18194909. IMAGING ELLIPSOMETER AND METHOD OF MEASURING AN OVERLAY ERROR USING THE SAME simplified abstract (SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.)
Contents
IMAGING ELLIPSOMETER AND METHOD OF MEASURING AN OVERLAY ERROR USING THE SAME
Organization Name
Inventor(s)
Hankyoul Moon of Suwon-si (KR)
IMAGING ELLIPSOMETER AND METHOD OF MEASURING AN OVERLAY ERROR USING THE SAME - A simplified explanation of the abstract
This abstract first appeared for US patent application 18194909 titled 'IMAGING ELLIPSOMETER AND METHOD OF MEASURING AN OVERLAY ERROR USING THE SAME
Simplified Explanation
The patent application describes a method for measuring alignment errors using light and polarization transmittance. Here are the key points:
- Light is directed onto a reference wafer with a known polarization transmittance.
- An image signal is obtained from the reference wafer at different angles using a polarizer and an analyzer.
- The polarization transmittance of the optical equipment is calculated based on the image signal from the reference wafer.
- Light is then directed onto a measurement target wafer with a structure on its surface.
- An image signal is obtained from the measurement wafer at different angles using the same polarizer and analyzer settings.
- At least a portion of the Mueller matrix, which describes the polarization properties of the measurement wafer, is generated from the image signal.
Potential applications of this technology:
- Alignment error measurement in semiconductor manufacturing processes.
- Quality control in the production of optical components.
- Characterization of thin films and coatings.
Problems solved by this technology:
- Accurate measurement of alignment errors in manufacturing processes.
- Non-destructive characterization of polarization properties of materials.
- Efficient and reliable quality control in production.
Benefits of this technology:
- Improved accuracy and precision in alignment error measurement.
- Non-invasive and non-destructive measurement technique.
- Time and cost savings in quality control processes.
Original Abstract Submitted
In a method of measuring an alignment error, light is incident on a surface of a reference wafer having a known polarization transmittance at the surface. An image signal is obtained from the reference wafer at a set of angles including a first combination of values of a polarizer angle and an analyzer angle. Polarization transmittance of optical equipment including a polarizer and an analyzer is calculated from the image signal of the reference wafer. Light is incident on a surface of a measurement target wafer having a structure on the surface thereof. An image signal is obtained from the measurement wafer at a set of angles including a second combination of values of the polarizer angle and the analyzer angle. At least a portion of Mueller matrix is generated from the image signal of the measurement wafer.
