Device and method for measuring a substrate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12467850-B2
Application number	US-201917774612-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 28, 2019
Priority date	Nov 28, 2019
Publication date	Nov 11, 2025
Grant date	Nov 11, 2025

Abstract

A method for measuring a multilayered substrate, particularly with at least one structure with critical dimensions, the method including the steps of (a) producing the substrate with a plurality of layers, particularly with a structure, wherein the dimensions of the layers and in particular the structures are known, (b) measuring the substrate using at least one measuring technology, (c) creating a simulation of the substrate using the measurement results from the measurement of the substrate, (d) comparing the measurement results with simulation results from the simulation of the substrate, and (e 1 ) optimizing the simulation and renewed creation of a simulation of the substrate using the measurement results from the measurement of the substrate, in the event that there is a deviation of the measurement results from the simulation results, or (e 2 ) calculating parameters of further substrates, in the event that the measurement results correspond to the simulation results.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for measuring a substrate having a plurality of layers, said method comprising:
producing the substrate with the plurality of layers, wherein the dimensions of the plurality of layers are known, measuring and determining a layers of the substrate simultaneously using ellipsometry to obtain measurement results, the measurement results including a loss angle and a phase shift of the plurality of layers, creating a simulation of the substrate using the measurement results from the measuring of the substrate, comparing the measurement results with simulation results obtained from the simulation of the substrate, and one of:
optimizing the simulation of the substrate and renewing creation of a simulation of the substrate using the measurement results from the measuring of the substrate, in the event that there is a deviation of the measurement results from the simulation results obtained from the simulation of the substrate, and
calculating parameters of further substrates, in the event that the measurement results correspond to the simulation results obtained from the simulation of the substrate,
wherein the ellipsometry is:
VUV/UV/VIS/NIR variable angle spectral ellipsometry (VASE) in reflection or transmission mode, wherein a measuring range extends from vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) through to near infrared (NIR), from 146 nm to 1700 nm,
IR variable angle spectral ellipsometry (VASE) in reflection or transmission mode, wherein a spectral measuring range extends from 1.7 μm to 30 μm, or
a combination thereof.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein an angle of incidence and/or a wavelength and/or a polarization state is/are varied and measured when measuring the substrate.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein mathematical algorithms are used for the creating of the simulation of the substrate.

4 . A device for measuring a substrate having a plurality of layers, said device comprising:
at least one optical device selected from the group consisting of an ellipsometer, a reflectometer, a scatterometer, and a spectrometer, the at least one optical device being configured to measure and determine the layers of the substrate simultaneously using ellipsometry to obtain measurement results, the measurement results including a loss angle and a phase shift of the plurality of layers; and a computer-assisted data processing system configured to save the obtained measurement results, create a simulation of the substrate using the saved measurement results to obtain simulation results, compare the saved measurement results with the obtained simulation results, optimize the created simulation of the substrate and create a renewed simulation of the substrate using the saved measurement results, and analyze and optimize further substrates by reconstructing layer and/or structure parameters of the substrate using the renewed simulation, on the basis of measurement results from measuring the further substrates using the at least one optical device, wherein the ellipsometry is:
VUV/UV/VIS/NIR variable angle spectral ellipsometry (VASE) in reflection or transmission mode, wherein a measuring range extends from vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) through to near infrared (NIR), from 146 nm to 1700 nm,
IR variable angle spectral ellipsometry (VASE) in reflection or transmission mode, wherein a spectral measuring range extends from 1.7 μm to 30 μm, or a combination thereof.

5 . The device according to claim 4 , wherein the at least one optical device has at least one radiation source, at least one monochromator, at least one polarizer, at least one compensator, at least one substrate holder, at least one analyser, and at least one detector, and
wherein the at least one polarizer enables the setting of selected elliptical polarization states.

6 . The device according to claim 4 , wherein the at least one optical device is one of a plurality of optical devices selected from the group consisting of an ellipsometer, a reflectometer, a scatterometer, and a spectrometer, the plurality of optical devices being configured to measure the substrate, all of said optical devices being arranged in the device.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the substrate having the plurality of layers includes at least one structure.

8 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one structure is a surface structure.

9 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein the surface structure is on an uppermost layer of the plurality of layers.

10 . The method according to claim 3 , wherein the mathematical algorithms include RCWA (rigorous coupled-wave analysis).

11 . The device according to claim 4 , wherein the substrate having the plurality of layers includes at least one structure.

12 . The device according to claim 5 , wherein the at least one radiation source includes a laser or wide-band radiation source.

13 . The device according to claim 5 , wherein the at least one polarizer enables the setting of selected linear or circular elliptical polarization states.

Assignees

• Ev Group E Thallner Gmbh

Inventors

• Gasiorowski Jacek
• Wimplinger Markus

Classifications

• G01N2201/06113

  Coherent sources; lasers · CPC title

• G01N21/9501

  Semiconductor wafers (manufacturing processes per se of semiconductor devices implementing a measuring step H10P74/20) · CPC title

• G01N21/25

  Colour; Spectral properties, i.e. comparison of effect of material on the light at two or more different wavelengths or wavelength bands · CPC title

• G06F30/20

  Design optimisation, verification or simulation (optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30) · CPC title

• G03F7/706843

  Metrology apparatus · CPC title