US 11,955,391 B2
Process monitoring of deep structures with X-ray scatterometry
Antonio Arion Gellineau, Santa Clara, CA (US); and Thaddeus Gerard Dziura, San Jose, CA (US)
Assigned to KLA-Tencor Corporation, Milpitas, CA (US)
Filed by KLA Corporation, Milpitas, CA (US)
Filed on Sep. 7, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/468,436.
Application 17/468,436 is a continuation of application No. 16/894,480, filed on Jun. 5, 2020, granted, now 11,145,559.
Application 16/894,480 is a continuation of application No. 15/990,749, filed on May 28, 2018, granted, now 10,727,142, issued on Jul. 28, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/572,566, filed on Oct. 16, 2017.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/512,297, filed on May 30, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2021/0407864 A1, Dec. 30, 2021
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H01L 21/66 (2006.01); G01N 23/20 (2018.01); G03F 7/00 (2006.01); H01L 21/67 (2006.01)
CPC H01L 22/20 (2013.01) [G01N 23/20083 (2013.01); G03F 7/70525 (2013.01); G03F 7/70616 (2013.01); H01L 21/67253 (2013.01); G01N 2223/6116 (2013.01); H01L 22/12 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method comprising:
providing an amount of x-ray illumination light directed to a measurement spot including one or more structures partially fabricated on a semiconductor wafer;
detecting an amount of x-ray light reflected from or transmitted through the semiconductor wafer in response to the amount of x-ray illumination light;
determining values of one or more parameters of interest associated with the partially fabricated one or more structures based on the detected amount of x-ray light; and
communicating an indication of the values of the one or more parameters of interest to a fabrication tool that causes the fabrication tool to adjust a value of one or more process control parameters of the fabrication tool, wherein the one or more structures partially fabricated on the semiconductor wafer are fabricated at least in part by the fabrication tool.