Optical scatterometer having improved sensitivity and bandwidth

Claim 2

An optical scatterometer comprising: a material having optical and microstructure characteristics to be analyzed; laser means for transmitting an incident laser beam to irradiate a spot on the material; a first array of optical detectors positioned to detect the incident laser beam in the absence of said material for characterizing the optical characteristics of the incident laser beam; a second array of optical detectors positioned in a plane containing the incident laser beam and further positioned in a circular arc whose center coincides with the spot on the material irradiated by the incident laser beam, said second array of optical detectors being operative for detecting indications of both back-scattered and forward-scattered light resulting from irradiation of said spot on said material; a third array of optical detectors positioned to detect a specularly reflected beam of light from said material; and microprocessor means coupled to the first, second, and third arrays of optical detectors for processing electrical signals received therefrom to provide an indication to the user of the optical characteristics of the incident laser beam and of the optical and microstructure characteristics of said material.

Claim 3

An optical scatterometer system as in claim 1 wherein: a selected one or more of the optical detectors comprising said second array of optical detectors are positioned in a plane perpendicular to a plane containing said incident laser beam and said specularly reflected beam to detect indications of back-scattered and forward-scattered light in said plane perpendicular to said plane containing said incident laser beam and said specularly reflected beam.

Claim 4

An optical scatterometer system as in claim 1 wherein: said laser means comprises first laser means for transmitting a first incident laser beam having a first wavelength selected such that said first incident laser beam is substantially absorbed by said material; and said optical scatterometer system further comprises second laser means for transmitting a second incident laser beam having a second wavelength different from said first wavelength, said second wavelength being selected such that said second incident laser beam is transmitted by said material.

Claim 5

An optical scatterometer system comprising: a material sample having a film on a substrate, the optical and microstructure characteristics of which are to be analyzed; first laser means for transmitting a first incident laser beam to irradiate a spot on the film of said material sample, said first incident laser beam having a first wavelength selected such that said first incident laser beam is not transmitted by the film of said material sample; second laser means for transmitting a second incident laser beam to irradiate a spot on the substrate of said material sample, said second incident laser beam having a second wavelength selected such that said second incident laser beam is transmitted by the film of said material sample; a first array of optical detectors positioned to detect said first and second incident laser beams in the absence of said material sample for characterizing the optical characteristics of said first and second incident laser beams; a second array of optical detectors positioned in a plane containing said first and second incident laser beams and further positioned in a circular arc whose center coincides with said spot on the film of said material sample, said second array of optical detectors being operative for detecting indications of back-scattered and forward-scattered light resulting from irradiation of said spot on said film of said material sample and said spot on said substrate of said material sample; a third array of optical detectors positioned to detect a specularly reflected beam of light from said material sample; and microprocessor means coupled to the first, second, and third arrays of optical detectors for processing electrical signals received therefrom to provide an indication to the user of the optical characteristics of said first and second incident laser beams and of the optical and microstructure characteristics of said film and substrate of said material sample.

Claim 6

An optical scatterometer system comprising: a material sample having a film on a substrate, the optical and microstructure characteristics of which are to be analyzed; first laser means for transmitting a first incident laser beam to irradiate a spot on the film of said material sample, said first incident laser beam having a first wavelength selected such that said first incident laser beam is not transmitted by the film of said material sample; second laser means for transmitting a second incident laser beam to irradiate a spot on the substrate of said material sample, said second incident laser beam having a second wavelength selected such that said second incident laser beam is transmitted by the film of said material sample; a first array of optical detectors positioned to detect said first and second incident laser beams in the absence of said material sample for characterizing the optical characteristics of said first and second incident laser beams; a second array of optical detectors positioned in a plane containing said first and second incident laser beams and further positioned in a circular arc whose center coincides with said spot on the film of said material sample, said second array of optical detectors being operative for detecting indications of back-scattered and forward-scattered light resulting from irradiation of said spot on said film of said material sample and said spot on said substrate of said material sample; a third array of optical detectors positioned to detect a specularly reflected beam of light from said material sample; and microprocessor means coupled to the first, second, and third arrays of optical detectors for processing electrical signals received therefrom to provide an indication to the user of the optical characteristics of said first and second incident laser beams and of the optical and microstructure characteristics of said film and substrate of said material sample.

