System and Method for Defect Detection and Photoluminescence Measurement of a Sample

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016377548-A1
Application number	US-201615167721-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 27, 2016
Priority date	Jun 26, 2013
Publication date	Dec 29, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Defect detection and photoluminescence measurement of a sample directing a beam of oblique-illumination wavelength light onto a portion of the sample, directing a beam of normal-illumination wavelength light for causing one or more photoluminescing defects of the sample to emit photoluminescent light onto a portion of the sample, collecting defect scattered radiation or photoluminescence radiation from the sample, separating the radiation from the sample into a first portion of radiation in the visible spectrum, a second portion of radiation including the normal-illumination wavelength light, and at least a third portion of radiation including the oblique-illumination wavelength light, measuring one or more characteristics of the first portion, the second portion or the third portion of radiation; detecting one or more photoluminescence defects or one or more scattering defects based on the measured one or more characteristics of the first portion, the second portion or the third portion of radiation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system for defect detection and photoluminescence measurement of a sample comprising:
a first radiation source configured to direct a first beam of light onto a portion of the sample; a second radiation source configured to direct a second beam of light onto a portion of the sample, wherein the second beam of light is suitable for causing one or more photoluminescing defects of the sample to emit photoluminescent light; a set of collection optics configured to collect radiation from the sample, the radiation from the sample including at least photoluminescence radiation emitted by the one or more photoluminescing defects of the sample; a filter sub-system configured to receive at least a portion of the radiation collected by the set of collection optics, wherein the filter sub-system is configured to separate the radiation from the sample into two or more portions of radiation, wherein at least a first portion of radiation includes one or more wavelengths in the visible or near-infrared spectrum associated with the light emitted by the one or more photoluminescing defects of the sample; a detection sub-system including at least a first sensor for measuring one or more characteristics of the first portion of radiation transmitted by the filter sub-system; and a controller communicatively coupled to at least the first sensor, the controller configured to detect one or more photoluminescence defects based on at least the one or more characteristics measured by the first sensor.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to detect one or more photoluminescence defects based on at least the one or more characteristics measured by the first sensor by comparing a signal from the first sensor in an area of the sample absent of photoluminescing defects to a signal from the first sensor acquired from a measured region of the sample.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to map the detected one or more photoluminescence defects based on at least the one or more characteristics measured by the first sensor and a position of the detected one or more photoluminescence defects.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to classify the detected one or more photoluminescence defects based on at least the one or more characteristics measured by the first sensor.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more photoluminescing defects of the sample comprise:
at least one of one or more stacking fault defects and one or more basal plane dislocations.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the sample is a semiconductor device.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the semiconductor device is a wide-bandgap semiconductor device.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first radiation source and the second source is a laser.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein at least one of the first radiation source and the second source is an ultraviolet laser.

10 . The system of claim 8 , wherein at least one of the first radiation source and the second source is a continuous wave (CW) laser.

11 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a sample stage assembly configured to secure the sample and selectively actuate the sample in order to perform a scanning process with at least the first radiation source and the second radiation source comprises:

12 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first sensor includes a photomultiplier tube (PMT).

13 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first sensor is configured to measure at least one of visible photoluminescence light and near-infrared light emitted from one or more photoluminescent defects of the sample.

14 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second sensor configured to measure scattered radiation from one or more defects of the sample at a wavelength corresponding with the light emitted by the second radiation source.

15 . The system of claim 14 , further comprising:
a third sensor configured to measure scattered radiation from one or more defects of the sample at a wavelength corresponding with the light emitted by the first radiation source.

16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein at least one of the second sensor and third sensor is configured to measure ultraviolet photoluminescence light from one or more photoluminescent defects of the sample.

17 . A system for defect detection and photoluminescence measurement of a sample comprising:
a first radiation source configured to direct a first beam of light onto a portion of the sample; a second radiation source configured to direct a second beam of light onto a portion of the sample, wherein the second beam of light is suitable for causing one or more photoluminescing defects of the sample to emit photoluminescent light; a set of collection optics configured to collect radiation from the sample, the radiation from the sample including at least photoluminescence radiation emitted by the one or more photoluminescing defects of the sample; a filter sub-system configured to receive at least a portion of the radiation collected by the set of collection optics, wherein the filter sub-system is configured to separate the radiation from the sample into at least one of a first portion of radiation including one or more wavelengths in the visible or near-infrared spectrum associated with the light emitted by the one or more photoluminescing defects of the sample, a second portion of radiation including light from the first radiation source, a third portion of radiation including light from the second radiation source or at least a fourth portion of radiation including one or more wavelengths in the ultraviolet spectrum associated with the photoluminescent light emitted by the one or more photoluminescing defects of the sample; a detection sub-system including at least one of a first sensor for measuring one or more characteristics of the first portion of radiation transmitted by the filter sub-system, a second sensor for measuring one or more characteristics of the second portion of radiation transmitted by the filter sub-system, a third sensor for measuring one or more characteristics of the third portion of radiation transmitted by the filter sub-system or a fourth sensor for measuring one or more characteristics of the fourth portion of radiation transmitted by the filter sub-system; and a controller communicatively coupled to at least one of the first sensor, the second sensor or the third sensor, the controller configured to detect one or more photoluminescence defects based on the light detected by at least one of the first sensor, the second sensor, the third sensor or the fourth sensor.

18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the one or more photoluminescing defects of the sample comprise:
at least one of one or more stacking fault defects and one or more basal plane dislocations.

19 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the filter sub-system includes:
a first optical element configured to separate a first spectral range of radiation including the first portion of radiation from the radiation received from the sample and direct the first spectral range of radiation toward the first sensor; a second optical element configured to receive radiation from the first optical element not included in the first spectral range of radiation, wherein the second optical element is configured to separate a second spectral range of radiation including the second portion of radiation from the radia

Assignees

• Kla Tencor Corp

Inventors

• Sappey Romain

Classifications

• G01N21/8806

  Specially adapted optical and illumination features · CPC title

• G01N2021/6495

  Miscellaneous methods · CPC title

• G01N2021/8845

  Multiple wavelengths of illumination or detection · CPC title

• G01N21/9501

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

• G01N2201/0662

  Comparing measurements on two or more paths in one sample · CPC title