Two-dimensional optical scatterometer apparatus and process

Claim 2

An optical scatterometer system comprising: a sample material having periodic and diffractive microstructure characteristics to be analyzed; light source means for transmitting an incident light beam to illuminate a point on the sample material; screen means positioned to receive and display a pattern representative of light specularly reflected from said sample material and light scattered from said sample material, said screen means including one or more apertures for passing said incident light beam and a selected one or both of said light specularly reflected from said sample material and a portion of said light scattered from said sample material, to thereby prevent the selected one or both of said light specularly reflected from said sample material and said portion of said light scattered from said sample material from being received and displayed on said screen means; camera means positioned to record the pattern displayed on said screen means; and microprocessor means coupled to said camera means for processing electrical signals received therefrom to provide a two-dimensional intensity distribution of the pattern recorded by said camera means, said two-dimensional intensity distribution being indicative of the periodic and diffractive microstructure characteristics of said sample material.

Claim 3

An optical scatterometer system is in claim 1 wherein said screen means is shaped to form a curved surface to increase its light gathering capabilities and to thereby increase a bandwidth characteristic of the optical scatterometer system.

Claim 4

An optical scatterometer system as in claim 1 wherein said screen means is shaped to form a portion of a sphere.

Claim 5

An optical scatterometer system as in claim 1 wherein said screen means is positioned between said sample material and said light source means.

Claim 6

An optical scatterometer system as in claim 1 wherein said sample material is positioned between said screen means and said light source means.

Claim 7

An optical scatterometer system as in claim 1 wherein said screen means comprises a material having approximately Lambertian optical scattering properties.

Claim 8

An optical scatterometer system as in claim 1 wherein said screen means comprises a material that fluoresces at a wavelength of said incident light beam.

Claim 9

An optical scatterometer system as in claim 1 wherein said screen means comprises an electron trapping material.

Claim 10

An optical scatterometer system as in claim 1 wherein said screen means comprises a photochromic material.

Claim 11

An optical scatterometer system as in claim 1 wherein said screen means comprises a pyrochromic material.

Claim 12

An optical scatterometer system as in claim 1 further comprising removable aperture cover means for covering a selected portion of each of said one or more apertures.

Claim 13

An optical scatterometer system as in claim 1 wherein said one or more apertures are positioned at one or more selected corresponding angles of incidence with respect to an axis of said screen means.

Claim 14

An optical scatterometer system as in claim 1 wherein said incident light beam is transmitted at one or more selected angles of incidence with respect to an axis of said screen means.

Claim 15

An optical scatterometer system as in claim 1 wherein: said incident light beam is transmitted at one or more selected angles of incidence with respect to an axis of said screen means; and said incident light beam is transmitted at one or more selected wavelengths.

Claim 16

An optical scatterometer system as in claim 1 wherein: said incident light beam is transmitted simultaneously at a plurality of selected angles of incidence with respect to an axis of said screen means; and said incident light beam is transmitted simultaneously at a plurality of selected wavelengths.

Claim 17

An optical scatterometer system as in claim 1 wherein: said incident light beam is transmitted sequentially at a plurality of selected angles of incidence with respect to an axis of said screen means; and said incident light beam is transmitted sequentially at a plurality of selected wavelengths.

Claim 18

An optical scatterometer system as in claim 1 wherein said light source means comprises a laser.

Claim 19

An optical scatterometer system as in claim 1 wherein: said screen means is positioned between said sample material and said light source means; said screen means is constructed of a material that permits the pattern displayed thereon to be viewed from a side of the screen opposite said sample material; and said camera means is positioned on a side of said screen means opposite said sample material.

Claim 20

An optical scatterometer system as in claim 1 wherein said camera means and said sample material are both positioned on one side of said screen means.

Claim 21

An optical scatterometer system comprising: a sample material having periodic and diffractive microstructure characteristics to be analyzed; light source means for transmitting an incident light beam to illuminate a point on the sample material; screen means positioned between said sample material and said light source means to receive and scatter a pattern representative of light specularly reflected from said sample material and light scattered from said sample material, said screen means including an aperture therein through which said incident light beam is directed to illuminate said point on said sample material; camera means positioned on the same side of said screen means as said light source means; specularly reflecting curved element positioned on the same side of said screen means as said sample material for directing light scattered from said screen means through said aperture to said camera means for recording thereby; and microprocessor means coupled to said camera means for processing electrical signals received therefrom to provide a two-dimensional intensity distribution of the light scattered from said screen means and directed through said aperture by said specularly reflecting curved element that is recorded by said camera means, said two-dimensional intensity distribution being indicative of the periodic and diffractive microstructure characteristics of said sample material.