Claim 7

An optical scatterometer system comprising: a material having optical and microstructure characteristics to be analyzed; first laser means for transmitting a first incident laser beam to irradiate a spot on said material, said first incident laser beam having a first wavelength selected such that said first incident laser beam is substantially absorbed by said material; second laser means for transmitting a second incident laser beam to irradiate said spot on said material, said second incident laser beam having a second wavelength selected such that said second incident laser beam is transmitted by said material; one or more optical detectors positioned to detect indications of both back-scattered and forward-scattered light resulting from irradiation of said spot on said material; and microprocessor means coupled to said one or more optical detectors for processing electrical signals received therefrom to provide an indication to the user of the optical characteristics of said first and second incident laser beams and of the optical and microstructure characteristics of said material.

Claim 8

An optical scatterometer system comprising: a material having optical and microstructure characteristics to be analyzed; first laser means for transmitting a first incident laser beam to irradiate a spot on said material, said first incident laser beam having a first wavelength selected such that said first incident laser beam is substantially absorbed by said material; second laser means for transmitting a second incident laser beam to irradiate said spot on said material, said second incident laser beam having a second wavelength selected such that said second incident laser beam is transmitted by said material; one or more optical detectors positioned to detect indications of both back-scattered and forward-scattered light resulting from irradiation of said spot on said material; and microprocessor means coupled to said one or more optical detectors for processing electrical signals received therefrom to provide an indication to the user of the optical characteristics of said first and second incident laser beams and of the optical and microstructure characteristics of said material.

Claim 9

An optical scatterometer system as in claim 5 wherein said one or more optical detectors are positioned in a plane containing said first and second incident beams and are further positioned in a circular arc whose center coincides with said spot on said material.

Claim 10

An optical scatterometer system as in claim 5 wherein: said one or more optical detectors are positioned in a plane perpendicular to a plane containing said first and second incident laser beams to detect indications of back-scattered and forward-scattered light in said plane perpendicular to said plane containing said first and second incident laser beams.

Claim 11

An optical scatterometer system comprising: a material sample having a film on a substrate, the optical and microstructure characteristics of which are to be analyzed; first laser means for transmitting a first incident laser beam to irradiate a spot on the film of said material sample, said first incident laser beam having a first wavelength selected such that said first incident laser beam is not transmitted by the film of said material sample; second laser means for transmitting a second incident laser beam to irradiate a spot on the substrate of said material sample, said second incident laser beam having a second wavelength selected such that said second incident laser beam is transmitted by the film of said material sample; one or more optical detectors positioned to detect indications of back-scattered and foward-scattered light resulting from irradiation of said spots on said film and substrate of said material sample; and microprocessor means coupled to said one or more optical detectors for processing electrical signals received therefrom to provide an indication to the user of the optical characteristics of said first and second incident laser beams and of the optical and microstructure characteristics of said film and substrate of said material sample.

Claim 12

An optical scatterometer system comprising: a material sample having a film on a substrate, the optical and microstructure characteristics of which are to be analyzed; first laser means for transmitting a first incident laser beam to irradiate a spot on the film of said material sample, said first incident laser beam having a first wavelength selected such that said first incident laser beam is not transmitted by the film of said material sample; second laser means for transmitting a second incident laser beam to irradiate a spot on the substrate of said material sample, said second incident laser beam having a second wavelength selected such that said second incident laser beam is transmitted by the film of said material sample; one or more optical detectors positioned to detect indications of back-scattered and foward-scattered light resulting from irradiation of said spots on said film and substrate of said material sample; and microprocessor means coupled to said one or more optical detectors for processing electrical signals received therefrom to provide an indication to the user of the optical characteristics of said first and second incident laser beams and of the optical and microstructure characteristics of said film and substrate of said material sample.

Claim 13

An optical scatterometer system as in claim 8 wherein said one or more optical detectors are positioned in a plane containing said first and second incident laser beams and further positioned in a circular arc whose center coincides with said spot on said film of said material sample.

Claim 14

An optical scatterometer system as in claim 8 wherein: said one or mroe optical detectors are positioned in a plane perpendicular to a plane containing said first and second incident laser beams to detect indications of back-scattered and forward-scattered light in said plane perpendicular to said plane containing said first and second incident laser beams.