An imaging assembly of a spectral imaging ellipsometer includes an analyzer configured to polarize reflected light reflected from a sample surface, an imaging mirror optical system disposed on an optical path of the reflected light passing through the analyzer and including a first mirror having a concave surface and a second mirror having a convex surface, and a light detector configured to receive light passing through the imaging mirror optical system to collect spectral data. The reflected light is firstly reflected by the first mirror, the firstly reflected light is secondarily reflected by the second mirror and travels toward the first mirror again, and then thirdly reflected by the first mirror to be imaged on a light receiving surface of the light detector.

System Stage, and Optical Hall Effect (OHE) system method for evaluating such as free charge carrier effective mass, concentration, mobility and free charge carrier type in a sample utilizing a permanent magnet at room temperature.

An ellipsometer, polarimeter and the like system operating in the infrared spectral range (0.75 um to 1000 .Math.m), utilizing a tunable quantum cascade laser (QCL) source with the capability if reducing speckle and standing wave effects, dual-rotatable optical elements, a single-point detector, as well as optional means of reducing the size of the probe beam at the measurement surface and optional chopper for lock-in detection.

Methods and systems for performing simultaneous spectroscopic measurements of semiconductor structures over a broad range of angles of incidence (AOI), azimuth angles, or both, are presented herein. Spectra including two or more sub-ranges of angles of incidence, azimuth angles, or both, are simultaneously measured over different sensor areas at high throughput. Collected light is linearly dispersed across different photosensitive areas of one or more detectors according to wavelength for each subrange of AOIs, azimuth angles, or both. Each different photosensitive area is arranged on the one or more detectors to perform a separate spectroscopic measurement for each different range of AOIs, azimuth angles, or both. In this manner, a broad range of AOIs, azimuth angles, or both, are detected with high signal to noise ratio, simultaneously. This approach enables high throughput measurements of high aspect ratio structures with high throughput, precision, and accuracy.

An ellipsometer, polarimeter and the like system operating in the infrared spectral range (0.75 μm to 1000 μm), utilizing a tunable quantum cascade laser (QCL) source in combination with dithering capability to reduce speckle and standing wave effects, dual-rotating optical elements, a single-point detector, as well as optional means of reducing the size of the probe beam at the measurement surface and optional chopper for lock-in detection.

In certain aspects, a method for training a model is disclosed. A model for measuring a geometric attribute of a hole structure in a semiconductor chip is provided by at least one processor. A plurality of training samples each including a pair of an optical spectrum signal and a reference signal corresponding to a same hole structure are obtained by the at least one processor. The reference signal is labeled with a labeled geometric attribute of the hole structure. An estimated geometric attribute of the hole structure is estimated using the model. A parameter of the model is adjusted based, at least in part, on a difference between the labeled geometric attribute and the estimated geometric attribute in each of the training samples by the at least one processor.

Reflectometer, spectrophotometer, ellipsometer, and polarimeter systems having a supercontinuum laser source of coherent electromagnetic radiation over a range of between 400 nm to between 4400 nm and 18000 nm, and another source of wavelengths to provide between 400 nm and as high as at least 50000 nm; a stage for supporting a sample and a detector of electromagnetic radiation, wherein the source provides a beam of electromagnetic radiation which interacts with a sample and enters a detector system optionally incorporating a wavelength modifier, where the detector system can be functionally incorporated with combinations of gratings and/or combination dichroic beam splitter-prisms, which can be optimized as regards wavelength dispersion characteristics to direct wavelengths in various ranges to various detectors that are well suited to detect them.

System and method for use in optical monitoring of a sample. The system comprising: a light source unit (140) for providing collimated illumination; polarization modulation unit (160) located in optical path of light propagating from the light source unit; a lens unit (120) for focusing light onto an illumination spot on a surface of a sample, and for collection of light components returning from the sample; a light collection unit configured for collecting light returning from the sample and generate output image data associated with Fourier plane imaging with respect to surface of the sample; and a control unit (500) configured processing said data in accordance with said system calibration. The method provides calibration data, and comprising: providing reference data indicative of complex refractive index of the reference samples on at least two reference samples; collecting ellipsometry data for said at least two reference samples using the ellipsometry system, generating output data having a plurality of data pieces, each associated with unknown angular direction; and for each data piece corresponding to an unknown angular direction, determining simultaneously system parameters and angle of incidence in accordance with corresponding parameters of the reference data to thereby determine calibration data.

Methods and systems for performing optical measurements of the porosity of geometric structures filled with a fill material by a capillary condensation process are presented herein. Measurements are performed while the structure under measurement is treated with a flow of purge gas that includes a controlled amount of vaporized fill material. A portion of the fill material condenses and fills openings in the structural features such as pores of a planar film, spaces between structural features, small volumes such as notches, trenches, slits, contact holes, etc. In one aspect, the desired degree of saturation of vaporized material in the gaseous flow is determined based on the maximum feature size to be filled. In another aspect, measurement data is collected when a structure is unfilled and when the structure is filled. The collected data is combined in a multi-target model based measurement to estimate values of porosity and critical dimensions.

A spectroscopic ellipsometry system and method for thin film measurement with high spatial resolution. The system includes a rotating compensator so that spectroscopic ellipsometric and imaging ellipsometric data are collected simultaneously with the same measurement beam. Collecting both ellipsometric data sets simultaneously increases the information content for analysis and affords a substantial increase in measurement performance.