Granted Patent B2

US 12,560,871 · App. 17/354,307 · Granted Feb 24, 2026

Inventors: Andrew V. Hill (Berkley, CA); Amnon Manassen (Haifa, IL); Gilad Laredo (Haifa, IL); Yoel Feler (Haifa, IL); Mark Ghinovker (Yoqneam Ilit, IL); Vladimir Levinski (Nazareth Ilit, IL)

Assignee: KLA Corporation

G03F7/70558G01N21/9501G01N21/956G03F7/70616G03F7/70625G03F7/70633G03F7/70641G03F7/70683

Abstract

Claims (21)

1 . A metrology target comprising:

a first measurement group including a first set of two or more cells distributed and aligned along a transverse direction on a sample, wherein the first set of two or more cells are arranged in a single row along the transverse direction and are configured to be measured simultaneously during a scan along a scan direction by a scanning metrology tool, wherein the transverse direction on the sample is orthogonal to the scan direction, wherein the first set of two or more cells of the first measurement group exclusively include grating structures having periodicity along a first direction, wherein the first set of two or more cells in the first measurement group are configured to provide at least a first metrology measurement associated with the first direction when characterized by the scanning metrology tool during the scan along the scan direction, wherein the distribution of the first set of two or more cells in the first measurement group along the transverse direction provides that time-varying errors associated with the first metrology measurement are common to the first set of two or more cells; and

a second measurement group including a second set of two or more cells distributed and aligned along the transverse direction on the sample, wherein the second set of two or more cells are arranged in a single row along the transverse direction and are configured to be measured simultaneously during the scan along the scan direction by the scanning metrology tool, wherein the second measurement group is separated from the first measurement group along the scan direction, wherein the second set of two or more cells of the second measurement group exclusively include grating structures having periodicity along a second direction different than the first direction, wherein the second set of two or more cells in the second measurement group are configured to provide at least a second metrology measurement associated with the second direction when characterized by the scanning metrology tool during the scan along the scan direction, wherein the distribution of the second set of two or more cells in the second measurement group along the transverse direction provides that time-varying errors associated with the second metrology measurement are common to the second set of two or more cells.

2 . The metrology target of claim 1 comprising:

one or more additional measurement groups each including two or more cells distributed along the transverse direction on the sample, the one or more additional measurement groups separated from the first and second measurement groups along the scan direction, wherein the two or more cells in each of the one or more additional measurement groups are configured to provide at least one or more additional metrology measurements when characterized by the scanning metrology tool during the scan along the scan direction, wherein the distribution of the two or more cells in each of the one or more additional measurement groups along the transverse direction provides that time-varying errors associated with the one or more additional metrology measurements are common to the respective one or more additional measurement groups.

3 . The metrology target of claim 1 , wherein the first metrology measurement comprises:

an overlay metrology measurement along the first direction on the sample, wherein the second metrology measurement comprises:

an overlay metrology measurement along the second direction on the sample different than the first direction.

4 . The metrology target of claim 3 , wherein the overlay measurement along the first direction on the sample is based on relative positions of the grating structures in the one or more first cells of the first measurement group, wherein the overlay measurement along the second direction on the sample is based on relative positions of the grating structures in the one or more second cells of the second measurement group.

5 . The metrology target of claim 3 , wherein the overlay measurement along the first direction on the sample is based on relative positions of centers of rotational symmetry of the grating structures in the first measurement group, wherein the overlay measurement along the second direction on the sample is based on relative positions of centers of rotational symmetry of the grating structures in the second measurement group.

6 . The metrology target of claim 3 , wherein the overlay measurement along the first direction on the sample is based on relative positions of axes of reflection symmetry of the grating structures in the first measurement group, wherein the overlay measurement along the second direction on the sample is based on relative positions of axes of reflection symmetry of the grating structures in the second measurement group.

7 . The metrology target of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first set of two or more cells or the second set of two or more cells includes two or more identical cells.

8 . The metrology target of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first measurement group or the second measurement group includes a cell having a set of periodic printed elements.

9 . The metrology target of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first metrology measurement or the second metrology measurement comprises:

a process parameter of a lithography tool when fabricating one or more layers of the sample.

10 . The metrology target of claim 9 , wherein the process parameter comprises:

at least one of a focal position of the sample or an illumination dose on the sample when exposing any of the one or more layers of the sample in the lithography tool.

11 . The metrology target of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first metrology measurement or the second metrology measurement comprises:

at least one of an overlay metrology measurement, a critical dimension metrology measurement, or a sidewall angle measurement.

12 . The metrology target of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first metrology measurement or the second metrology measurement comprises:

at least one of a size, location, or orientation of one or more printed elements on the sample.

Continuity (3)

References Cited (32)