Kla Tencor Corporation

Kla Corporation

Derrick A Shaughnessy

Andrei V Shchegrov

David Y Wang

Lawrence D Rotter

Gregory Brady

Andrei Veldman

Kevin A Peterlinz

Houssam Chouaib

Amnon Manassen

Mark Ghinovker

Andrew V Hill

Ilya Bezel

Daniel Kandel

Anatoly Shchemelinin

Leonid Poslavsky

Alexander Kuznetsov

Ohad Bachar

Guorong Vera Zhuang

Alexander Svizher

Michael S Bakeman

Jonathan M Madsen

Ilan Sela

Avi Abramov

Muzammil A Arain

Chao Chang

Moshe Markowitz

Yaron Ish-Shalom

Zhaxylyk Kudyshev

Oleg Tsibulevsky

Maxim Khokhlov

Oleg Shulepov

James Andrew Allen

Anatoly A Vasiliev

Lu Yu

Shankar Krishnan

Michael Friedmann

Thaddeus Gerard Dziura

Xuefeng Liu

Jianou Shi

Johannes D De Veer

Nanchang Zhu

Jianli Cui

Esen Salcin

Yaolei Zheng

Jin An

Mark Senko

Anatoly Vasiliev

James Allen

Anatoly Shcemelinin

A system may include a controller including processors configured to execute program instructions causing the processors to implement a measurement recipe by: generating a transformation model for transforming full loop optical measurement data to short loop optical measurement data, wherein the short loop optical measurement data includes optical measurement data of periodic memory array structures, wherein the full loop optical measurement data includes optical measurement data of complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) under array (CuA) devices, the CuA devices including CMOS structures beneath duplicates of the periodic memory array structures; generating a measurement model for determining measurements of the CuA devices; receiving full loop optical measurement data for CuA devices test samples; converting the full loop optical measurement data to short loop optical measurement data using the transformation model; and determining values of the measurements of the periodic memory array structures on the test samples using the measurement model.

Metrology in the presence of CMOS under array (CuA) structures utilizing machine learning and physical modeling

A system, may include a controller configured to cause the processors to implement a measurement recipe by: receiving optical measurement data for training samples after a first process step for fabricating complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) under array (CuA) devices, wherein the CuA devices include first structures with a non-uniform spatial distribution; classifying the first structures into spatially-continuous regions based on unsupervised clustering; receiving optical measurement data for the training samples after a second process step, wherein the CuA devices after the second process step include periodic second structures above the first structures; developing effective medium models for the first structures; developing measurement models for determining measurements of the CuA devices; receiving optical measurement data for test samples after the second process step; and generating values of the metrology measurements of the second structures based on the optical measurement data for the test samples and the measurement models.

Metrology in the presence of CMOS under array (CUA) structures utilizing an effective medium model with classification of CUA structures

The system includes a modulatable illumination source configured to illuminate a surface of a sample disposed on a sample stage, a detector configured to detect illumination emanating from a surface of the sample, illumination optics configured to direct illumination from the modulatable illumination source to the surface of the sample, collection optics configured to direct illumination from the surface of the sample to the detector, and a modulation control system communicatively coupled to the modulatable illumination source, wherein the modulation control system is configured to modulate a drive current of the modulatable illumination source at a selected modulation frequency suitable for generating illumination having a selected coherence feature length. In addition, the present invention includes the time-sequential interleaving of outputs of multiple light sources to generate periodic pulse trains for use in multi-wavelength time-sequential optical metrology.

Optical metrology tool equipped with modulated illumination sources

Methods and systems for performing co-located measurements of semiconductor structures with two or more measurement subsystems are presented herein. To achieve a sufficiently small measurement box size, the metrology system monitors and corrects the alignment of the measurement spot of each metrology subsystem with a metrology target to achieve maximum co-location of the measurement spots of each metrology subsystem with the metrology target. In another aspect, measurements are performed simultaneously by two or more metrology subsystems at high throughput at the same wafer location. Furthermore, the metrology system effectively decouples simultaneously acquired measurement signals associated with each measurement subsystem. This maximizes signal information associated with simultaneous measurements of the same metrology by two or more metrology subsystems.