Claim 22

An optical scatterometer system comprising: a sample material having periodic and diffractive microstructure characteristics to be analyzed; light source means for transmitting an incident light beam to illuminate a point on the sample material; screen means positioned between said sample material and said light source means to receive and scatter a pattern representative of light specularly reflected from said sample material and light scattered from said sample material, said screen means including an aperture therein through which said incident light beam is directed to illuminate said point on said sample material; camera means positioned on the same side of said screen means as said light source means; specularly reflecting curved element positioned on the same side of said screen means as said sample material for directing light scattered from said screen means through said aperture to said camera means for recording thereby; and microprocessor means coupled to said camera means for processing electrical signals received therefrom to provide a two-dimensional intensity distribution of the light scattered from said screen means and directed through said aperture by said specularly reflecting curved element that is recorded by said camera means, said two-dimensional intensity distribution being indicative of the periodic and diffractive microstructure characteristics of said sample material.

Claim 23

An optical scatterometer system comprising: a sample material having periodic and diffractive microstructure characteristics to be analyzed; light source means for transmitting an incident light beam to illuminate a point on the sample material; reflector means positioned for receiving said incident light beam and for directing it onto said sample material to illuminate said point on said sample material and for receiving light specularly reflected from said sample material and for directing said light specularly reflected from said sample material away from said optical scatterometer system; screen means positioned to receive and display a pattern representative of light scattered from said sample material; camera means positioned to record the pattern displayed on said screen means; and microprocessor means coupled to said camera means for processing electrical signals received therefrom to provide a two-dimensional intensity distribution of the pattern recorded by said camera means, said two-dimensional intensity distribution being indicative of the periodic and diffractive microstructure characteristics of said sample material.

Claim 24

An optical scatterometer system comprising: a sample material having periodic and diffractive microstructure characteristics to be analyzed; light source means for transmitting an incident light beam to illuminate a point on the sample material; reflector means positioned for receiving said incident light beam and for directing it onto said sample material to illuminate said point on said sample material and for receiving light specularly reflected from said sample material and for directing said light specularly reflected from said sample material away from said optical scatterometer system; screen means positioned to receive and display a pattern representative of light scattered from said sample material; camera means positioned to record the pattern displayed on said screen means; and microprocessor means coupled to said camera means for processing electrical signals received therefrom to provide a two-dimensional intensity distribution of the pattern recorded by said camera means, said two-dimensional intensity distribution being indicative of the periodic and diffractive microstructure characteristics of said sample material.

Claim 25

An optical scatterometer system as in claim 21 wherein said reflector means comprises a mirror.

Claim 26

An optical scatterometer system as in claim 21 wherein said reflector means comprises an optical fiber.

Claim 27

An optical scatterometer system comprising: a sample material having periodic and diffractive microstructure characteristics to be analyzed; light source means for transmitting an incident light beam to illuminate a point on the sample material; reflector means positioned for receiving said incident light beam and for directing it onto said sample material to illuminate said point on said sample material; additional reflector means for receiving light specularly reflected from said sample material and for directing said light specularly reflected from said sample material away from said optical scatterometer system; screen means positioned to receive and display a pattern representative of light scattered from said sample material; camera means positioned to record the pattern displayed on said screen means; and microprocessor means coupled to said camera means for processing electrical signals received therefrom to provide a two-dimensional intensity distribution of the pattern recorded by said camera means, said two-dimensional intensity distribution being indicative of the periodic and diffractive microstructure characteristics of said sample material.

Claim 28

An optical scatterometer system comprising: a sample material having periodic and diffractive microstructure characteristics to be analyzed; light source means for transmitting an incident light beam to illuminate a point on the sample material; reflector means positioned for receiving said incident light beam and for directing it onto said sample material to illuminate said point on said sample material; additional reflector means for receiving light specularly reflected from said sample material and for directing said light specularly reflected from said sample material away from said optical scatterometer system; screen means positioned to receive and display a pattern representative of light scattered from said sample material; camera means positioned to record the pattern displayed on said screen means; and microprocessor means coupled to said camera means for processing electrical signals received therefrom to provide a two-dimensional intensity distribution of the pattern recorded by said camera means, said two-dimensional intensity distribution being indicative of the periodic and diffractive microstructure characteristics of said sample material.

