Industrial Technology Research Institute

Nanometrics Inc.

Yi-Sha Ku

Deh-Ming Shyu

Nigel Peter Smith

Chih-Hsiang Liu

Sen-Yih Chou

Chia-Hung Cho

Wei-Te Hsu

Chun-Wei Lo

Hsiang-Chun Wei

Shu-Ping Dong

Yi-Chang Chen

Kai-Ping Chuang

Chung-Lun Kuo

Chia-Liang Yeh

Chia-Lin Wu

Fu-Cheng Yang

Po-Yi Chang

Chieh-Yi Lo

Shih Chun Wang

Cheng-Kang Lee

Chang-Hai Sung

Hsiu Lan Pang

Chun-hung Ko

Hsiu-Lan Pang

Hsin Lan Pang

Chieh-Yu Wu

Hsui Lan Pang

A measuring device includes a light source unit, a light modulation unit, a spectrum sensing unit, an image sensing unit, and a processing unit. The light source unit projects a first light path to a sample and receives a second light path reflected from the sample. The light module unit tilts the second light path to become a third light path or a fourth light path. The spectrum sensing unit receives the third light path to capture a spectrum corresponding to the microstructures. The image sensing unit receives the fourth light path to measure a captured image that corresponds to the sample. When the processing unit identifies the position of at least one of the microstructures in the captured image, the processing unit measures the depth of at least one of the microstructures from the spectrum for the identified area.

Sample depth-measuring device and method

A heterogeneous integration detecting method and a heterogeneous integration detecting apparatus are provided. The heterogeneous integration detecting method includes the following. Under the condition of maintaining the same relative distance between an interference objective lens and a sample, the relative posture of the interference objective lens and the sample is continuously adjusted according to the change of an image of the sample in the field of view of the interference objective lens until a first optical axis of the interference objective lens is determined to be substantially perpendicular to the surface of the sample according to the image. The interference objective lens is replaced with an imaging objective lens and the geometric profile of at least one via of the sample is detected. A second optical axis of the imaging objective lens after replacement overlaps with the first optical axis of the interference objective lens before replacement.

Heterogeneous integration detecting method and heterogeneous integration detecting apparatus

A three-dimension measurement device includes a moving device, a projecting device, a surface-type image-capturing device and a processing device. The moving device carries an object, and moves the object to a plurality of positions. The projecting device generates a first light to the object. The surface-type image-capturing device senses a second light generated by the object in response to the first light to generate a phase image on each of the positions. The processing device is coupled to the surface-type image-capturing device and receives the phase images. The processing device performs a region-of-interest (ROI) operation for the phase images to generate a plurality of ROI images. The processing device performs a multi-step phase-shifting operation for the ROI images to calculate the surface height distribution of the object.

Three-dimension measurement device and operation method thereof

A scattering measurement system is provided, including: a light source generator for generating a detection light beam with discontinuous multi-wavelengths, and generating a multi-order diffraction light beam with three-dimensional feature information when the detection light beam is incident on an object; a detector having a photosensitive array for receiving and converting the multi-order diffraction light beam into multi-order diffraction signals with the three-dimensional feature information; and a processing module for receiving the multi-order diffraction signals and comparing the multi-order diffraction signals with multi-order diffraction feature patterns in a database so as to analyze the three-dimensional feature information of the object.

Scattering measurement system and method

A measurement system is configured to measure a surface structure of a sample. The surface of the sample has a thin film and a via, the depth of the via is larger than the thickness of the thin film. The measurement system includes a light source, a first light splitter, a first aperture stop, a lens assembly, a second aperture stop, a spectrum analyzer and an analysis module. The first light splitter disposed in the light emitting direction of the light source. The first aperture stop disposed between the light source and the first light splitter. The lens assembly is disposed between the first light splitter and the sample. The second aperture stop is disposed between the lens assembly and the first light splitter. The spectrum analyzer is disposed to at a side of the first light splitter opposite to the sample.

Measurement system

According to one embodiment of a method for measuring a stacking overlay error, the method may use a differential interference contrast microscope system to measure a stacking overlay mark and focus on one overlay mark of a lower layer overlay mark and an upper layer overlay mark when measuring the stacking overlay mark. Then, the method uses an image analysis scheme to obtain an image of the stacking overlay mark from a photo-detector and obtains a first reference position of the lower layer overlay mark in a direction and a second reference position of the upper layer overlay mark in the direction from the image; and computes the stacking overlay error in the direction according to the first and the second reference positions.

Method and system for measuring a stacking overlay error by focusing on one of upper and lower layer overlay marks using a differential interference contrast microscope

A measurement system is provided to measure a hole of a target, including a light source generation unit, a capturing unit and a processing unit. The light source generation unit generates a light source and focuses the light source on a plurality of different height planes. The capturing unit captures a plurality of images scattered from the plurality of different height planes. The processing unit obtains boundaries of the hole on the plurality of different height planes according to the plurality of images, samples image intensities of different azimuth angles on the boundaries of the hole on each of the plurality of different height planes to generate a plurality of sampling values, and develops a sidewall image of the hole according to the plurality of sampling values, the plurality of different height planes and the different azimuth angles.

