IP Library Granted Patent US 12,736,488
Granted Patent B2
US 12,736,488 · App. 18/458,565 · Granted Sep 15, 2026

Wafer measurement apparatus and operating method thereof

Inventors: Jaehyung Ahn (Suwon-si, KR); Inseok Park (Suwon-si, KR); Joonseo Song (Suwon-si, KR); Souk Kim (Suwon-si, KR); Younghoon Sohn (Suwon-si, KR)
Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
G01N23/2251G06T7/0004G06T7/80G01N2223/303G01N2223/401G01N2223/6116G06T2207/10061G06T2207/30148
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,736,488
App. No.
18/458,565
Granted
Sep 15, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A wafer measurement apparatus includes an electronic-optical system configured to irradiate a wafer with an electron beam and acquire a raw signal by detecting electrons emitted by the wafer, and an image processing device configured to convert the raw signal acquired by the electronic-optical system into image data. The electronic-optical system includes a detector configured to acquire the raw signal. The detector calibrates a gain offset using a difference in electron emission yields of different materials.

Claims (51)

1 . A wafer measurement apparatus, comprising:

an electronic-optical system configured to irradiate a wafer with an electron beam and acquire a raw signal by detecting electrons emitted by the wafer; and

an image processing device configured to convert the raw signal acquired by the electronic-optical system into image data,

wherein the electronic-optical system comprises a detector configured to acquire the raw signal, and

the detector calibrates a gain offset using a difference in electron emission yields of different materials.

2 . The wafer measurement apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the detector receives gray levels by acquiring electrons emitted by a test sample having the different materials, and

the gain offset is calibrated using each of the gray levels of the different materials.

3 . The wafer measurement apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the different materials comprise carbon (C), aluminum (Al), copper (Cu), or tungsten (W).

4 . The wafer measurement apparatus of claim 2 , wherein each of the gray levels is calibrated by comparing each of the gray levels with a reference gray level.

5 . The wafer measurement apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electronic-optical irradiates the wafer with the electron beam after the detector calibrates the gain offset, and acquires the raw signal emitted by the wafer.

6 . The wafer measurement apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electronic-optical system detects a gray level of the different materials, compares the detected gray levels with a reference gray level, and transmits a delta value of a difference between the gray levels according to a comparison result to the image processing device.

7 . The wafer measurement apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the image processing device additionally calibrates a gray level of the raw signal measured in a subsequent measurement using the delta value.

8 . The wafer measurement apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the image processing device converts the raw signal into an 8-bit image signal.

9 . The wafer measurement apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electronic-optical system comprises:

a stage configured to support the wafer and having a test sample having the different materials;

an electron gun configured to generate the electron beam;

a lens system configured to control a direction and a width of the electron beam; and

an energy filter configured to filter the electrons emitted by the wafer.

10 . The wafer measurement apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the image processing device detects a defect pattern by storing the raw signal, converting the raw signal into an image, and comparing the converted image with a design image of a pattern.

11 . An operating method of a wafer measurement apparatus, the method comprising:

loading a wafer onto a stage;

moving an electron beam to a test sample comprising a plurality of materials;

controlling a gain offset of a detector using a gray level of a test detection signal emitted by the test sample;

moving the electron beam to an image acquisition position after controlling the gain offset of the detector; and

acquiring an image using a detection signal emitted at the image acquisition position, wherein the gain offset is controlled based on a difference in electron emission yields of the plurality of materials.

12 . The operating method of claim 11 , wherein controlling the gain offset comprises:

acquiring the gray level of the test detection signal;

comparing the gray level with a reference gray level; and

calibrating the gain offset according to the comparison result.

13 . The operating method of claim 12 , further comprising:

outputting a delta value corresponding to the comparison result to an image processing device.

14 . The operating method of claim 13 , further comprising:

post-calibrating a gray level of a raw signal subsequently acquired using the delta value in the image processing device.

15 . The operating method of claim 11 , wherein the acquiring the image comprises:

acquiring a raw signal corresponding to the detection signal from the detector; and

converting the raw signal into a converted image in an image processing device.

16 . An operating method of a wafer measurement apparatus, the method comprising:

acquiring a sample signal emitted by a test sample;

determining whether detection calibration of a detector is to be performed using the sample signal;

adjusting a gain offset of the detector when the detection calibration is to be performed;

post-calibrating a gray level of a raw signal acquired at a predetermined position of a wafer when the detection calibration is not to be performed; and

converting the raw signal into an 8-bit image using the calibrated gray level, wherein the gain offset is adjusted based on a difference in electron emission yields of different materials.

17 . The operating method of claim 16 , wherein determining whether detection calibration of the detector is to be performed comprises:

comparing a gray level of the sample signal with a reference gray level.

18 . The operating method of claim 16 , wherein post-calibrating the gray level comprises:

receiving a delta value corresponding to a difference between a gray level corresponding to the test sample from the detector and a reference gray level; and

storing the received delta value.

19 . The operating method of claim 18 , wherein post-calibrating the gray level further comprises:

calibrating the gray level of the raw signal using the stored delta value.

20 . The operating method of claim 16 , further comprises:

acquiring the raw signal at the predetermined position of the wafer.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 30, 2023
From: AHN, JAEHYUNG; PARK, INSEOK; SONG, JOONSEO; KIM, SOUK; SOHN, YOUNGHOON
To: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 064754/0639 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2023-0008859 · Jan 20, 2023 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240248051A1 · Jul 25, 2024
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