Methods and systems for determining a critical dimension and overlay of a specimen

• US 8,502,979 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2012
• Issued: 08/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kla-Tencor Technologies Corporation (KLA Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kla-Tencor Technologies Corporation (KLA Corporation)
• Inventors: Levy, Ady, Brown, Kyle A., Smedt, Rodney, Bultman, Gary, Nikoonahad, Mehrdad, Wack, Dan, Fielden, John, Abdul-Halim, Ibrahim
• Primary Examiner(s): STOCK JR, GORDON J
• Application Number:
  US13/467,042
• Publication Number:
  US 20130039460A1
• Time in Patent Office: 454 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 356/401
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/646 Detecting fluorescent inhomogeneities at a position, e.g. for detecting defects
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/8825 Separate detection of dark field and bright field
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/211 Ellipsometry optical thickness measurement G01B11/06
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/27 using photo-electric detection G01N21/31 takes precedence; circuits for computing concentration logarithmic circuits G06G7/24; photometric circuits in general G01J
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/47 Scattering, i.e. diffuse reflection G01N21/25, G01N21/41 take precedence G01N21/55 takes precedence
• 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 21/64 Fluorescence; Phosphorescence
• 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 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: G03F 7/70616 Monitoring the printed patterns
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/7065 Defects, e.g. optical inspection of patterned layer for defects
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70658 Electrical testing
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/707 Chucks, e.g. chucking or un-chucking operations or structural details
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70708 being electrostatic; Electrostatically deformable vacuum chucks
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/31701 Ion implantation
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00

Abstract

Methods and systems for monitoring semiconductor fabrication processes are provided. A system may include a stage configured to support a specimen and coupled to a measurement device. The measurement device may include an illumination system and a detection system. The illumination system and the detection system may be configured such that the system may be configured to determine multiple properties of the specimen. For example, the system may be configured to determine multiple properties of a specimen including: but not limited to, critical dimension and overlay misregistration; defects and thin film characteristics; critical dimension and defects; critical dimension and thin film characteristics; critical dimension, thin film characteristics and defects; macro defects and micro defects; flatness, thin film characteristics and defects; overlay misregistration and flatness; an implant characteristic and defects; and adhesion and thickness. In this manner, a measurement device may perform multiple optical and/or non-optical metrology and/or inspection techniques.

Claims

1. A system configured to determine at least two properties of a specimen, comprising:

a measurement device coupled to a stage configured to support the specimen, wherein the measurement device is configured as a spectroscopic scatterometer and a spectroscopic ellipsometer;

wherein the spectroscopic scatterometer is configured to direct light toward repeatable pattern features on a surface of the specimen, wherein the spectroscopic scatterometer comprises a spectrometer configured to measure diffraction order intensities of different wavelengths of light diffracted from the repeatable pattern features, and wherein the diffraction order intensities comprise diffraction order intensities higher than the zeroth diffraction order intensity; and

a processor coupled to the spectroscopic spectrometer and the spectroscopic ellipsometer and configured to determine at least a first property of the repeatable pattern features using output of the spectrometer responsive to the measured diffraction order intensities and to determine overlay misregistration of the specimen using the output of the spectrometer or output of the spectroscopic ellipsometer, wherein the at least the first property comprises a grating shape parameter of the repeatable pattern features.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least the first property of the repeatable pattern features further comprises a period, a width, a step height, a sidewall angle, a thickness of underlying layers, and a profile of the features on the specimen.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the measured diffraction order intensities further comprise the zeroth diffraction order intensity.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the spectroscopic scatterometer is further configured as an x-ray measurement device, and wherein the at least the first property of the repeatable pattern features further comprises a composition of material of the repeatable pattern features.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the spectroscopic scatterometer is further configured as an x-ray measurement device and is further configured to direct the light toward an unpatterned thin film on a surface of a specimen, wherein the processor is further configured to determine a property of the unpatterned thin film using the output of the spectroscopic spectrometer responsive to the measured diffraction order intensities, and wherein the property of the unpatterned thin film comprises a composition of material of the unpatterned thin film.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the spectroscopic scatterometer is further configured to direct the light toward an unpatterned thin film on a surface of a specimen, and wherein the processor is further configured to determine a property of the unpatterned thin film using the output of the spectroscopic spectrometer responsive to the measured diffraction order intensities.

7. A system configured to determine at least two properties of a specimen, comprising:

a stage configured to support the specimen;

a first measurement device coupled to the stage and configured as an optical, measurement device, wherein the first measurement device is further configured to direct light toward a surface of the specimen, to detect light propagating from the surface of the specimen, and to generate output responsive to the detected light, and wherein the first measurement device is further configured as a spectroscopic scatterometer and a spectroscopic ellipsometer;

a second measurement device coupled to the stage and configured as an x-ray measurement device, wherein the second measurement device is further configured to direct x-rays toward the surface of the specimen, to detect energy propagating from the surface of the specimen, and to generate output responsive to the detected energy; and

a processor coupled to the first and second measurement devices and configured to determine a first property and a second property of the specimen using the output of the first and second measurement devices, wherein the first property comprises a critical dimension of the specimen, wherein the second property comprises a thin film property of the specimen, wherein the specimen comprises at least one diffracting structure and one or more films underneath the at least one diffracting structure, and wherein the processor is further configured to determine at least a grating shape parameter of the at least one diffracting structure and overlay misregistration of the specimen from the output generated by the first measurement device.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the second measurement device is further configured as an X-ray reflectometer, an X-ray fluorescence device, a grazing X-ray reflectometer, or an X-ray diffractometer.