The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 26, 2011
Filed:
Dec. 18, 2009
Walter D. Mieher, Los Gatos, CA (US);
Ady Levy, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Boris Golovanevsky, Haifa, IL;
Michael Friedmann, Mountain View, CA (US);
Ian Smith, Los Gatos, CA (US);
Michael Adel, Zichron Ya'akov, IL;
Anatoly Fabrikant, Fremont, CA (US);
Christopher F. Bevis, Los Gatos, CA (US);
John Fielden, Los Altos, CA (US);
Noah Bareket, Saratoga, CA (US);
Kenneth P. Gross, San Carlos, CA (US);
Piotr Zalicki, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Dan Wack, Los Altos, CA (US);
Paola Dececco, Redwood City, CA (US);
Thaddeus G. Dziura, San Jose, CA (US);
Mark Ghinovker, Migdal Ha'Emek, IL;
Walter D. Mieher, Los Gatos, CA (US);
Ady Levy, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Boris Golovanevsky, Haifa, IL;
Michael Friedmann, Mountain View, CA (US);
Ian Smith, Los Gatos, CA (US);
Michael Adel, Zichron Ya'akov, IL;
Anatoly Fabrikant, Fremont, CA (US);
Christopher F. Bevis, Los Gatos, CA (US);
John Fielden, Los Altos, CA (US);
Noah Bareket, Saratoga, CA (US);
Kenneth P. Gross, San Carlos, CA (US);
Piotr Zalicki, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Dan Wack, Los Altos, CA (US);
Paola Dececco, Redwood City, CA (US);
Thaddeus G. Dziura, San Jose, CA (US);
Mark Ghinovker, Migdal Ha'Emek, IL;
KLA-Tencor Technologies Corporation, Milpitas, CA (US);
Abstract
Disclosed are techniques, apparatus, and targets for determining overlay error between two layers of a sample. A plurality of targets is provided. Each target includes a portion of the first and second structures and each is designed to have an offset between its first and second structure portions. The targets are illuminated with electromagnetic radiation to thereby obtain spectra from each target at a −1diffraction order and a +1diffraction order. It is determined whether there are any overlay error between the first structures and the second structures using a scatterometry technique based on the detected spectra by (i) for each target, determining a first differential intensity between the −1diffraction order and a +1diffraction order, (ii) for a plurality of pairs of targets each having a first target and a second target, determining a second differential intensity between the first differential intensity of the first target and the first differential intensity of the second target, and (iii) determining any overlay error between the first structures and the second structures using a scatterometry technique based on the second differential intensities determined from each target pair.