Optical phase measurement system and method

1. A method for use in optical measurements on patterned structures, the method comprising:

performing a number of optical measurements on a structure with a measurement spot configured to provide detection of light reflected from an illuminating spot at least partially covering at least two different regions of the structure,

said measurements including detecting light reflected from said at least part of the at least two different regions within the measurement spot,

the detected light comprising interference of at least two complex electric fields reflected from said at least part of the at least two different regions, and being therefore indicative of a phase response of the structure, carrying information about properties of the structure.

2. The method according to claim 1 , comprising at least two of the optical measurements, with the measurement spot of the same size and different, at least partial coverage of said at least two different regions of the structure.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said number of optical measurements comprise directing one or more illuminating light beams onto said structure with normal incidence.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said number of optical measurements comprise directing one or more of the illuminating beams onto said structure with oblique incidence.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said number of optical measurements are performed with multiple wavelengths, the detected light being therefore indicative of a spectral phase response of the structure, carrying information about the properties of the structure.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the detected light response is in the form of a position and wavelength dependent signal.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the measurement spot carrying information about the at least two different regions is configured such that an illuminating spot on the structure and a spot formed by the detected light are of significantly different sizes.

8. The method according to claim 1 , comprising processing the detected phase response of the structure utilizing data indicative of mixing coefficients.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the mixing coefficients are determined from preliminary measurements of a phase response.

10. The method according to claim 9 , comprising at least one of the following:

providing the illuminating spot of a significantly different size than a spot formed by the detected light, and

locating a light source at a back focal plane of focusing optics.

11. The method according to claim 1 , comprising separating between TE and TM polarization components in the detected light response of the structure.

12. The method according to claim 1 , comprising providing data indicative of a location of the measurement spot with respect to layout of the structure.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said number of measurement is at least 3 , thereby enabling determination of phase of light returned from the different regions by processing the detected phase response.

14. The method according to claim 1 , comprising performing at least two of the optical measurements, while with shifted positions of the measurement spot, thereby controllably modifying values of mixing coefficients affecting the detected light, and increasing amount of information about the structure in the detected phase responses.

15. The method according to claim 1 , comprising performing at least two of the optical measurements, while controllably changing at least one parameter of an optical measurement device by a known degree, thereby controllably modifying the detected phase response, and increasing amount of information about the structure in the detected phase responses.

16. A system for use in measurements on patterned structures, the system comprising an optical measurement device comprising:

an illumination unit configured and operable for focusing light onto an illuminating spot on a structure at least partially covering at least two different regions of the structure to thereby cause light reflections from said at least two different regions; and

a light detection unit collecting light including the light reflections of said at least part of the at least two different regions, the collected light therefore comprising an interference pattern formed by interference of at least two complex electric fields reflected from said at least two different regions, and being therefore indicative of a phase response of the structure, carrying information about properties of the structure.

17. The system according to claim 16 , wherein said optical measurement device is configured to operate with either normal or oblique incidence mode, or both of them.

18. The system according to claim 16 , wherein the optical measurement device is operable for performing at least two optical measurements with the illuminating spot of the same size with different at least partial coverage of said at least two different regions of the structure.

19. The system according to claim 16 , wherein said optical measurement device is configured and operable with multiple wavelengths, the detected light being therefore indicative of a spectral phase response of the structure.

20. An interferometric method comprising:

performing one or more optical measurements comprising:

illuminating a structure with an illuminating light spot configured for at least partially covering at least two different-type regions of the structure; and

detecting light reflected from the structure and including at least two different light responses of said at least part of the at least two different-type regions, the detected light comprising an interference pattern formed by self-interference of at least two complex electric fields reflected from said at least two different regions, and being therefore indicative of a phase response of the structure, carrying information about properties of the structure.