Surface measurement apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9823065-B2
Application number	US-201414759798-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 10, 2014
Priority date	Jan 23, 2013
Publication date	Nov 21, 2017
Grant date	Nov 21, 2017

Abstract

The invention discloses a technique that estimates micro roughness from a total sum of detection signals from plural detection systems and signal ratios, using a light scattering method. The technique rotates and translates a wafer at high speed to measure the entire surface of the wafer with high throughput. The relationship between the micro roughness and the intensity of scattered light varies according to a material of the wafer and a film thickness thereof. Moreover, calibration of an apparatus is also necessary. Thus, for instance, the invention provides a technique that has a function of correcting an optically acquired detection result using a sample which is substantially the same as a measurement target and makes the optically acquired detection result come close to a result measured by an apparatus, such as an AFM, using a different measurement principle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A surface measurement apparatus comprising:
an illumination optical system that supplies light to a sample;
a plurality of detection optical systems that detects and measures intensity of scattered light from the sample; and
a processing section executing stored instructions to:
acquire a total sum of detection signals from the plurality of detection optical systems,
divide each detection signal by the total sum to acquire a ratio of the total sum of the detection signals and each detection signal,
refer to a predetermined correction coefficient and multiply the predetermined correction coefficient by the ratio for each detection signal,
acquire a continuous spatial frequency spectrum for the sample using the acquired ratio, the acquired total sum of the detection signals, and a library,
associate defect information of the sample with surface roughness information of the sample as relationship information using different indicators that respectively identify defect type and location of the defect type relative to the surface roughness information and output the relationship information including the different indictors for display, and

wherein the predetermined correction coefficient is expressed as a result obtained by measuring a second sample which is substantially same as the sample by an optical method and a result obtained by a method different from the optical method.

2. The surface measurement apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the different method is a measurement method with a resolution higher than that of the optical method.

3. The surface measurement apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein the processing section acquires a surface roughness of the sample from the spatial frequency spectrum.

4. The surface measurement apparatus according to claim 3 ,
wherein the processing section associates the spatial frequency spectrum with coordinates of the sample, and averages the spatial frequency spectrum for each unit area.

5. The surface measurement apparatus according to claim 4 ,
wherein the unit area is arbitrarily defined.

6. The surface measurement apparatus according to claim 4 ,
wherein the unit area is larger than an area of an illumination area formed on the sample.

7. The surface measurement apparatus according to claim 4 ,
wherein the unit area is determined by a pattern to be formed on the sample.

8. The surface measurement apparatus according to claim 7 ,
wherein the pattern corresponds to a die.

9. The surface measurement apparatus according to claim 4 , further comprising:
a display section that displays the defect information of the sample and the surface roughness information of the sample on substantially the same map is provided.

10. The surface measurement apparatus according to claim 9 ,
wherein the display section displays a spatial frequency spectrum for a specific defect from the displayed defect information.

11. The surface measurement apparatus according to claim 10 ,
wherein the processing section determines an abnormality of a process for processing the sample from comparison of at least two spatial frequency spectrums acquired at different times.

12. The surface measurement apparatus according to claim 11 ,
wherein the processing section determines a measurement condition for measurement, using the different method, from the surface roughness.

13. The surface measurement apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the processing section acquires a surface roughness of the sample from the spatial frequency spectrum.

14. The surface measurement apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the processing section associates the spatial frequency spectrum with coordinates of the sample, and averages the spatial frequency spectrum for each unit area.

15. The surface measurement apparatus according to claim 14 ,
wherein the unit area is arbitrarily defined.

16. The surface measurement apparatus according to claim 14 ,
wherein the unit area is larger than an area of an illumination area formed on the sample.

17. The surface measurement apparatus according to claim 14 ,
wherein the unit area is determined by a pattern to be formed on the sample.

18. The surface measurement apparatus according to claim 17 ,
wherein the pattern corresponds to a die.

19. The surface measurement apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the processing section acquires a surface roughness of the sample from the spatial frequency spectrum,
the surface measurement apparatus further comprising:
a display section that displays the defect information of the sample and the surface roughness information of the sample on substantially the same map is provided.

20. The surface measurement apparatus according to claim 19 ,
wherein the display section displays a spatial frequency spectrum for a specific defect from the displayed defect information.

21. The surface measurement apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the processing section determines an abnormality of a process for processing the sample from comparison of at least two spatial frequency spectrums acquired at different times.

22. The surface measurement apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the processing section acquires a surface roughness of the sample from the spatial frequency spectrum, and determines a measurement condition for measuring the sample, using a method different from an optical method, from the surface roughness.

23. The surface measurement apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the detection optical system includes a Fourier transform optical system.

24. The surface measurement apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the processing section acquires a spatial frequency spectrum for a transparent film surface.

25. The surface measurement apparatus according to claim 24 ,
wherein the processing section acquires the spatial frequency spectrum for the transparent film surface using signals acquired by removing signals from a sample on which a transparent film is not formed from the detection signals from the plurality of detection optical systems.

Assignees

• Hitachi High Tech Corp

Inventors

• Kondo Takanori
• Jingu Takahiro
• Ito Masaaki
• Ikota Masami

Classifications

• H10P74/203

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

• H10P74/23

  characterised by multiple measurements, corrections, marking or sorting processes · CPC title

• G01B2210/56

  Measuring geometric parameters of semiconductor structures, e.g. profile, critical dimensions or trench depth · CPC title

• G01B11/24

  for measuring contours or curvatures · CPC title

• G01Q60/24

  AFM [Atomic Force Microscopy] or apparatus therefor, e.g. AFM probes · CPC title