Measurement systems and measurement methods

A method for measuring a via bottom profile is disclosed for obtaining a profile of a bottom of a via in a front side of a substrate. In this method, an infrared (IR) light source is transmitted from the back of the substrate to the bottom of the via through an objective by using an IR-microscope, and lights scattered from the bottom of the via are acquired by an image capturing device to generate an image, where the image displays a diameter (2E) of the via bottom profile and a diameter (2E) of a maximum receivable base area of the via for the IR-microscope. Thereafter, by using an elliptic equation, a minor axis radius thereof (E) is obtained, and thus the via bottom profile is obtained from a radius (E) of the via bottom profile and the minor axis radius (E) of the elliptic equation.

Method for measuring via bottom profile

The present invention provides a scatterfield microscopical measuring method and apparatus, which combine scatterfield detecting technology into microscopical device so that the microscopical device is capable of measuring the sample whose dimension is under the limit of optical diffraction. The scatterfield microscopical measuring apparatus is capable of being controlled to focus uniform and collimated light beam on back focal plane of an objective lens disposed above the sample. By changing the position of the focus position on the back focal plane, it is capable of being adjusted to change the incident angle with respect to the sample.

Scatterfield microscopical measuring method and apparatus

A method and an apparatus are disclosed for scatterfield microscopical measurement. The method integrates a scatterometer and a bright-field microscope for enabling the measurement precision to be better than the optical diffraction limit. With the aforesaid method and apparatus, a detection beam is generated by performing a process on a uniform light using an LCoS (liquid crystal on silicon) or a DMD (digital micro-mirror device) which is to directed to image on the back focal plane of an object to be measured, and then scattered beams resulting from the detection beam on the object's surface are focused on a plane to form an optical signal which is to be detected by an array-type detection device. The detection beam can be oriented by the modulation device to illuminate on the object at a number of different angles, by which zero order or higher order diffraction intensities at different positions of the plane at different incident angles can be collected.

Method and apparatus for scatterfield microscopical measurement

A reflective scatterometer capable of measuring a sample is provided. The reflective scatterometer includes a paraboloid mirror, a light source, a first reflector, a second reflector and a detector. The paraboloid mirror has an optical axis and a parabolic surface, wherein the sample is disposed on the focal point of the parabolic surface and the normal direction of the sample is parallel with the optical axis. A collimated beam generated from the light source is reflected by the first reflector to the parabolic surface and then is reflected by the parabolic surface to the sample to form a first diffracted beam. The first diffracted beam is reflected by the parabolic surface to the second reflector and is then reflected by the second reflector to the detector.

Reflective scatterometer

In an overlay metrology method used during semiconductor device fabrication, an overlay alignment mark facilitates alignment and/or measurement of alignment error of two layers on a semiconductor wafer structure, or different exposures on the same layer. A target is small enough to be positioned within the active area of a semiconductor device combined with appropriate measurement methods, which result in improved measurement accuracy.

Overlay measurement target

A structure for overlay measurement is provided in the present invention, using the diffraction characteristics on the boundary portion between two microstructures formed on each of two material layers. The optical intensity distribution on the boundary portion between microstructures formed on the two overlaid material layers respectively are measured by an optical microscope to obtain the overlay error between the two overlaid material layers. In addition, the present invention also provides a method for overlay measurement using the structure for overlay measurement, wherein a merit relation based on the optical intensity distribution on the boundary portion between different microstructures is determined. The merit relation can be used to analyze the overlay error to improve the efficiency and accuracy of on-line error measurement.

Structure and method for overlay measurement

A system and method for efficiently and accurately determining grating profiles uses characteristic signature matching in a discrepancy enhanced library generation process. Using light scattering theory, a series of scattering signatures vs. scattering angles or wavelengths are generated based on the designed grating parameters, for example. CD, thickness and Line:Space ratio. This method selects characteristic portions of the signatures wherever their discrepancy exceeds the preset criteria and reforms a characteristic signature library for quick and accurate matching. A rigorous coupled wave theory can be used to generate a diffraction library including a plurality of simulated diffraction spectrums based on a predetermined structural parameter of the grating. The characteristic region of the plurality of simulated diffraction spectrums is determined based on if the root mean square error of the plurality of simulated diffraction spectrums is larger than a noise level of a measuring machine. The diffraction intensity of the measured diffraction spectrum is compared with that of the plurality of simulated diffraction spectrums in the characteristic region to select a match spectrum from these simulated diffraction spectrums, and the structural parameter of the grating is decided based on the match spectrum.

Scatterometry method with characteristic signatures matching

In systems and methods measure overlay error in semiconductor device manufacturing based on target image asymmetry. As a result, the advantages of using very small in-chip targets can be achieved, while their disadvantages are reduced or eliminated. Methods for determining overlay error based on measured asymmetry can be used with existing measurement tools and systems. These methods allow for improved manufacturing of semiconductor devices and similar devices formed from layers.

Growing community of inventors

Hsinchu, Taiwan

Yi-Sha Ku