DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 02 April 2026 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Response to Amendment
The amendments filed 09 March 2026 have been entered. Claims 1-16, 19-39 and 41-50 remain pending in the application (claims 17-18 and 40 have been cancelled). The Applicant’s amendments to the claims overcome each and every 112(b) and 102 rejection previously set forth in the Non-Final Rejection dated 08 October 2025.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 09 March have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
On pages 16-17, the Applicant argues that the current combination of references fails to teach “wherein the metrology data from the detector comprises temporally-resolved measurements of the SHG light in response to subjecting the sample with at least one of the additional illumination beam or the electric field,” however, the Examiner disagrees. Adler teaches an additional pump source being used to generate time dependent data curves (see ¶¶27-28, 37, 119, and 124 for details). Since Adler already teaches performing time dependent measurements in response to an additional source, Alles is only brought in to teach that the measurements are temporally resolved, which is a type of time dependent measurement. For the reasons set forth above, the combination of Adler and Alles still teaches the independent claims.
Claim Objections
Claims 44, 46, and 50 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 44: “wherein the generating one or more metrology measurements” in lines 1-2 should be “wherein generating the one or more metrology measurements” for further clarity and continuity in the claim language.
Claim 46: “wherein the generating one or more metrology measurements” in lines 1-2 should be “wherein generating the one or more metrology measurements” for further clarity and continuity in the claim language.
Claim 50: “wherein the generating one or more metrology measurements” in lines 1-2 should be “wherein generating the one or more metrology measurements” for further clarity and continuity in the claim language.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1-4, 10-15, 20-21, 23-27, 33-38, 42-45, and 49 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Adler (USPGPub 20220364850 A1) in view of Adler (USPGPub 20220364850 A1) (different embodiment) and Alles et al. (USPGPub 20060044641 A1).
Regarding claim 1¸ Adler teaches a metrology system, comprising: an illumination source (4100) to generate an illumination beam (4110) (see figure 20, laser source 4100 generating laser beam 4110; and ¶237, a laser source 4100 (e.g., a pulsed laser source such a Ti:sapphire laser) may be 4100 used to generate a laser beam 4110); an illumination sub-system including one or more optical elements (4130) configured to direct the illumination beam (4110) to a sample (4302) (see figure 20, focusing optics 4130 and sample 4302; and ¶237, focusing optics 4130 may focus the laser beam 4110 on the sample 4302), wherein the sample (4302) includes an inversion-symmetric substrate and one or more films disposed on the inversion-symmetric substrate (¶223, Second-harmonic generation generally involves a non-centrosymmetric material, an interface or a defect: some property of the sample that breaks inversion symmetry of the sample (e.g., at a point or in a region where interaction with incident light occurs). In a material such as silicon, which is centrosymmetric, second harmonic generation occurs at interfaces and defects where the inversion symmetry is broken; and ¶124, The systems and methods described herein can be configured to determine threshold energy for a variety of interfaces such as for example, between two different semiconductors, between a semiconductor and a metal, between a semiconductor and a dielectric, etc.); a filter (4230) configured to block a wavelength of the illumination beam (4110) and pass a wavelength associated with a second harmonic of the illumination beam (4400) (see figure 20, filter 4230; and ¶239, the spectral filter 4230 may be used to block, filter out or eliminate light having wavelengths different from a second harmonic of the beam 4400); a detector (4201/4210) to capture second harmonic generation (SHG) light associated with the second harmonic of the illumination beam (4400) (see figure 20, detectors 4201 and 4210; and ¶239, the detector 4201, 4210 may comprise a photomultiplier tube (e.g., for measuring intensity of the SHG light)); and a controller communicatively coupled to the detector (4201/4210), the controller including one or more processors configured to execute program instructions causing the one or more processors to: receive metrology data from the detector associated with the SHG light from an interface between the inversion-symmetric substrate and the one or more films (¶18, a system for characterizing a sample using second harmonic generation comprises at least one optical source configured to direct a light beam onto a sample to produce second harmonic generation (SHG) signals, an optical detection system comprising at least one optical detector configured to receive the SHG signals emitted from said sample and generate detected SHG signals, one or more hardware processors (e.g., hardware processors, processing electronics, microprocessors, and the like) in communication with the optical detection system, the one or more hardware processors configured to receive at least one detected SHG signal and determine a geometric feature of the sample or a variation in a geometric feature of the sample based on the at least one detected SHG signal; and ¶249, the SHG-CD system may comprise a non-transitory memory configured to store data and machine executable instructions and a processor (e.g., a hardware processor, processing electronics, a microprocessor, and the like) configured to execute the machine-readable instructions to perform one or more processes associated with monitoring a sample that includes one or more device); and generate one or more metrology measurements associated with the one or more films based on the metrology data (¶258, the separate SHG signals may be used in the analysis of the device under test (e.g., to refine the dimensional measurements)). However, Adler fails to explicitly teach one or more excitation sources to direct at least one of an additional illumination beam or an electric field to the sample to enhance the SHG light; and wherein the metrology data from the detector comprises temporally-resolved measurements of the SHG light in response to subjecting the sample with at least one of the additional illumination beam or the electric field.
