Apparatus and method for measuring a property of a layer in a multilayered structure
First Claim
1. A method for evaluating a structure having a first layer and at least one underlying layer in contact with the first layer, the method comprising:
- illuminating a region of the first layer with a beam of electromagnetic radiation;
wherein the first layer comprises at least one crystalline phase from among a plurality of crystalline phases of a compound of a material comprised in said underlying layer;
measuring a signal corresponding to a temperature change in the first layer caused by absorption of energy from the beam of electromagnetic radiation;
using a relationship between said measured temperature change and an electrical conductive property of said first layer, said electrical conductive property depending on crystalline phase.
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Abstract
A property of a layer is measured by: (1) focusing a heating beam on a region (also called “heated region”) of a conductive layer (2) modulating the power of the heating beam at a predetermined frequency that is selected to be sufficiently low to ensure that at any time the temperature of an optically absorbing layer is approximately equal to (e.g., within 90% of) a temperature of the optically absorbing layer when heated by an unmodulated beam, and (3) measuring the power of another beam that is (a) reflected by the heated region, and (b) modulated in phase with modulation of the heating beam. The measurement in act (3) can be used directly as a measure of the resistance (per unit area) of a conductive pad formed by patterning the conductive layer. Change in measurement across regions indicates a corresponding change in resistance of the layer.
92 Citations
35 Claims
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1. A method for evaluating a structure having a first layer and at least one underlying layer in contact with the first layer, the method comprising:
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illuminating a region of the first layer with a beam of electromagnetic radiation; wherein the first layer comprises at least one crystalline phase from among a plurality of crystalline phases of a compound of a material comprised in said underlying layer; measuring a signal corresponding to a temperature change in the first layer caused by absorption of energy from the beam of electromagnetic radiation; using a relationship between said measured temperature change and an electrical conductive property of said first layer, said electrical conductive property depending on crystalline phase. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method for evaluating a structure having a first layer and at least one underlying layer in contact with the first layer, the method comprising:
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illuminating a region of the first layer with a beam; wherein the first layer comprises at least one crystalline phase from among a plurality of crystalline phases of a compound of a material comprised in said underlying layer; measuring a signal corresponding to a temperature change in the first layer caused by absorption of energy from the beam; using a relationship between said measured temperature change and an electrical conductive property of said first layer, said electrical conductive property depending on crystalline phase. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. An apparatus for evaluating a structure having a first layer and at least one underlying layer in contact with the first layer, the apparatus comprising:
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means for illuminating a region of the first layer with a beam; wherein the first layer comprises at least one crystalline phase from among a plurality of crystalline phases of a compound of a material comprised in said underlying layer; means for measuring a signal corresponding to a temperature change in the first layer caused by absorption of energy from the beam; and means for using a relationship between said measured temperature change and an electrical conductive property of said first layer, said electrical conductive property depending on crystalline phase.
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Specification