Patent Application
20100235114
1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to systems and methods for determining one or more characteristics of a specimen using radiation in the terahertz range. Certain embodiments relate to a system configured to generate output responsive to radiation in the terahertz range propagating from a specimen and to determine one or more characteristics of the specimen using the output.
2. Description of the Related Art
The following description and examples are not admitted to be prior art by virtue of their inclusion in this section.
Fabricating semiconductor devices such as logic and memory devices typically includes processing a specimen such as a semiconductor wafer using a large number of semiconductor fabrication processes to form various features and multiple levels of the semiconductor devices. For example, lithography is a semiconductor fabrication process that involves transferring a pattern from a reticle to a resist arranged on a semiconductor wafer. Additional examples of semiconductor fabrication processes include, but are not limited to, chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP), etch, deposition, and ion implantation. Multiple semiconductor devices may be fabricated in an arrangement on a single semiconductor wafer and then separated into individual semiconductor devices.
Inspection processes are used at various steps during semiconductor manufacturing processes to detect defects on specimens to promote higher yield in the manufacturing processes and thus higher profits. Inspection has always been an important part of fabricating semiconductor devices. However, as the dimensions of semiconductor devices decrease, inspection becomes even more important to the successful manufacture of acceptable semiconductor devices because devices having smaller dimensions are more prone to failure due to defects. Therefore, as the dimensions of semiconductor devices decrease, more accurate detection of defects has become necessary since unwanted aberrations in the semiconductor devices caused by defects can significantly impact yield of the manufacturing process.
Another important part of manufacturing yield control is determining information about defects on the specimens such that the cause of the defects can be determined and corrected to thereby reduce the number of defects on other specimens. Often, determining the cause of defects involves identifying the defect type and other attributes of the defects such as size, shape, composition, etc. Since inspection typically only involves detecting defects on the specimens and providing limited information about the defects such as locations of the defects on the specimens, number of defects on the specimens, and sometimes defect size, metrology is often used to determine more information about individual defects than that which can be determined from inspection results. For instance, a metrology tool may be used to revisit defects detected on a wafer and to examine the defects further in some manner either automatically or manually.
Metrology processes are also used to determine one or more characteristics of the specimens themselves, which may include physical characteristics (e.g., dimensions), chemical characteristics (e.g., concentration of one or more materials on the specimen), electrical characteristics (e.g., resistance), etc. These characteristics are usually measured to monitor the specimens being produced by various manufacturing processes. For example, if the manufacturing processes are not producing specimens with the desired characteristics (e.g., due to variations or drift in the manufacturing processes), the manufacturing processes are preferably altered such that specimens with the desired characteristics will be produced thereby increasing yield of the manufacturing processes.
Metrology and inspection may be performed for semiconductor specimens other than wafers for reasons similar to those described above (e.g., to monitor and control fabrication or manufacturing and to improve yield of fabrication or manufacturing). Metrology and inspection are performed using a number of different techniques, which may vary depending on the specimen being measured or inspected and the measurements or inspection being performed.
In one such example, strain measurements of silicon wafers may be performed today via indirect methods such as near infrared (NIR) reflectance and measurement of carrier mobility. Strain measurements are particularly important to semiconductor manufacturing since it involves fabricating semiconductor devices with many different materials. When dissimilar materials are formed in contact with one another, the materials may exhibit increased stress. For example, when a dielectric thin film is formed on a monocrystalline silicon substrate, stress may be produced in both the dielectric thin film and the monocrystalline silicon substrate. If the stress in either the thin film or the substrate becomes too high, then the thin film and/or the substrate may be damaged. For instance, the substrate may become so warped that it is no longer viable for use in manufacturing semiconductor devices. For example, wafers that are warped may be unsuitable for lithography processes since the focus of the exposure tool will vary across the wafer due to the differences in the position of the uppermost surface of the wafer caused by the warping.
Process and quality monitoring of the manufacturing of silicon ingots is usually performed off-line with analytical techniques such as Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, which suffers from lack of penetration power, and X-ray techniques, which suffer from laborious experimental preparation. In another example, today, the latent image formed in a resist after ultraviolet (UV) or X-ray exposure is not measured and/or monitored. Instead, measurement is made only after the resist coated wafer has been processed. Some lithography process tools may have internal measurement stations. However, instead of directly measuring chemical changes in the resists, these stations measure factors such as resist thickness and alignment and correlate these measurements to chemical changes. In yet another example, today, testing of liquid crystal displays (LCDs), flat panel displays (FPDs) and other similar products is performed by using electron beams to measure electrical properties. However, 100% interrogation of such products is typically needed. Electron beam testing is disadvantageous for such applications because testing is substantially slow and costly.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to develop systems and methods for determining one or more characteristics of a specimen that do not have one or more of the disadvantages of the currently used methods and systems described above.
The following description of various embodiments of methods, systems, and optical elements is not to be construed in any way as limiting the subject matter of the appended claims.
One embodiment relates to a system configured to determine one or more characteristics of a specimen. The system includes an illumination subsystem configured to illuminate the specimen with radiation. The system also includes a detection subsystem configured to detect radiation propagating from the specimen in response to illumination of the specimen and to generate output responsive to the detected radiation. The detected radiation includes radiation in the terahertz (THz) range. In one embodiment, the radiation in the THz range includes radiation in a range of about 0.1 THz to about 10 THz. In addition, the system includes a processor configured to determine the one or more characteristics of the specimen using the output.
In one embodiment, the illumination subsystem is configured to illuminate the specimen with radiation in the ultraviolet (UV) range. In another embodiment, the illumination subsystem is configured to illuminate the specimen with radiation in the THz range. In an additional embodiment, the illumination subsystem is configured to illuminate the specimen with radiation in the visible range. In a further embodiment, the illumination subsystem is configured to illuminate the specimen with radiation in the infrared (IR) range. In still another embodiment, the illumination subsystem is configured such that the radiation that illuminates the specimen does not include radiation in the THz range.
In one embodiment, the detected radiation includes radiation reflected by the specimen, radiation transmitted by the specimen, radiation scattered by the specimen, or some combination thereof. In another embodiment, the output is responsive to a wavelength, phase, amplitude, energy, intensity, or some combination thereof of the detected radiation. In one such embodiment, the processor is configured to determine the one or more characteristics of the specimen using the wavelength, phase, amplitude, energy, intensity, or some combination thereof of the detected radiation.
In one embodiment, the one or more characteristics include the one or more characteristics as a function of position on the specimen. In another embodiment, the system is configured to determine the one or more characteristics of the specimen during a process performed on the specimen. In some embodiments, the system is configured as a metrology system. In additional embodiments, the system is configured as an inspection system.
In one embodiment, the illumination subsystem includes an optical element that includes one or more materials configured to have at least some material contrast across the optical element. In one such embodiment, the optical element is configured as a photonic crystal optical element. In another embodiment, the detection subsystem includes an optical element that includes one or more materials configured to have at least some material contrast across the optical element. In one such embodiment, the optical element is configured as a photonic crystal optical element.
In one embodiment, the processor is configured to monitor a process performed on the specimen based on the one or more characteristics of the specimen. In another embodiment, the processor is configured to control a process performed on the specimen based on the one or more characteristics of the specimen.
In one embodiment, the specimen includes a strained silicon wafer. In some embodiments, the one or more characteristics include strain of the specimen. In another embodiment, the one or more characteristics include local strain of the specimen. In one embodiment in which the specimen includes a strained silicon wafer, the illumination subsystem is configured to illuminate a strained area on the wafer and an unstrained area on the wafer. In one such embodiment, the detection subsystem is configured to combine the radiation propagating from the strained area and the radiation propagating from the unstrained area to produce a beating frequency in the THz range and to detect the combined radiation.
