Method for measuring a sample and microscope implementing the method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11915908-B2
Application number	US-202117501238-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 14, 2021
Priority date	Oct 14, 2021
Publication date	Feb 27, 2024
Grant date	Feb 27, 2024

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for measuring a sample with a microscope, the method comprising the steps of: measuring a tilt of the sample, correcting an orientation of the sample based on the tilt, and scanning the sample.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for measuring a sample with a microscope, the method comprising the steps of:
measuring a tilt of the sample,
correcting an orientation of the sample based on the tilt, and
scanning the sample;
wherein the measuring step is carried out by focusing a beam on the sample and measuring the resulting focal distance.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of checking whether the tilt falls within a predetermined interval.

3. A method for measuring a sample with a microscope, the method comprising the steps of:
measuring a tilt of the sample,
scanning the sample, and
correcting a volume reconstruction from the scanned images based on the tilt;
wherein the measuring step is carried out by focusing a beam on the sample and measuring the resulting focal distance.

4. A method for measuring a sample with a microscope, the method comprising the steps of:
measuring a tilt of the sample,
correcting a scanning plane based on the tilt, and
scanning the sample;
wherein the measuring step is carried out by focusing a beam on the sample and measuring the resulting focal distance.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tilt comprises an angle formed by a predetermined surface of the sample and a predetermined plane.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the predetermined surface is any of a top surface, a horizontal layer, a side surface, a bottom surface, and the predetermined plane is a scanning plane of the microscope.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the predetermined surface is any of a top surface, a horizontal layer, a side surface, a bottom surface, and the predetermined plane is a horizontal plane.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the beam is a scanning beam also used for the scanning step.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the focus point is directed to a focusing marker.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of realizing one or more focusing markers.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the measuring step is carried out by reflecting a beam on the sample.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the measuring step comprises measuring at least three points of the sample.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising a step of fitting the measured points to a plane identifying the tilt.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the measuring step comprises
a step of measuring a predetermined number of points of the sample, and
a step of fitting the measured points to a plane.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the measuring step comprises
a step of measuring a plurality of points of the sample,
a step of removing one or more of the measured points based on a predetermined threshold, and
a step of fitting the measured points to a plane without the removed points.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the scanning step comprises
a step of removing at least a portion of a top surface of the sample, and
a step of scanning the sample.

17. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of measuring vertical structures in the sample.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sample is a semiconductor wafer, or a portion thereof.

19. A microscope comprising
a processor, and
a memory,
wherein the memory stores instructions configured to cause the processor to control the microscope so as to execute the method of claim 1 .

20. A computer program comprising instructions, which, when executed by a processor, are configured to cause the processor to control a microscope so as to execute the method of claim 1 .

21. The method of claim 1 , wherein focusing a beam on the sample comprises focusing a charged particle beam on the sample.

Assignees

• Zeiss Carl Smt Gmbh

Inventors

• Foca Eugen
• Avishai Amir
• Klochkov Dmitry
• Korb Thomas
• Neumann Jens Timo
• Lee Keumsil

Classifications

• H01J37/28

  with scanning beams {(H01J37/268, H01J37/292, H01J37/2955 take precedence)} · CPC title

• H01J37/24 Primary

  Circuit arrangements not adapted to a particular application of the tube and not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• G01B11/26 Primary

  for measuring angles or tapers; for testing the alignment of axes · CPC title