Kla Tencor Corporation

Kla-tencor Technologies Corporation

Xiafang Zhang

Jianou Shi

Shiyou Pei

Sergio Edelstein

Nanchang Zhu

Eric Bouche

Yiping Feng

Min Xiang

Leonid Poslavsky

Meng-Fu Shih

In-Kyo Kim

Joseph R Laia, Jr

Jainou Shi

ZiangHua Liu

Goujun Zhang

Liang-Guo Wang

Methods of determining asymmetric properties of structures are described. A method includes measuring, for a grating structure, a first signal and a second, different, signal obtained by optical scatterometry. A difference between the first signal and the second signal is then determined. An asymmetric structural parameter of the grating structure is determined based on a calculation using the first signal, the second signal, and the difference.

Method of determining an asymmetric property of a structure

A method and apparatus for determining dielectric layer properties are disclosed. Dielectric layer properties such as dielectric thickness, dielectric leakage or other electrical information may be determined for a multilayer film stack on a semiconducting or conducting substrate. The film stack may comprise a first dielectric layer between the substrate and an intermediate layer of semiconducting or conducting material, and a second dielectric layer disposed such that the intermediate layer is between the first and second dielectric layers. The dielectric layer properties may be determined by a) depositing electrical charge at one or more localized regions on an exposed surface of the second dielectric layer; b) performing a measurement of an electrical quantity at the one or more localized regions; and c) determining a property of the second dielectric layer from the one or more measurements.

Method and apparatus for determining dielectric layer properties

A measurement system for taking a reading in a test zone on a surface of a substrate. A chamber forms an environment, a surface treatment station dispenses a stabilizing chemical in the test zone, a charge deposition station deposits a charge in the test zone, and a QV measurement station takes a QV based measurement in the test zone. Where the surface treatment station, the charge deposition station, and the QV measurement station all interact with the substrate within the chamber. In this manner, reliable QV measurements are taken on the substrate by controlling charge spreading with the stabilizing chemical. QV measurement stability is also improved by reducing the influence of the time trending on substrates with reactive dielectrics, such as on silicon oxynitride and high-k surfaces.

Substrate conditioning for corona charge control

A method for determining an effective capacitance of a dielectric material, by forming first and second asymmetrical electrodes entirely within a field of the dielectric material, where the first electrode, the second electrode, and the field of the dielectric material are co-planar, neither the first electrode nor the second electrode are either electrically connected to ground or to each other, applying a first charge Q on the first electrode, measuring a first voltage change Von the first electrode, measuring a second voltage change Von the second electrode, depositing a second charge Q' on the second electrode, measuring a third voltage change Von the first electrode, measuring a fourth voltage change Von the second electrode, calculating a first ground capacitance Cby C=(VQ&#x2032;&#x2212;VQ)/(VV&#x2212;VV), calculating a second ground capacitance Cg2 by C=(VQ&#x2212;VQ&#x2032;)/(VV&#x2212;VV), and calculating an inter-electrode capacitance Cby C=VC/(V&#x2212;V)=VC/(V&#x2212;V).

Measurement of effective capacitance

A method of measuring electrical characteristics of a gate dielectric. The gate dielectric is local annealed by directing a highly localized energy source at the measurement area, such that the measurement area is brought to an annealing temperature while surrounding structures are not significantly heated. While heating the measurement area, a flow of a gas containing a percentage of hydrogen, deuterium, or water vapor at a flow rate is directed to the measurement area. A charge is inducted on the measurement area and the electrical characteristics of the gate dielectric are measured using non contact electrical probing.

Corona based charge voltage measurement

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

Xiafang Zhang