In one embodiment, the specimen includes a strained material. In one such embodiment, the processor is configured to determine the one or more characteristics of the strained material using the output and output generated by the detection subsystem for a reference strained material. In another embodiment, the processor is configured to determine the one or more characteristics of the specimen using the output and results of a calibration performed by the system using an additional specimen that includes strained and unstrained areas. In a further embodiment, the illumination subsystem includes a probe having a tapered tip and an aperture at an end of the tapered tip through which the radiation is directed to the specimen.
In one embodiment, the specimen includes a silicon ingot. In one such embodiment, the processor is configured to monitor a process for manufacturing the silicon ingot based on the one or more characteristics of the silicon ingot. In another such embodiment, the processor is configured to monitor a quality of the silicon ingot during manufacturing of the silicon ingot based on the one or more characteristics of the silicon ingot.
In one embodiment, the one or more characteristics include concentration of dopants in the specimen, contaminants and impurities in the specimen, voids, cracks, and other subsurface defects in the specimen, or some combination thereof. In one embodiment in which the specimen includes a silicon ingot, the system is configured to determine the one or more characteristics of the silicon ingot during slicing of the silicon ingot into wafers. In one such embodiment, the processor is configured to determine start and stop points for the slicing during the slicing based on the one or more characteristics of the silicon ingot.
In another embodiment in which the specimen includes a silicon ingot, the illumination subsystem is configured to illuminate the silicon ingot by directing radiation to a surface of the silicon ingot that is substantially perpendicular to an axis of the silicon ingot. In an additional embodiment in which the specimen includes a silicon ingot, the illumination subsystem is configured to illuminate the silicon ingot by directing the radiation to the silicon ingot in a plane of incidence substantially parallel to a radius of the silicon ingot.
As described above, the specimen may include a silicon ingot. In one such embodiment, the one or more characteristics include one or more characteristics of contamination in the silicon ingot, and the contamination includes oxygen contamination, carbon contamination, or some combination thereof. In another such embodiment, the one or more characteristics include one or more characteristics of defects in the silicon ingot, and the defects include point defects, line defects, volume defects, or some combination thereof. In one embodiment, the specimen includes a getter layer formed in a silicon wafer, and the one or more characteristics include one or more characteristics of defects in the getter layer.
In one embodiment, the specimen includes a resist formed on a wafer. In one such embodiment, a latent image is formed in the resist. In another such embodiment, the resist has been exposed in an exposure process. In an additional such embodiment, the illumination subsystem is configured to illuminate exposed and unexposed regions of the resist with the radiation.
As described above, the specimen may include a resist formed on a wafer. In one such embodiment, the one or more characteristics include a characteristic of one or more chemical changes in the resist. In another such embodiment, the one or more characteristics include a characteristic of one or more chemical changes in the resist, and the processor is configured to determine one or more variations in exposure of the resist based on the characteristic of the one or more chemical changes in the resist.
In one embodiment, the specimen includes a printed circuit board (PCB) in which vias are formed. In one such embodiment, the one or more characteristics include one or more characteristics of defects in the vias. In another such embodiment, the one or more characteristics include one or more characteristics of subsurface defects in the vias. In a further embodiment, the one or more characteristics include one or more characteristics of defects in the vias as a function of position on the PCB.
In one embodiment, the specimen includes a flat panel display (FPD). In one such embodiment, the one or more characteristics include one or more characteristics of defects in the FPD. In another such embodiment, the system is configured to apply an electric field across a liquid crystal layer of the FPD, and the detection subsystem is configured to detect the radiation before and after the electric field is applied to the liquid crystal layer. In some such embodiments, the processor is configured to determine changes in the detected radiation before and after the electric field is applied to the liquid crystal layer, and the processor is configured to determine the one or more characteristics based on the changes. In one such embodiment, the one or more characteristics include functionality of a FPD cell formed by the liquid crystal layer.
As described above, the specimen may include a FPD. In one such embodiment, the one or more characteristics include functionality of cells in the FPD as a function of position across the FPD. In another such embodiment, the one or more characteristics include voltage build-up behavior of a transparent conductive layer formed within pixels of the FPD. In a further such embodiment, the illumination subsystem is configured to illuminate the FPD using a non-contact technique, and the detection subsystem is configured to detect the radiation propagating from the FPD using a non-contact technique.
In one embodiment, the specimen includes a liquid crystal display (LCD). In one such embodiment, the one or more characteristics include voltage build-up behavior of a transparent conductive layer formed within pixels of the LCD. In another such embodiment, the illumination subsystem is configured to illuminate the LCD using a non-contact technique, and the detection subsystem is configured to detect the radiation propagating from the LCD using a non-contact technique.
In one embodiment, the specimen includes a solar cell panel. In one such embodiment, the one or more characteristics include carrier concentration in the solar cell panel. In another such embodiment, the one or more characteristics include carrier lifetime in the solar cell panel. In an additional such embodiment, the one or more characteristics include the one or more characteristics as a function of position across the solar cell panel.
In one embodiment, the specimen includes a low k dielectric material formed on a substrate. In one such embodiment, the one or more characteristics include one or more characteristics of porosity, delamination, composition of one or more elements in the dielectric material, or some combination thereof. In another such embodiment, the one or more characteristics include the one or more characteristics as a function of position on the low k dielectric material.
In one embodiment, the specimen includes a layer of borophosphosilicate glass (BPSG) formed on a substrate. In one such embodiment, the one or more characteristics include concentration of boron in the layer, concentration of phosphorus in the layer, or some combination thereof. In another such embodiment, the one or more characteristics include the one or more characteristics as a function of position on the layer.
In one embodiment, the specimen includes gallium nitride (GaN). In one such embodiment, the one or more characteristics include concentration of the GaN, content distribution of the GaN, or some combination thereof. In another embodiment, the system is configured to determine the one or more characteristics of the GaN during a process performed for the GaN. In a further such embodiment, the one or more characteristics include the one or more characteristics as a function of position on the GaN. In yet another such embodiment, the one or more characteristics include the one or more characteristics as a function of position on the GaN, and the processor is configured to monitor or control a GaN manufacturing process based on the one or more characteristics as the function of the position on the GaN.
In one embodiment, the specimen includes a material grown in a substrate during a metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) process. In one such embodiment, the one or more characteristics include concentration of the material in the substrate. In another such embodiment, the one or more characteristics include the one or more characteristics as a function of position across the substrate. In one such embodiment, the processor is configured to monitor or control the MOCVD process based on the one or more characteristics as the function of the position across the substrate.
Each of the embodiments of the system described above may be further configured as described herein (e.g., according to any other system embodiment(s) described herein).
Another embodiment relates to a system configured to determine one or more characteristics of one or more chemical vapors, one or more deposited materials, or some combination thereof in a chamber of a MOCVD reactor. This system includes an illumination subsystem configured to illuminate an interior of the chamber of the MOCVD reactor with radiation in the THz range. The system also includes a detection subsystem configured to detect radiation propagating from the interior of the chamber in response to illumination of the interior of the chamber and to generate output responsive to the detected radiation. The detected radiation includes radiation in the THz range. In addition, the system includes a processor configured to determine one or more characteristics of the one or more chemical vapors, the one or more deposited materials, or some combination thereof using the output.
In one embodiment, the one or more characteristics include vapor content of the one or more chemical vapors, the one or more deposited materials, or some combination thereof. In another embodiment, the detected radiation includes reflected radiation, transmitted radiation, scattered radiation, or some combination thereof. In an additional embodiment, the output is responsive to a wavelength, phase, amplitude, energy, intensity, or some combination thereof of the detected radiation, and the processor is configured to determine the one or more characteristics of the one or more chemical vapors, the one or more deposited materials, or some combination thereof using the wavelength, phase, amplitude, energy, intensity, or some combination thereof of the detected radiation. In a further embodiment, the one or more characteristics include vapor content of the one or more chemical vapors, the one or more deposited materials, or some combination thereof, and the processor is configured to monitor or control the MOCVD process based on the vapor content.
