Atomic core-level spectroscopy is an invaluable metrological tool in a wide array of fields, from quantum and materials science to semiconductor metrology. When applied to dynamical systems, it enables the measurement of element- and layer-specific dynamics. While such spectroscopy has been applied widely in conjunction with optical excitation of samples, its combination with a high-frequency microwave excitation is less common; in principle, however, this combination enables in operando measurements of devices. Toward this goal, we have developed an instrument that uses an RF frequency comb generator to produce high-frequency microwaves (>60GHz) that are synchronized to a tabletop, high-harmonic generation light source with <1.1ps timing jitter. This system can be used to study, with element-specificity, the switching behavior of devices at their operating frequency as well as the resonant behavior of devices or novel materials and systems. For instance, by applying an external magnetic field and tuning the microwave frequency to the ferromagnetic resonance in magnetic films, we can perform high-frequency x-ray or extreme ultraviolet detected ferromagnetic resonance (XFMR) spectroscopy. As a demonstration, we measure XFMR of three sample systems (permalloy, CoFe, and a Fe/TaOx/Ni multilayer). In the future, we can augment this capability with coherent diffractive imaging to perform high-frequency, resonant spectroscopy with sub-100nm spatial resolution.
We present recent experiments conducted with our tabletop EUV reflectometer to characterize the detailed geometry, composition, and topography of several nanostructured, polymer-based samples. The EUV measurements are performed without sample damage or any significant sample preparation. Correlative STEM measurements confirm the EUV results, but require extensive sample preparation.
As EUV lithography transitions to high volume manufacturing, actinic photomask inspection tools at 13.5 nm wavelength are attractive for understanding the printability of EUV mask defects, as well as for in-fab monitoring for possible defects emerging from extended use. Ptychography is a lensless imaging technique that allows for phase-and-amplitude, aberration-free, high-resolution imaging in the EUV. Moreover, sources based on high harmonic generation (HHG) of ultrafast lasers are a proven viable coherent light source for CDI, with flux sufficient for rapid large-area inspection and small-area imaging. By combining CDI and HHG, we implemented actinic EUV photomask inspection on a low-cost tabletop-scale setup. Moreover, we propose and demonstrate a solution to the decade-long challenge of ptychographic imaging of periodic structures through careful illumination engineering.
We present a tabletop EUV imaging reflectometer that can characterize the geometry and composition of nanostructures. The setup can be operated in multiple modes — intensity reflectometry, scatter-reflectometry, or imaging reflectometry depending on the length scales and periodicity of the nanostructures present. All these modes of metrology can be performed non-destructively and in a lab-scale setup, using a tabletop high-harmonic coherent EUV source.
As EUV lithography transitions to high volume manufacturing, actinic inspection tools at 13.5 nm wavelength are attractive for understanding the printability of EUV mask defects, as well as for in-fab monitoring for possible defects emerging from extended use. Coherent diffractive imaging (CDI) is a lensless imaging technique that allows for phaseand-amplitude, aberration-free, high-resolution imaging in the EUV. Moreover, sources based on high harmonic generation (HHG) of ultrafast lasers are a proven viable coherent light source for CDI, with flux sufficient for rapid large-area inspection and small-area imaging. By combining CDI and HHG, we implemented actinic EUV photomask inspection on a low-cost tabletop-scale setup. Moreover, we propose and demonstrate a solution to the challenge of ptychographic imaging of periodic structures through careful illumination engineering.
We implement an elegant hardware upgrade in our EUV imaging reflectometer to significantly reduce noise from beam power fluctuations. Our instrument non-destructively characterizes the composition and morphology of samples both transversely and depth-resolved, by implementing an EUV coherent diffractive imaging (CDI) microscope in a variable-angle reflection geometry. This upgrade significantly improves signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) by using an EUV beam splitter to simultaneously monitor the beam intensity before and after reflection from the sample. Fluctuations in power may then be normalized out, resulting in greatly improved SNR — an enhancement of ~6x in our first, non-optimized implementation.
Coherent Fourier scatterometry (CFS) via laser beams with a Gaussian spatial profile is routinely used as an in-line inspection tool to detect defects on, for example, lithographic substrates, masks, reticles, and wafers. New metrology techniques that enable high-throughput, high-sensitivity, and in-line inspection are critically in need for next-generation high-volume manufacturing including those based on extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography. Here, a set of novel defect inspection techniques are proposed and investigated numerically [Wang et al., Opt. Express 29, 3342 (2021)], which are based on bright-field CFS using coherent beams that carry orbital angular momentum (OAM). One of our proposed methods, the differential OAM CFS, is particularly unique because it does not require a pre-established database for comparison in the case of regularly patterned structures with reflection symmetry such as 1D and 2D grating structures. We studied the performance of these metrology techniques on both amplitude and phase defects. We demonstrated their superior advantages, which shows up to an order of magnitude higher in signal-to-noise ratio over the conventional Gaussian beam CFS. These metrology techniques will enable higher sensitivity and robustness for in-line nanoscale defect inspection. In general, our concept could benefit EUV and x-ray scatterometry as well.
