US2014313511A1PendingUtilityA1

Rotating-element ellipsometer and method for measuring properties of the sample using the same

Assignee: KOREA RES INST OF STANDARDSPriority: Aug 17, 2011Filed: Jul 3, 2014Published: Oct 23, 2014
Est. expiryAug 17, 2031(~5.1 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
H10P 74/00G01N 2021/213G06F 17/141G01N 21/211G01N 21/21G01J 4/04
48
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Claims

Abstract

Provided is a real-time spectroscopic ellipsometer capable of obtaining information on properties of a sample, a nano pattern shape, and the like, in real time by measuring and analyzing, for a plurality of wavelengths, a change in a polarization state of incident light generated while being reflected or transmitted due to the sample when light having a specific polarization component is incident to the sample. The real-time spectroscopic ellipsometer according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention have the improved structure and function to solve problems such as polarization dependency of a light source and a photometric detector, wavelength dependency of a compensator, a limitation of a change in integration time due to a fixing of a measuring frequency of exposure, in a rotating-element multichannel spectroscopic ellipsometers of the related art, thereby measuring more accurately, precisely, and rapidly measuring the characteristics of the sample than the related art.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . An ellipsometer including a light source, a polarization modulating unit, a sample stage, a polarization analysis unit, and a photometric detector, the ellipsometer comprising: a digital signal modulating apparatus connected to an optical element unit rotating at constant velocity of the polarization modulating unit or the polarization analysis unit to control a measuring frequency of exposure of the photometric detector,
 the integration time and the measuring frequency of exposure of the photometric detector are controlled according to the intensity of light irradiated to the photometric detector.   
     
     
         2 . The ellipsometer of  claim 1 , further comprising: an operator acquiring a plurality of values of exposure for a waveform of the intensity of light at a predetermined interval for any multiple of the period from the photometric detector and performing discrete Fourier transform on the plurality of values of exposure to determine a plurality of Fourier coefficients and average value component for the waveform of the intensity of light,
 wherein the intensity of light may be changed at a predetermined period over time.   
     
     
         3 . The ellipsometer of  claim 2 , wherein the value of exposure S j  is measured by S j =∫ (j-1)pT/M+T     d     (j-1)pT/M+T     d     +T     i   I(t)dt, (j=1, 2, 3, . . . , M) and
 non-normalized Fourier coefficients A 2n  and B 2n  of waveform of intensity of light and average value I dc  of intensity of light each are obtained by 
 
       
         
           
             
               
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         where 
         {T: Dynamic turn period of optical element rotating at constant velocity 
         P: The number of measuring periods (positive multiple of ½) 
         M: Measuring frequency of exposure at predetermined time interval for measuring period pT 
         T d : Delay time 
         T i : Integration time 
       
       
         
           
             
               
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         I(t): Intensity of light 
         I dc : Average value of intensity of light or 0-order Fourier coefficient 
         A 2n , B 2n : Fourier coefficients 
         2N: Natural number representing highest order among Fourier coefficients except for 0 
       
       
         
           
             
               
                 
                   
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               } 
             
           
         
       
     
     
         4 . The ellipsometer of  claim 3 , wherein properties for the sample of interfacial characteristic, a thin film thickness, a complex refractive index, a nano shape, anisotropic characteristic, surface roughness, a composition ratio, crystallinity are analyzed from the Fourier coefficients (I dc /I 00 , A 2n /I 00 , B 2n /I 00 ; n=1, 2, 3, . . . ) or (I dc /I 00 , A 2n /I dc , B 2n /I dc ; n=1, 2, 3, . . . ) 
     
     
         5 . The ellipsometer of  claim 3 , wherein ellipsometric functions are obtained by limitedly selecting a part of the Fourier coefficients I dc , A 2n , B 2n ; n=1, 2, 3, . . . ). 
     
     
         6 . The ellipsometer of  claim 1 , wherein the ellipsometer is any one of rotating-element ellipsometers. 
     
     
         7 - 20 . (canceled)

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