Each of the embodiments of the system described above may be further configured as described herein (e.g., according to any other system embodiment(s) described herein).
An additional embodiment relates to a method for determining one or more characteristics of a specimen. The method includes illuminating the specimen with radiation. The method also includes detecting radiation propagating from the specimen in response to the illuminating step to generate output responsive to the detected radiation. The detected radiation includes radiation in the THz range. In addition, the method includes determining the one or more characteristics of the specimen using the output.
Each of the steps of the method described above may be performed as described further herein. In addition, the embodiment of the method described above may include any other step(s) of any other method(s) described herein. Furthermore, the embodiment of the method described above may be performed by any of the systems described herein.
A further embodiment relates to an optical element configured for use in a system configured to determine one or more characteristics of a specimen. The optical element includes one or more materials configured to have at least some material contrast across the optical element. The one or more materials are further configured such that the optical element can be used for radiation in the THz range.
In one embodiment, the optical element is configured as a waveguide. In another embodiment, the optical element is configured as a filter. In an additional embodiment, the optical element is configured as a beam splitter. In yet another embodiment, the optical element is configured as a photonic crystal optical element.
In some embodiments, the one or more materials include ink printed on a substrate. In another embodiment, the one or more materials include a dielectric material. In an additional embodiment, the one or more materials include a semiconductive material. In a further embodiment, the one or more materials include a metal material. In yet another embodiment, the one or more materials include a plastic material.
In some embodiments, the one or more materials include a material having openings formed therein. In one such embodiment, the openings are filled with air. In another such embodiment, the openings are filled with a vacuum. In an additional embodiment, the one or more materials include a single material having openings formed therein, and the openings create the material contrast.
In another embodiment, the one or more materials form patterned features of the optical element. In one such embodiment, the one or more materials include ink printed on a substrate, and each of the patterned features is formed of multiple spots of the ink.
In another such embodiment, each of the patterned features has a size of about 10 microns to about 100 microns. In some embodiments, the one or more materials include a substrate formed of a plastic material.
Each of the embodiments of the optical element described above may be further configured as described herein (e.g., according to any other embodiment(s) described herein). In addition, each of the embodiments of the optical element described above may be included in any of the system embodiments described herein.
Still another embodiment relates to a system configured to fabricate an optical element. The system includes a fabrication subsystem configured to create at least some material contrast across the optical element in one or more materials of the optical element to thereby fabricate the optical element. The one or more materials are configured such that the optical element can be used for radiation in the THz range.
In one embodiment, the fabrication subsystem includes a print head configured to form the one or more materials on a substrate, and the one or more materials include ink. In another embodiment, the fabrication subsystem includes a lithography system. In an additional embodiment, the fabrication subsystem includes a deposition system. In a further embodiment, the fabrication subsystem includes an etch system. In some embodiments, the fabrication subsystem includes a spin processing system.
In one embodiment, the system includes a computer aided design (CAD) system configured to generate a design for patterned features of the optical element formed by the one or more materials. In one such embodiment, the system also includes a processor configured to perform one or more electromagnetic calculations to verify the design.
In one embodiment, the optical element is configured as a waveguide. In another embodiment, the optical element is configured as a filter. In an additional embodiment, the optical element is configured as a beam splitter. In yet another embodiment, the optical element is configured as a photonic crystal optical element.
In one embodiment, the one or more materials include ink printed on a substrate. In another embodiment, the one or more materials include a dielectric material. In an additional embodiment, the one or more materials include a semiconductive material. In a further embodiment, the one or more materials include a metal material. In some embodiments, the one or more materials include a plastic material.
In one embodiment, the one or more materials include a material having openings formed therein. In one such embodiment, the openings are filled with air. In another such embodiment, the openings are filled with a vacuum. In some embodiments, the one or more materials include a single material having openings formed therein, and the openings create the material contrast.
In another embodiment, the one or more materials form patterned features of the optical element. In one such embodiment, the one or more materials include ink printed on a substrate, and each of the patterned features is formed of multiple spots of the ink. In another such embodiment, each of the patterned features has a size of about 10 microns to about 100 microns. In some embodiments, the one or more materials include a substrate formed of a plastic material.
Each of the embodiments of the system described above may be further configured as described herein (e.g., according to any other system embodiment(s) described herein).
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
a is a schematic diagram illustrating a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a probe that may be included in the illumination subsystem of the system shown in
While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown by way of example in the drawings and will herein be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the drawings and detailed description thereto are not intended to limit the invention to the particular form disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.
Turning now to the drawings, it is noted that the figures are not drawn to scale. In particular, the scale of some of the elements of the figures is greatly exaggerated to emphasize characteristics of the elements. It is also noted that the figures are not drawn to the same scale. Elements shown in more than one figure that may be similarly configured have been indicated using the same reference numerals.
In general, the embodiments described herein are configured for using electromagnetic radiation in the terahertz (THz) range (e.g., radiation in a range of about 0.1 THz to about 10 THz) for metrology and inspection applications in the manufacturing of semiconductor or related devices.
One embodiment relates to a system configured to determine one or more characteristics of a specimen. One embodiment of such a system is shown in
In still another embodiment, the illumination subsystem is configured such that the radiation that illuminates the specimen does not include radiation in the THz range. In this manner, the specimen may be illuminated with non-THz radiation (e.g., only non-THz radiation). For example, the illumination subsystem may be configured to illuminate the specimen with radiation in the UV range, radiation in the visible range, radiation in the IR range, or some combination thereof, but not radiation in the THz range.
In another embodiment, the illumination subsystem includes two or more radiation sources (not shown), and the illumination subsystem may be configured to illuminate the specimen with radiation generated by one or more of the radiation sources. The two or more radiation sources may include, for example, one or more radiation sources configured to generate UV light, one or more radiation sources configured to generate radiation in at least the THz range, one or more radiation sources configured to generate radiation in at least the visible range, one or more radiation sources configured to generate radiation in at least the IR range, or some combination thereof. In this manner, the illumination subsystem may include different radiation sources, which are used for sequential and/or simultaneous illumination of the specimen in only some or all of the different ranges. However, the illumination subsystem may include a radiation source that is used for illumination in multiple, different ranges. For example, the illumination subsystem may include a radiation source that is used for illumination of the specimen in some combination of the UV range, the visible range, and the IR range. Such an illumination subsystem may also include any additional radiation source(s) that can be used for illumination in any of the range(s) described herein.
The illumination subsystem may also include beam splitter 12 that is configured to direct radiation from radiation source 10 to lens 14. Beam splitter 12 may include any suitable optical element known in the art and may be selected based on the radiation with which the specimen will be illuminated and the radiation propagating from the specimen that will be detected. Lens 14 may include any suitable optical element known in the art and may also be selected based on the radiation with which the specimen will be illuminated and the radiation propagating from the specimen that will be detected. Lens 14 may be configured to focus the radiation to specimen 16. Specimen 16 may include any of the specimens described herein or any other suitable specimens known in the art.
