US 12,283,504 B2
Contact area size determination between 3D structures in an integrated semiconductor sample
Alex Buxbaum, San Ramon, CA (US); Amir Avishai, Pleasanton, CA (US); Dmitry Klochkov, Schwaebisch Gmuend (DE); Thomas Korb, Schwaebisch Gmuend (DE); Eugen Foca, Ellwangen (DE); and Keumsil Lee, Palo Alto, CA (US)
Assigned to Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH, Oberkochen (DE)
Filed by Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH, Oberkochen (DE)
Filed on Apr. 5, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/713,645.
Application 17/713,645 is a continuation of application No. PCT/EP2020/025483, filed on Oct. 29, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/927,954, filed on Oct. 30, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0230899 A1, Jul. 21, 2022
Int. Cl. G06T 17/00 (2006.01); G06T 7/00 (2017.01); G06T 7/13 (2017.01); G06T 7/33 (2017.01); G06T 7/55 (2017.01); G06T 7/73 (2017.01); H01L 21/67 (2006.01)
CPC H01L 21/67288 (2013.01) [G06T 7/001 (2013.01); G06T 7/13 (2017.01); G06T 7/33 (2017.01); G06T 7/55 (2017.01); G06T 7/75 (2017.01); G06T 17/00 (2013.01); G06T 2207/30148 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method, comprising:
obtaining an image of a first cross section of an integrated semiconductor sample;
using a focused ion beam to remove a surface layer of the first cross section to make a second cross section of the integrated semiconductor sample, the second cross section being parallel to the first cross section;
using an imaging device to obtain an image of the second cross section;
registering the image of the first cross section and the image of the second cross section and obtaining a 3D data set comprising first and second 3D structures in the integrated semiconductor sample;
determining a 3D model representing the first and second 3D structures; and
determining a relative overlap of the first 3D structure with the second 3D structure based on the 3D model.