However, Adler (different embodiment) teaches one or more excitation sources (3060) to direct at least one of an additional illumination beam or an electric field to the sample to enhance the SHG light (see figure 15A, additional electromagnetic radiation source 3060; and ¶27, For such an approach, a metrology characterization tool is provided with an “additional” integrated light source (e.g., a UV flash lamp or laser) operating as a “pump” to induce a potential difference across heterointerface(s) in layered semiconductor device templates, together with a short or ultra-short pulsed laser (e.g., a femto-second solid state laser) operating as a “probe” light source); and wherein the metrology data from the detector comprises time-dependent measurements of the SHG light in response to subjecting the sample with at least one of the additional illumination beam or the electric field (see ¶¶27-28, 37, 119, and 124 for details).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Adler to incorporate the teachings of Adler (different embodiment) to further include an additional light source in order to induce a potential difference across heterointerface(s) in layered semiconductor device templates (Adler, ¶27), allowing the interface to be detected with more accuracy. However, the combination fails to explicitly teach wherein the metrology data from the detector associated with the second harmonic of the illumination beam comprises: temporally-resolved measurements.
However, Alles teaches metrology data from the detector associated with the second harmonic of the illumination beam comprises: temporally-resolved measurements (¶62, As shown in FIG. 4b, after the reflected fundamental signals 485 and SHG signals 480 are separated by a prism 470, the 400 nm wavelength SHG signals 480 are detected by a PMT 490 and measured by a photon counter with a 0.1 s temporal resolution).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the combination of Adler and Adler (different embodiment) to further include temporally-resolved measurements in order to detect and measure changes in the device over time with high resolution.
Regarding claim 2, Adler as modified by Adler (different embodiment) and Alles teaches the metrology system of claim 1, wherein the metrology measurement comprises: at least one of layer thickness, layer composition, presence of defects, charge/trap states, stress/strain, charge mobility, or surface/interface roughness associated with at least one of the one or more films (Adler, ¶130, the systems and methods described herein can be used to detect defects or contaminants in the sample as discussed above; and see remainder of ¶130 for further details).
Regarding claim 3, Adler as modified by Adler (different embodiment) and Alles teaches the metrology system of claim 1, wherein the interface between the inversion-symmetric substrate and the one or more films is associated with a gate region of a field effect transistor (FET) (Adler, ¶91, The example FinFET structure may include some combination of a silicon substrate 4540, a vertical “Fin” of silicon 4510, an oxide layer covering the Fin 4520 and a conductive gate contact 4530).
Regarding claim 4, Adler as modified by Adler (different embodiment) and Alles teaches the metrology system of claim 3, wherein the FET comprises: at least one of a metal-oxide-semiconductor FET (MOSFET), a planar FET, a FinFET, a gate-all-around (GAA) nanosheet FET, a fork-sheet FET, a complimentary GAA FET, a ferroelectric FET, or a 2D FET (Adler, ¶91, The example FinFET structure may include some combination of a silicon substrate 4540, a vertical “Fin” of silicon 4510, an oxide layer covering the Fin 4520 and a conductive gate contact 4530).
Regarding claim 10, Adler as modified by Adler (different embodiment) and Alles teaches the metrology system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute program instructions causing the one or more processors to: control one or more process tools for fabricating at least a portion of the sample (Adler 4302) based on the one or more metrology measurements (Adler, ¶249, the SHG-CD system may comprise a non-transitory memory configured to store data and machine executable instructions and a processor (e.g., a hardware processor, processing electronics, a microprocessor, and the like) configured to execute the machine-readable instructions to perform one or more processes associated with monitoring a sample that includes one or more device; and ¶13, These results (e.g., determined features) may also be used to alert manufacturing personnel of process variations, communicate with in-line fabrication tools and/or provide feedback or feed forward for adjustments to the semiconductor device fabrication process as described previously).
