Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Boston University

Wookrae Kim

Myungjun Lee

Jaehwang Jung

Jinseob Kim

Gwangsik Park

Jinyong Kim

Sungho Jang

Yasuhiro Hidaka

Mitsunori Numata

Changhoon Choi

Daehoon Han

Myoungki Ahn

Changhyeong Yoon

Seungwoo Lee

Garam Choi

Junho Shin

Juntaek Oh

Inho Shin

Kwangsoo Kim

Seungbeom Park

Hao Wang

Hojun Lee

Lei Tian

Hyejin Shin

Jangwoon Sung

Yongju Jeon

Seoyeon Jeong

Younguk Jin

Jiabei Zhu

A semiconductor measurement apparatus includes an illumination unit including a light source and at least one illumination polarization element, a light receiving unit including at least one light-receiving polarization element disposed on a path of light reflected by a sample, and an image sensor positioned to receive light passing through the at least one light-receiving polarization element and configured to output an original image, and a control unit configured to determine, by processing the original image, a selected critical dimension among critical dimensions of a structure included in a region of the sample. The control unit is configured to obtain a plurality of sample images by selecting regions of the original image in which a peak due to interference appears, to determine a plurality of elements included in a Mueller matrix using the plurality of sample images, and to determine the selected critical dimension based on the plurality of elements.

Semiconductor measurement apparatus

A semiconductor measurement apparatus may include an illumination unit configured to irradiate light to the sample, an image sensor configured to receive light reflected from the sample and output multiple interference images representing interference patterns of polarization components of light, an optical unit in a path through which the image sensor receives light and including an objective lens above the sample, and a control unit configured to obtain, by processing the multi-interference image, measurement parameters determined from the polarization components at each of a plurality of azimuth angles defined on a plane perpendicular to a path of light incident to the image sensor. The control unit may be configured to determine a selected critical dimension to be measured from a structure in the sample based on measurement parameters. The illumination unit and/or the optical unit may include a polarizer and a compensator having a ¼ wave plate.

A substrate inspection apparatus includes a light irradiator including an objective lens and a plurality of optical fibers. The objective lens is configured to irradiate light to an illumination area on a semiconductor substrate having a plurality of circuit pattern layers, the plurality of optical fibers are adjacent a periphery of the objective lens and are configured to irradiate the light to a peripheral area adjacent the illumination area. A light generator is configured to generate the light. The light generator is configured to change an irradiation angle of the light to selectively irradiate the light to one or more of the objective lens and the plurality of optical fibers. A light analyzer is configured to obtain images of the circuit pattern layers from the light reflected from the illumination area and the peripheral area. The light analyzer is configured to model each of the circuit pattern layers of the semiconductor substrate to obtain image models and to measure an overlay between the circuit pattern layers through the images and the image models.

Substrate inspection apparatus and substrate inspection method

A semiconductor measurement device may include an illumination apparatus having a polarizer on a propagation path of light output from a light source; an optical assembly including an objective lens configured to allow light passing through the polarizer to be incident on a sample and a beam splitter configured to transmit light reflected from the sample to first and second sensors; and a controller. The controller may be configured to determine an alignment state of patterns in a first region of the sample using a first original image output by the first sensor and an alignment state of patterns in a second region of the sample using a second original image output by the second sensor. The first sensor includes a first image sensor and a self-interference generator in a path along which light is incident on the first image sensor. The second sensor includes a second image sensor.

Provided is a pupil ellipsometry measurement apparatus configured to measure an object, the pupil ellipsometry measurement apparatus including a stage configured to support the object to be measured, a light source unit configured to generate and output light, an irradiation optical system configured to focus the light from the light source unit on the object, a first detector configured to detect an image of reflected light from the object on an imaging plane, a self-interference generator (SIG) configured to generate self-interference with respect to the reflected light, a second detector configured to detect a hologram image of interference light of the SIG on a pupil plane, and a processor configured to reconstruct reflectance information based on the hologram image, and measure the object.

Pupil ellipsometry measurement apparatus and method and method of fabricating semiconductor device using the pupil ellipsometry measurement method

A semiconductor measurement apparatus includes an illumination unit configured to provide illumination light including linearly polarized light beams having different wavelengths, an optical unit including an objective lens configured to allow the illumination light to be incident on a sample, the optical unit being configured to transmit reflection light generated when the illumination light is reflected from the sample, a self-interference generator configured to self-interfere the reflection light transmitted from the optical unit and transmit the reflection light to a first image sensor, for each wavelength, and a controller. The controller is configured to process a measurement image output by the image sensor to divide the measurement image into a first image representing an intensity ratio of a polarization component of the reflection light and a second image representing a phase difference of the polarization component of the reflection light, for each wavelength.

