Method and apparatus for measuring overlay

• US 8,860,953 B2
• Filed: 01/13/2012
• Issued: 10/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Shim, Seong-Bo, Yeo, Jeong-Ho, Kim, Ho-Yeon
• Primary Examiner(s): Chowdhury, Tarifur
• Assistant Examiner(s): Underwood, Jarreas C
• Application Number:
  US13/349,770
• Publication Number:
  US 20120188543A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,005 Days
• Field of Search: 3562371-2416, 3562421-2438, 356426-431, 356600-640
• US Class Current: 356/614
• 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

A method of measuring an overlay includes generating an original signal using first and second overlay measurement keys that are spaced apart from each other, generating a first spectrum signal by performing Fourier transform of the original signal, generating a second spectrum signal by filtering the first spectrum signal, and generating a corrected signal by performing inverse Fourier transform of the second spectrum signal.

Claims

1. A method of measuring an overlay, comprising:

generating an original signal using first and second overlay measurement keys which are spaced apart from each other;

generating a first spectrum signal by performing Fourier transform of the original signal;

generating a second spectrum signal by filtering the first spectrum signal; and

generating a corrected signal by performing inverse Fourier transform of the second spectrum signal;

wherein performing the Fourier transform of the original signal includes making the original signal pass through a Fourier transform lens set; and

wherein the first spectrum signal is formed in a spectrum domain that includes a first axis and a second axis, which has an optical axis of the Fourier transform lens set as an original point, the first spectrum signal includes a plurality of dot signals, and a pitch of the first spectrum signal in a second-axis direction is wider than a pitch in a first-axis direction.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the original signal is a signal that is changed according to a first variable and a second variable, and the corrected signal is a signal that is independent of the first variable.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second overlay measurement keys include a grating shape having a length extending in a first direction, the first and second overlay measurement keys are arranged to be spaced apart from each other in the first direction, and an image of the corrected signal includes a first grating shape and a second grating shape that overlap each other.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein filtering the first spectrum signal includes removing a remainder of the first spectrum signal except for the dot signals arranged on the second axis.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein filtering the first spectrum signal includes making the first spectrum signal pass through a filter in a slit shape.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein filtering the first spectrum signal is operating the first spectrum signal and a delta function.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein performing inverse Fourier transform of the second spectrum signal includes making the second spectrum signal pass through a restoration lens set.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second overlay measurement key is formed at a higher level than the first overlay measurement key.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first and second overlay measurement keys include a grating shape having a length extending in a first direction, and a distance between the first and second overlay measurement keys is shorter than an optical width of light that illuminates the first and second overlay measurement keys.

10. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first overlay measurement key is arranged to be shifted from the second overlay measurement key in a second direction that is different from the first direction.

11. An apparatus for measuring an overlay, comprising:

a stage on which a wafer that includes first and second overlay measurement keys that are spaced apart from each other is arranged;

an original signal generation unit configured to generate an original signal using the first and second overlay measurement keys;

a Fourier transform lens set configured to generate a first spectrum signal by performing Fourier transform of the original signal; and

a signal analysis unit configured to generate a second spectrum signal by filtering the first spectrum signal and generating a corrected signal by performing inverse Fourier transform of the second spectrum signal;

wherein the signal analysis unit includes a slit-shaped filter configured to generate the second spectrum signal by filtering the first spectrum signal, and a restoration lens set configured to generate the corrected signal by performing the inverse Fourier transform of the second spectrum signal.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the original signal is a signal that is changed according to a first variable and a second variable, and the corrected signal is a signal that is independent of the first variable.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the first and second overlay measurement keys include a grating shape having a length extending in a first direction, the first and second overlay measurement keys are arranged to be spaced apart from each other in the first direction, and an image of the corrected signal includes a first grating shape and a second grating shape that overlap each other.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the second overlay measurement key is formed at a higher level than the first overlay measurement key, and the first overlay is arranged to be shifted from the second overlay measurement key in a second direction that is different from the first direction.

15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the signal analysis unit includes a storage unit configured to sense and store the first spectrum signal, a first operation unit configured to generate a second spectrum signal by operating the first spectrum signal and a delta function, and a second operation unit configured to generate the corrected signal by performing the inverse Fourier transform of the second spectrum signal.

16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the first spectrum signal is formed in a spectrum domain that includes a first axis and a second axis, which has an optical axis of the Fourier transform lens set as an original point, the first spectrum signal includes a plurality of dot signals, and a pitch of the first spectrum signal in a second-axis direction is wider than a pitch in a first-axis direction.

17. A method of measuring an overlay, comprising:

illuminating first and second overlay measurement keys to generate an original signal based on the first and second overlay measurement keys, the first and second overlay measurement keys each including a plurality of bars having a length and a width;

generating a first spectrum signal by performing Fourier transform of the original signal, a pitch of the first spectrum signal corresponding to the widths and the lengths of the first and second overlay measurement keys;

generating a second spectrum signal by filtering the first spectrum signal; and

generating a corrected signal by performing inverse Fourier transform of the second spectrum signal, wherein a distance between the first and second overlay measurement keys along a first direction is shorter than an optical width of the light that illuminates the first and second overlay measurement keys;

wherein performing the Fourier transform of the original signal includes making the original signal pass through a Fourier transform lens set; and

wherein the first spectrum signal is formed in a spectrum domain that includes a first axis and a second axis, which has an optical axis of the Fourier transform lens set as an original point, the first spectrum signal includes a plurality of dot signals, and a pitch of the first spectrum signal in a second-axis direction is wider than a pitch in a first-axis direction.