Regarding claim 11, Adler as modified by Adler (different embodiment) and Alles teaches the metrology system of claim 1, wherein the metrology data from the detector (Adler 4201/4210) associated with the second harmonic (Adler 4400) of the illumination beam (Adler, ¶18, a system for characterizing a sample using second harmonic generation comprises at least one optical source configured to direct a light beam onto a sample to produce second harmonic generation (SHG) signals, an optical detection system comprising at least one optical detector configured to receive the SHG signals emitted from said sample and generate detected SHG signals, one or more hardware processors (e.g., hardware processors, processing electronics, microprocessors, and the like) in communication with the optical detection system, the one or more hardware processors configured to receive at least one detected SHG signal and determine a geometric feature of the sample or a variation in a geometric feature of the sample based on the at least one detected SHG signal) comprises: temporally-resolved measurements of the SHG light in response to illuminating the sample with the illumination beam, wherein at least one of the one or more metrology measurements are generated based on the temporally-resolved measurements of the SHG light (Adler, see ¶¶27-28, 37, 119, and 124 for details; and Alles, (¶62, As shown in FIG. 4b, after the reflected fundamental signals 485 and SHG signals 480 are separated by a prism 470, the 400 nm wavelength SHG signals 480 are detected by a PMT 490 and measured by a photon counter with a 0.1 s temporal resolution).
Regarding claim 12, Adler as modified by Adler (different embodiment) and Alles teaches the metrology system of claim 11, wherein at least one of the one or more metrology measurements is based on at least one of a saturation intensity of the SHG light, a slope of the intensity of the SHG light, or an intensity of the SHG light at a selected time (Adler, ¶9, These detectors can be configured to measure one or more of the intensity, angular distribution, or polarization of the SHG signal, or any combination thereof, by generating a detected SHG signal; ¶11, The signal can be monitored for changes to the SHG signal (e.g., changes associated with intensity, polarization, spatial distribution etc.) that may indicate changes in the production of the semiconductor devices; and see ¶34 for further details; and Alles, abstract, measuring intensities of the second harmonic generation signals from the reflection beam, and identifying an initial second harmonic generation intensity and a time evolution of second harmonic generation intensity from the measured second harmonic generation intensities so as to determine the at least one interface property of the layered structure).
Regarding claim 13, Adler as modified by Adler (different embodiment) and Alles teaches the metrology system of claim 11, wherein the temporally-resolved measurements are associated with intermittent illumination of the sample (Adler 4302 | Alles 200) with the illumination beam (Alder 4110 | Alles 250) (Alles, ¶18, the method has a laser source emitting a beam of pulses that is directed into the layered structure to induce SHG signals, and an optical system for measuring intensities of the induced SHG signals; and see ¶62).
Regarding claim 14, Adler as modified by Adler (different embodiment) and Alles teaches the metrology system of claim 13, wherein at least one of the one or more metrology measurements is based on intensity of the SHG light associated with the intermittent illumination of the sample (Adler 4302 | Alles 200) with the illumination beam (Alder 4110 | Alles 250) (Alles, ¶18, the method has a laser source emitting a beam of pulses that is directed into the layered structure to induce SHG signals, and an optical system for measuring intensities of the induced SHG signals).
Regarding claim 15, Adler as modified by Adler (different embodiment) and Alles teaches the metrology system of claim 1, wherein a wavelength of the illumination beam (Adler 4110) is tunable (Adler, ¶258, a light source may comprise a tunable wavelength laser source), wherein the metrology data from the detector (Adler 4201/4210) associated with the second harmonic of the illumination beam (Adler 4400) comprises: wavelength-resolved measurements of the SHG light in response to illuminating the sample (Adler 4302) with the illumination beam (Adler 4110) having two or more wavelengths, wherein at least one of the one or more metrology measurements are generated based on the wavelength-resolved measurements of the SHG light (Adler, ¶17, different detectors or sensors with different spectral responses or filters having different wavelength spectrums may be used to sample different wavelengths and possibly obtain different intensity values for different wavelengths. Having information on the relative strengths of different wavelengths may assist in determining changes in the SHG output as well as the changes in the device or sample; and see ¶258 for further details).
