Patent ID: 11933717
Assignee: KLA CORPORATION
Field: Measurement (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G  H | IPC G

Claim 0:
1. A metrology system comprising:
a metrology tool configured to selectively perform metrology measurements in a static mode in which one or more metrology targets on a sample are stationary during a measurement or a scanning mode in which one or more metrology targets are in motion during a measurement, wherein the metrology tool comprises a time delay integration (TDI) sensor including multiple pixel rows and a multi-channel imaging sub-system configured to sequentially provide N optical configurations for imaging a sample in an exposure window of a detector and generate N images of the sample during a readout phase of the detector associated with the exposure window, wherein N is an integer greater than one, wherein a particular image of the N images corresponds to a particular optical configuration of the N optical configurations, wherein one or more optics of the multi-channel imaging sub-system comprise a cylindrical lens array configured to direct the light emanating from the sample to every Nth pixel row of the TDI sensor,
wherein the metrology tool is configured to perform a scanning mode measurement by:
translating the sample at a charge transfer rate of the TDI sensor along a scan direction perpendicular to the pixel rows;
sequentially providing the N optical configurations for imaging the sample, wherein a switching time between successive optical configurations of the multi-channel imaging sub-system corresponds to the charge transfer rate of the TDI sensor;
generating, with the TDI sensor, an interleaved image including the N images during the exposure window; and
separating the interleaved image into the N images; and
a controller communicatively coupled to the translation stage and the TDI sensor, the controller including one or more processors configured to execute program instructions causing the one or more processors to:
receive locations of a plurality of metrology targets on the sample to be inspected;
designate the plurality of metrology targets for inspection with the static mode or the scanning mode;
direct the metrology tool to perform metrology measurements on the plurality of metrology targets in the static mode or the scanning mode based on the designation; and
generate metrology data for the sample based on the metrology measurements on the plurality of metrology targets.