As shown in
The illumination subsystem may also include any other optical elements described herein (not shown in
The system shown in
The detection subsystem shown in
The detection subsystem shown in
The detection subsystem may also include any other optical elements described herein (not shown in
The system shown in
The processor is configured to determine the one or more characteristics of the specimen using the output generated by the detection subsystem. The output used to determine the one or more characteristics of the specimen may include output generated by any one or more channels (or detectors) of the system. The processor may be configured to determine the one or more characteristics of the specimen as described further herein. For example, in one embodiment, the output generated by the detection subsystem is responsive to a wavelength, phase, amplitude, energy, intensity, or some combination thereof of the detected radiation. In one such embodiment, the processor is configured to determine the one or more characteristics of the specimen using the wavelength, phase, amplitude, energy, intensity, or some combination thereof. However, the processor may be configured to determine the one or more characteristics of the specimen using any other suitable method and/or algorithm. The one or more characteristics may include any of the characteristic(s) described further herein.
For example, in one embodiment, the one or more characteristics include the one or more characteristics as a function of position on the specimen. In one such embodiment, the system may be configured to move the specimen with respect to the illumination and detection subsystems such that output can be generated at different positions on the specimen. For example, the system may include a stage (not shown) on which the specimen is disposed during illumination and detection of the radiation propagating from the specimen. The stage may include any suitable mechanical and/or robotic assembly that can be controlled to alter a position of the specimen with respect to the illumination and detection subsystems. In another such embodiment, the system may be configured to move the illumination and detection subsystems with respect to the specimen such that output can be generated at different positions on the specimen. The system may be configured to move the illumination and detection subsystems in any suitable manner using any suitable device and/or method.
In some embodiments, the system may be configured to maintain a position of the specimen with respect to the illumination and detection subsystems during illumination and detection of the radiation. In another embodiment, the system may be configured to move the specimen and/or the illumination and detection subsystems such that the illumination can be scanned over the specimen while the radiation is being detected. In this manner, the system may be configured as a scanning type system. The system may also be configured such that the specimen can be scanned by the illumination and detection subsystems along any suitable direction or directions known in the art. For example, the system may be configured to scan the specimen in the x and y directions in a serpentine fashion. Alternatively, the system may be configured to scan the specimen by rotating and translating the specimen such that a spiral type path is scanned on the specimen.
In some embodiments, the system is configured to determine the one or more characteristics of the specimen during a process performed on the specimen. For example, the system shown in
In one embodiment, the processor is configured to monitor a process performed on the specimen based on the one or more characteristics of the specimen. In another embodiment, the processor is configured to control a process performed on the specimen based on the one or more characteristics of the specimen. The processor may be configured to monitor and/or control the process based on any of the characteristics of any of the specimens described herein. The process that is monitored and/or controlled by the processor may include any process described herein or any other process known in the art that can be performed on the specimens described herein. The process may be performed on the specimen prior to determining the characteristic(s), during determining the characteristic(s), or after determining the characteristic(s).
The processor may be configured to monitor the process using any method and/or algorithm known in the art such as a statistical process control (SPC) method. In addition, the processor may be configured to control the process using any method, algorithm, and/or technique known in the art such as a feedback control technique, a feedforward control technique, an in situ control technique, or some combination thereof. The processor may be configured to control the process by altering one or more parameters of the process (e.g., by altering one or more parameters of a process tool used to perform the process on the specimen, by altering one or more parameters of a recipe used to perform the process on the specimen, etc.).
In one embodiment, the system is configured as a metrology system. For example, the one or more characteristics of the specimen that are determined by the system shown in
In another embodiment, the system is configured as an inspection system. For example, the one or more characteristics of the specimen that are determined by the system shown in
The processor may be included in any suitable computer system. The computer system may take various forms, including a personal computer system, image computer, mainframe computer system, workstation, network appliance, Internet appliance, or other device. In general, the term “computer system” may be broadly defined to encompass any device having one or more processors, which executes instructions from a memory medium. The computer system may also include any suitable processor known in the art such as a parallel processor. In addition, the computer system may include a computer platform with high speed processing and software, either as a standalone or a networked tool.
The processor may be configured to perform any other step(s) of any method embodiment(s) described herein. The system shown in
It is noted that
In one embodiment, the specimen includes a strained silicon wafer. In another embodiment, the one or more characteristics include strain of the specimen. In this manner, the embodiments described herein may be configured for strain measurements of strained silicon wafers using radiation in the THz range. One embodiment of such a system is shown in
The system shown in
In one such example, a single radiation source may be used to illuminate both the strained area and the unstrained area. For example, the illumination subsystem may include beam splitters 38 and 40, which may include any suitable beam splitters. Radiation source 30 may be configured to direct radiation to beam splitter 38. Beam splitter 38 may be configured to reflect a portion of the radiation to strained area 34 on the specimen and to allow another portion of the radiation to pass through the beam splitter. Beam splitter 40 may be configured to direct the radiation that passed through beam splitter 38 to unstrained area 36 on the specimen. Although the illumination subsystem is shown in
In one embodiment, the illumination subsystem includes a probe having a tapered tip and an aperture at an end of the tapered tip through which the radiation is directed to the specimen. One embodiment of such a probe is illustrated in
Light beams are reflected or transmitted or scattered from the two illuminated areas. The system shown in
Beam combiner 44 may be configured to combine the radiation reflected by reflective optical element 42 and the radiation transmitted by beam splitter 40. The resulting combined radiation may be directed from beam combiner 44 to detector 46. Detector 46 may be configured as described above. Although the detection subsystem shown in
The system shown in
In one embodiment, the specimen includes a strained material, and the processor is configured to determine the one or more characteristics of the strained material using the output described above and output generated by the detection subsystem for a reference strained material. For example, although the reflected or transmitted or scattered beams that are combined as described above may be beams propagating from the same sample, in some embodiments, a reference strained material (not shown) and a test strained material (e.g., specimen 32) are illuminated. Beams reflected or transmitted or scattered from the reference strained material and the test strained material may be combined as described above.
The system may be configured to repeat the operation of the system described above over substantially the entire wafer surface (e.g., in a raster fashion) to allow mapping of the combined reflected or transmitted or scattered THz signal (indicative of local strain) as a function of x and y position on the wafer. For example, the processor may be configured to generate plot 68 shown in
In one embodiment, processor 48 shown in
In one embodiment, the specimen includes a silicon ingot.
As the silicon ingot is pushed through the wafer slicing tool, the THz signal may be directed through the ingot in the radial direction. In particular, the system shown in
In particular, as shown in
The system shown in
The system shown in
In some embodiments, the system shown in
In an additional embodiment, the system is configured to determine the one or more characteristics of the silicon ingot during slicing of the silicon ingot into wafers. For example, as described above, the system may be configured to determine the one or more characteristics of the silicon ingot while the silicon ingot is disposed in a process tool such as a wafer slicing tool and during slicing of the ingot by the wafer slicing tool. In particular, as shown in
In one such embodiment, the processor is configured to determine start and stop points for the slicing during the slicing based on the one or more characteristics of the silicon ingot. For example, the system may be configured to use radiation in the THz range at the wafer slicing step to identify start and stop points by determining the concentration of dopants, contaminants and impurities, and detecting voids, cracks and other subsurface defects online. In one such example, the start and stop points may be identified such that portions of the silicon ingot that include contaminants, impurities, and/or defects such as those described above, unsuitable concentration(s) of dopant(s), or some combination thereof may not be sliced into wafers. In this manner, the system may be configured such that defective portions of the ingot can be rejected. In particular, the processor may determine the one or more characteristics of the silicon ingot as a function of position within the silicon ingot and across the axis of the silicon ingot. As such, the processor may determine that slicing should be stopped just before a portion of the silicon ingot that has one or more characteristics that are unsuitable would otherwise be sliced by the wafer slicing tool. In addition, the processor may determine that slicing should be started just after a portion of the silicon ingot that has one or more characteristics that are unsuitable has been moved beyond the slicing blade or blades of the wafer slicing tool. In this manner, the quality of the wafers produced by the wafer slicing process may be increased using the systems described herein.