Regarding claim 20, Adler as modified by Adler (different embodiment) and Alles teaches the metrology system of claim 1, wherein the temporally-resolved measurement is associated with intermittent illumination of the sample with the illumination beam and the at least one of the additional illumination beam or the electric field (Alles, ¶18, the method has a laser source emitting a beam of pulses that is directed into the layered structure to induce SHG signals, and an optical system for measuring intensities of the induced SHG signals; and Adler (different embodiment), ¶191, For a flash lamp, energy per flash or power level during flash may be substrate material dependent. A flashlamp producing a total energy of 1 J to 10 kJ per flash would be appropriate for fully depleted silicon-on-insulator (FD-SOI). However a pulsed or constant UV source would be viable as well; and ¶192, When a laser is employed as source 3060, it may be any of a nanosecond, picosecond or femtosecond or faster pulse laser source).
Regarding claim 21, Adler as modified by Adler (different embodiment) and Alles teaches the metrology system of claim 1, further comprising: a first polarizer (Adler 4120) to control a polarization of the illumination beam (Adler 4110) incident on the sample (Adler 4302) (Adler, see figure 20, polarizer 4120 (i.e. first polarizer); and ¶237, a polarizer 4120 may select the polarization of the laser beam 4110); and a second polarizer (Adler 4220) to control a polarization of light incident on the detector (Adler 4201/4210) (Adler, figure 20, polarizer 4220 (i.e. second polarizer); and ¶239, the polarizer 4220 may be used to select a polarization of the detected light).
Regarding claim 23, Adler as modified by Adler (different embodiment) and Alles teaches the metrology system of claim 1, wherein the detector (Adler 4201/4210) comprises: at least one of a photo-multiplier tube, a charge-coupled device, or a photodiode (Adler, ¶239, the detector 4201, 4210 may comprise a photomultiplier tube (e.g., for measuring intensity of the SHG light)).
Regarding claim 24, Adler teaches a metrology system, comprising: a controller including one or more processors configured to execute program instructions (¶18, a system for characterizing a sample using second harmonic generation comprises at least one optical source configured to direct a light beam onto a sample to produce second harmonic generation (SHG) signals, an optical detection system comprising at least one optical detector configured to receive the SHG signals emitted from said sample and generate detected SHG signals, one or more hardware processors (e.g., hardware processors, processing electronics, microprocessors, and the like) in communication with the optical detection system, the one or more hardware processors configured to receive at least one detected SHG signal and determine a geometric feature of the sample or a variation in a geometric feature of the sample based on the at least one detected SHG signal; and ¶249, the SHG-CD system may comprise a non-transitory memory configured to store data and machine executable instructions and a processor (e.g., a hardware processor, processing electronics, a microprocessor, and the like) configured to execute the machine-readable instructions to perform one or more processes associated with monitoring a sample that includes one or more device) causing the one or more processors to: receive metrology data from a detector (4201/4210) associated with second harmonic generation (SHG) light (4400) from a sample (4302) in response to an illumination beam (4110) (¶18, a system for characterizing a sample using second harmonic generation comprises at least one optical source configured to direct a light beam onto a sample to produce second harmonic generation (SHG) signals, an optical detection system comprising at least one optical detector configured to receive the SHG signals emitted from said sample and generate detected SHG signals, one or more hardware processors (e.g., hardware processors, processing electronics, microprocessors, and the like) in communication with the optical detection system, the one or more hardware processors configured to receive at least one detected SHG signal and determine a geometric feature of the sample or a variation in a geometric feature of the sample based on the at least one detected SHG signal), wherein the sample (4302) includes an inversion-symmetric substrate and one or more films disposed on the inversion-symmetric substrate (¶223, Second-harmonic generation generally involves a non-centrosymmetric material, an interface or a defect: some property of the sample that breaks inversion symmetry of the sample (e.g., at a point or in a region where interaction with incident light occurs). In a material such as silicon, which is centrosymmetric, second harmonic generation occurs at interfaces and defects where the inversion symmetry is broken; and ¶124, The systems and methods described herein can be configured to determine threshold energy for a variety of interfaces such as for example, between two different semiconductors, between a semiconductor and a metal, between a semiconductor and a dielectric, etc.); and generate one or more metrology measurements associated with the one or more films based on the SHG light (4400) associated with an interface between the inversion-symmetric substrate and the one or more films (¶258, the separate SHG signals may be used in the analysis of the device under test (e.g., to refine the dimensional measurements)). However, Adler fails to explicitly teach wherein the metrology data from the detector comprises temporally-resolved measurements of the SHG light in response to subjecting the sample with at least one of an additional illumination beam or an electric field from an excitation source.
