Abstract: An apparatus is provided for supporting semiconductor wafer in a wafer processing system. The apparatus comprises at least two wafer support assemblies, defining respectively at least two wafer support levels and being mounted between opposing support beams; one or more supporting bases connected to or integral with each of the wafer support assemblies; and a motion unit coupled to the support beams.

Abstract: An imaging method and system are presented for detecting the topography of a sample surface. Illuminating light is directed to the sample by sequentially passing the illuminating light through a grating and an objective lens arrangement The grating has a pattern formed by spaced-apart transparent regions spaced by non-transparent regions, and is specifically oriented with respect to the optical axis of the objective lens arrangement. Light, specularly reflected from the sample, is collected by the same objective lens arrangement and is directed to an imaging detector through the same grating, thereby enabling creation of an image of the illuminated sample indicative of the topography of the sample surface.

Abstract: Abstract of the Disclosure An optical system is disclosed for the inspection of wafers during polishing which also includes a measurement system for measuring the thickness of the wafers top layer. The optical system views the wafer through a window and includes a gripping system, which places the wafer in a predetermined viewing location while maintaining the patterned surface completely under water.

Abstract: A method for measuring at least one desired parameter of a patterned structure having a plurality of features defined by a certain process of its manufacturing. The structure represents a grid having at least one cycle formed of at least two metal-containing regions spaced by substantially transparent regions with respect to incident light defining a waveguide. An optical model is provided, which is based on at least some of the features of the structure defined by a certain process of its manufacturing, and on the relation between a range of the wavelengths of incident radiation to be used for measurements and a space size between the two metal-containing regions in the grid cycle, and a skin depth of said metal. The model is capable of determining theoretical data representative of photometric intensities of light components of different wavelengths specularly reflected from the structure and of calculating said at least one desired parameter of the structure.

Abstract: A method and system are presented for use in controlling a process of material removal from the surface of a patterned structure, by measuring at least one of residue, erosion, dishing and corrosion effects in the structure induced by this process. The structure is imaged utilizing phase modulation of light reflected from the structure, and a phase map of the structure is thereby obtained. This phase map is analyzed and data indicative of light reflective properties of layer stacks of the structure is utilized to determine a phase difference between light reflected from a selected measured site and at least one reference site spaced-apart from the selected site. The phase difference is thus indicative of the measured effect.

Abstract: A method and system are presented for use in optical processing of an article by VUV radiation. The method comprises: localizing incident VUV radiation propagation from an optical head assembly towards a processing site on the article outside the optical head assembly and localizing reflected VUV radiation propagation from said processing site towards the optical head assembly by localizing a medium, non-absorbing with respect to VUV radiation, in within the light propagation path in the vicinity of said site outside the optical head assembly.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method are disclosed for measuring at least one desired parameter of a patterned structure having a plurality of features defined by a certain process of its manufacturing, wherein the structure represents a grid having at least one cycle formed of at least two metal-containing regions spaced by substantially transparent regions with respect to incident light defining a waveguide. The method utilizes an optical model based on at least some of the features of the structure defined by a certain process of its manufacturing, and is capable of determining theoretical data representative of photometric intensities of light components of different wavelengths specularly reflected from the structure and of calculating said at least one desired parameter of the structure.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for supporting semiconductor wafer in a wafer processing system. The apparatus comprises at least two wafer support assemblies, defining respectively at least two wafer support levels and being mounted between opposing support beams; one or more supporting bases connected to or integral with each of the wafer support assemblies; and a motion unit coupled to the support beams.

Abstract: A method for in process monitoring of the parameters of a substrate undergoing a processing within a photolithography tools arrangement which includes substrate loading and unloading stations, and substrate coating, exposure and developing stations. The method includes the step of supplying the substrate after being developed to a monitoring station and analyzing the monitoring data to estimate the photolithography process to be used for controlling thereof.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method are disclosed for measuring at least one desired parameter of a patterned structure having a plurality of features defined by a certain process of its manufacturing, wherein the structure represents a grid having at least one cycle formed of at least two metal-containing regions spaced by substantially transparent regions with respect to incident light defining a waveguide. The method utilizes an optical model on at least some of the features of the structure defined by a certain process of its manufacturing, and is capable of determining theoretical data representative of photometric intensities of light components of different wavelengths specularly reflected from the structure and of calculating said at least one desired parameter of the structure.

Abstract: A processing apparatus is presented for applying to a substantially flat workpiece contained in a cassette, and a processing tool coupled to the housing. The processing tool is displaceable along three mutually perpendicular axes relative to the cassette for inserting the tool into the gap and moving the tool inside the gap relative to the workpiece. The processing apparatus can be utilized in chemical mechanical polishing arrangement, photolithography arrangement, and CVD arrangement.

