprises aligning the array axis perpendicular to the surface in the first operative configuration, and wherein configuring the array in the second operative configuration comprises rotating the array so that the array axis is parallel to the surface in the second operative configuration.

17. The method according to claim 12, wherein the array comprises a two-dimensional matrix of the detector elements, and wherein configuring the array in the first operative configuration comprises binning the detector elements in respective lines of the array along a direction parallel to the surface, and configuring the array in the second operative configuration comprises binning the detector elements in the respective lines of the array along a direction perpendicular to the surface.

18. The method according to claim 12, wherein processing the first and second signals comprises determining the reflectance and the scattering profile due to a porous surface layer that overlies a substrate of the sample, and comprising estimating, based on the reflectance and the scattering profile, one or more characteristics of pores located within the porous surface layer.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the one or more characteristics comprise a density and average size of the pores.

20. The method according to claim 12, wherein irradiating the area comprises irradiating a semiconductor wafer within a chamber used to deposit a thin-film layer on the surface of the wafer, and wherein configuring the array of detector elements in the first and second operative configurations comprises receiving the radiation from the surface of the wafer within the chamber.

21. A method for inspection of a sample, comprising:

irradiating an area on a surface of the sample;

configuring an array of detector elements in a first operative configuration to receive radiation from the surface due to irradiation of the area by the radiation source while resolving the received radiation along a first axis perpendicular to the surface, so as to generate a first signal responsive to the received radiation;

configuring the array of detector elements in a second operative configuration to receive the radiation from the surface due to irradiation of the area by the radiation source while resolving the received radiation along a second axis parallel to the surface, so as to generate a second signal responsive to the received radiation;

processing the first signal so as to determine a reflectance of the surface as a function of elevation angle relative to the surface; and

processing the second signal so as to determine a scattering profile of the surface as a function of azimuthal angle in a plane of the surface,

wherein irradiating the area comprises directing a beam of X-rays toward the area, and adjusting a transverse dimension of the beam depending upon whether the array is in the first or the second operative configuration, and

wherein directing the beam comprises directing a cone of rays to converge on the area when the array is in the first operative configuration, and wherein adjusting the transverse dimension comprises substantially collimating the beam when the array is in the second operative configuration.

22. A cluster tool for producing microelectronic devices, comprising:

a deposition station, which is adapted to deposit a thin-film layer on a surface of a semiconductor wafer;

an inspection station, comprising;

an X-ray source, which is adapted to emit a beam of X-rays so as to irradiate an area on the surface of the wafer;

a detector assembly, comprising an array of detector elements arranged to receive radiation from the surface due to irradiation of the area by the radiation source and to generate a signal responsive to the received radiation, the array having a first operative configuration for resolving the received radiation along a first axis perpendicular to the surface, and a second operative configuration for resolving the received radiation along a second axis parallel to the surface; and

X-ray optics, which are adapted to adjust a convergence angle of the beam depending upon whether the array is in the first or the second operative configuration; and

a signal processor, which is coupled to process the signal from the detector assembly in the first configuration so as to determine a reflectance of the surface as a function of elevation angle relative to the surface, and to process the signal from the detector assembly in the second configuration so as to determine a scattering profile of the surface as a function of azimuthal angle in a plane of the surface, so as to assess a quality of the thin-film layer deposited by the deposition station.

23. Apparatus for producing microelectronic devices, comprising:

a production chamber, which is adapted to receive a semiconductor wafer;

a deposition device, which is adapted to deposit a thin-film layer on a surface of the semiconductor wafer within the chamber;

an X-ray source, which is adapted to emit a beam of X-rays so as to irradiate an area on the surface of the wafer within the chamber;

a detector assembly, comprising an array of detector elements arranged to receive radiation from the surface due to irradiation of the area by the radiation source and to generate a signal responsive to the received radiation, the array having a first operative configuration for resolving the received radiation along a first axis perpendicular to the surface, and a second operative configuration for resolving the received radiation along a second axis parallel to the surface;

X-ray optics, which are adapted to adjust a convergence angle of the beam depending upon whether the array is in the first or the second operative configuration; and

a signal processor, which is coupled to process the signal from the detector assembly in the first configuration so as to determine a reflectance of the surf ace as a function of elevation angle relative to the surface, and to process the signal from the detector assembly in the second configuration so as to determine a scattering profile of the surface as a function of azimuthal angle in a plane of the surface, so as to assess a quality of the thin-film layer deposited by the deposition device.