Optical measurement apparatus and optical measurement method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10480997-B1
Application number	US-201916414798-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	May 17, 2019
Priority date	May 18, 2018
Publication date	Nov 19, 2019
Grant date	Nov 19, 2019

Abstract

An optical measurement apparatus includes: a probe including a transmissive optical member having a reference surface, the probe being configured to irradiate a sample with light through the reference surface, and receive a first reflected light from the reference surface, a second reflected light from a front side of the sample, and a third reflected light from a back side of the sample; and a calculator configured to calculate a first distance from the reference surface to the front side of the sample with use of a first reflection interference light to be generated by the first reflected light and the second reflected light, and to calculate a thickness of the sample with use of a second reflection interference light to be generated by the second reflected light and the third reflected light.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An optical measurement apparatus, comprising:
a probe including a transmissive optical member having a reference surface, the probe being configured to irradiate a sample with light through the reference surface, and to receive a first reflected light from the reference surface, a second reflected light from a front side of the sample, and a third reflected light from a back side of the sample;
a spectrometer configured to measure a spectrum of measurement reflected light including a first reflection interference light to be generated by the first reflected light and the second reflected light, and a second reflection interference light to be generated by the second reflected light and the third reflected light; and
a calculator, which is configured to calculate a first distance from the reference surface to the front side of the sample with use of the first reflection interference light, and to calculate a thickness of the sample with use of the second reflection interference light,
the transmissive optical member having an optical thickness that is larger than an upper limit value of a coherent optical thickness, which is defined by an upper limit value of a measurement wavelength range of the spectrometer and by a wavelength resolution of the spectrometer.

2. The optical measurement apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the light has a wavelength that is transmitted through the sample.

3. The optical measurement apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the optical measurement apparatus is configured to:
move at least one of a stage having the sample placed thereon or the probe in a first direction;
irradiate, by the probe, the sample with the light to receive the first reflected light, the second reflected light, and the third reflected light at a plurality of positions in the first direction; and
calculate, by the calculator, the first distance and the thickness of the sample at the plurality of positions in the first direction.

4. The optical measurement apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the optical measurement apparatus is configured to:
move at least one of the stage or the probe in a second direction, which intersects the first direction;
irradiate, by the probe, the sample with the light to receive the first reflected light, the second reflected light, and the third reflected light at a plurality of positions in the second direction; and
calculate, by the calculator, the first distance and the thickness of the sample at the plurality of positions in the second direction.

5. An optical measurement apparatus, comprising:
a probe including a transmissive optical member having a reference surface, the probe being configured to irradiate a sample with light through the reference surface, and to receive a first reflected light from the reference surface, a second reflected light from a front side of the sample, and a third reflected light from a back side of the sample; and
a calculator, which is configured to calculate a first distance from the reference surface to the front side of the sample with use of a first reflection interference light to be generated by the first reflected light and the second reflected light, and to calculate a thickness of the sample with use of a second reflection interference light to be generated by the second reflected light and the third reflected light,
the optical measurement apparatus being configured to:
irradiate, under a state in which the sample is not placed on a stage, by the probe, the stage with the light through the reference surface to receive the first reflected light, and a fourth reflected light from a surface of the stage;
calculate, by the calculator, a second distance from the reference surface to the stage with use of a third reflection interference light to be generated by the first reflected light and the fourth reflected light; and
calculate, by the calculator, a third distance between the back side of the sample and the stage with the second distance being an additive element, and with the first distance and the thickness of the sample being subtractive elements.

6. The optical measurement apparatus according to claim 5 ,
wherein the optical measurement apparatus is configured to, under the state in which the sample is not placed on the stage:
move at least one of the stage or the probe in a first direction; and
irradiate, by the probe, the stage with the light to receive the first reflected light and the fourth reflected light at a plurality of positions in the first direction,

wherein the optical measurement apparatus is configured to, under a state in which the sample is placed on the stage,
move at least one of the stage or the probe in the first direction; and
irradiate, by the probe, the sample with the light to receive the first reflected light, the second reflected light, and the third reflected light at a plurality of positions corresponding to the plurality of positions at which the fourth reflected light is received, and

calculate, by the calculator, the thickness of the sample, the first distance, the second distance, and the third distance at the plurality of positions in the first direction.

7. The optical measurement apparatus according to claim 6 ,
wherein the optical measurement apparatus is configured to, under the state in which the sample is not placed on the stage:
move at least one of the stage or the probe in a second direction, which intersects the first direction; and
irradiate, by the probe, the stage with the light to receive the first reflected light and the fourth reflected light at a plurality of positions in the second direction,

wherein the optical measurement apparatus is configured to, under the state in which the sample is placed on the stage,
move at least one of the stage or the probe in the second direction; and
irradiate, by the probe, the sample with the light to receive the first reflected light, the second reflected light, and the third reflected light at a plurality of positions corresponding to the plurality of positions at which the fourth reflected light is received, and

calculate, by the calculator, the thickness of the sample, the first distance, the second distance, and the third distance at the plurality of positions in the second direction.

8. The optical measurement apparatus according to claim 5 , further comprising a spectrometer, which is configured to measure a spectrum of measurement reflected light including the first reflection interference light and the second reflection interference light, and to output a result of the measurement to the calculator,
wherein the transmissive optical member has an optical thickness that is larger than an upper limit value of a coherent optical thickness, which is defined by an upper limit value of a measurement wavelength range of the spectrometer and by a wavelength resolution of the spectrometer.

9. An optical measurement method, which is performed with use of a probe including a transmissive optical member having a reference surface, and a spectrometer, the optical measurement method comprising:
irradiating a sample with light through the reference surface with use of the probe;
receiving, by the probe, a first reflected light from the reference surface, a second reflected light from a front side of the sample, and a third reflected light from a back side of the sample;
measuring, with use of the spectrometer, a spectrum of measurement reflected light including a first reflection interference light to be generated by the first reflected light and the second reflected light, and a second reflection interference light to be generated by the second reflected light and the third reflected light; and
calculati

Assignees

• Otsuka Denshi Kk

Inventors

• Shinke Toshiki
• Kawaguchi Shiro
• Inoue Nobuyuki

Classifications

• G01B9/02044 Primary

  Imaging in the frequency domain, e.g. by using a spectrometer · CPC title

• G01B11/06

  for measuring thickness {; e.g. of sheet material (thickness measurement by thermal means G01B21/085)} · CPC title

• G01B2210/48

  for measurement of a wafer · CPC title

• G01B2210/42

  with one or more detectors on a single side of the object to be measured and with a backing surface of support or reference on the other side · CPC title

• G01B11/306

  for measuring evenness · CPC title