A low-cost digital holography microscope (DHM) that is capable of performing inspection at high speed while accurately inspecting an inspection object at high resolution, an inspection method using the DHM, and a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device by using the DHM are provided. The DHM includes: a light source configured to generate and output light; a beam splitter configured to cause the light to be incident on an inspection object and output reflected light from the inspection object; and a detector configured to detect the reflected light, wherein, when the reflected light includes interference light, the detector generates a hologram of the interference light, and wherein no lens is present in a path from the light source to the detector.

Digital holography microscope (DHM), and inspection method and semiconductor manufacturing method using the DHM

Provided are a diffraction-based metrology apparatus having high measurement sensitivity, a diffraction-based metrology method capable of accurately performing measurement on a semiconductor device, and a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device using the metrology method. The diffraction-based metrology apparatus includes a light source that outputs a light beam, a stage on which an object is placed, a reflective optical element that irradiates the light beam onto the object through reflection, such that the light beam is incident on the object at an inclination angle, the inclination angle being an acute angle, a detector that detects a diffracted light beam that is based on the light beam reflected and diffracted by the object and a processor that measures a 3D pupil matrix for the diffracted light beam and analyze the object based on the 3D pupil matrix.

Metrology apparatus and method based on diffraction using oblique illumination and method of manufacturing semiconductor device using the metrology method

Provided is an imaging ellipsometry (IE)-based inspection method including selecting a mode from among a first mode of an IE-based inspection device having a first field of view (FOV) and a second mode of an IE-based inspection device having a second FOV, measuring an inspection target by the IE-based inspection device based on the selected mode, and determining whether the inspection target is normal based on a result of the measuring, wherein the measuring of the inspection target comprises simultaneously measuring patterns included in a plurality of cells provided in a region of the inspection target, the region corresponding to an FOV of the selected mode.

Imaging ellipsometry (IE)-based inspection method and method of fabricating semiconductor device by using IE-based inspection method

An imaging apparatus includes a light source configured to generate and output light, a stage having a measurement target thereon, a line-scan spectral imaging (SI) optical system configured to measure the measurement target using a first scale and to slopingly irradiate the light from the light source onto the measurement target in a line beam shape, divide light reflected by the measurement target, and perform imaging of the divided light, and an angle-resolved SI optical system configured to measure the measurement target at a second scale that is smaller than the first scale and configured to divide the light from the light source into monochromatic light, slopingly irradiate the monochromatic light onto the measurement target by using a reflective objective lens, and perform imaging of light reflected by the measurement target.

Multi-scale spectral imaging apparatuses and methods, and methods of manufacturing semiconductor devices by using the imaging methods

A measurement system is disclosed. A measurement system includes an illumination module, a mirror module, a stage, and a detector. The illumination module includes a light source, an optical fiber, a collimating mirror, a polarization state generator, a beam control mirror, and a relay mirror. The mirror module includes a first beam splitter and a reflective objective mirror. The beam control mirror is movable to relay light received from the polarization state generator to various positions on the relay mirror.

Measurement system capable of adjusting AOI, AOI spread and azimuth of incident light

Provided is a wafer inspection apparatus including a monochromator that extracts monochromatic light, a collimator that outputs the monochromatic light as parallel light, a first polarization assembly that polarizes the parallel light and radiates the polarized light to a wafer, an imaging optical system that condenses light reflected from the wafer, a spectroscope that splits the condensed light into a plurality of spectrums, a first lens that condenses the plurality of spectrums, a second polarization assembly that outputs the plurality of spectrums as a plurality of polarized lights having different diffraction orders and a difference of 90&#xb0;, a second lens that condenses the plurality of polarized lights, a third polarization assembly that outputs common polarized light based on the plurality of polarized interfering with each other, a camera that generates a phase difference image based on the common polarized light, and a signal processor that analyzes the phase difference image.

Wafer inspection apparatus

An inspection apparatus includes a first optical module including a first light source configured to emit first light to a semiconductor structure, a second light source configured to emit second light different from the first light to a portion adjacent to a portion to which the first light is emitted in the semiconductor structure, a detector configured to detect the second light reflected toward the second light source, and a lock-in amplifier connected to the first optical module and the detector.

Growing community of inventors

Suwon-si, South Korea

Wookrae Kim