Hamamatsu-photonics K.k.

Hamamatsu Photonics Kabushiki Kaisha

Hamanatsu Photonics K.k.

Motoyuki Watanabe

Musubu Koishi

Kazuya Iguchi

Teruo Takahashi

Kenichi Ohtsuka

Tetsuhisa Nakano

Yutaka Tsuchiya

Kengo Suzuki

Takayuki Inoue

Tadashi Maruno

Fumio Iwase

Hirohiko Watanabe

Hidenori Takahashi

Etsuo Tsujimura

A film thickness measurement apparatus includes a measurement light source which supplies measurement light containing wavelength components over a predetermined band to a semiconductor film, a spectroscopic optical system and a photodetector which detect intensities of output light formed by superimposing reflected light components from an upper surface and a lower surface of the semiconductor film at each time point by wavelength, and a film thickness analysis section which obtains a temporal change in film thickness of the semiconductor film. The film thickness analysis section obtains a value corresponding to a peak wavelength where the intensity of interfering light generated by the reflected light from the upper surface and the reflected light from the lower surface interfering with each other is maximized or minimized or an interval of the adjacent peak wavelengths based on spectral waveforms of the output light detected at mutually different time points.

Film thickness measurement device and film thickness measurement method

A film thickness measurement apparatus includes a measurement light source that supplies measurement light containing a measurement light component with a first wavelength and a measurement light component with a second wavelength to a measuring object, a spectroscopic optical system that decomposes interfering light of reflected light from the upper surface and reflected light from the lower surface of the measuring object into an interfering light component with the first wavelength and an interfering light component with the second wavelength, photodetectors that detect intensities of the first and second interfering light components at each time point, and a film thickness analysis section that obtains a temporal change in film thickness of the measuring object based on a phase difference between a first phase in a temporal change in detected intensity of the first interfering light component and a second phase in a temporal change in detected intensity of the second interfering light component.

Film thickness measurement device and measurement method

A spectroscopic measurement apparatusA comprises an integrating spherein which a sample S is located, a spectroscopic analyzerdispersing the light to be measured from the sample S and obtaining a wavelength spectrum, and a data analyzer. The analyzerincludes an object range setting section which sets a first object range corresponding to excitation light and a second object range corresponding to light emission from the sample S in a wavelength spectrum, and a sample information analyzing section which determines a luminescence quantum yield of the sample S, determines a measurement value &#x3a6;of the luminescence quantum yield from results of a reference measurement and a sample measurement, and determines, by using factors &#x3b2;, &#x3b3; regarding stray light in the reference measurement, an analysis value &#x3a6; of the luminescence quantum yield with the effect of stray light reduced by &#x3a6;=&#x3b2;&#x3a6;+&#x3b3;. This realizes a spectroscopic measurement apparatus, a measurement method, and a measurement program which can reduce the effect of stray light generated in a spectrometer.

Spectrometer, spectrometry, and spectrometry program

A fluorescence correlation spectroscopy analyzeris equipped with an excitation light illuminating optical system, a fluorescence imaging optical system, a CCD camera, and a data analyzer. The excitation light illuminating optical systemilluminates excitation light onto a predetermined region of a measured sample S. The fluorescence imaging optical systemimages the fluorescence generated at the measured sample S onto the photodetection surface of the CCD camera. The CCD cameraperforms photoelectric conversion of the fluorescence made incident onto the photodetection surface in accordance with the respective pixels and outputs the charges generated by the photoelectric conversion as detection signals from an output terminal. The data analyzerinputs the detection signals based on the charges generated at the pixels, and computes autocorrelation functions of the input detection signals according to each pixel.