The system may also include control subsystem 98. Control subsystem 98 may include any suitable hardware and/or software known in the art. In one embodiment, processor 96 is coupled to control subsystem 98 as described above such that the processor can send one or more characteristics of the silicon ingot determined by the processor, one or more start and/or stop points determined by the processor, or any other information described above that can be determined by the processor to the control subsystem. The control subsystem may be configured to alter one or more parameters of the process tool based on the information provided by the processor. For example, the control subsystem may be coupled to the process tool as described above such that the control subsystem can alter the one or more parameters of the process tool in response to the information about the silicon ingot or the slicing process provided by the processor. The one or more parameters of the process tool that are altered by the control subsystem may include any alterable parameter(s) of the process tool. In addition, the one or more parameters of the process tool may be altered by the control subsystem using a feedback control technique, a feedforward control technique, or an in situ control technique. For example, based upon the start and stop points determined by the processor, the control subsystem may control slicing performed by the process tool such that slicing is started and stopped at the points along the silicon ingot determined by the processor. The system shown in
In another embodiment, the system is configured for axial monitoring of the silicon ingot.
As the silicon ingot is pushed through the wafer slicing tool, the THz signal is sent into the ingot along the axial direction. For example, the system shown in
The system shown in
The system shown in
In some embodiments, processor 112 is configured to monitor a process for manufacturing the silicon ingot based on the one or more characteristics of the silicon ingot. The processor may be configured to monitor the process for manufacturing the silicon ingot as described further herein. In another embodiment, the processor is configured to monitor a quality of the silicon ingot during manufacturing of the silicon ingot based on the one or more characteristics of the silicon ingot. The processor may be configured to monitor the quality of the silicon ingot during manufacturing of the silicon ingot as described further herein. In an additional embodiment, the system is configured to determine the one or more characteristics of the silicon ingot during slicing of the silicon ingot into wafers. The system may be configured to determine the one or more characteristics of the silicon ingot as described further herein. In one such embodiment, the processor is configured to determine start and stop points for the slicing during the slicing based on the one or more characteristics of the silicon ingot. The processor may be configured to determine the start and stop points as described further herein. The system shown in
In one embodiment, the specimen includes a getter layer formed in a silicon wafer. The getter layer may include any getter layer known in the art and may be formed by any gettering process known in the art. In one such embodiment, the one or more characteristics include one or more characteristics of defects in the getter layer. The defects in the getter layer for which one or more characteristics are determined may include any defects known in the art that may be formed in or on getter layers. In this manner, the systems described herein can be configured for using radiation in the THz range to inspect the getter layer in silicon wafers. For example, the system shown in
In one embodiment, the specimen includes a resist formed on a wafer.
One or more layers may be formed upon a wafer. For example, such layers may include, but are not limited to, a resist, a dielectric material, a conductive material, and a semiconductive material. Many different types of such layers are known in the art, and the term wafer as used herein is intended to encompass a wafer on which all types of such layers may be formed.
One or more layers formed on a wafer may be patterned or unpatterned. For example, a wafer may include a plurality of dies, each having repeatable patterned features. Formation and processing of such layers of material may ultimately result in completed devices. Many different types of devices may be formed on a wafer, and the term wafer as used herein is intended to encompass a wafer on which any type of device known in the art is being fabricated.
The embodiments described herein may be configured for inspection and/or measurement of a latent image formed in a resist (e.g., a photoresist) using radiation in the THz range. Exposure of resist to electromagnetic radiation (e.g., UV light or X-rays) breaks or changes chemical bonds in the resist in a way that affects the rate of removal in subsequent process steps that selectively remove the irradiated resist (or alternatively selectively remove the unexposed resist). Measurements are needed to control the total patterning process. The preferred method today is to make measurements of the developed resist. It would be useful if measurements could be made earlier in the process or even during exposure of the resist to determine the effects of the exposure on the resist prior to development. Radiation in the THz range may be sensitive to chemical changes in the resist caused by exposure or subsequent process steps (e.g., heat treatment or post exposure bake) and provide useful information to control the process steps without damaging the resist (e.g., since the energy of radiation in the THz range is relatively low and the resist is not sensitive to radiation in the THz range). One example of a way this information could be used to control process steps is to improve the gate linewidth which determines transistor speed.
In one embodiment, the resist has been exposed in an exposure process. For example, after exposure, substantially the entire resist-coated substrate surface may include both exposed and unexposed regions. For example, as shown in
The illumination subsystem may be configured to illuminate exposed and unexposed regions of the resist with radiation. For example, the illumination subsystem may be configured as described further herein such that the illumination subsystem can scan the radiation across the exposed and unexposed regions of the resist and/or change the position on the resist that is illuminated with the radiation. In this manner, after exposure, substantially the entire resist coated substrate surface, both the exposed and unexposed regions, are illuminated with radiation in the THz range. The illumination subsystem of the system shown in
The system shown in
The system shown in
In one embodiment, the operation of the system described above can be repeated over substantially the entire substrate surface (e.g., in a raster fashion) to allow mapping of the THz signal (indicative of the chemical changes) as a function of x and y position. In this manner, the system can be used to inspect substantially the entire wafer in a raster fashion. This THz raster type inspection can follow the raster movement of the exposure process. For example,
In one embodiment, the specimen includes a printed circuit board (PCB) in which vias are formed. One embodiment of such a specimen is shown in
Although many PCB manufacturers share this manufacturing challenge, today there is no analytical inspection solution to this problem. Similar challenges exist in the manufacturing of semiconductors, but critical dimensions (CDs) in semiconductors are several orders of magnitude smaller. The embodiments described herein may be used to detect such buried voids and dimples in vias in PCBs. In this manner, the embodiments described herein may be configured and used for inspection of PCBs using radiation in the THz range. For example,
The system shown in
The system shown in
The system shown in
In one embodiment, the specimen includes a flat panel display (FPD). One embodiment of such a specimen is illustrated in
The system shown in
The system shown in
The system shown in
In one embodiment, the system is configured to apply an electric field across a LC layer of the FPD. The system may be configured to apply the electric field across the LC layer in any suitable manner. In one such embodiment, the detection subsystem is configured to detect the radiation before and after the electric field is applied to the LC layer. The processor is configured to determine changes in the detected radiation before and after the electric field is applied to the LC layer. The processor is also configured to determine the one or more characteristics based on the changes, and the one or more characteristics include functionality of a FPD cell formed by the LC layer. In this manner, the system may be configured to apply an electric field across the LC layer and observe the changes in phase, amplitude, energy and/or intensity (or some combination thereof) of the transmitted, reflected, and/or scattered THz signal (or some combination thereof). These changes are characteristic of the functionality of the FPD cell and can, therefore, be used by the processor to determine the functionality of the FPD cell.
In another embodiment, the one or more characteristics include functionality of cells in the FPD as a function of position across the FPD. For example, the operation of the system described above may be repeated over substantially the entire FPD (e.g., in a raster fashion) to allowing mapping of the THz signal (indicative of the functionality of the FPD cell) as a function of x and y position. The system may be configured to repeat this operation as described further herein. The system shown in
In this manner, the systems described herein may be configured for inspection and/or metrology of FPDs, liquid crystal displays (LCDs), and other similar devices using radiation in the THz range. In some embodiments in which the specimen includes a FPD, the one or more characteristics include voltage build-up behavior of a transparent conductive layer (TCL) formed within pixels of the FPD. In another such embodiment, the illumination subsystem is configured to illuminate the FPD using a non-contact technique, and the detection subsystem is configured to detect the radiation propagating from the FPD using a non-contact technique. In one embodiment, the specimen includes a LCD. In one such embodiment, the one or more characteristics include voltage build-up behavior of a TCL formed within pixels of the LCD. In another such embodiment, the illumination subsystem is configured to illuminate the LCD using a non-contact technique, and the detection subsystem is configured to detect the radiation propagating from the LCD using a non-contact technique. In this manner, the embodiments described above make use of electromagnetic radiation in the THz range (about 0.1 THz to about 10 THz) for metrology and inspection applications in the manufacturing of FPDs, LCDs, and other similar products. By using radiation in the THz range, electrical and other properties can be detected and measured without contact.
