Apparatus for X-ray inspection, and a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10852259-B2
Application number	US-201816115884-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 29, 2018
Priority date	Dec 14, 2017
Publication date	Dec 1, 2020
Grant date	Dec 1, 2020

Abstract

An apparatus for X-ray inspection is provided. The apparatus includes: a stage on which an inspection target is loaded, the stage including a first surface and an opposite second surface; an X-ray generator disposed on or over the first surface of the inspection target and configured to irradiate the inspection target with incident X-rays; and a detection system disposed on or under the second surface of the inspection target and configured to detect first transmitted X-rays transmitted through the inspection target. The detection unit includes a first lens system and a second lens system. The first transmitted X-rays pass through one of the first lens system and the second lens system. The second lens system includes a micro zone plate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for X-ray inspection comprising:
a stage on which an inspection target is loaded, the stage including a first surface and an opposite second surface;
an X-ray generator disposed on or over the first surface of the stage and configured to irradiate the inspection target with incident X-rays; and
a detection system disposed on or under the second surface of the stage and configured to detect first transmitted X-rays transmitted through the inspection target,
wherein the detection system includes a first lens system and a second lens system,
the first transmitted X-rays pass through one of the first lens system and the second lens system,
the second lens system includes a micro zone plate (MZP),
the first lens system comprises a first scintillator and a magnifying lens of n magnification, with n being greater than one,
the second lens system comprises a second scintillator and a relay lens,
when the first transmitted X-rays pass through the first lens system, the first transmitted X-rays pass through the first scintillator and are converted into first rays, and the first rays pass through the magnifying lens and are converted into second rays, and
when the first transmitted X-rays pass through the second lens system, the first transmitted X-rays pass through the micro zone plate and are converted into second transmitted X-rays, the second transmitted X-rays pass through the second scintillator and are converted into third rays, and the third rays pass through the relay lens and are converted into fourth rays.

2. The apparatus for X-ray inspection of claim 1 , wherein the detection system further comprises a time delay integration (TDI) sensor, and
the TDI sensor is configured to receive and image one of the second rays and the fourth rays.

3. The apparatus for X-ray inspection of claim 1 , further comprising:
an X-Ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometer disposed on or over the first surface of the stage.

4. The apparatus for X-ray inspection of claim 3 , wherein, when the inspection target is irradiated with the incident X-rays, at least a portion of the incident X-rays collides with the inspection target to generate characteristic X-rays, and the XRF spectrometer is configured to receive the characteristic X-rays.

5. The apparatus for X-ray inspection of claim 1 , wherein the first lens system and the second lens system are selectable, and by selecting one of the first lens system and the second lens system, the first transmitted X-rays pass through the first lens system or the first transmitted X-rays pass through the second lens system.

6. The apparatus for X-ray inspection of claim 1 , further comprising:
a controller,
wherein the inspection target comprises a first region including a defect and a second region not including defects,
the controller is configured to detect the first transmitted X-rays through the first lens system in the first region and the second region to define the first region due to one or more measured values at the first region that are different than one or more measured values at the second region, and
the controller is configured to detect the first transmitted X-rays in the first region through the second lens system.

7. The apparatus for X-ray inspection of claim 6 , wherein the inspection target comprises repetitive patterns, and
the controller is configured to compare the repetitive patterns to define the first region.

8. The apparatus for X-ray inspection of claim 6 , wherein the controller is configured to generate a defect map of the first region.

9. The apparatus for X-ray inspection of claim 1 , further comprising:
a controller,
wherein the inspection target comprises a first region including a defect and a second region not including defects,
the controller is configured to receive input information on a position of the first region, and
the controller is configured to detect the first transmitted X-rays in the first region through the second lens system.

10. The apparatus for X-ray inspection of claim 1 , wherein the relay lens has equal magnification.

11. The apparatus for X-ray inspection of claim 1 , wherein each of the first to fourth rays are ultraviolet rays.

12. An apparatus for X-ray inspection comprising:
a stage on which an inspection target is loaded, the stage including a first surface and an opposite second surface;
an X-ray generator disposed over the first surface of the stage and configured to irradiate the inspection target with incident X-rays; and
a detection system disposed under the second surface of the stage and configured to detect first transmitted X-rays transmitted through the inspection target,
wherein the detection system comprises a first lens system and a second lens system,
the inspection target comprises a first region including a defect and a second region that is free of defects,
the first lens system is configured to receive the first transmitted X-rays transmitted through one of the first region and the second region,
the second lens system is configured to receive the first transmitted X-rays transmitted through only the first region,
the first lens system comprises a first scintillator and a magnifying lens of n magnification, with n being greater than one,
the second lens system comprises a micro zone plate (MZP), a second scintillator, and a relay lens of an equal magnification,
when the first transmitted X-rays pass through the first lens system, the first scintillator is configured to receive the first transmitted X-rays therethrough and to convert the first transmitted X-rays into first rays, and the magnifying lens is configured to receive the first rays therethrough and to convert the first rays into second rays,
when the first transmitted X-rays pass through the second lens system, the MZP is configured to receive the first transmitted X-rays therethrough and to convert the first transmitted X-rays into second transmitted X-rays, the second scintillator is configured to receive the second transmitted X-rays therethrough and to convert the second transmitted X-rays into third rays, and the relay lens is configured to receive the third rays therethrough and to convert the third rays into fourth rays.

13. The apparatus for X-ray inspection of claim 12 , wherein the detection system further comprises a time delay integration (TDI) sensor, and
the TDI sensor is configured to receive and image one of the second rays and the fourth rays.

14. The apparatus for X-ray inspection of claim 12 , further comprising:
an X-Ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometer disposed on or over the first surface of the stage.

15. The apparatus for X-ray inspection of claim 12 , further comprising:
a controller,
wherein the controller is configured to detect the first transmitted X-rays through the first lens system in the first region and the second region to define the first region, and
the controller is configured to detect the first transmitted X-rays in the first region through the second lens system.

16. The apparatus for X-ray inspection of claim 12 , wherein the detection system further comprises a charged coupled device (CCD) sensor, and
the CCD sensor is configured to receive and image one of the second rays and the fourth rays.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Kyoung Hwan
• Kim Sang Min
• Sohn Young Hoon
• Yang Yu Sin
• Lee Chi Hoon

Classifications

• H10P74/203

  Structural properties, e.g. testing or measuring thicknesses, line widths, warpage, bond strengths or physical defects · CPC title

• H10P72/0616

  Monitoring of warpages, curvatures, damages, defects or the like · CPC title

• G01N2223/608

  superconductors · CPC title

• G01N23/223 Primary

  by irradiating the sample with X-rays or gamma-rays and by measuring X-ray fluorescence · CPC title

• G01N2223/646

  flaws, defects · CPC title