Patent Number: 
Section: abstract

The material composition of a thin film formed on a substrate or covered by a cap layer that shares one or more elements with the thin film can be determined by combining characteristic material data, such as characteristic x-ray data, from a material composition analysis tool, such as an electron probe-based x-ray metrology (EPMA) operation, with thickness data and (optionally) possible material phases for the thin film. The thickness data and/or the material phase options can be used to determine, for example, the penetration depth of a probe e-beam of the EPMA tool. Based on the penetration depth and the thin film thickness, the characteristic x-ray data from the EPMA operation can be analyzed to determine the composition (e.g., phase or elemental composition) of the thin film. An EPMA tool can include ellipsometry capabilities for all-in-one thickness and composition determination.