| Sonstiges: |
- Nachgewiesen in: USPTO Patent Grants
- Sprachen: English
- Patent Number: 11761,913
- Publication Date: September 19, 2023
- Appl. No: 17/200918
- Application Filed: March 15, 2021
- Assignees: BRUKER TECHNOLOGIES LTD. (Migdal HaEmek, IL)
- Claim: 1. A method for X-ray measurement, the method comprising: generating and directing an X-ray beam to a sample comprising at least first and second layers stacked on one another, the X-ray beam incident on a sample location at which the first and second layers comprise respective first and second high aspect ratio (HAR) structures; measuring X-ray scatter profiles emitted from the sample location in response to the X-ray beam as a function of tilt angle between the sample and the X-ray beam; and estimating a shift between the first and second layers and a characteristic tilt of the first and second layers, based on the X-ray scatter profiles measured as a function of the tilt angle, including: defining a model of an X-ray scatter profile as a function of the relative shift and the characteristic tilt; and calculating a fit between the measured X-ray scatter profiles to the model, and extracting the estimated shift and the characteristic tilt from the fit.
- Claim: 2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein estimating the characteristic tilt of the first and second layers comprises estimating one or more of: an average tilt of the first and second layers, an extremum tilt of the first and second layers, and a relative tilt between the first and second layers.
- Claim: 3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein calculating the fit comprises applying a regression model to the measured X-ray scatter profiles.
- Claim: 4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein calculating the fit comprises: fitting, to the X-ray scatter profiles, functions that comprise multiple peaks; and solving a regression model for (i) relative intensities of the peaks and (ii) an angular position of a center peak, which best match the measured X-ray scatter profiles.
- Claim: 5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein calculating the fit comprises applying a non-linear regression model to the measured X-ray scatter profiles.
- Claim: 6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein measuring the X-ray scatter profiles comprises combining multiple X-ray scatter measurements from multiple different angular ranges into a combined measured X-ray scatter profile.
- Claim: 7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the HAR structures are holes.
- Claim: 8. The method according to claim 4 , wherein estimating the shift and the characteristic tilt comprises deducing the shift and the characteristic tilt from the relative intensities and the angular position that best match the measured X-ray scatter profiles.
- Claim: 9. A method for X-ray measurement, the method comprising: generating and directing an X-ray beam to a sample comprising at least first and second layers stacked on one another, the X-ray beam incident on a sample location at which the first and second layers comprise respective first and second high aspect ratio (HAR) structures; measuring X-ray scatter profiles emitted from the sample location in response to the X-ray beam as a function of tilt angle between the sample and the X-ray beam; and estimating a shift between the first and second layers and a characteristic tilt of the first and second layers, based on the X-ray scatter profiles measured as a function of the tilt angle, by applying a machine learning model to the measured X-ray scatter profiles.
- Claim: 10. A system for X-ray measurement, the system comprising: an X-ray source configured to generate an X-ray beam; optics configured to direct the X-ray beam to a sample comprising at least first and second layers stacked on one another, the X-ray beam incident on a sample location at which the first and second layers comprise respective first and second high aspect ratio (HAR) structures; and a processor, which is configured to: measure, using a detector, X-ray scatter profiles emitted from the sample location in response to the X-ray beam as a function of tilt angle between the sample and the X-ray beam; and estimate a shift between the first and second layers and a characteristic tilt of the first and second layers, based on the X-ray scatter profiles measured as a function of the tilt angle, including: defining a model of an X-ray scatter profile as a function of the relative shift and the characteristic tilt; and calculating a fit between the measured X-ray scatter profiles to the model, and extracting the estimated shift and the characteristic tilt from the fit.
- Claim: 11. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the processor is configured to estimate the characteristic tilt of the first and second layers by estimating one or more of: an average tilt of the first and second layers, an extremum tilt of the first and second layers, and a relative tilt between the first and second layers.
- Claim: 12. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the processor is configured to calculate the fit by applying a regression model to the measured X-ray scatter profiles.
- Claim: 13. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the processor is configured to calculate the fit by: fitting, to the X-ray scatter profiles, functions that comprise multiple peaks; and solving a regression model for (i) relative intensities of the peaks and (ii) an angular position of a center peak, which best match the measured X-ray scatter profiles.
- Claim: 14. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the processor is configured to calculate the fit by applying a non-linear regression model to the measured X-ray scatter profiles.
- Claim: 15. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the processor is configured to measure the X-ray scatter profiles by combining multiple X-ray scatter measurements from multiple different angular ranges into a combined measured X-ray scatter profile.
- Claim: 16. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the HAR structures are holes.
- Claim: 17. The system according to claim 13 , wherein the processor is configured to deduce the shift and the characteristic tilt from the relative intensities and the angular position that best match the measured X-ray scatter profiles.
- Claim: 18. A system for X-ray measurement, the system comprising: an X-ray source configured to generate an X-ray beam; optics configured to direct the X-ray beam to a sample comprising at least first and second layers stacked on one another, the X-ray beam incident on a sample location at which the first and second layers comprise respective first and second high aspect ratio (HAR) structures; and a processor, which is configured to: measure, using a detector, X-ray scatter profiles emitted from the sample location in response to the X-ray beam as a function of tilt angle between the sample and the X-ray beam; and estimate a shift between the first and second layers and a characteristic tilt of the first and second layers, based on the X-ray scatter profiles measured as a function of the tilt angle, by applying a machine learning model to the measured X-ray scatter profiles.
- Patent References Cited: 9606073 March 2017 Mazor ; 9632044 April 2017 Litman ; 10352695 July 2019 Dziura ; 10401309 September 2019 Yun ; 20170167862 June 2017 Dziura ; 20170169910 June 2017 Jia ; 20180020996 January 2018 Wang ; 20180106735 April 2018 Gellineau ; 20180113084 April 2018 Hench ; 20180299259 October 2018 Shchegrov ; 20180328868 November 2018 Bykanov ; 20180350699 December 2018 Gellineau ; 20190293578 September 2019 Gellineau ; 20190302039 October 2019 Artemiev ; 20190323976 October 2019 Vinshtein ; 20200041426 February 2020 Thompson ; 20200184372 June 2020 Wu ; 20200333267 October 2020 Ito ; 20200333268 October 2020 Ito ; 2020008420 January 2020
- Assistant Examiner: Kefayati, Soorena
- Primary Examiner: Fox, Dani
- Attorney, Agent or Firm: KLIGLER & ASSOCIATES PATENT ATTORNEYS LTD
|
