Methods and systems for discovery of defects of interest (DOI) buried within three dimensional semiconductor structures and recipe optimization are described herein. The volume of a semiconductor wafer subject to defect discovery and verification is reduced by storing images associated with a subset of the total depth of the semiconductor structures under measurement. Image patches associated with defect locations at one or more focus planes or focus ranges are recorded. The number of optical modes under consideration is reduced based on any of a comparison of one or more measured wafer level defect signatures and one or more expected wafer level defect signatures, measured defect signal to noise ratio, and defects verified without de-processing. Furthermore, verified defects and recorded images are employed to train a nuisance filter and optimize the measurement recipe. The trained nuisance filter is applied to defect images to select the optimal optical mode for production.

Non-destructive inspection methods, systems, and apparatuses are disclosed for non-destructively inspecting a bond line, including a bond line present in a composite substrate and in a adhesive material layers in a composite substrate, with the methods, systems, and apparatuses incorporating a small angle X-ray scattering array.

An x-ray inspection system includes an x-ray source, a sample support for supporting a sample to be inspected, where the sample support includes a support surface extending in a horizontal plane, an x-ray detector, and a sample support positioning assembly for positioning the sample support relative to the x-ray source or x-ray detector. The sample positioning assembly includes a vertical positioning mechanism for moving the sample support in a vertical direction, orthogonal to the horizontal plane, and a first horizontal positioning mechanism for moving both the sample support and the vertical positioning mechanism in a first horizontal direction. This arrangement allows for accurate movement of the sample to different imaging positions in the horizontal plane and a low power vertical positioning mechanism to be used.

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.

A method of defining at least one scan parameter for an x-ray scan of a single crystal structure, the method comprising: determining a target orientation of the structure for the scan; and defining different non-zero levels of x-ray exposure for different parts of a scan area based on either or both of the target orientation and characteristics of the structure; and, defining the scan area so that substantially all x-rays of the scan are directed to the structure in the target orientation.

Non-destructive inspection methods, systems, and apparatuses are disclosed for non-destructively inspecting a bond line, including a bond line present in a composite substrate and in a adhesive material layers in a composite substrate, with the methods, systems, and apparatuses incorporating a small angle X-ray scattering array.

A system for X-ray topography, the system includes a source assembly, a detector assembly, a filter and a processor. The source assembly is configured to direct at least an X-ray beam to impinge, at an angle, on a first surface of a sample, the X-ray beam is divergent when impinging on the first surface. The detector assembly is configured to detect the X-ray beam that had entered the sample at the first surface, diffracted while passing through the sample and exited the sample at a second surface that is opposite to the first surface, and to produce an electrical signal in response to the detected X-ray beam. The filter is mounted between the source assembly and the first surface, and is configured to attenuate an intensity of a selected spectral portion of the X-ray beam. The processor is configured to detect one or more defects in the sample based on the electrical signal.

There is provided an acquiring method of a projection image of a sample whose shape is uneven with respect to a rotation center, the method comprising the steps of setting the sample S0 at a position of the rotation center C0 provided between an X-ray source 116a and a detector 117, and acquiring the projection image of the sample S0 at each different rotation angle for each different magnification ratio over a rotation angle of 180 or more by rotating the sample S0 around the rotation center C0, and by relatively changing a separation distance between the X-ray source and the rotation center, or a separation distance between the rotation center and the detector in an optical axis direction according to the shape of the sample S0 and the rotation angle of the sample S0.

An X-ray inspection system is presented. The X-ray inspection system comprises an X-ray source, an X-ray scintillator, a light detector, a first objective lens, and a second objective lens. The first objective lens is positioned between the X-ray scintillator and the light detector. The second objective lens is positioned between the first objective lens and the light detector.

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.