Kla Tencor Corporation

Kla-tencor Technologies Corporation

Moshe Baruch

Amnon Manassen

Daniel Kandel

Noam Sapiens

Daria Negri

Ohad Bachar

Joel L Seligson

Efraim Rotem

Vladimir Levinski

Michael E Adel

Ady Levy

Mark Ghinovker

Christopher F Bevis

Walter Dean Mieher

Ian R Smith

Michael Friedmann

Guy Cohen

Alexander Svizher

Boris Golovanesky

Andy Hill

Ofer Zaharan

Noam Knoll

The present invention includes an illumination source, at least one illumination symmetrization module (ISM) configured to symmetrize at least a portion of light emanating from the illumination source, a first beam splitter configured to direct a first portion of light processed by the ISM along an object path to a surface of one or more specimens and a second portion of light processed by the ISM along a reference path, and a detector disposed along a primary optical axis, wherein the detector is configured to collect a portion of light reflected from the surface of the one or more specimens.

Optics symmetrization for metrology

The present invention may include measuring a first phase distribution across a pupil plane of a portion of illumination reflected from a first overlay target of a semiconductor wafer, wherein the first overlay target is fabricated to have a first intentional overlay, measuring a second phase distribution across the pupil plane of a portion of illumination reflected from a second overlay target, wherein the second overlay target is fabricated to have a second intentional overlay in a direction opposite to and having the same magnitude as the first intentional overlay, determining a first phase tilt associated with a sum of the first and second phase distributions, determining a second phase tilt associated with a difference between the first and second phase distributions, calibrating a set of phase tilt data, and determining a test overlay value associated with the first and second overlay target.

Overlay metrology by pupil phase analysis

Disclosed is a method for determining an overlay error between at least two layers in a multiple layer sample. A sample having a plurality of periodic targets that each have a first structure in a first layer and a second structure in a second layer is provided. There are predefined offsets between the first and second structures. Using a scatterometry overlay metrology, scatterometry overlay data is obtained from a first set of the periodic targets based on one or more measured optical signals from the first target set on the sample. Using an imaging overlay metrology, imaging overlay data is obtained from a second set of the periodic targets based on one or more image(s) from the second target set on the sample.

Apparatus and methods for detecting overlay errors using scatterometry

Growing community of inventors

Misgav, Israel

Moshe Baruch