oo) involves accurate temporal alignment between optical excitation and detection of the resulting SHG signal. Various disclosed systems and methods use high-speed Pockels Cell (PC) for controlling incident light, and precision electronics for synchronization.
G01N 21/63 - Systems in which the material investigated is excited whereby it emits light or causes a change in wavelength of the incident light optically excited
G01N 21/95 - Investigating the presence of flaws, defects or contamination characterised by the material or shape of the object to be examined
G01N 21/88 - Investigating the presence of flaws, defects or contamination
G01R 29/24 - Arrangements for measuring quantities of charge
H01L 21/66 - Testing or measuring during manufacture or treatment
2.
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SEPARATION OF THE SECOND HARMONIC GENERATION COMPONENTS, THROUGH VARIATION IN THE INPUT PROBING LASER POLARIZATION
When a high intensity Second Harmonic Signal (SHG) probing laser is incident on a wafer surface under test, the SHG response is generally the combination of a few components: contributions from interfaces between material types (e.g., the semiconductor/dielectric interface), contributions from material non-centrosymmetric bulk regions, and/or contribution from the electric field near material interfaces. To separate the various components, SHG measurements can be performed as a function of the input probing laser polarization. Described herein are methods of acquiring an SHG versus polarization curve in a manner to expedite the measurement time.
G01N 21/63 - Systems in which the material investigated is excited whereby it emits light or causes a change in wavelength of the incident light optically excited
H01L 21/66 - Testing or measuring during manufacture or treatment
G01R 29/24 - Arrangements for measuring quantities of charge
G01R 31/28 - Testing of electronic circuits, e.g. by signal tracer
G01R 31/308 - Contactless testing using non-ionising electromagnetic radiation, e.g. optical radiation
3.
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR NON-INVASIVE SEMICONDUCTOR TECHNIQUE FOR MEASURING DIELECTRIC/SEMICONDUCTOR INTERFACE TRAP DENSITY USING SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPE CHARGING
itit) can be extracted. A large working distance provides the ability to create charge and measure the Second Harmonic Generation (SHG) at the same semiconductor surface spot without the needing to move the wafer.
G01N 23/2251 - Investigating or analysing materials by the use of wave or particle radiation, e.g. X-rays or neutrons, not covered by groups , or by measuring secondary emission from the material using electron or ion microprobes using incident electron beams, e.g. scanning electron microscopy [SEM]
G01N 21/63 - Systems in which the material investigated is excited whereby it emits light or causes a change in wavelength of the incident light optically excited
G01N 21/88 - Investigating the presence of flaws, defects or contamination
G01N 21/95 - Investigating the presence of flaws, defects or contamination characterised by the material or shape of the object to be examined
G01R 29/24 - Arrangements for measuring quantities of charge
G01R 19/00 - Arrangements for measuring currents or voltages or for indicating presence or sign thereof
H01L 21/66 - Testing or measuring during manufacture or treatment
4.
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR NON-INVASIVE, NON-INTRUSIVE, AND UNGROUNDED, SIMULTANEOUS CORONA DEPOSITION AND SHG MEASUREMENTS
G01N 21/88 - Investigating the presence of flaws, defects or contamination
G01N 21/95 - Investigating the presence of flaws, defects or contamination characterised by the material or shape of the object to be examined
G01N 21/63 - Systems in which the material investigated is excited whereby it emits light or causes a change in wavelength of the incident light optically excited
G01N 21/67 - Systems in which the material investigated is excited whereby it emits light or causes a change in wavelength of the incident light electrically excited, e.g. electroluminescence using electric arcs or discharges
G01R 29/24 - Arrangements for measuring quantities of charge
H01L 21/66 - Testing or measuring during manufacture or treatment
5.
APPARATUS AND METHOD OF INCREASING PRECISION CONTROL OF CHARGE DEPOSITION ONTO A SEMICONDUCTOR WAFER SUBSTRATE
The present invention relates to corona charge deposition systems that use High Voltage (HV) amplifiers for precisely controlling corona charge deposition. Some implementations, provide a corona charge deposition system that uses multiple voltage sources to maintain specified voltages applied on several electrodes to precisely control the corona current required to deposit a desired amount of charge on a sample. The HV amplifiers are able to source and sink currents to maintain stable voltages applied on control electrodes in the presence of a higher voltage applied on a needle electrode. The proposed apparatus and method of monitoring multiple signals, controlling multiple voltages, and predicting charge profile deposited on a sample can precisely control charge deposition processes.
Systems and methods are disclosed for using second-harmonic generation of light to monitor the manufacturing process for changes that can affect the performance or yield of produced devices and/or determining critical dimensions of the produced device.
G01B 11/00 - Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of optical techniques
G01N 21/31 - Investigating relative effect of material at wavelengths characteristic of specific elements or molecules, e.g. atomic absorption spectrometry
G01N 21/67 - Systems in which the material investigated is excited whereby it emits light or causes a change in wavelength of the incident light electrically excited, e.g. electroluminescence using electric arcs or discharges
7.
