Abstract: Method for discriminating defects present on a frontside of a transparent substrate from defects present on a backside of the substrate comprises disposing the substrate in an inspection system in which first and a second light beams intersect at a measurement spot on the frontside of the substrate. Relative movement of the substrate and measurement spot is controlled such that a reference plane is kept tangential to the measurement path. A first pattern is identified in a measurement signal, the first pattern corresponding to light scattered by a particle on the backside of the substrate and presenting two intensity peaks separated from each other by a determined separation interval corresponding to the time necessary for the defect to be moved over the distance separating two illumination spots on the backside of the substrate.

Abstract: A method for characterizing structures etched in a substrate, such as a wafer is disclosed. A bottom of the structure is embedded in the substrate, the substrate having a top side in which the structures are etched and a bottom side opposite to the top side. The method includes the following steps: illuminating the bottom of at least one structure with an illumination beam issued from a light source emitting light with a wavelength adapted to be transmitted through the substrate, acquiring, with an imaging device positioned on the bottom side of said substrate, at least one image of a bottom of the at least one structure through the substrate, and measuring at least one data, called lateral data, relating to a lateral dimension of the bottom of the at least one HAR structure from the at least one acquired image. A system implementing such a method is also disclosed.

Abstract: A device for detecting monocrystalline substrate defects, wherein a normal to the surface of the substrate is tilted by a tilt angle being contained in an angle plane, perpendicular to the surface, the device includes a detector, an illumination light source having a light beam, and arranged in a first position and/or a second position, an excitation light source illuminating the substrate and producing an emission of photoluminescence light by the substrate, imaging means imaging the substrate according to a detector field of view producing at least one image of the substrate, and processing means detecting crystalline defects using the substrate image, each illumination light source and the imaging means are arranged in a dark-field configuration, and in the first position, the illuminating light beam is parallel or quasi-parallel to the angle plane, and in the second position, the illuminating light beam is parallel or quasi-parallel to a perpendicular plane.

Abstract: A system for optical inspection of a substrate. The system comprises an illumination device defining an inspection area on the substrate, a support to receive the substrate, and a detection device defining a detection area on the substrate. The inspection area is positioned ahead, with respect to the scanning direction, of at least a portion of the detection area.

Abstract: A method for characterizing a structure etched in a first substrate surface, the structure extending along a longitudinal direction, z, into the substrate, the method implemented by a system including a light source emitting an illumination beam with a wavelength transmitted through the substrate, and an imaging device positioned to face a second substrate surface opposite the first surface, the method including illuminating at least one structure with the illumination beam, subsequently positioning an object plane of the imaging device at at least two different longitudinal positions; acquiring at least one image of the structure at each of the longitudinal positions, the images being acquired through the substrate; measuring data relating to a lateral dimension of the structure from each acquired image at each of the longitudinal positions; and determining longitudinal data relating to a longitudinal shape of the structure from the lateral data of at least two longitudinal positions.

Abstract: A method for characterizing structures etched in a substrate, such as a wafer is disclosed. The method includes the following steps: illuminating the bottom of at least one structure with an illumination beam issued from a light source emitting light with a wavelength adapted to be transmitted through the substrate, acquiring, with an imaging device positioned on the bottom side of said substrate, at least one image of a bottom of the at least one structure through the substrate, and measuring at least one data, called lateral data, relating to a lateral dimension of the bottom of the at least one HAR structure from the at least one acquired image. A system implementing such a method is also disclosed.

Abstract: An adapter for retaining a wafer has a back side intended to be placed on, and to extend over, a first suction channel and a second suction channel disposed on a main face of a support. The adapter has a shallow recess disposed on the front side to receive the wafer, the shallow recess being shaped to the wafer size and having a flat base to contact a surface of the wafer. The adapter also includes a vacuum network extending through the adapter and comprising at least one through-passage connecting the adapter back side and the adapter front side, the through-passage opening out, on the front side, in the shallow recess. The through-passage intercepts, on the back side, the first suction channel of the support but not the second suction channel.

