US 11,815,349 B2
Methods and systems for inspecting integrated circuits based on X-rays
Brennan Lovelace Peterson, Longmont, CO (US); Hak Chuah Sim, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA (US); Andrew George Reid, San Jose, CA (US); and Nabil Farah Dawahre Olivieri, San Jose, CA (US)
Assigned to Bruker Nano, Inc., Santa Barbara, CA (US)
Filed by Bruker Nano, Inc., Santa Barbara, CA (US)
Filed on Aug. 4, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/394,357.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/062,299, filed on Aug. 6, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0042795 A1, Feb. 10, 2022
Int. Cl. G01B 15/04 (2006.01); G01N 23/04 (2018.01); G03F 7/00 (2006.01); H01L 21/66 (2006.01); H01L 23/00 (2006.01)
CPC G01B 15/045 (2013.01) [G01N 23/04 (2013.01); G03F 7/70616 (2013.01); H01L 22/12 (2013.01); H01L 22/20 (2013.01); G01B 2210/56 (2013.01); H01L 24/10 (2013.01); H01L 2224/16225 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method comprising, by an automated high-speed X-ray inspection system:
generating an X-ray image of an inspected sample at a direction substantially orthogonal to a plane of the inspected sample, wherein the X-ray image is a high-resolution grayscale image;
determining a first cross-sectional shape of a first portion of a first element of interest in the inspected sample, wherein the first cross-sectional shape is determined based on a plurality of grayscale values of the X-ray image associated with the first element of interest;
determining a second cross-sectional shape of a second portion of the first element of interest in the inspected sample, wherein the second cross-sectional shape is determined based on the plurality of grayscale values of the X-ray image associated with the first element of interest; and
determining one or more first metrological parameters associated with the first element of interest in the inspected sample based a comparison of the first cross-sectional shape and the second cross-sectional shape.