As shown in
When radiation is directed onto the TCL during the voltage ramp-up, charge-carriers will be generated. The voltage difference across the TCL and the source will then accelerate these carriers. This acceleration of the carriers generates electromagnetic radiation in the THz range, whose characteristics can be determined by the first time derivative of the TCL's voltage ramp up curve, as shown in
The system also includes a detection subsystem configured to detect radiation propagating from the specimen in response to illumination of the specimen and to generate output responsive to the detected radiation. The detected radiation includes radiation in the THz range. For example, the detection subsystem includes detector 216 configured to detect radiation in the THz range propagating from pixel 200. The detector may include any suitable THz radiation detector. The radiation that is detected by the detector may include radiation scattered by the pixel and/or radiation reflected by the pixel. The detection subsystem of the system shown in
The system also includes a processor configured to determine the one or more characteristics of the specimen using the output. For example, the system may include processor 218 that is configured to determine one or more characteristics of pixel 200 using output generated by detector 216 of the detection subsystem. As shown in
Substantially an entire FPD, LCD, and/or other similar product can be examined by moving the FPD, LCD, and/or other similar product (e.g., in a raster fashion) in the x and y directions relative to the radiation source and the THz radiation detector. For example, as shown in
The embodiments described above for determining one or more characteristics of FPDs, LCDs, and other similar products have a number of advantages over other metrology and inspection systems for such products. For example, the systems described above require no contact with the specimen thereby preventing potential damage to the specimen. In addition, inspection and metrology performed using radiation in the THz range can be performed substantially quickly compared to traditional electron beam measurement and inspection techniques. Furthermore, radiation in the THz range is the last bit of the electromagnetic spectrum that has not been available for commercial uses. However, this range of THz radiation brings as much promise as other ranges in the electromagnetic spectrum such as microwave, infrared, and X-ray. With the deeper penetration power and non-ionizing nature of radiation in the THz range, THz signals will open new inspection possibilities that are unique relative to other techniques. Embodiments described herein for determining one or more characteristics of other specimens described herein have all of the advantages described above.
In one embodiment, the specimen includes a solar cell panel. For example, specimen 16 shown in
In one embodiment, the one or more characteristics include carrier concentration in the solar cell panel. For example, the phase, amplitude, energy, and/or intensity (or some combination thereof) of the transmitted, reflected, and/or scattered THz signal (or some combination thereof) are characteristic of the local concentration of carriers in the solar cell panel and can therefore be used by the processor to determine the carrier concentration in the solar cell panel. In another embodiment, the one or more characteristics include carrier lifetime in the solar cell panel. In addition, the system may be configured to determine carrier concentration and lifetime in solar cell panels using radiation in the THz range.
In an additional embodiment, the one or more characteristics include the one or more characteristics as a function of position across the solar cell panel. The system shown in
In some embodiments, the specimen includes a low k dielectric material formed on a substrate. For example, such a specimen may be configured as shown in
The system shown in
In one embodiment, the one or more characteristics include one or more characteristics of porosity, delamination, composition of one or more elements in the dielectric material, or some combination thereof. In this manner, the system may be configured to determine porosity, delamination, and composition of oxygen and/or hydrogen in low k dielectric materials using radiation in the THz range. For example, the phase, amplitude, energy, and/or intensity (or some combination thereof) of the transmitted, reflected, and/or scattered THz signal (or some combination thereof) are characteristic of porosity, delamination, and composition of oxygen and hydrogen in low k materials and can therefore be used by the processor to determine the one or more characteristics of the low k material described above. In a similar manner, the system may be configured to determine one or more characteristics (composition, distribution, etc.) of any other elements and/or molecules present in the low k dielectric material such as nitrogen.
In another embodiment, the one or more characteristics include the one or more characteristics as a function of position on the low k dielectric material. The system may be configured to determine the one or more characteristics of the low k dielectric material as a function of position as described above. For example, the system may be configured to repeat the operation of the system described above over substantially the entire low k material surface (e.g., in a raster fashion) to allow mapping of the THz signal (indicative of porosity, delamination, and composition of oxygen and/or hydrogen) as a function of x and y position on the low k dielectric material.
In some embodiments, the specimen includes a layer of borophosphosilicate glass (BPSG) formed on a substrate. For example, such a specimen may be configured as shown in
The system shown in
In one embodiment, the one or more characteristics include concentration of boron in the layer, concentration of phosphorus in the layer, or some combination thereof. For example, the phase, amplitude, energy, and/or intensity (or some combination thereof) of the transmitted, reflected, and/or scattered THz signal (or some combination thereof) are characteristic of the boron and phosphorus concentration in the layer of BPSG and can therefore be used by the processor to determine the boron and/or phosphorus concentration in the layer of BPSG. In this manner, the system may be configured to determine the boron and/or phosphorus concentration in a layer of BPSG using radiation in the THz range.
In another embodiment, the one or more characteristics include the one or more characteristics of the layer of BPSG as a function of position on the layer. The system may be configured to determine the one or more characteristics of the layer of BPSG as a function of position as described above. For example, the system may be configured to repeat the operation of the system described above over substantially the entire surface of the layer of BPSG (e.g., in a raster fashion) to allow mapping of the THz signal (indicative of boron and phosphorus concentration) as a function of x and y position on the layer of BPSG.
In some embodiments, the specimen includes gallium nitride (GaN). For example, such a specimen may be configured as shown in
The system shown in
In one embodiment, the one or more characteristics include concentration of the GaN, content distribution of the GaN, or some combination thereof. For example, the phase, amplitude, energy, and/or intensity (or some combination thereof) of the transmitted, reflected, and/or scattered THz signal (or some combination thereof) are characteristic of the concentration and content distribution of the GaN and can therefore be used by the processor to determine the concentration and/or content distribution of the GaN. In another embodiment, the system is configured to determine the one or more characteristics of the GaN during a process performed for the GaN. For example, the system may be configured to determine the concentration and/or content distribution of GaN using radiation in the THz range during the manufacturing (e.g., growing and/or treating) of GaN materials. In an additional embodiment, the one or more characteristics include the one or more characteristics as a function of position on the GaN. For example, the system may be configured to repeat the operation of the system over substantially the entire GaN surface (e.g., in a raster fashion) to allow mapping of the THz signal (indicative of GaN concentration) as a function of x and y position. In one embodiment in which the one or more characteristics include the one or more characteristics as a function of position on the GaN, the processor is configured to monitor or control a GaN manufacturing process based on the one or more characteristics as a function of the position on the GaN. For example, the mapped information that may be generated as described above can be used for improving and better-controlling the GaN manufacturing process.
In one embodiment, the specimen includes a material grown in a substrate during a metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) process. For example, such a specimen may be configured as shown in
The system shown in
In one such embodiment, the one or more characteristics include concentration of the material in the substrate. For example, the phase, amplitude, energy, and/or intensity (or some combination thereof) of the transmitted, reflected, and/or scattered THz signal (or some combination thereof) are characteristic of the concentration of grown materials in substrates and can therefore be used by the processor to determine the concentration of the material. In this manner, the system may be configured to determine the concentration of materials grown in substrates in the MOCVD process using radiation in the THz range. In another embodiment, the one or more characteristics include the one or more characteristics as a function of position across the substrate. For example, the system may be configured to perform the operation of the system over substantially the entire substrate surface (e.g., in a raster fashion) to allow mapping of the THz signal (indicative of concentration of grown materials) as a function of x and y position. In one embodiment in which the one or more characteristics include the one or more characteristics as a function of position across the substrate, the processor is configured to monitor or control the MOCVD process based on the one or more characteristics as the function of the position across the substrate. For example, the mapping information generated as described above can be used for improving and better-controlling the MOCVD process.