However, Adler (different embodiment) teaches wherein the metrology data from the detector comprises time-dependent measurements of the SHG light in response to subjecting the sample with at least one of an additional illumination beam or an electric field from an excitation source (3060) (see figure 15A, additional electromagnetic radiation source 3060; ¶27, For such an approach, a metrology characterization tool is provided with an “additional” integrated light source (e.g., a UV flash lamp or laser) operating as a “pump” to induce a potential difference across heterointerface(s) in layered semiconductor device templates, together with a short or ultra-short pulsed laser (e.g., a femto-second solid state laser) operating as a “probe” light source; and see ¶¶27-28, 37, 119, and 124 for details).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Adler to incorporate the teachings of Adler (different embodiment) to further include an additional light source in order to induce a potential difference across heterointerface(s) in layered semiconductor device templates (Adler, ¶27), allowing the interface to be detected with more accuracy. However, the combination fails to explicitly teach wherein the metrology data from the detector associated with the second harmonic of the illumination beam comprises: temporally-resolved measurements.
However, Alles teaches metrology data from the detector associated with the second harmonic of the illumination beam comprises: temporally-resolved measurements (¶62, As shown in FIG. 4b, after the reflected fundamental signals 485 and SHG signals 480 are separated by a prism 470, the 400 nm wavelength SHG signals 480 are detected by a PMT 490 and measured by a photon counter with a 0.1 s temporal resolution).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the combination of Adler and Adler (different embodiment) to further include temporally-resolved measurements in order to detect and measure changes in the device over time with high resolution.
Regarding claim 25, Adler as modified by Adler (different embodiment) and Alles teaches the metrology system of claim 24, wherein the metrology measurement comprises: at least one of layer thickness, layer composition, presence of defects, charge/trap states, stress/strain, charge mobility, or surface/interface roughness associated with at least one of the one or more films (Adler, ¶130, the systems and methods described herein can be used to detect defects or contaminants in the sample as discussed above; and see remainder of ¶130 for further details).
Regarding claim 26, Adler as modified by Adler (different embodiment) and Alles teaches the metrology system of claim 24, wherein the interface between the inversion-symmetric substrate and the one or more films is associated with a gate region of a field effect transistor (FET) (Adler, ¶91, The example FinFET structure may include some combination of a silicon substrate 4540, a vertical “Fin” of silicon 4510, an oxide layer covering the Fin 4520 and a conductive gate contact 4530).
Regarding claim 27, Adler as modified by Adler (different embodiment) and Alles teaches the metrology system of claim 26, wherein the FET comprises: at least one of a metal-oxide-semiconductor FET (MOSFET), a planar FET, a FinFET, a gate-all-around (GAA) nanosheet FET, a fork-sheet FET, a complimentary GAA FET, a ferroelectric FET, or a 2D FET (Adler, ¶91, The example FinFET structure may include some combination of a silicon substrate 4540, a vertical “Fin” of silicon 4510, an oxide layer covering the Fin 4520 and a conductive gate contact 4530).
Regarding claim 33, Adler as modified by Adler (different embodiment) and Alles teaches the metrology system of claim 24, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute program instructions causing the one or more processors to: control one or more process tools for fabricating at least a portion of the sample (Adler 4302) based on the one or more metrology measurements (Adler, ¶249, the SHG-CD system may comprise a non-transitory memory configured to store data and machine executable instructions and a processor (e.g., a hardware processor, processing electronics, a microprocessor, and the like) configured to execute the machine-readable instructions to perform one or more processes associated with monitoring a sample that includes one or more device; and ¶13, These results (e.g., determined features) may also be used to alert manufacturing personnel of process variations, communicate with in-line fabrication tools and/or provide feedback or feed forward for adjustments to the semiconductor device fabrication process as described previously).
