Apparatus and method for inspecting semiconductor device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12436106-B2
Application number	US-202318222608-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 17, 2023
Priority date	Sep 6, 2022
Publication date	Oct 7, 2025
Grant date	Oct 7, 2025

Abstract

A semiconductor-device inspection apparatus includes a stage configured to allow a measurement target to be placed thereon, an actuator configured to move the stage in a vertical direction, a detector configured to detect a plurality of Raman spectra from scattered light that has been scattered away from the measurement target, and a processor configured to generate a plurality of spectral images for a measurement variable by using the plurality of Raman spectra detected by the detector, wherein the detector is further configured to detect the plurality of Raman spectra at different vertical levels of the measurement target.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A semiconductor-device inspection apparatus comprising:
a stage configured to allow a measurement target to be placed thereon;
an actuator configured to move the stage in a vertical direction;
a detector configured to detect a plurality of Raman spectra from scattered light scattered away from the measurement target; and
a processor configured to generate a plurality of spectral images for a measurement variable by using the plurality of Raman spectra detected by the detector,
wherein the detector is further configured to detect the plurality of Raman spectra at different vertical levels of the measurement target,
wherein the processor is further configured to match the plurality of Raman spectra to an auxiliary parameter and match the auxiliary parameter to the measurement variable based on a relationship between the plurality of Raman spectra and the measurement variable being undetermined, and
wherein the processor is further configured to directly match the plurality of Raman spectra to the measurement variable based on the relationship between the plurality of Raman spectra and the measurement variable being determined.

2. The semiconductor-device inspection apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor comprises:
a first processor configured to segment the plurality of Raman spectra detected by the detector, classify a plurality of segmented Raman spectra, and generate the plurality of spectral images for the measurement variable from the plurality of classified Raman spectra; and
a second processor configured to generate a spectral matrix for the measurement variable by using the plurality of spectral images for the measurement variable.

3. The semiconductor-device inspection apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the measurement variable comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of bandgap energy, a pattern height, a physical property, chemical bonding, vibration, and stress.

4. The semiconductor-device inspection apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a spectrometer configured to split the scattered light by wavelengths.

5. The semiconductor-device inspection apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a light source configured to generate and output incident light;
an objective lens configured to transmit the incident light and the scattered light resulting from scattering of the incident light away from a surface of the measurement target; and
a light condensing optical system, comprising a beam splitter and at least one lens, configured to focus, on the detector, the scattered light transmitted by the objective lens.

6. The semiconductor-device inspection apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the actuator moves the stage in the vertical direction by a distance of about 10 nm to about 10 μm.

7. The semiconductor-device inspection apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the measurement target comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of phase-change random access memory (PRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), a flash memory chip, a non-volatile memory chip, and a logic semiconductor chip.

8. A semiconductor-device inspection apparatus comprising:
a stage configured to allow a measurement target to be placed thereon;
an actuator configured to move the stage in a vertical direction;
a light source configured to generate and output incident light;
an objective lens configured to transmit the incident light and scattered light resulting from scattering of the incident light away from the measurement target;
a spectrometer configured to split the scattered light by wavelengths;
a detector configured to detect a plurality of Raman spectra from the scattered light;
a light condensing optical system, comprising a beam splitter and at least one lens, configured to focus, on the detector, the scattered light transmitted by the objective lens;
a first processor configured to: segment the plurality of Raman spectra detected by the detector, classify a plurality of segmented Raman spectra, and generate a plurality of spectral images for a measurement variable from the plurality of classified Raman spectra; and
a second processor configured to generate a spectral matrix for the measurement variable by using the plurality of spectral images for the measurement variable,
wherein the detector is further configured to detect the plurality of Raman spectra at different vertical levels of the measurement target,
wherein the first processor is further configured to match the plurality of classified Raman spectra to an auxiliary parameter and match the auxiliary parameter to the measurement variable based on a relationship between the plurality of classified Raman spectra and the measurement variable being undetermined, and
wherein the first processor is further configured to directly match the plurality of classified Raman spectra to the measurement variable based on the relationship between the plurality of classified Raman spectra and the measurement variable being determined.

9. The semiconductor-device inspection apparatus of claim 8 , wherein each of the measurement variable and the auxiliary parameter comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of bandgap energy, a pattern height, a physical property, chemical bonding, vibration, and stress, and
the measurement variable is different from the auxiliary parameter.

10. The semiconductor-device inspection apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the stage is further configured to support at least one selected from the group consisting of a wafer having a diameter of 150 mm, a wafer having a diameter of 200 mm, a wafer having a diameter of 300 mm, and a wafer having a diameter of 450 mm.

11. A method of inspecting a semiconductor device, the method comprising:
providing a measurement target;
detecting a plurality of Raman spectra from scattered light scattered away from the measurement target;
generating a plurality of spectral images for a measurement variable by using the plurality of Raman spectra; and
generating a spectral matrix for the measurement variable by using the plurality of spectral images for the measurement variable,
wherein the detecting of the plurality of Raman spectra is performed using the scattered light scattered away from the measurement target at different vertical levels,
wherein the method further comprises:
matching the plurality of Raman spectra to an auxiliary parameter and matching the auxiliary parameter to the measurement variable based on a relationship between the plurality of classified Raman spectra and the measurement variable being undetermined; and
directly matching the plurality of Raman spectra to the measurement variable based on the relationship between the plurality of Raman spectra and the measurement variable being determined.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the generating of the plurality of spectral images for the measurement variable comprises:
segmenting the plurality of Raman spectra; and
classifying the plurality of segmented Raman spectra.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the segmenting of the plurality of Raman spectra comprises deconvoluting the plurality of Raman spectra.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the classifying of the plurality of segmented Raman spectra is performed using at least one selected from the group consisting of a peak area of each of the plurality of segmented Raman spectra, a peak intensity of the plurality of segmented Raman spectra, a full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the plurality of segmented Raman spectra, and a Raman shift position where a peak of the plurality of segmented Raman spectra is located.

15. The me

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ryoo Hyunwoo
• Song Seulji
• Jeon Minji
• Kwak Hidong
• Ahn Jeongho

Classifications

• G01J3/4412

  Scattering spectrometry (particle sizing by light scattering G01N15/0205; optical velocimetry of particles G01P5/20, G01P5/26) · CPC title

• G01J3/0216

  using light concentrators or collectors or condensers · CPC title

• G01J3/2803

  using photoelectric array detector · CPC title

• G01J3/28

  Investigating the spectrum (using colour filters G01J3/51) · CPC title

• G01J3/44

  Raman spectrometry; Scattering spectrometry {; Fluorescence spectrometry} · CPC title