Abstract: A method and system are presented for measuring in an electrically conductive film of a specific sample including data indicative of a free space response of an RF sensing coil unit to AC voltage applied to the RF sensing coil. The sensing coil is located proximate to the sample at a distance h substantially not exceeding 0.2 r wherein r is the coil radius; an AC voltage in a range from 100 MHz to a few GHz is applied to the sensing coil to cause generation of an eddy current passage through the conductive film; a response of the sensing coil to an effect of the electric current through the conductive film onto a magnetic field of the coil is detected and the measured data indicative of the response is generated. The thickness of the film is determined by utilizing the data indicative of the free space measurements to analyze the measured date. The method thus provides for measuring in conductive films with a sheet resistance Rs in a range from about 0.009 to about 2 Ohm/m2.

Abstract: An optical system is presented for use in a measurement system for measuring in patterned structures, which is particularly useful controlling processing of the structure progressing on a production line. The system comprises an illuminator unit producing illuminating light to be directed to the structure to produce returned light, a detector unit comprising an imaging detector and a spectrophotometer detector, and a light directing assembly. The light directing assembly defines first and second optical paths for the light propagation. The optical elements accommodated in the first optical path affect the light to provide a relatively small measuring area of the structure's plane. The second optical path is located outside the first optical path, the light propagation through the second optical path providing a relatively large measuring area, as compared to that of the first optical path.

Abstract: An optical measurement method and system are presented for imaging two target structures in two parallel layers, respectively, of a sample, to enable determination of a registration between the two target structures along two mutually perpendicular axes of the layer. The sample is illuminated with incident radiation to produce a radiation response of the sample. The radiation response is collected by an objective lens arrangement, and the collected radiation response is split into two spatially separated radiation components. The split radiation components are directed towards at least one imaging plane along different optical channels characterized by optical paths of different lengths, respectively. The two split radiation components are detected in said at least one imaging plane, and two image parts are thereby acquired, each image part containing images of the two target structures. This enables determination of the relative distance between the two target structures.

Abstract: A method is presented for optical control of the quality of a process of chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) performed by a polishing tool applied to an article having a patterned area. The article contains a plurality of stacks each formed by a plurality of different layers, thereby defining a pattern in the form of spaced-apart metal regions. The method is capable of locating at least one of residues, erosion and dishing conditions on the article. At least one predetermined site on the article is selected for control. This at least one predetermined site is illuminated, and spectral characteristics of light components reflected from this location are detected. Data representative of the detected light components is analyzed for determining at least one parameter of the article within the at least one illuminated site.

Abstract: Apparatus for processing substrates according to a predetermined photolithography process includes a loading station in which the substrates are loaded, a coating station in which the substrates are coated with a photoresist material, an exposing station in which the photoresist coating is exposed to light through a mask having a predetermined pattern to produce a latent image of the mask on the photoresist coating, a developing station in which the latent image is developed, an unloading station in which the substrates are unloaded and a monitoring station for monitoring the substrates with respect to predetermined parameters of said photolithography process before reaching the unloading station.

Abstract: An integrated apparatus for optically monitoring semiconductor workpieces includes a supporting assembly for supporting the workpiece, and an optical monitoring unit positioned opposite the surface of the workpiece and separated therefrom by an optical window. The optical monitoring unit is mounted for reciprocating movement within a plane parallel to the window for monitoring at least one desired parameter of the semiconductor workpiece and has pattern recognition and auto-focusing utilities. The optical window includes one or more relatively small window fragments located at predetermined locations to enable observation of desired, predetermined portions of the workpiece. The size and shape of the window fragments are selected according to the requirements of transparency in a predetermined spectral range, mechanical strength and ability of pattern recognition and auto-focusing.

Abstract: A method and system are presented for monitoring a process sequentially applied to a stream of substantially identical articles by a processing tool, so as to terminate the operation of the processing tool upon detecting an end-point signal corresponding to a predetermined value of a desired parameter of the article being processed. The article is processed with the processing tool. Upon completing the processing in response to the end-point signal generated by an end-point detector continuously operating during the processing of the article, integrated monitoring is applied to the processed article to measure the value of the desired parameter. The measured value of the desired parameter is analyzed to determine a correction value thereof to be used for adjusting the end-point signal corresponding to the predetermined value of the desired parameter for terminating the processing of the next article in the stream.

Abstract: An optical system is disclosed for the inspection of wafers during polishing which also includes a measurement system for measuring the thickness of the wafers top layer. The optical system views the wafer through a window and includes a gripping system, which places the wafer in a predetermined viewing location while maintaining the patterned surface completely under water. The optical system also includes a pull-down unit for pulling the measurement system slightly below the horizontal prior to the measurement and returns the measuring system to the horizontal afterwards.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an integrated apparatus for monitoring wafers and for process control in the semiconductor manufacturing process, by means of at least two different measurements that can be installed inside any part of the semiconductor production line, i.e., inside the photocluster equipment, the CVD equipment or the CMP equipment. The apparatus comprises a measuring unit for performing at least one optical measurement in predetermined sites on said wafer, illumination sources for illuminating said wafer via measuring unit, supporting means for holding, rotating and translating the wafer and a control unit. The measuring unit comprises: at least two measuring sub-units, one of them being normal-incidence optical measuring system.