Regarding claim 34, Adler as modified by Adler (different embodiment) and Alles teaches the metrology system of claim 24, wherein the metrology data from the detector (Adler 4201/4210) associated with the second harmonic (Adler 4400) of the illumination beam (Adler, ¶18, a system for characterizing a sample using second harmonic generation comprises at least one optical source configured to direct a light beam onto a sample to produce second harmonic generation (SHG) signals, an optical detection system comprising at least one optical detector configured to receive the SHG signals emitted from said sample and generate detected SHG signals, one or more hardware processors (e.g., hardware processors, processing electronics, microprocessors, and the like) in communication with the optical detection system, the one or more hardware processors configured to receive at least one detected SHG signal and determine a geometric feature of the sample or a variation in a geometric feature of the sample based on the at least one detected SHG signal) comprises: temporally-resolved measurements of the SHG light in response to illuminating the sample with the illumination beam, wherein at least one of the one or more metrology measurements are generated based on the temporally-resolved measurements of the SHG light (Adler, see ¶¶27-28, 37, 119, and 124 for details; and Alles, (¶62, As shown in FIG. 4b, after the reflected fundamental signals 485 and SHG signals 480 are separated by a prism 470, the 400 nm wavelength SHG signals 480 are detected by a PMT 490 and measured by a photon counter with a 0.1 s temporal resolution).
Regarding claim 35, Adler as modified by Adler (different embodiment) and Alles teaches the metrology system of claim 34, wherein at least one of the one or more metrology measurements is based on at least one of a saturation intensity of the SHG light, a slope of the intensity of the SHG light, or an intensity of the SHG light at a selected time (Adler, ¶9, These detectors can be configured to measure one or more of the intensity, angular distribution, or polarization of the SHG signal, or any combination thereof, by generating a detected SHG signal; ¶11, The signal can be monitored for changes to the SHG signal (e.g., changes associated with intensity, polarization, spatial distribution etc.) that may indicate changes in the production of the semiconductor devices; and see ¶34 for further details; and Alles, abstract, measuring intensities of the second harmonic generation signals from the reflection beam, and identifying an initial second harmonic generation intensity and a time evolution of second harmonic generation intensity from the measured second harmonic generation intensities so as to determine the at least one interface property of the layered structure).
Regarding claim 36, Adler as modified by Adler (different embodiment) and Alles teaches the metrology system of claim 34, wherein the temporally-resolved measurements are associated with intermittent illumination of the sample (Adler 4302 | Alles 200) with the illumination beam (Alder 4110 | Alles 250) (Alles, ¶18, the method has a laser source emitting a beam of pulses that is directed into the layered structure to induce SHG signals, and an optical system for measuring intensities of the induced SHG signals; and see ¶62).
Regarding claim 37, Adler as modified by Adler (different embodiment) and Alles teaches the metrology system of claim 34, wherein at least one of the one or more metrology measurements is based on intensity of the SHG light associated with the intermittent illumination of the sample (Adler 4302 | Alles 200) with the illumination beam (Alder 4110 | Alles 250) (Alles, ¶18, the method has a laser source emitting a beam of pulses that is directed into the layered structure to induce SHG signals, and an optical system for measuring intensities of the induced SHG signals).
Regarding claim 38, Adler as modified by Adler (different embodiment) and Alles teaches the metrology system of claim 24, wherein the metrology data from the detector (Adler 4201/4210) associated with the second harmonic of the illumination beam comprises: wavelength-resolved measurements of the SHG light in response to illuminating the sample (Adler 4302) with the illumination beam (Adler 4110) having two or more wavelengths, wherein at least one of the one or more metrology measurements are generated based on the wavelength-resolved measurements of the SHG light (Adler 4400) (Adler, ¶17, different detectors or sensors with different spectral responses or filters having different wavelength spectrums may be used to sample different wavelengths and possibly obtain different intensity values for different wavelengths. Having information on the relative strengths of different wavelengths may assist in determining changes in the SHG output as well as the changes in the device or sample; and see ¶258 for further details).