Abstract: A device for dark-field optical inspection of a substrate comprises: a light source for generating an incident beam that is projected onto an inspection zone of the substrate and that is capable of being reflected in the form of diffuse radiation; at least one first and one second collecting device; and a reflecting device for directing at least a portion of the diffuse radiation originating from a focal point of collection coincident with the inspection zone in the direction of the collecting devices, with a first and second reflective zone from which a first portion of the diffuse radiation is directed toward a first focal point, which is optically conjugated with the focal point of collection, and a second portion of the diffuse radiation is reflected toward a second focal point, which is optically conjugated with the collection focal point and distinct from the first focal point of detection.

Abstract: A method includes: determining height Z1 of a focus by an optical microscope having autofocus function which uses irradiation light of wavelength ?0 to adjust the focus; determining a wavelength ?1 of irradiation light used for obtaining observation image of second thin film; obtaining observation image of second thin film by using irradiation light of the wavelength ?1, while altering heights of the focus with the Z1 as reference point; calculating standard deviation of reflected-light intensity distribution within the observation image, obtaining height Z2 of the focus corresponding to a peak position where standard deviation is greatest, and calculating a difference ?Z between Z1 and Z2; correcting the autofocus function with ?Z as a correction value; and using the corrected autofocus function to adjust the focus, obtaining the observation image of the second thin film, and calculating the film thickness distribution from the reflected-light intensity distribution within the observation image.

Abstract: A method and system implementing the method for characterising structures etched in a substrate, such as a wafer, includes at least one structure etched in the substrate, an imaging step including the following steps: capturing, with an imaging device positioned on the top surface of the substrate, at least one image of a top surface of the substrate, and measuring a first data relating to the structure from at least one captured image, at least one interferometric measurement step, carried out with a low-coherence interferometer positioned on the top surface, for measuring with a measurement beam positioned on the structure, at least one depth data relating to a depth of the structure; and a first adjusting step for adjusting the measurement beam according to the first data.

Abstract: A method for characterising high aspect ratio (“HAR”) structures etched in a substrate includes, for at least one structure, an interferometric measurement step, carried out with a low-coherence interferometer positioned on a top surface of the substrate, for measuring with a measurement beam, at least one depth data relating to a depth of the HAR structure, and a first adjusting step for adjusting a diameter, at the top surface, of the measurement beam according to at least one top critical dimension (“top-CD”) data relating to a width of the HAR structure.

Abstract: A measurement system and an inspection method for detecting a defective bonding interface in a sample substrate including at least one element disposed on a support. The method comprises: placing the sample substrate in the measurement system, establishing an inclination map of the exposed surface, analyzing the inclination map and identifying a zone or zones of the exposed surface whose inclinations deviate by more than a given threshold from the inclination of the reference surface; and detecting the presence of a defective bond between the element and the support, depending on the result of the analysis of the inclination map.

Abstract: A method and related system for measuring a surface of a substrate including at least one structure using low coherence optical interferometry, the method being implemented with a system having an interferometric device, a light source, an imaging sensor, and a processing module, the method including: - acquiring, with the imaging sensor, an interferometric signal formed by the interferometric device between a reference beam and a measurement beam reflected by the surface at a plurality of measurement points in a field of view; the following steps being carried out by the processing module: classifying, by a learning technique, the acquired interferometric signals according to a plurality of classes, each class being associated with a reference interferometric signal representative of a typical structure; and analysing the interferometric signals to derive information on the structure at the measurement points, as a function of the class of each interferometric signal.

Abstract: A method for measuring a surface of an object including at least one structure using low coherence optical interferometry, the method including the steps of acquiring an interferometric signal at a plurality of measurement points in a field of view and, for at least one measurement point, attributing the interferometric signal acquired to a class of interferometric signals from a plurality of classes, each of the classes being associated with a reference interferometric signal representative of a typical structure; and analysing the interferometric signal to derive therefrom an item of information on the structure at the measurement point, as a function of its class.

