Method of determining the depth profile of a surface structure and system for determining the depth profile of a surface structure

1. A method of determining a depth profile of a surface structure, the method comprising:

irradiating the surface structure with irradiation light comprising light components of different wavelengths; and

determining the depth profile of the surface structure in dependence on interferometric effects caused by reflection of the irradiation light at the surface structure,

wherein intensities of the light components of the reflection of the irradiation light are weighted in dependence on corresponding light component weighting factors,

wherein the light component weighting factors are determined by:

a) generating an auxiliary surface structure that is identical or similar to the surface structure to be measured,

b) irradiating the auxiliary surface structure during its formation with light having a fixed wavelength,

c) measuring light reflected by the auxiliary surface structure,

d) generating a corresponding auxiliary trend curve in dependence on the measured reflected light,

e) carrying out steps b) to d) several times, each time using light having a different fixed wavelength, and

f) determining the light component weighting factors in dependence on the auxiliary trend curves determined.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the light component weighting factors are determined in dependence on data concerning the depth profile of the surface structure.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the surface structure is generated using an etching process.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the light component weighting factors are determined using a principal component analysis.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the light component weighting factors are determined such that the trend curve has as many extreme values as possible.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the light component weighting factors are determined such that the trend curve has an optimized occurrence of extreme values.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the light component weighting factors are determined such that noise components or drift components within the reflected irradiation light is compensated or reduced.

8. A method of determining a depth profile of a surface structure, the method comprising:

irradiating the surface structure with irradiation light comprising light components of different wavelengths; and

determining the depth profile of the surface structure in dependence on interferometric effects caused by reflection of the irradiation light at the surface structure,

wherein intensities of the light components of the reflection of the irradiation light are weighted in dependence on corresponding light component weighting factors,

wherein the light component weighting factors are determined by:

a) generating an auxiliary surface structure that is identical or similar to the surface structure to be measured,

b) irradiating the auxiliary surface structure during its formation with light having a fixed wavelength,

c) measuring light reflected by the auxiliary surface structure,

d) generating a corresponding auxiliary trend curve in dependence on the measured reflected light,

e) carrying out steps b) to d) simultaneously for a plurality of different fixed wavelengths, and

f) determining the light component weighting factors in dependence on the auxiliary trend curves determined.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the light component weighting factors are determined using a principal component analysis.

10. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the light component weighting factors are determined such that the trend curve has as many extreme values as possible.

11. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the light component weighting factors are determined such that the trend curve has an optimized occurrence of extreme values.

12. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the light component weighting factors are determined such that noise components or drift components within the reflected irradiation light is compensated or reduced.

13. A system determining a depth profile of a surface structure, the system comprising:

a light irradiating unit which irradiates the surface structure with irradiation light comprising light components of different wavelengths;

a light receiving unit which receives reflection light generated by reflecting the irradiation light at the surface structure;

a determining unit which determines the depth profile of the surface structure in dependence on interferometric effects of reflection light received by the light receiving unit;

a trend curve generating unit which generates a trend curve of the surface structure by processing the interferometric effects detected within the reflection light during the formation of the surface structure; and

a light component weighting factor determining unit that determines light component weighting factors in dependence on additional trend curves which reflect the change of the depth profile of the surface structure over time and which have been generated using irradiation light having only one fixed wavelength.

14. The system according to claim 13 , wherein the determining unit is configured to determine the depth profile of the surface structure in dependence on the trend curve generated by the trend curve generating unit.

15. The system according to claim 13 , wherein the light component weighting factor determining unit is configured to determine the light component weighting factors by subjecting the additional trend curves to a principal component analysis.

16. The system according to claim 13 , wherein the light component weighting factor determining unit is configured to determine the light component weighting factors such that the resulting trend curve has as many extreme values as possible.

17. The system according to claim 13 , wherein the light component weighting factor determining unit is configured to determine the light component weighting factors such that the resulting trend curve has an optimized occurrence of extreme values.

18. The system according to claim 13 , wherein the light component weighting factor determining unit is configured to determine the light component weighting factors such that noise components or drift components included within the resulting trend curve is compensated or reduced.

19. A system determining a depth profile of a surface structure, the system comprising:

irradiating means for irradiating the surface structure with irradiation light comprising light components of different wavelengths;

receiving means for receiving reflection light generated by reflecting the irradiation light at the surface structure; and

determining means for determining the depth profile of the surface structure in dependence on interferometric effects of reflection light received by the receiving means;

trend curve generating means for generating a trend curve of the surface structure by processing the interferometric effects detected within the reflection light during the formation of the surface structure; and

light component weighting factor determining means for determining light component weighting factors in dependence on additional trend curves which reflect the change of the depth profile of the surface structure over time and which have been generated using irradiation light having only one fixed wavelength.