The invention relates to a method for measuring a multilayered substrate (1, 1′, 1″), particularly with at least one structure (7, 7′, 7″, 7′″, 7.sup.IV, 7.sup.V) with critical dimensions, particularly with a surface structure (7, 7′, 7″, 7′″, 7.sup.IV, 7.sup.V) with critical dimensions, characterized in that the method has at least the following steps, particularly the following procedure:

producing (110) the substrate (1, 1′, 1″) with a plurality of layers (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 6′, 6″), particularly with a structure (7, 7′, 7″, 7′″, 7.sup.IV, 7.sup.V), particularly with a structure (7, 7′, 7″, 7″′, 7.sup.IV, 7.sup.V) on a surface (6o, 6′o, 6″o) of an uppermost layer (6, 6′, 6″), wherein the dimensions of the layers and in particular the structures are known,

measuring (120) the substrate (1, 1′, 1″), and in particular the structure (7, 7′, 7″, 7′″, 71.sup.IV, 7.sup.V)) using at least one measuring technology,

creating (130) a simulation of the substrate using the measurement results from the measurement of the substrate (1, 1′, 1″),

comparing (140) the measurement results with simulation results from the simulation of the substrate (1, 1′, 1″),

optimizing the simulation (130) and renewed creation (130) of a simulation of the substrate using the measurement results from the measurement of the substrate (1, 1′, 1″), in the event that there is a deviation of the measurement results from the simulation results, or calculating (150) parameters of further substrates, in the event that the measurement results correspond to the simulation results.

A monitoring system and method are presented for use in monitoring a target. The monitoring system comprises: an input utility for receiving input data comprising measured data indicative of optical response of the target measured under predetermined conditions and comprising phase data indicative of a two-dimensional profile of full phase of the optical response of the target in a predetermined two-dimensional parametric space including a two-dimensional range in which said target exhibits phase singularity; an analyzer module for processing said measured data and extracting at least one phase singularity signature of the target characterizing the target status, the phase singularity signature being formed by a number N of phase singularity points, each corresponding to a condition that the physical phase continuously accumulates a nonzero integer multiple m of 2π around said point.

Methods and systems for characterizing dimensions and material properties of semiconductor devices by transmission small angle x-ray scatterometry (TSAXS) systems having relatively small tool footprint are described herein. The methods and systems described herein enable Q space resolution adequate for metrology of semiconductor structures with reduced optical path length. In general, the x-ray beam is focused closer to the wafer surface for relatively small targets and closer to the detector for relatively large targets. In some embodiments, a high resolution detector with small point spread function (PSF) is employed to mitigate detector PSF limits on achievable Q resolution. In some embodiments, the detector locates an incident photon with sub-pixel accuracy by determining the centroid of a cloud of electrons stimulated by the photon conversion event. In some embodiments, the detector resolves one or more x-ray photon energies in addition to location of incidence.

The invention relates to a device and method for determining a property of a sample that is to be used in a charged particle microscope. The sample comprises a specimen embedded within a matrix layer. The device comprises a light source arranged for directing a beam of light towards said sample, and a detector arranged for detecting light emitted from said sample in response to said beam of light being incident on said sample. Finally, the device comprises a controller that is connected to said detector and arranged for determining a property of said matrix layer based on signals received by said detector.

An optical detection type chemical sensor includes a light source, a detection element and a photodetector. The detection element is constituted of a laminate in which a multilayer film including a chemical detection layer, an optical interference layer, and a half mirror layer is formed on a transparent substrate. At least one of the layers includes a magnetic material. Light from the light source is applied to the detection element under the condition that the light enters inside of the detection element from the rear surface of the transparent substrate on which the laminate is not formed and multiple reflection occurring in the laminate intensifies the magneto-optical effect. A subject is detected by using the photodetector to detect a magneto-optical signal indicating a change in reflected light from the laminate resulting from a change in an optical property resulting from a reaction in the chemical detection layer.

An optical property evaluation apparatus evaluates an optical property of an evaluation object, and includes a light source, a polarization beam splitter, a polarization adjuster, a first detector, a second detector, and an analyzer. The analyzer obtains a reflectance when linearly polarized light in a specific direction is incident on the evaluation object based on the detection result by the first detector when the light with which the evaluation object is irradiated is set to be the linearly polarized light in the specific direction. The analyzer obtains a phase property at the reflection of the evaluation object based on the detection result by the first detector or the second detector when the light with which the evaluation object is irradiated is set to have a polarization state different from the linearly polarized light in the specific direction, and a Jones matrix.

Characteristics of a standard logic cell, e.g., a random logic cell, are determined using an effective cell approximation. The effective cell approximation is smaller than the standard logic cell and represents the density of lines and spaces of the standard logic cell. The effective cell approximation may be produced based on a selected area from the standard logic cell and include the same non-periodic patterns as the selected area. The effective cell approximation, alternatively, may represent non-periodic patterns in the standard logic cell using periodic patterns having a same density of lines and spaces as found in the standard logic cell. A structure on the sample, such as a logic cell or a metrology target produced based on the effective cell approximation is measured to acquire data, which is compared to the data for the effective cell approximation to determine a characteristic of the standard logic cell.

The present invention relates to a normal incidence ellipsometer and a method for measuring the optical properties of a sample by using same. The purpose of the present invention is to provide: a normal incidence ellipsometer in which a wavelength-dependent compensator is replaced with a wavelength-independent linear polarizer such that equipment calibration procedures are simplified while a measurement wavelength range expansion can be easily implemented; and a method for measuring the optical properties of a sample by using same.

The present disclosure generally pertains to a polarization imaging system having: an imaging portion having a color channel element of a first color type and a color channel element of a second color type; and a light polarization portion configured to: provide a first light polarization of a first polarization type for the first color type and a second light polarization of the first polarization type for the second color type; and convert a second polarization type into the first polarization type, whereby the second polarization type is detectable in the imaging portion

A system may include a broadband light source emitting polarized light that is polarized to two orthogonal polarization states, multiple beam splitters for combining and splitting the polarization states, and interferometric cell for creation of interference patterns with respect to a sample surface, lenses of appropriate design that focus the polarized light at predefined locations, and sensors that analyze the polarized light as a function of angle and wavelength. The system may also include a controller configured to modulate the reference arm through operation of an optical chopper and allow for different data analysis modes to be used on the system produced data.