Lumen Intellectual Property Services, Inc.
System and method for measuring overlay alignment using diffraction gratings
A system and method for optical offset measurement is provided. An offset between two grating layers in a compound grating is measured by illuminating the gratings with light having a plane of incidence that is neither parallel with nor perpendicular to the grating lines. This non-symmetrical optical illumination allows determination of the sign and magnitude of the offset. Two measurements are performed at azimuthal angles separated by 180°, and a difference of these measurements is calculated. Measurement of this difference allows determination of the offset (e.g., with a calibration curve). Alternatively, two compound gratings having a predetermined non-zero offset difference can be employed. This arrangement permits determination of the offsets without the need for a calibration curve (or for additional compound gratings), based on a linear approximation.
n&k Technology, Inc.
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G03F G03F
inventional inventional
Shuqiang Abdul Rahim Guoguang
Chen Forouhi Li