Modeling of light scattering from features on and within films and light scatter from epitaxial silicon defects.

摘要

The detection of particles and defects on or within films deposited on wafers using light scattering is of great interest to the semiconductor industry. Numerical calculation of light scattering characteristics from these features is very useful to the development and calibration of wafer inspection tools. A model and associated code is developed by using a modification of the discrete-dipole approximation (DDA) method to compute the light scattering from a feature with arbitrary shape on or within a filmed surface. The reflection interaction matrix is modified with the Sommerfeld integrals for filmed surfaces. Three-dimensional fast Fourier transform technique is used for accelerating the computation of light scatter from features associated with layered surfaces using the DDA method. Far field scatter is calculated approximately based on the reaction theorem. Model predictions of scattering signatures are compared with experimental results and other numerical models. Comparisons show good agreement for the cases considered, which demonstrates the accuracy and validity of the model.; An epitaxial silicon wafer defect sample was fabricated containing typical epitaxial wafer defects such as epitaxial stacking faults, spikes and mounds. Atomic force microscopy was used to determine their physical sizes and shapes. The optical scattering characteristics of these epitaxial silicon wafer defects were studied using the numerical model. A method to discriminate epitaxial crystalline defects and particles is proposed.