US 11,988,502 B2
Characterizing and measuring in small boxes using XPS with multiple measurements
Heath Pois, Fremont, CA (US); Wei Ti Lee, Freemont, CA (US); Laxmi Warad, Freemont, CA (US); Dmitry Kislitsyn, Fremont, CA (US); Parker Lund, Sunnyvale, CA (US); Benny Tseng, Hsinchu (TW); James Chen, Hsinchu (TW); and Saurabh Singh, Freemont, CA (US)
Assigned to NOVA MEASURING INSTRUMENTS INC., Fremont, CA (US)
Appl. No. 18/033,324
Filed by NOVA MEASURING INSTRUMENTS INC., Freemont, CA (US)
PCT Filed Oct. 24, 2022, PCT No. PCT/IB2022/060178
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Apr. 21, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2023/067580, PCT Pub. Date Apr. 27, 2023.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/295,478, filed on Dec. 30, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/262,972, filed on Oct. 24, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0288196 A1, Sep. 14, 2023
Int. Cl. G01B 15/02 (2006.01); G01N 23/2273 (2018.01); H01L 21/66 (2006.01)
CPC G01B 15/02 (2013.01) [G01N 23/2273 (2013.01); G01B 2210/56 (2013.01); G01N 2223/085 (2013.01); G01N 2223/305 (2013.01); G01N 2223/6116 (2013.01); G01N 2223/633 (2013.01); G01N 2223/645 (2013.01); H01L 22/12 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system to characterize a first film layer of a sample the system comprising:
electron optics that is configured to:
illuminate, with a X-ray spot, a first sample region that comprises the first film layer and a first sample sub-region; wherein the first film layer is made of a first film layer material and is positioned above a substrate that is made of a substrate material; and
detect electrons emitted from the first sample region to provide detection signals; and
a processor that is configured to:
determine species signals based on the detection signals, the species signals comprise (i) first film layer material specie signals in an energy band corresponding to electrons emitted from the first film layer material, and (ii) substrate material species signals in an energy band corresponding to electrons emitted from the substrate material; and
determine a measurement value of the first film layer based on (i) the species signals, (ii) mixing information that is indicative of a fraction of the X-ray spot that impinges on the first film layer, and (ii) a first film layer material contribution value that represents an effective contribution of the first film layer material to at least one of the species signals.