Abstract: A method includes: determining height Z1 of a focus by an optical microscope having autofocus function which uses irradiation light of wavelength ?0 to adjust the focus; determining a wavelength ?1 of irradiation light used for obtaining observation image of second thin film; obtaining observation image of second thin film by using irradiation light of the wavelength ?1, while altering heights of the focus with the Z1 as reference point; calculating standard deviation of reflected-light intensity distribution within the observation image, obtaining height Z2 of the focus corresponding to a peak position where standard deviation is greatest, and calculating a difference ?Z between Z1 and Z2; correcting the autofocus function with ?Z as a correction value; and using the corrected autofocus function to adjust the focus, obtaining the observation image of the second thin film, and calculating the film thickness distribution from the reflected-light intensity distribution within the observation image.

Abstract: A method and related system for substrate inspection, includes: creating, based on two light beams originating from one light source, a measurement volume at the intersection between the two light beams, the measurement volume containing interference fringes and being positioned to extend into the substrate, the substrate moving relative to the measurement volume in a direction parallel to a main surface S of the substrate; acquiring a measurement signal representative of the light scattered by the substrate, as a function of the location of the measurement volume on the substrate; calculating at least one expected modulation frequency, of an expected signal representative of the passage of a defect of the substrate through the measurement volume; determining values representative of a frequency content of the measurement signal close to the modulation frequency, to constitute a validated signal representative of the presence of defects; and analyzing the signal to locate and/or identify defects.

Abstract: A method and related device for measuring the profile of a surface of an object to be measured having zones made from at least two different materials, the object to be measured forming part of a plurality of substantially identical objects, the plurality of objects also including at least one reference object having at least one reference surface, the method including the following steps: determining a correction function, from a first profile signal of a first reference surface and a second profile signal from a second reference surface, the second reference surface being metallized; acquiring a profile signal from the surface of the object to be measured; and applying the correction function to the profile signal from the surface of the object to be measured to obtain a corrected profile signal; the profile signals being obtained from interferometric measurements.

Abstract: A method for inspecting a wafer including: rotating the wafer about an axis of symmetry (X) perpendicular to a main wafer surface (S); emitting, from a light source coupled with an interferometric device, two incident light beams, to form, at the intersection between the two beams, a measurement volume (V) containing interference fringes so that a region of the main surface (S) of the wafer passes through a fringe, the dimension (Dy) of the measurement volume in a radial direction of the wafer being between 5 and 100 ?m; collecting a portion of the light scattered by the wafer region; acquiring the collected light and emitting a signal representing the variation in the collected light intensity as a function of time; and detecting, a frequency component in the collected light, the frequency being the time signature of a defect passage through the measurement volume.

Abstract: A device for positioning an integrated circuit wafer includes: a base, called upper, and a base, called lower, arranged at a distance from one another in a direction, called vertical, so as to leave a free space between the bases; a support, provided to be mobile between the upper and lower bases, and including a location for receiving the wafer to be inspected; at least one first means apparatus for positioning the support in the vertical direction against, or by cooperation with, the upper base; and at least one second means apparatus for positioning the support in the vertical direction against, or by cooperation with, the lower base. Also provided is an inspection equipment for an integrated circuit wafer implementing such a positioning device.

Abstract: A method for the inspection and measurement of a face of an object having at least two surfaces staggered depthwise with respect to one another, the surfaces forming in particular a step or a trench on/in the face, the method including the following steps: measuring an interferometric signal, called measured signal, at several points, called measurement points, of the inspected face; for at least one measurement point, extracting the measured signal relative to at least one, in particular to each, surface, the extraction providing for the measurement point an interferometric signal, called individual signal, for the surface; profilometric analysis of the individual signals, independently for each surface. Also included is a system for the inspection and measurement of a face of an object implementing such a method.