Another embodiment relates to a different system configured to determine one or more characteristics of one or more chemical vapors, one or more deposited materials, or some combination thereof in a chamber of a MOCVD reactor. One such embodiment is shown in
The system also includes a detection subsystem configured to detect radiation propagating from the interior of the chamber in response to illumination of the interior of the chamber and to generate output responsive to the detected radiation. The detected radiation includes radiation in the THz range. In one embodiment, the detected radiation includes reflected radiation, transmitted radiation, scattered radiation, or some combination thereof. In this manner, the detection subsystem may be configured to detect the transmitted, reflected, and/or scattered THz signal (or some combination thereof). For example, as shown in
The detection subsystem also includes detector 248 configured to detect light scattered by interior 232 and transmitted through window 250 disposed in wall 252 of chamber 234. Window 250 may be configured as described above. In addition, detector 248 may be configured to detect the light scattered by interior 232 and transmitted by wall 252, and in such instances window 250 may not be formed in wall 252. Detector 248 may be further configured as described herein.
The detection subsystem also includes detector 254 configured to detect light reflected by interior 232, transmitted by window 230, and reflected by beam splitter 228. In addition, detector 254 may be configured to detect the light reflected by interior 232 and transmitted by wall 236, and in such instances window 230 may not be formed in wall 236. Detector 254 may be further configured as described herein. The detection subsystem shown in
The system shown in
For example, in one embodiment, the output generated by the detection subsystem is responsive to a wavelength, phase, amplitude, energy, intensity, or some combination thereof of the detected radiation, and the processor is configured to determine the one or more characteristics of the one or more chemical vapors, the one or more deposited materials, or some combination thereof in the chamber using the wavelength, phase, amplitude, energy, intensity, or some combination thereof of the detected radiation. In one embodiment, the one or more characteristics of the one or more chemical vapors, the one or more deposited materials, or some combination thereof in the chamber include vapor content of the one or more chemical vapors, the one or more deposited materials, or some combination thereof in the chamber. For example, the phase, amplitude, energy, and/or intensity (or some combination thereof) of the transmitted, reflected, and/or scattered THz signal (or some combination thereof) are characteristic of vapor content in the chamber and can, therefore, be used by the processor to determine the vapor content of the one or more chemical vapors, the one or more deposited materials, or some combination thereof in the chamber. In this manner, the system shown in
In one embodiment in which the one or more characteristics of the one or more chemical vapors, the one or more deposited materials, or some combination thereof in the chamber include vapor content, the processor is configured to monitor or control the MOCVD process based on the vapor content. For example, the vapor content information described above may be used to control the MOCVD process. The processor may be further configured according to any other embodiments described herein. In addition, the system shown in
Another embodiment relates to a method for determining one or more characteristics of a specimen. The specimen may include any of the specimens described herein. The method includes illuminating the specimen with radiation. Illuminating the specimen with radiation may be performed as described further herein. The radiation may include any of the radiation described herein (e.g., radiation in the UV range, radiation in the THz range, radiation in the visible range, radiation in the IR range, or some combination thereof).
The method also includes detecting radiation propagating from the specimen in response to the illuminating step to generate output responsive to the detected radiation. The detected radiation includes radiation in the THz range. The radiation propagating from the specimen may include any of the radiation described herein (e.g., radiation transmitted by the specimen, radiation scattered from the specimen, radiation reflected by the specimen, or some combination thereof). The radiation may be detected as described further herein. The output may include any of the output described herein.
The method further includes determining the one or more characteristics of the specimen using the output. The one or more characteristics of the specimen may include any of the characteristic(s) described herein. The one or more characteristics of the specimen may be determined according to any of the embodiments described herein.
Each of the embodiments of the method described above may include any other step(s) described herein. Furthermore, each of the embodiments of the method described above may be performed by any of the systems described herein.
All of the methods described herein may include storing results of one or more steps of the method embodiments in a storage medium. The results may include any of the results described herein and may be stored in any manner known in the art. The storage medium may include any storage medium described herein or any other suitable storage medium known in the art. After the results have been stored, the results can be accessed in the storage medium and used by any of the method or system embodiments described herein, formatted for display to a user, used by another software module, method, or system, etc. For example, after the method determines the one or more characteristics of the specimen, the method may include storing the determined characteristic(s) in a storage medium. Furthermore, the results may be stored “permanently,” “semi-permanently,” temporarily, or for some period of time. For example, the storage medium may be random access memory (RAM), and the results may not necessarily persist indefinitely in the storage medium. In a similar manner, any of the embodiments of the systems described herein may be configured to store any of the results described herein in a storage medium as described above. Storing the results may be performed by any of the processors described herein.
The embodiments described herein have a number of advantages over other methods and systems for determining characteristic(s) of a specimen. For example, radiation in the THz range behaves dramatically differently than radiation in other ranges currently used in inspection and metrology systems today. In particular, radiation in the THz range has deeper penetration power and a non-ionizing nature relative to other inspection technologies, which is particularly advantageous for determining the characteristics described herein for the specimens described herein. In addition, radiation in the THz range is the last bit of the electromagnetic spectrum that has not been available for commercial uses. However, this range of THz radiation brings as much promise as other ranges in the electromagnetic spectrum such as microwave, infrared, and X-rays. With their deeper penetration power and non-ionizing nature, THz signals will open new inspection possibilities that are unique relative to other technologies.
An additional embodiment relates to an optical element configured for use in a system configured to determine one or more characteristics of a specimen. The optical element includes one or more materials configured to have at least some material contrast across the optical element. The one or more materials are further configured such that the optical element can be used for radiation in the THz range.
In one embodiment, the optical element is configured as a waveguide. The optical element may be configured to perform any suitable waveguide functions known in the art. In another embodiment, the optical element is configured as a filter. The optical element may be configured to perform any suitable filtering functions known in the art. In an additional embodiment, the optical element is configured as a beam splitter. The optical element may be configured to perform any suitable beam splitting functions known in the art.
In some embodiments, the optical element is configured as a photonic crystal optical element.
In one embodiment, the one or more materials include ink printed on a substrate. The ink may include any suitable ink. In another embodiment, the one or more materials include a dielectric material, which may include any suitable dielectric material known in the art. In an additional embodiment, the one or more materials include a semiconductive material, which may include any suitable semiconductive material. In a further embodiment, the one or more materials include a metal material, which may include any suitable metal material known in the art. In some embodiments, the one or more materials include a plastic material, which may include any suitable plastic material known in the art. In addition, the optical element may include some combination of the above-described materials (e.g., one or more inks, one or more dielectric materials, one or more semiconductive materials, one or more metal materials, one or more plastic materials, or some combination thereof).
In one embodiment, the one or more materials include a material having openings formed therein. For example, one embodiment of an optical element configured for use in a system configured to determine one or more characteristics of a specimen is shown in
In addition, although the optical element shown in
In one embodiment, the openings are filled with air. For example, the optical element may be disposed in an ambient environment, and the openings (or holes) may naturally fill with air thereby creating the material contrast suitable for formation of a photonic crystal or other optical element described herein. In another such embodiment, the openings are filled with a vacuum. For example, the optical element may be disposed within a vacuum or a vacuum may be created near the optical element thereby creating a vacuum in the openings thereby creating the material contrast suitable for formation of a photonic crystal or other optical element described herein. In this manner, the embodiments of the optical elements described herein may include one or more materials, which may include one or more dielectric materials, one or more semiconductive materials, one or more metal materials, one or more plastic materials, air, vacuum, or some combination thereof.
