Systems and methods for defect material classification

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10670537-B2
Application number	US-201916357025-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 18, 2019
Priority date	Jan 5, 2017
Publication date	Jun 2, 2020
Grant date	Jun 2, 2020

Abstract

A inspection system includes an illumination source to generate an illumination beam, focusing elements to direct the illumination beam to a sample, a detector, collection elements configured to direct radiation emanating from the sample to the detector, a detection mode control device to image the sample in two or more detection modes such that the detector generates two or more collection signals based on the two or more detection modes, and a controller. Radiation emanating from the sample includes at least radiation specularly reflected by the sample and radiation scattered by the sample. The controller determines defect scattering characteristics associated with radiation scattered by defects on the sample based on the two or more collection signals. The controller also classifies the one or more particles according to a set of predetermined defect classifications based on the one or more defect scattering characteristics.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A system, comprising:
an illumination source configured to generate an illumination beam;
one or more focusing lenses configured to direct the illumination beam to a sample;
a detector;
one or more collection lenses configured to direct radiation emanating from the sample to the detector, wherein the radiation emanating from the sample includes radiation scattered by the sample;
a phase control device configured to introduce two or more selected phase offsets in the illumination scattered by the sample, wherein the phase control device includes at least one of a phase plate selector, one or more beam splitters, or a translation stage; and
a controller communicatively coupled to the detector, the controller including one or more processors configured to execute program instructions configured to direct the one or more processors to:
determine one or more scattering phase values introduced to the illumination beam scattered by one or more defects on the sample based on the two or more collection signals; and
classify the one or more defects according to a set of predetermined defect classifications based on the one or more scattering phase values.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the phase plate selector is communicatively coupled to the controller, wherein the phase plate selector is configured to sequentially insert two or more phase plates into the radiation emanating from the sample to introduce the two or more selected phase offsets, wherein the two or more collection signals correspond to two or more signals sequentially generated by the detector in response to the radiation emanating from the sample modified by the two or more phase plates.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more beam splitters are configured to separate the radiation emanating from the sample into two or more sample beams directed to two or more phase plates to introduce the two or more selected phase offsets, wherein the two or more collection signals correspond to two or more signals generated by two or more detector assemblies of the detector in response to the radiation emanating from the sample modified by the two or more phase plates.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the translation stage is configured to secure the sample, wherein the translation stage is communicatively coupled to the controller, wherein the translation stage is configured to translate the sample to two or more focal positions along an optical axis of the one or more focusing lenses to introduce the two or more different selected phase offsets, wherein the two or more collection signals correspond to two or more signals generated by the detector at the two or more focal positions.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the set of predetermined defect classifications comprises:
at least one of a metal, a dielectric, or an organic material.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the set of predetermined defect classifications comprises:
at least one of silver, aluminum, gold, copper, iron, molybdenum, tungsten, germanium, silicon, silicon nitrate, or silicon dioxide.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the illumination beam comprises:
an annular illumination beam.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the illumination beam comprises:
a spatially incoherent illumination beam.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the illumination source comprises:
a narrowband illumination source.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the illumination source comprises:
a speckle-busted laser source.

11. The system of claim 7 , wherein the illumination source comprises:
a broadband illumination source.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the broadband illumination source comprises:
an incoherent lamp source.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the broadband illumination source comprises:
a tunable broadband illumination source.

14. The system of claim 7 , wherein the illumination beam comprises:
a spatially coherent illumination beam.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the illumination beam comprises:
a laser source.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the laser source comprises:
a tunable laser source.

17. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system further includes a polarizer mask in a pupil plane of the one or more collection elements configured to suppress illumination scattered by a surface of the sample with respect to illumination scattered by the one or more defects on the sample.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the illumination beam comprises:
a single collimated illumination beam.

19. The system of claim 1 , wherein the detector comprises:
a time delay and integration (TDI) detector.

20. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more focusing lenses and the one or more collection elements share at least one common element.

21. A system, comprising:
a phase control device configured to introduce two or more selected phase offsets in illumination scattered by the sample, wherein the phase control device includes at least one of a phase plate selector, one or more beam splitters, or a translation stage; and
a controller, the controller including one or more processors configured to execute program instructions configured to direct the one or more processors to:
determine one or more scattering phase values introduced to an illumination beam scattered by one or more defects on the sample based on two or more collection signals; and
classify the one or more defects according to a set of predetermined defect classifications based on the one or more scattering phase values.

22. A method for defect classification, comprising:
illuminating a sample with an illumination beam;
introducing two or more selected phase offsets in illumination scattered by the sample;
collecting illumination emanating from the sample corresponding to two or more selected phase offsets to generate two or more collection signals;
determining one or more scattering phase values introduced to the illumination beam scattered by one or more defects on the sample based on the two or more collection signals; and
classifying the one or more defects according to a set of predetermined defect classifications based on the one or more scattering phase values.

Assignees

• Kla Tencor Corp

Inventors

• Zhao Guoheng
• Leong J K
• Kirk Michael

Classifications

• G01N21/643

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• G01N21/8806 Primary

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