Film thickness measurement device and film thickness measurement method

• US 8,885,173 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2010
• Issued: 11/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hamamatsu Photonics KK
• Original Assignee: Hamamatsu Photonics KK
• Inventors: Ohtsuka, Kenichi, Nakano, Tetsuhisa, Watanabe, Motoyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Lyons, Michael A
• Application Number:
  US13/497,722
• Publication Number:
  US 20120218561A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,568 Days
• Field of Search: 356/503, 356/504
• US Class Current: 356/504
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/0625 with measurement of absorption or reflection

Abstract

A film thickness measurement apparatus includes a measurement light source which supplies measurement light containing wavelength components over a predetermined band to a semiconductor film, a spectroscopic optical system and a photodetector which detect intensities of output light formed by superimposing reflected light components from an upper surface and a lower surface of the semiconductor film at each time point by wavelength, and a film thickness analysis section which obtains a temporal change in film thickness of the semiconductor film. The film thickness analysis section obtains a value corresponding to a peak wavelength where the intensity of interfering light generated by the reflected light from the upper surface and the reflected light from the lower surface interfering with each other is maximized or minimized or an interval of the adjacent peak wavelengths based on spectral waveforms of the output light detected at mutually different time points.

Claims

1. A film thickness measurement apparatus for measuring a temporal change in film thickness of a film-shaped measuring object having a first surface and a second surface, comprising:

a measurement light source supplying measurement light containing wavelength components over a predetermined band to the measuring object;

detection means detecting intensities of output light, formed by superimposing reflected light of the measurement light from the first surface of the measuring object and reflected light of the measurement light from the second surface, at each time point by wavelength; and

film thickness analysis means obtaining a temporal change in film thickness of the measuring object, wherein

the film thickness analysis means obtains a value corresponding to a peak wavelength where an intensity of interfering light generated by the reflected light from the first surface and the reflected light from the second surface interfering with each other is maximized or minimized or an interval of the adjacent peak wavelengths based on spectral waveforms of the output light respectively detected at two or more time points different from each other by the detection means, and obtains a temporal change in film thickness of the measuring object from a temporal change in the value corresponding to the peak wavelength or the interval of the adjacent peak wavelengths, and wherein

the film thickness analysis means calculates a difference I(T₂)−

I(T₁) between a first spectral waveform I(T₁) regarding the output light detected at a first time point T₁ and a second spectral waveform I(T₂) regarding the output light detected at a second time point T₂ different from the first time point T₁, and determines a zero-cross wavelength where the difference becomes zero as the peak wavelength.

2. The film thickness measurement apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the film thickness analysis means normalizes the difference by use of a waveform I(T₁)+I(T₂) for which the first spectral waveform I(T₁) and the second spectral waveform I(T₂) are superimposed, and then determines the peak wavelength.

3. The film thickness measurement apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the measuring object is a semiconductor film on a substrate, and a temporal change in film thickness of the semiconductor film is measured during execution of a predetermined process.

4. The film thickness measurement apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the measurement light source is a white light source which supplies white light over the predetermined band as the measurement light.

5. A film thickness measurement method for measuring a temporal change in film thickness of a film-shaped measuring object having a first surface and a second surface, comprising:

a measurement light supply step of supplying measurement light containing wavelength components over a predetermined band from a measurement light source to the measuring object;

a detection step of detecting intensities of output light, formed by superimposing reflected light of the measurement light from the first surface of the measuring object and reflected light of the measurement light from the second surface, at each time point by wavelength; and

a film thickness analysis step of obtaining a temporal change in film thickness of the measuring object, wherein

in the film thickness analysis step, a value corresponding to a peak wavelength where an intensity of interfering light generated by the reflected light from the first surface and the reflected light from the second surface interfering with each other is maximized or minimized or an interval of the adjacent peak wavelengths is obtained based on spectral waveforms of the output light respectively detected at two or more time points different from each other in the detection step, and a temporal change in film thickness of the measuring object is obtained from a temporal change in the value corresponding to the peak wavelength or the interval of the adjacent peak wavelengths, and wherein

in the film thickness analysis step, a difference I(T₂)−

I(T₁) between a first spectral waveform I(T₁) regarding the output light detected at a first time point T₁ and a second spectral waveform I(T₂) regarding the output light detected at a second time point T₂ different from the first time point T₁ is calculated, and a zero-cross wavelength where the difference becomes zero is determined as the peak wavelength.

6. The film thickness measurement method according to claim 5, wherein in the film thickness analysis step, the difference is normalized by use of a waveform I(T₁)+I(T₂) for which the first spectral waveform I(T₁) and the second spectral waveform I(T₂) are superimposed, and then the peak wavelength is determined.

7. The film thickness measurement method according to claim 5, wherein the measuring object is a semiconductor film on a substrate, and a temporal change in film thickness of the semiconductor film is measured during execution of a predetermined process.

8. The film thickness measurement method according to claim 5, wherein the measurement light source is a white light source which supplies white light over the predetermined band as the measurement light.

9. An apparatus for measuring a temporal change in thickness of an object having at least a first surface and a second surface, comprising:

a light source configured to supply measurement light;

a detector configured to detect interfering light, formed by the measurement light reflected from the first surface and the measurement light reflected from the second surface; and

an analysis system configured to obtain a temporal change in thickness of the object, wherein

the analysis system calculates a difference spectral waveform between a first interfering spectral waveform at a first time point and a second interfering spectral waveform at a second time point different from the first time point, determines a zero-cross wavelength where the difference becomes zero, and obtains the temporal change in thickness of the object based on a temporal change in the zero-cross wavelength.

10. A method for measuring a temporal change in thickness of an object having at least a first surface and a second surface, comprising:

supplying measurement light;

acquiring a first interfering spectral waveform corresponding to first interfering light, formed by the measurement light reflected from the first surface and the measurement light reflected from the second surface, at a first time point;

acquiring a second interfering spectral waveform corresponding to second interfering light, formed by the measurement light reflected from the first surface and the measurement light reflected from the second surface, at a second time point different from the first time point;

calculating a difference spectral waveform between the first interfering spectral waveform and the second interfering spectral waveform;

determining a zero-cross wavelength where the difference becomes zero; and

obtaining a temporal change in thickness of the object based on a temporal change in the zero-cross wavelength.