Fluorescent correalated spectrometric analysis device

In a fluorescence measuring method and apparatus, a sample S is irradiated with pulsed pumping light supplied from a pumping light source. Fluorescence generated by the sample S is detected by a photodetector by way of a condensing optical system and a spectroscope. The fluorescence time waveform is subjected to a data analysis in a data processing unit in a controller. This computes waveform data and physical quantities such as fluorescence lifetime. The pumping light time waveform is fixedly arranged with respect to a time axis used for data analysis. Fitting calculations are carried out while moving the fluorescence time waveform and fitting range from an initial position earlier than a pumping light peak to a later end position, and optimal measurement waveform data is selected according to a predetermined selection criterion. Waveform data is thus computed accurately and efficiently regardless of fluctuations in the fluorescence time waveform.

Method for measuring fluorescence, apparatus for measuring fluorescence and apparatus for evaluating sample using it

At each measurement time, measurement light is supplied from a measurement light source, and interference light obtained when reflected light from a semiconductor wafer W and reference light from a reference light generating sectionare coupled is detected by a photodetector. A thickness calculating sectionobtains a light intensity distribution representing the correlation between the light intensity of the interference light and the reference optical path length, selects a wafer upper surface peak and wafer lower surface peak from a plurality of light intensity peaks in the light intensity distribution using a predetermined selection criterion, and calculates the thickness of the semiconductor wafer W from the optical path length difference between the light intensity peaks. With this arrangement, a thickness measuring apparatus and thickness measuring method capable of measuring the thickness of a semiconductor wafer during execution of wet etching independently of the presence of an etchant, and a wet etching apparatus and wet etching method using the thickness measuring apparatus and method are implemented.

Thickness measuring apparatus, thickness measuring method, and wet etching apparatus and wet etching method utilizing them

At each measurement time, reflected light from a semiconductor wafer W or the like by measurement light from a measurement light source is coupled to reference light from a reference light generating section and interference light is detected by a photodetector A raw thickness value calculating section selects two light intensity peaks corresponding to the upper and lower surfaces of the wafer W from a light intensity distribution between an interference light intensity and a reference optical path length and calculates a raw thickness value. A statistical thickness value calculating section executes statistical processing including data sorting, determination whether the raw thickness value falls within an allowable numerical value range, and determination of a thickness change line, thereby obtaining a statistical thickness value. With this arrangement, a thickness measuring apparatus and thickness measuring method capable of measuring the thickness of a semiconductor wafer during execution of wet etching independently of the presence of an etchant, and a wet etching apparatus and wet etching method using the thickness measuring apparatus and method are implemented.

A feeble light measuring device comprising a photon counting tube, an image detector and a signal processor. The photon counting tube includes a photocathode for generating an electron upon an incidence of light to be measured, an MCP for multiplying the photoelectron from the photocathode and a phosphor screen for converting the photoelectrons multiplied by the MCP into a light image such as luminous spots. The MCP is not saturated by an incidence of single photoelectron. Thus the spread of the luminous spot corresponding to the single photoelectron is very small. The image detector converts the light image from the photon counting tube to electric outputs the signal processor removes noise components of the electric outputs from the image detector to extract signal components of the electric outputs.

Feeble light measuring device

A framing camera comprises a photocathode, a first deflection means for scanning electron beams emitted from the photocathode, a slit plate having a single slit for converting the electron beams with a spatial picture image information into electron beams with a picture image of temporal sequence and a second deflection means for scanning the electron beams passed from the slit plate to have them impinge upon a phosphor screeen to thereby produce a plurality of framed patterns, in which deflection voltages supplied to the first and second deflection means are adjustable independently of each other.

Framing camera

Optical waveform observing apparatus including a sampling streak tube to which is applied an incident light beam having a waveform to be observed. An electron beam corresponding to the incident light beam is repetitively deflected in the streak tube, in response to a repetitive deflecting trigger signal, to sample the electron beam. The repetitive deflection of the electron beam is periodically stopped for a first time period. An integration circuit integrates data outputted by the streak tube. A subtraction circuit subtracts the integration of streak tube data outputted during the first time period from the integration of streak tube data outputted during a second time period when the repetitive beam deflection is not stopped, so that background noise and dark currents are not included in the subtraction result.

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Hamamatsu, Japan

Motoyuki Watanabe