Methods and Systems for Determining a Critical Dimension and Overlay of a Specimen

Abstract

Methods and systems for monitoring semiconductor fabrication processes are provided. A system may include a stage configured to support a specimen and coupled to a measurement device. The measurement device may include an illumination system and a detection system. The illumination system and the detection system may be configured such that the system may be configured to determine multiple properties of the specimen. For example, the system may be configured to determine multiple properties of a specimen including: but not limited to, critical dimension and overlay misregistration; defects and thin film characteristics; critical dimension and defects; critical dimension and thin film characteristics; critical dimension, thin film characteristics and defects; macro defects and micro defects; flatness, thin film characteristics and defects; overlay misregistration and flatness; an implant characteristic and defects; and adhesion and thickness. In this manner, a measurement device may perform multiple optical and/or non-optical metrology and/or inspection techniques.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system configured to determine a property of a specimen, comprising:
 a scatterometer configured to direct light toward repeatable pattern features on a surface of the specimen, wherein the scatterometer comprises a spectrometer configured to measure diffraction order intensities of different wavelengths of light diffracted from the repeatable pattern features, and wherein the diffraction order intensities comprise diffraction order intensities higher than the zeroth diffraction order intensity; and   a processor coupled to the spectrometer and configured to determine a property of the repeatable pattern features using output of the spectrometer responsive to the measured diffraction order intensities.