SECOND-HARMONIC GENERATION FOR CRITICAL DIMENSIONAL METROLOGY
Systems and methods are disclosed for using second-harmonic generation of light to monitor the manufacturing process for changes that can affect the performance or yield of produced devices and/or determining critical dimensions of the produced device.
G01N 21/88 - Investigating the presence of flaws, defects or contamination
G01N 21/63 - Systems in which the material investigated is excited whereby it emits light or causes a change in wavelength of the incident light optically excited
G01N 21/95 - Investigating the presence of flaws, defects or contamination characterised by the material or shape of the object to be examined
G01N 21/94 - Investigating contamination, e.g. dust
G01B 11/24 - Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of optical techniques for measuring contours or curvatures
G02F 1/37 - Non-linear optics for second-harmonic generation
H01L 21/66 - Testing or measuring during manufacture or treatment
8.
SECOND HARMONIC GENERATION (SHG) OPTICAL INSPECTION SYSTEM DESIGNS
Second Harmonic Generation (SHG) can be used to interrogate a surface of a sample such as a layered semiconductor structure. The SHG based sample interrogation systems may simultaneously collect different polarization components of the SHG signal at a time to provide different types of information. SHG imaging systems can provide SHG images or maps of the distribution of SHG signals over a larger area of a sample. Some such SHG imaging systems employ multiple beams and multiple detectors to capture SHG signals over an area of the sample. Some SHG imaging systems employ imaging optics to image the sample onto a detector array to form SHG images.
Various approaches can be used to interrogate a surface such as a surface of a layered semiconductor structure on a semiconductor wafer. Certain approaches employ Second Harmonic Generation while other utilize four wave-mixing or multi-wave mixing. Corona discharge may be applied to the sample to provide additional information. Some approaches involve determining current flow from a sample illuminated with radiation.
G01N 21/95 - Investigating the presence of flaws, defects or contamination characterised by the material or shape of the object to be examined
G01N 21/63 - Systems in which the material investigated is excited whereby it emits light or causes a change in wavelength of the incident light optically excited
H01L 21/66 - Testing or measuring during manufacture or treatment
10.
SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DETERMINING CHARACTERISTICS OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
Second Harmonic Generation (SHG) can be used to interrogate a surface such as a surface of a layered semiconductor structure on a semiconductor wafer. In some instances, SHG is used to evaluate an interfacial region such as between metal and oxide. Various parameters such as input polarization, output polarization, and azimuthal angle of incident beam, may affect the SHG signal. Accordingly, such parameters are varied for different types of patterns on the wafer. SHG metrology on various test structures may also assist in characterizing a sample.
H01L 21/66 - Testing or measuring during manufacture or treatment
H01L 27/06 - Devices consisting of a plurality of semiconductor or other solid-state components formed in or on a common substrate including integrated passive circuit elements with at least one potential-jump barrier or surface barrier the substrate being a semiconductor body including a plurality of individual components in a non-repetitive configuration
11.
SURFACE SENSING SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR IMAGING A SCANNED SURFACE OF A SAMPLE VIA SUM-FREQUENCY VIBRATIONAL SPECTROSCOPY
Surface sensing systems and methods for imaging a scanned surface (32) of a sample (30) via sum-frequency vibrational spectroscopy are disclosed herein. The systems include a sample holder (20), a visible light source (40) configured to direct a visible light beam (42) incident upon a sampled location (34) of the scanned surface (32) and a tunable IR source (50) configured to direct a tunable IR beam (52) coincident with the visible light beam (42) upon the sampled location (34). The systems also include a scanning structure (60) configured to scan the visible light beam (42) and the tunable IR beam (52) across the scanned surface (32), and a light filter (70) configured to receive an emitted beam (38) from the scanned surface (32) and to filter the emitted beam (38) to generate a filtered light beam (72). The systems further include a light detection system (80) configured to receive the filtered light beam (72), and an alignment structure (90). The methods include methods of operating the systems.
G01J 3/10 - Arrangements of light sources specially adapted for spectrometry or colorimetry
G01N 21/63 - Systems in which the material investigated is excited whereby it emits light or causes a change in wavelength of the incident light optically excited
12.
SYSTEMS FOR PARSING MATERIAL PROPERTIES FROM WITHIN SHG SIGNALS
Semiconductor metrology systems based on directing radiation on a wafer, detecting second harmonic generated (SHG) radiation from the wafer and correlating the second harmonic generated (SHG) signal to one or more electrical properties of the wafer are disclosed. The disclosure also includes parsing the SHG signal to remove contribution to the SHG signal from one or more material properties of the sample such as thickness. Systems and methods described herein include machine learning methodologies to automatically classify obtained SHG signal data from the wafer based on an electrical property of the wafer.
Various approached to can be used to interrogate a surface such as a surface of a layered semiconductor structure on a semiconductor wafer. Certain approached employ Second Harmonic Generation and in some cases may utilize pump and probe radiation. Other approaches involve determining current flow from a sample illuminated with radiation. Decay constants can be measured to provide information regarding the sample. Additionally, electric and/or magnetic field biases can be applied to the sample to provide additional information.