In another embodiment, the one or more materials form patterned features of the optical element. The patterned features may have any suitable shape and dimensions and may be positioned in any suitable arrangement. For example, the patterned features may include openings such as those described above having a generally cylindrical shape or, in the inverse, rods having a generally cylindrical shape formed of a material such as a dielectric material. In some embodiments, the one or more materials include ink printed on a substrate, and each of the patterned features is formed of multiple spots of the ink. For example, the patterned features may include multiple spots formed one on top of another to achieve a desired thickness. In addition, or alternatively, the patterned features may include multiple spots of the ink that do not overlap one another and/or partially overlap one another to achieve a desired shape of the features, a desired size of the features, and/or a desired thickness gradient of the patterned features. In another such embodiment, each of the patterned features has a size of about 10 microns to about 100 microns. For example, for the cases of visible and near infrared (NIR) radiation, the features may have sizes of about tens of nanometers to hundreds of nanometers. However, for THz radiation, the feature sizes may be tens of microns to about hundreds of microns. In some embodiments, the one or more materials include a substrate formed of a plastic material. For example, some of the materials used for THz optics are plastics, and the substrate may include any suitable plastic material. Each of the embodiments of the optical element described above may be further configured according to any other embodiments described herein. In addition, each of the embodiments of the optical elements described above may be included in any of the system embodiments described herein.
A further embodiment relates to a system configured to fabricate an optical element. The optical element may be configured for use in a system configured to determine one or more characteristics of a specimen, which may include any of the systems described herein.
As shown in
In one embodiment, fabrication subsystem 270 includes a print head configured to form the one or more materials on a substrate, and the one or more materials include ink. The print head may include any suitable print head known in the art. For example, the print head may include an inkjet print head, and many commercially available inkjet print heads may be suitable for use in the embodiments described herein. In addition, an inkjet printer may be fitted with cartridges filled with the appropriate precursor materials (e.g., the ink). Therefore, an optical element described herein can be fabricated using an inkjet print head. In this manner, the system shown in
In this manner, the fabrication subsystem may be configured to use commercially available inkjet printing technology to create both conventional and photonic optical devices. Because the wavelength of THz radiation is somewhat larger than the resolution available on inkjet printers and because the required thickness buildup is also similar to the requirement for THz waveguides, inkjet technology is particularly well suited for this purpose. Furthermore, some of the materials used for THz optics are plastics. In addition, as described above, the one or more materials may include a substrate formed of a plastic material. Such materials are particularly well suited for inkjet deposition compared with conventional dielectrics, metals, and semiconductors.
Although print heads such as those described above may be particularly advantageous for use in systems configured to fabricate the optical elements described herein (e.g., for fabricating patterned features having sizes described herein), such print heads are by no means the only fabrication subsystem that can be used in the systems. For example, in one embodiment, the fabrication subsystem includes a lithography system, which may include any suitable lithography system known, in the art such as an optical lithography system, an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography system, an imprint lithography system, etc. In another embodiment, the fabrication subsystem includes a deposition system, which may include any suitable deposition system known in the art such as a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) system, a plasma-enhanced CVD (PE-CVD) system, an atomic layer deposition (ALD) system, a physical vapor deposition (PVD) system such as a sputtering based PVD system, etc. In an additional embodiment, the fabrication subsystem includes an etch system, which may include any suitable etch system known in the art. In a further embodiment, the fabrication subsystem includes a spin processing system, which may include any suitable spin processing system known in the art configured to perform any spin processing such as wet chemical etching, coating, cleaning, etc. Furthermore, the fabrication subsystem may include one or more such systems (e.g., a lithography system and an etch system). In this manner, in addition to being deposited by an inkjet, the patterned features of the optical element may be formed by some combination of lithography, spin processing, deposition, etch, etc.
In another embodiment, the system includes a computer aided design (CAD) system configured to generate a design for patterned features of the optical element formed by the one or more materials. For example, as shown in
The system shown in
The optical element fabricated by the system may be configured as described above. For example, as described above, the optical element may be configured as a waveguide. In another embodiment, the optical element is configured as a filter. In some embodiments, the optical element is configured as a beam splitter. In a further embodiment, the optical element is configured as a photonic crystal optical element. Alternatively, the optical element may be configured as a conventional (e.g., non-photonic crystal) optical element. In this manner, the system embodiments described herein may perform a method for fabrication of THz waveguides and other THz optical devices. In addition, the system embodiments described herein provide a relatively low cost, versatile method of manufacturing THz optical devices such as waveguides, filters, splitters, etc.
In one embodiment, the one or more materials include ink printed on a substrate. In another embodiment, the one or more materials include a dielectric material, which may include any suitable dielectric material known in the art. In an additional embodiment, the one or more materials include a semiconductive material, which may include any suitable semiconductive material known in the art. In a further embodiment, the one or more materials include a metal material, which may include any suitable metal material known in the art. In yet another embodiment, the one or more materials include a plastic material, which may include any suitable plastic material known in the art.
In one embodiment, the one or more materials include a material having openings formed therein. In one such embodiment, the openings are filled with air. In another such embodiment, the openings are filled with a vacuum. In an additional embodiment, the one or more materials include a single material having openings formed therein, and the openings create the material contrast.
In another embodiment, the one or more materials form patterned features of the optical element. In one such embodiment, the one or more materials include ink printed on a substrate, and each of the patterned features is formed of multiple spots of the ink. For example, multiple layers can be built up from the precursor materials in such a manner as to create the desired 2D or one-dimensional structure. In another such embodiment, each of the patterned features has a size of about 10 microns to about 100 microns. For example, for the cases of visible and NIR radiation, the features may have sizes of about tens of nanometers to hundreds of nanometers. However, for THz radiation, the feature sizes may be tens of microns to about hundreds of microns. Creating these features lithographically may be expensive and inflexible. However, THz waveguides are currently fabricated by micromachining or lithography. In addition, IR waveguides are currently manufactured primarily by lithography. Creating these features using precision mechanical fabrication techniques is prohibitively difficult, expensive, and less flexible than those described herein. However, microwave waveguides are currently made primarily using precision mechanical fabrication techniques. In addition, mechanical construction of THz waveguides requires prohibitively tight tolerances and relatively small feature sizes. Inkjet technology is inexpensive, flexible, well-characterized, and particularly compatible with the materials appropriate for THz optical devices. Therefore, the system embodiments described herein are advantageous in cost, flexibility, and performance. Furthermore, low resolution, maskless lithography may be able to achieve some of the advantages of the embodiments described herein, but not all of the advantages. Moreover, the embodiments of systems for fabricating an optical element and the optical elements described herein may be enabling technology for applications of THz technology such as semiconductor applications and applications in other fields.
Further modifications and alternative embodiments of various aspects of the invention may be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of this description. For example, systems and methods for determining one or more characteristics of a specimen using radiation in the THz range are provided. Accordingly, this description is to be construed as illustrative only and is for the purpose of teaching those skilled in the art the general manner of carrying out the invention. It is to be understood that the forms of the invention shown and described herein are to be taken as the presently preferred embodiments. Elements and materials may be substituted for those illustrated and described herein, parts and processes may be reversed, and certain features of the invention may be utilized independently, all as would be apparent to one skilled in the art after having the benefit of this description of the invention. Changes may be made in the elements described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as described in the following claims.
