Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. A metrology system comprising:an x-ray illumination source configured to generate an amount of x-ray radiation, the x-ray illumination source having a finite emission area;a beam shaping slit mechanism located in a beam path between the x-ray illumination source and a specimen under measurement, the beam shaping slit mechanism comprising:a plurality of beam shaping slits located in close proximity to the specimen;a plurality of actuators coupled to a frame of the beam shaping slit mechanism, wherein each of the plurality of actuators is located further from the specimen than any of plurality of beam shaping slits;a plurality of arm structures, wherein each arm structure is coupled to one of the plurality of beam shaping slits and one of the actuators; anda plurality of measurement systems each configured to measure a displacement of one of the arm structures with respect to the frame, wherein each of the plurality of beam shaping slits blocks a portion of the amount of x-ray radiation to define a beam spot size of x-ray radiation incident on the specimen under measurement;an x-ray detector configured to simultaneously detect an intensity associated with an amount of radiation scattered from the specimen under measurement in response to the incident beam of x-ray radiation. 2. The metrology system of claim 1, wherein a distance between each of the plurality of beam shaping slits and the specimen under measurement is less than one hundred millimeters. 3. The metrology system of claim 2, wherein a distance between each of the actuators and the specimen in a direction aligned with the incident beam of x-ray radiation is greater than five times a maximum distance between each of the plurality of beam shaping slits and the specimen in the direction aligned with the incident beam of x-ray radiation. 4. The metrology system of claim 1, further comprising:a specimen positioning system configured to position the specimen under measurement with respect to the incident beam of x-ray radiation at a plurality of angles of incidence, wherein the plurality of angles of incidence range between normal incidence to at least twenty degrees from normal incidence. 5. The metrology system of claim 1, further comprising:a computing system configured to:communicate a command signal to the beam shaping slit mechanism that causes at least one actuator to move at least one beam shaping slit in a direction perpendicular to a beam axis of the incident beam of x-ray radiation. 6. The metrology system of claim 5, wherein the at least one actuator moves the at least one beam shaping slit in a direction perpendicular to a beam axis of the incident beam of x-ray radiation by at least three millimeters with a positioning uncertainty of less than ten micrometers. 7. The metrology system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of arm structures is coupled to the frame at a corresponding pivot joint, and wherein the actuator coupled to the arm structure causes the arm structure to rotate about the corresponding pivot joint and move the attached beam shaping slit in a direction perpendicular to the beam axis of the incident beam of x-ray radiation. 8. The metrology system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of actuators is a piezoelectric actuator. 9. The metrology system of claim 1, wherein each of the beam shaping slits includes a cleaved, single crystal material. 10. The metrology system of claim 1, wherein a portion of a beam line between the x-ray illumination source and the beam shaping slit mechanism is contained in a vacuum chamber, and wherein a portion of the vacuum chamber is mechanically integrated with the beam shaping slit mechanism. 11. The metrology system of claim 1, the beam shaping slit mechanism, further comprising:a rotary actuator coupled to the frame of the beam shaping slit mechanism, wherein the rotary actuator is configured to rotate the beam shaping slit mechanism about an axis nominally aligned with an axis of the beam of x-ray radiation incident on the specimen. 12. The metrology system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of beam shaping slits is located at a different distance from the specimen under measurement in a direction aligned with the beam of x-ray radiation incident on the specimen. 13. A beam shaping slit mechanism located in a beam path between an x-ray illumination source and a specimen under measurement, the beam shaping slit mechanism comprising:a plurality of beam shaping slits located in close proximity to the specimen;a plurality of actuators coupled to a frame of the beam shaping slit mechanism, wherein each of the plurality of actuators is located further from the specimen than any of plurality of beam shaping slits;a plurality of arm structures, wherein each arm structure is coupled to one of the plurality of beam shaping slits and one of the actuators; anda plurality of measurement systems each configured to measure a displacement of one of the arm structures with respect to the frame, wherein each of the plurality of beam shaping slits blocks a portion of the amount of x-ray radiation to define a beam spot size of x-ray radiation incident on the specimen under measurement. 14. The beam shaping slit mechanism of claim 13, wherein a distance between each of the plurality of beam shaping slits and the specimen under measurement is less than fifty millimeters. 15. The beam shaping slit mechanism of claim 13, wherein a distance between each of the actuators and the specimen in a direction aligned with the incident beam of x-ray radiation is greater than five times a maximum distance between each of the plurality of beam shaping slits and the specimen in the direction aligned with the incident beam of x-ray radiation. 16. The beam shaping slit mechanism of claim 13, further comprising:a computing system configured to:communicate a command signal to the beam shaping slit mechanism that causes at least one actuator to move at least one beam shaping slit in a direction perpendicular to a beam axis of the incident beam of x-ray radiation. 17. The beam shaping slit mechanism of claim 13, further comprising:a rotary actuator coupled to the frame of the beam shaping slit mechanism, wherein the rotary actuator is configured to rotate the beam shaping slit mechanism about an axis nominally aligned with an axis of the beam of x-ray radiation incident on the specimen. 18. A method comprising:generating an amount of x-ray radiation over a finite emission area;shaping a beam of the generated amount of x-ray radiation incident on a specimen under measurement by positioning a plurality of beam shaping slits in a beam path of the beam of x-ray radiation, wherein each of the plurality of beams shaping slits is located within one hundred millimeters of the specimen under measurement in a direction aligned with the beam of x-ray radiation;positioning the specimen under measurement with respect to the incident beam of x-ray radiation at a plurality of angles of incidence, wherein the plurality of angles of incidence range between normal incidence to at least forty degrees from normal incidence;detecting one or more intensities associated with an amount of radiation scattered from the specimen under measurement in response to the incident beam of x-ray radiation at each of the plurality of angles of incidence; anddetermining a value of a parameter of interest associated with a measurement target disposed on the specimen under measurement based on the detected intensities. 19. The method of claim 18, wherein the positioning of the plurality of beam shaping slits involves communicating a command signal that causes at least one actuator to move at least one of the beam shaping slits in a direction perpendicular to the direction aligned with the beam of x-ray radiation. 20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:rotating the plurality of beam shaping slits about an axis nominally aligned with an axis of the beam of x-ray radiation incident on the specimen.