Methods and systems for co-located metrology

A system for providing illumination to a measurement head for optical metrology is configured to combine illumination beams from a plurality of illumination sources to deliver illumination at one or more selected wavelengths to the measurement head. The intensity and/or spatial coherence of illumination delivered to the measurement head is controlled. Illumination at one or more selected wavelengths is delivered from a broadband illumination source configured for providing illumination at a continuous range of wavelengths.

Systems for providing illumination in optical metrology

Methods and systems are described herein for producing high radiance illumination light for use in semiconductor metrology based on a confined, sustained plasma. One or more plasma confining circuits introduce an electric field, a magnetic field, or a combination thereof to spatially confine a sustained plasma. The confinement of the sustained plasma decreases the size of the induced plasma resulting in increased radiance. In addition, plasma confinement may be utilized to shape the plasma to improve light collection and imaging onto the specimen. The induced fields may be static or dynamic. In some embodiments, additional energy is coupled into the confined, sustained plasma to further increase radiance. In some embodiments, the pump energy source employed to sustained the plasma is modulated in combination with the plasma confining circuit to reduce plasma emission noise.

Confined illumination for small spot size metrology

The disclosure is directed to systems for providing illumination to a measurement head for optical metrology. In some embodiments of the disclosure, illumination beams from a plurality of illumination sources are combined to deliver illumination at one or more selected wavelengths to the measurement head. In some embodiments of the disclosure, intensity and/or spatial coherence of illumination delivered to the measurement head is controlled. In some embodiments of the disclosure, illumination at one or more selected wavelengths is delivered from a broadband illumination source configured for providing illumination at a continuous range of wavelengths.

The present invention may include a modulatable illumination source configured to illuminate a surface of a sample disposed on a sample stage, a detector configured to detect illumination emanating from a surface of the sample, illumination optics configured to direct illumination from the modulatable illumination source to the surface of the sample, collection optics configured to direct illumination from the surface of the sample to the detector, and a modulation control system communicatively coupled to the modulatable illumination source, wherein the modulation control system is configured to modulate a drive current of the modulatable illumination source at a selected modulation frequency suitable for generating illumination having a selected coherence feature length. In addition, the present invention includes the time-sequential interleaving of outputs of multiple light sources to generate periodic pulses trains for use in multi-wavelength time-sequential optical metrology.

Various metrology systems and methods for high aspect ratio and large lateral dimension structures are provided. One method includes directing light to one or more structures formed on a wafer. The light includes ultraviolet light, visible light, and infrared light. The one or more structures include at least one high aspect ratio structure or at least one large lateral dimension structure. The method also includes generating output responsive to light from the one or more structures due to the light directed to the one or more structures. In addition, the method includes determining one or more characteristics of the one or more structures using the output.

Metrology systems and methods for high aspect ratio and large lateral dimension structures

The disclosure is directed to nondestructive systems and methods for simultaneously measuring active carrier concentration and thickness of one or more doped semiconductor layers. Reflectance signals may be defined as functions of active carrier concentration and thickness varying over different wavelengths and over different incidence angles of analyzing illumination reflected off the surface of an analyzed sample. Systems and methods are provided for collecting a plurality of reflectance signals having either different wavelengths or different incidence angle ranges to extract active carrier density and thickness of one or more doped semiconductor layers.

System and method for nondestructively measuring concentration and thickness of doped semiconductor layers

A device and methods for performing a photothermal measurement and relaxation compensation of a sample are disclosed. The device may include a probe beam source, a pump beam source, a sample, and a detector array. A method may include adjusting an intensity modulated pump beam power, adjusting a probe beam power to increase a response measurement location temperature and increase a modulated optical reflectance signal, directing the intensity modulated pump beam and the probe beam along a measurement path to a response measurement location on a sample for periodically exciting a region on the sample, detecting a reflected portion of the probe beam, and calculating an implantation dose.

System and method for performing photothermal measurements and relaxation compensation

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Derrick A Shaughnessy