公开(公告)号：US20210293532A1

公开(公告)日：2021-09-23

申请号：US17338449

申请日：2021-06-03

Applicant: KLA Corporation

Inventor： Houssam Chouaib ,  Aaron Rosenberg ,  Kai-Hsiang Lin ,  Dawei Hu ,  Zhengquan Tan

IPC: G01B11/16 ,  H01L21/66 ,  G03F7/20 ,  G01L1/24

Abstract: Methods and systems for measuring optical properties of transistor channel structures and linking the optical properties to the state of strain are presented herein. Optical scatterometry measurements of strain are performed on metrology targets that closely mimic partially manufactured, real device structures. In one aspect, optical scatterometry is employed to measure uniaxial strain in a semiconductor channel based on differences in measured spectra along and across the semiconductor channel. In a further aspect, the effect of strain on measured spectra is decorrelated from other contributors, such as the geometry and material properties of structures captured in the measurement. In another aspect, measurements are performed on a metrology target pair including a strained metrology target and a corresponding unstrained metrology target to resolve the geometry of the metrology target under measurement and to provide a reference for the estimation of the absolute value of strain.

公开(公告)号：US11573077B2

公开(公告)日：2023-02-07

申请号：US17338449

申请日：2021-06-03

Applicant: KLA Corporation

Inventor： Houssam Chouaib ,  Aaron Rosenberg ,  Kai-Hsiang Lin ,  Dawei Hu ,  Zhengquan Tan

IPC: G01B11/06 ,  H01L21/66 ,  G01N21/956 ,  H01L29/10 ,  G03F7/20 ,  G01B11/16 ,  G01L1/24

Abstract: Methods and systems for measuring optical properties of transistor channel structures and linking the optical properties to the state of strain are presented herein. Optical scatterometry measurements of strain are performed on metrology targets that closely mimic partially manufactured, real device structures. In one aspect, optical scatterometry is employed to measure uniaxial strain in a semiconductor channel based on differences in measured spectra along and across the semiconductor channel. In a further aspect, the effect of strain on measured spectra is decorrelated from other contributors, such as the geometry and material properties of structures captured in the measurement. In another aspect, measurements are performed on a metrology target pair including a strained metrology target and a corresponding unstrained metrology target to resolve the geometry of the metrology target under measurement and to provide a reference for the estimation of the absolute value of strain.

公开(公告)号：US11060846B2

公开(公告)日：2021-07-13

申请号：US16660492

申请日：2019-10-22

Applicant: KLA Corporation

Inventor： Houssam Chouaib ,  Aaron Rosenberg ,  Kai-Hsiang Lin ,  Dawei Hu ,  Zhengquan Tan

IPC: G01B11/06 ,  G03F7/20 ,  G01N21/956 ,  H01L29/10

Abstract: Methods and systems for measuring optical properties of transistor channel structures and linking the optical properties to the state of strain are presented herein. Optical scatterometry measurements of strain are performed on metrology targets that closely mimic partially manufactured, real device structures. In one aspect, optical scatterometry is employed to measure uniaxial strain in a semiconductor channel based on differences in measured spectra along and across the semiconductor channel. In a further aspect, the effect of strain on measured spectra is decorrelated from other contributors, such as the geometry and material properties of structures captured in the measurement. In another aspect, measurements are performed on a metrology target pair including a strained metrology target and a corresponding unstrained metrology target to resolve the geometry of the metrology target under measurement and to provide a reference for the estimation of the absolute value of strain.