A device and method for expediting spectral measurement in metrological activities during semiconductor device fabrication through interferometric spectroscopy of white light illumination during calibration, overlay, and recipe creation.

The invention provides an inspection apparatus for inspecting an object, the apparatus comprising: a measurement system configured to measure: —a first parameter of the object across an area of interest of the object, and —a second parameter, different from the first parameter, of the object at a plurality of locations on the object; a stage apparatus configured to position the object relative to the measurement system during a measurement of the first parameter, wherein the measurement system is configured to measure the second parameter at the plurality of different locations during the measurement of the first parameter and wherein the stage apparatus is configured to position the object relative to the measurement system based on a compliance characteristic of the stage apparatus.

An optical metrology system may include an overlay metrology tool for characterizing an overlay target on a sample, where the overlay target includes first-direction periodic features in a first set of layers of the sample, and second-direction periodic features in a second set of layers of the sample. The overlay metrology tool may simultaneously illuminate the overlay target with first illumination beams and second illumination beams and may further generate images of the overlay target based on diffraction of the first illumination beams and the second illumination beams by the overlay target, where diffraction orders of the first illumination beams contribute to resolved image formation of only the first-direction periodic features, and where diffraction orders of the second illumination beams contribute to resolved image formation of only the second-direction periodic features. The system may further generate overlay measurements along the first and second measurement directions based on the images.

An optical metrology system may include an overlay metrology tool for characterizing an overlay target on a sample, where the overlay target includes first-direction periodic features in a first set of layers of the sample, and second-direction periodic features in a second set of layers of the sample. The overlay metrology tool may simultaneously illuminate the overlay target with first illumination beams and second illumination beams and may further generate images of the overlay target based on diffraction of the first illumination beams and the second illumination beams by the overlay target, where diffraction orders of the first illumination beams contribute to resolved image formation of only the first-direction periodic features, and where diffraction orders of the second illumination beams contribute to resolved image formation of only the second-direction periodic features. The system may further generate overlay measurements along the first and second measurement directions based on the images.

Provided is a substrate processing apparatus including a substrate floating unit for floating a substrate, a nozzle unit positioned above the substrate floating unit to eject a liquid chemical onto the substrate, a measurement unit for measuring a floating amount of the substrate, and a controller for obtaining a serial number of the substrate and providing control to change, based on the serial number, reference signal data used by the measurement unit to measure the floating amount of the substrate.

A device and method for expediting spectral measurement in metrological activities during semiconductor device fabrication through interferometric spectroscopy of white light illumination during calibration, overlay, and recipe creation.

A device and method for expediting spectral measurement in metrological activities during semiconductor device fabrication through interferometric spectroscopy of white light illumination during calibration, overlay, and recipe creation.

Embodiments disclosed herein include a method of monitoring a photoresist deposition process. In an embodiment, the method comprises depositing a photoresist layer to a first thickness over a substrate, measuring a property of the photoresist layer with a first electromagnetic (EM) radiation source, depositing the photoresist layer to a second thickness over the substrate, and measuring the property of the photoresist layer with the first EM radiation source.

A mask inspection apparatus includes a booth, a carrier, two linear scanners, a light source module and a control unit. The booth includes a platform including a slot. The carrier is movable along the slot. The carrier includes a support face for supporting the mask, guiding elements on the support face, and an inspection window in the support face. The support face extends above the platform. The linear image scanners are vertically movable respectively blow and above the platform. The light source module includes two light boxes on the platform. The light boxes are operable to cast light on an upper face of the mask in an upper position. The light boxes are operable to cast light on a lower face of the mask in a lower position. The control unit is electrically connected to the carrier, the linear image scanner and the light source module.

The stage apparatus according to the present invention includes a first stage configured to be movable in a first direction, a first driving unit configured to generate a thrust force to move the first stage in the first direction, and a reaction force reducing unit configured to generate a thrust force to reduce a reaction force generated by the generation of the thrust force of the first driving unit. The reaction force reducing unit can generate the thrust forces with different magnitudes from each other at a plurality of positions in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and can generate the thrust forces with different magnitudes from each other at a plurality of positions in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction.