Patent SG-11201901042Y-A (SG)
Title: Optical measurement of opening dimensions in a wafer
Inventor: XU JAMES JIANGUO
IPC: H01L21/67
Filed: 2017-08-09
Abstract: INTERNATIONAL APPLICATION PUBLISHED UNDER THE PATENT COOPERATION TREATY (PCT) (19) World Intellectual Property Organization International Bureau (43) International Publication Date 15 February 2018 (15.02.2018) WIP0 I PCT ill~~~~~~~~ 011101VIIIVIIIVIII olo olll om Immo iflo oimIE (10) International Publication Number WO 2018/031639 Al (51) International Patent Classification: HOlL 21/67 (2006.01) HOlL 21/66 (2006.01) (21) International Application Number: PCT/US2017/046076 (22) International Filing Date: 09 August 2017 (09.08.2017) (25) Filing Language: English (26) Publication Language: English (30) Priority Data: 15/233,812 10 August 2016 (10.08.2016) US 15/338,838 31 October 2016 (31.10.2016) US (71) Applicant: KLA-TENCOR CORPORATION [US/US]; Legal Department, One Technology Drive, Milpitas, Cali- fornia 95035 (US). (72) Inventors: XU, James Jianguo; 1029 Olmo Court, San Jose, California 95129 (US). SOETARMAN, Ronny; 48353 Avalon Heights Terrace, Fremont, California 94539 (US). LEE, Ken Kinsun; 13800 Templeton Place, Los Altos Hills, California 94022 (US). KATHURIA, Niti- gya; 750 Saratoga Avenue, Apt. Y108, San Jose, California 95129 (US). (74) Agent: MCANDREWS, Kevin et al.; Kla-Tencor Corpo- ration, Legal Department, One Technology Drive, Milpitas, California 95035 (US). (81) Designated States (unless otherwise indicated, for every kind of national protection available): AE, AG, AL, AM, AO, AT, AU, AZ, BA, BB, BG, BH, BN, BR, BW, BY, BZ, CA, CH, CL, CN, CO, CR, CU, CZ, DE, DJ, DK, DM, DO, DZ, EC, EE, EG, ES, FI, GB, GD, GE, GH, GM, GT, HN, HR, HU, ID, IL, IN, IR, IS, JO, JP, KE, KG, KH, KN, KP, KR, KW, KZ, LA, LC, LK, LR, LS, LU, LY, MA, MD, ME, MG, MK, MN, MW, MX, MY, MZ, NA, NG, NI, NO, NZ, OM, PA, PE, PG, PH, PL, PT, QA, RO, RS, RU, RW, SA, SC, SD, SE, SG, SK, SL, SM, ST, SV, SY, TH, TJ, TM, TN, TR, TT, TZ, UA, UG, US, UZ, VC, VN, ZA, ZM, ZW. (84) Designated States (unless otherwise indicated, for every kind of regional protection available): ARIPO (BW, GH, GM, KE, LR, LS, MW, MZ, NA, RW, SD, SL, ST, SZ, TZ, UG, ZM, ZW), Eurasian (AM, AZ, BY, KG, KZ, RU, TJ, TM), European (AL, AT, BE, BG, CH, CY, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HR, HU, IE, IS, IT, LT, LU, LV, MC, MK, MT, NL, NO, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SI, SK, SM, TR), OAPI (BF, BJ, CF, CG, CI, CM, GA, GN, GQ, GW, KM, ML, MR, NE, SN, TD, TG). (54) Title: OPTICAL MEASUREMENT OF OPENING DIMENSIONS IN A WAFER SEMI-AUTOMATED 3-D METROLOGY SYSTEM 1 (57) : A method of generating 3D information of a sample using an optical microscope includes: varying the distance between the sample and an objective lens of the optical microscope at pre-determined steps, capturing an image at each pre-determined step, determining a character- istic value of each pixel in each captured image, determining a first cap- tured image that is focused on a first surface of the sample based on the characteristic value of each pixel in each captured image, and determining a measurement of an opening in the first surface of the sample based on the first captured image. The first surface of the sample and the second surface of the sample are within a field of view of each of the captured images. The first captured image includes a pattern overlay. In another example, the opening measurement is determined using a second captured image with- out a pattern overlay. W O 20 18/03 1639 Al SEMI-AUTOMATED 3-D METROLOGY SYSTEM FIG. 1 [Continued on next page] WO 2018/031639 Al MIDEDIMOMMIDEFIEHHOMOHEIEBEREVOIMIE Published: — with international search report (Art. 21(3))