With increasingly 3D devices becoming the norm, there is a growing need in the semiconductor industry and in materials science for high spatial resolution, non-destructive metrology techniques capable of determining depth-dependent composition information on devices. We present a solution to this problem using ptychographic coherent diffractive imaging (CDI) implemented using a commercially available, tabletop 13 nm source. We present the design, simulations, and preliminary results from our new complex EUV imaging reflectometer, which uses coherent 13 nm light produced by tabletop high harmonic generation. This tool is capable of determining spatially-resolved composition vs. depth profiles for samples by recording ptychographic images at multiple incidence angles. By harnessing phase measurements, we can locally and nondestructively determine quantities such as device and thin film layer thicknesses, surface roughness, interface quality, and dopant concentration profiles. Using this advanced imaging reflectometer, we can quantitatively characterize materials-sciencerelevant and industry-relevant nanostructures for a wide variety of applications, spanning from defect and overlay metrology to the development and optimization of nano-enhanced thermoelectric or spintronic devices.
We present preliminary through-pellicle imaging using a 30nm tabletop extreme ultraviolet (EUV) coherent diffractive imaging microscope. We show that even in a non-optimized setup, this technique enables through-pellicle imaging of a sample with no detectable impact on image fidelity or resolution.
Using a tabletop coherent extreme ultraviolet source, we extend current nanoscale metrology capabilities with applications spanning from new models of nanoscale transport and materials, to nanoscale device fabrication. We measure the ultrafast dynamics of acoustic waves in materials; by analyzing the material’s response, we can extract elastic properties of films as thin as 11nm. We extend this capability to a spatially resolved imaging modality by using coherent diffractive imaging to image the acoustic waves in nanostructures as they propagate. This will allow for spatially resolved characterization of the elastic properties of non-isotropic materials.
EUV lithography is promising for addressing upcoming, <10nm nodes for the semiconductor industry, but with this promise comes the need for reliable metrology techniques. In particular, there is a need for actinic mask inspection in which the imaging wavelength matches that of the intended lithography process, so that the most relevant defects are detected. Here, we demonstrate tabletop, ptychographic, coherent diffraction imaging (CDI) in reflection- and transmission-modes of extended samples, using a 13 nm high harmonic generation (HHG) source. We achieve the first sub-wavelength resolution EUV image (0.9λ) in transmission, the highest spatial resolution using any 13.5 nm source to date. We also present the first reflection-mode image obtained on a tabletop using 12.7 nm light. This work represents the first 12.7 nm reflection-mode image using any source of a general sample.
We present an extension of ptychography coherent diffractive imaging that enables simultaneous imaging of several areas of an extended sample using multiple, spatially separated interfering beams. We show that this technique will increase the throughput of an imaging system by a factor that is equal to the number of beams used. This allows for the acquisition of large field of view images with near diffraction-limited resolution without an increase in data acquisition. This represents a significant step towards large field of view, high resolution imaging in the EUV and x-ray energy regimes.
We present an extension to ptychography that allows simultaneous deconvolution of multiple, spatially separate, illuminating probes. This enables an increased field of view and hence, an increase in imaging throughput, without increased exposure times. This technique can be used for any non-interfering probes: demonstrated with multiple wavelengths and orthogonal polarizations. The latter of which gives us spatially resolved polarization spectroscopy from a single scan.
We use EUV coherent microscopy to obtain high-resolution images of buried interfaces, with chemical specificity, in 2+1 dimensions. We perform reflection mode, ptychographic, coherent diffractive imaging with tabletop EUV light, at 29nm, produced by high harmonic generation. Our damascene-style samples consist of copper structures inlaid in SiO2, polished nearly flat with chemical mechanical polishing. We obtain images of both an unaltered damascene as well as one buried below a 100nm thick layer of evaporated aluminum. The aluminum is opaque to visible light and thick enough that neither optical microscopy, SEM, nor AFM can access the buried interface. EUV microscopy is able to image the buried structures, non-destructively, in conditions where other techniques cannot.
Access to the requested content is limited to institutions that have purchased or subscribe to SPIE eBooks.
You are receiving this notice because your organization may not have SPIE eBooks access.*
*Shibboleth/Open Athens users─please
sign in
to access your institution's subscriptions.
To obtain this item, you may purchase the complete book in print or electronic format on
SPIE.org.
INSTITUTIONAL Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.
PERSONAL Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.