Claim 29

An optical scatterometer system as in claim 24 wherein said additional reflector means comprises a beam dump.

Claim 30

An optical scatterometry process for analyzing periodic and diffractive microstructure characteristics of a sample material, the process comprising the steps of: transmitting an incident light beam to illuminate a point on the sample material; positioning a screen to receive and display a pattern representative of light specularly reflected from the sample material and light scattered from the sample material, the screen including one or more apertures therein for passing the incident light beam and a selected one or both of the light specularly reflected from the sample material and a portion of the light scattered from the sample material, to thereby prevent the selected one or both of the light specularly reflected from the sample material and said portion of the light scattered from the sample material from being received and displayed on the screen; recording the pattern displayed on the screen; and processing information representative of the pattern recorded to provide a two-dimensional intensity distribution of the pattern recorded, the two-dimensional intensity distribution being indicative of the periodic and diffractive microstructure characteristics of the sample material.

Claim 31

An optical scatterometry process for analyzing periodic and diffractive microstructure characteristics of a sample material, the process comprising the steps of: transmitting an incident light beam to illuminate a point on the sample material; positioning a screen to receive and display a pattern representative of light specularly reflected from the sample material and light scattered from the sample material, the screen including one or more apertures therein for passing the incident light beam and a selected one or both of the light specularly reflected from the sample material and a portion of the light scattered from the sample material, to thereby prevent the selected one or both of the light specularly reflected from the sample material and said portion of the light scattered from the sample material from being received and displayed on the screen; recording the pattern displayed on the screen; and processing information representative of the pattern recorded to provide a two-dimensional intensity distribution of the pattern recorded, the two-dimensional intensity distribution being indicative of the periodic and diffractive microstructure characteristics of the sample material.

Claim 32

An optical scatterometry process as in claim 26 wherein the incident light beam is transmitted at one or more selected angles of incidence with respect to an axis of the screen.

Claim 33

An optical scatterometry process as in claim 26 wherein: the incident light beam is transmitted simultaneously at a plurality of selected angles of incidence with respect to an axis of the screen; and the incident light beam is transmitted simultaneously at a plurality of selected wavelengths.

Claim 34

An optical scatterometry process as in claim 26 wherein: the incident light beam is transmitted sequentially at a plurality of selected angles of incidence with respect to an axis of the screen; and the incident light beam is transmitted sequentially at a plurality of selected wavelengths.

Claim 35

An optical scatterometer system comprising: a sample material having periodic and diffractive microstructure characteristics to be analyzed; light source means for transmitting an incident light beam to illuminate a point on the sample material; screen means positioned between said sample material and said light source means to receive and display a pattern representative of light specularly reflected from said sample material and light scattered from said sample material, said screen means being constructed of a material that permits the pattern displayed thereon to be viewed from a side of the screen means opposite said sample material, said screen means including an aperture therein through which said incident light beam is directed to illuminate said point on said sample material; camera means positioned on the same side of said screen means as said light source means to record the pattern displayed on said screen means; and microprocessor means coupled to said camera means for processing electrical signals received therefrom to provide a two-dimensional intensity distribution of the pattern recorded by said camera means, said two-dimensional intensity distribution being indicative of the periodic and diffractive microstructure characteristics of said sample material.

Claim 36

An optical scatterometer system comprising: a sample material having periodic and diffractive microstructure characteristics to be analyzed; light source means for transmitting an incident light beam to illuminate a point on the sample material; screen means positioned between said sample material and said light source means to receive and display a pattern representative of light specularly reflected from said sample material and light scattered from said sample material, said screen means being constructed of a material that permits the pattern displayed thereon to be viewed from a side of the screen means opposite said sample material, said screen means including an aperture therein through which said incident light beam is directed to illuminate said point on said sample material; camera means positioned on the same side of said screen means as said light source means to record the pattern displayed on said screen means; and microprocessor means coupled to said camera means for processing electrical signals received therefrom to provide a two-dimensional intensity distribution of the pattern recorded by said camera means, said two-dimensional intensity distribution being indicative of the periodic and diffractive microstructure characteristics of said sample material.