Regarding claim 42, Adler as modified by Adler (different embodiment) and Alles teaches the metrology system of claim 24, wherein the temporally-resolved measurement is associated with intermittent illumination of the sample with the illumination beam and the at least one of the additional illumination beam or the electric field (Alles, ¶18, the method has a laser source emitting a beam of pulses that is directed into the layered structure to induce SHG signals, and an optical system for measuring intensities of the induced SHG signals; and Adler (different embodiment), ¶191, For a flash lamp, energy per flash or power level during flash may be substrate material dependent. A flashlamp producing a total energy of 1 J to 10 kJ per flash would be appropriate for fully depleted silicon-on-insulator (FD-SOI). However a pulsed or constant UV source would be viable as well; and ¶192, When a laser is employed as source 3060, it may be any of a nanosecond, picosecond or femtosecond or faster pulse laser source).
Regarding claim 43, Adler teaches a metrology method, comprising: directing an illumination beam (4110) to a sample (4302) (see figure 20, laser source 4100 generating laser beam 4110 and focusing optics 4130 and sample 4302; and ¶237, a laser source 4100 (e.g., a pulsed laser source such a Ti:sapphire laser) may be 4100 used to generate a laser beam 4110… focusing optics 4130 may focus the laser beam 4110 on the sample 4302), wherein the sample (4302) includes an inversion-symmetric substrate and one or more films disposed on the inversion-symmetric substrate (¶223, Second-harmonic generation generally involves a non-centrosymmetric material, an interface or a defect: some property of the sample that breaks inversion symmetry of the sample (e.g., at a point or in a region where interaction with incident light occurs). In a material such as silicon, which is centrosymmetric, second harmonic generation occurs at interfaces and defects where the inversion symmetry is broken; and ¶124, The systems and methods described herein can be configured to determine threshold energy for a variety of interfaces such as for example, between two different semiconductors, between a semiconductor and a metal, between a semiconductor and a dielectric, etc.); capturing metrology data based on the second harmonic generation light (4400) from the sample (4302) associated with the interface between the inversion-symmetric substrate and the one or more films (¶18, a system for characterizing a sample using second harmonic generation comprises at least one optical source configured to direct a light beam onto a sample to produce second harmonic generation (SHG) signals, an optical detection system comprising at least one optical detector configured to receive the SHG signals emitted from said sample and generate detected SHG signals, one or more hardware processors (e.g., hardware processors, processing electronics, microprocessors, and the like) in communication with the optical detection system, the one or more hardware processors configured to receive at least one detected SHG signal and determine a geometric feature of the sample or a variation in a geometric feature of the sample based on the at least one detected SHG signal; and ¶249, the SHG-CD system may comprise a non-transitory memory configured to store data and machine executable instructions and a processor (e.g., a hardware processor, processing electronics, a microprocessor, and the like) configured to execute the machine-readable instructions to perform one or more processes associated with monitoring a sample that includes one or more device); and generating one or more metrology measurements associated with the one or more films based on the metrology data (¶258, the separate SHG signals may be used in the analysis of the device under test (e.g., to refine the dimensional measurements)). However, Adler fails to explicitly teach directing at least one of an additional illumination beam or an electric field to the sample to enhance second harmonic generation light from the sample associated with the interface between the inversion-symmetric substrate and the one or more films; and wherein the metrology data comprises temporally-resolved measurements of the SHG light in response to subjecting the sample with at least one of the additional illumination beam or the electric field.
However, Adler (different embodiment) teaches directing at least one of an additional illumination beam or an electric field to the sample to enhance second harmonic generation light from the sample associated with the interface between the inversion-symmetric substrate and the one or more films (see figure 15A, additional electromagnetic radiation source 3060; and ¶27, For such an approach, a metrology characterization tool is provided with an “additional” integrated light source (e.g., a UV flash lamp or laser) operating as a “pump” to induce a potential difference across heterointerface(s) in layered semiconductor device templates, together with a short or ultra-short pulsed laser (e.g., a femto-second solid state laser) operating as a “probe” light source); and wherein the metrology data comprises time-dependent measurements of the SHG light in response to subjecting the sample with at least one of the additional illumination beam or the electric field (see ¶¶27-28, 37, 119, and 124 for details).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Adler to incorporate the teachings of Adler (different embodiment) to further include an additional light source in order to induce a potential difference across heterointerface(s) in layered semiconductor device templates (Adler, ¶27), allowing the interface to be detected with more accuracy. However, the combination fails to explicitly teach wherein the metrology data from the detector associated with the second harmonic of the illumination beam comprises: temporally-resolved measurements.
However, Alles teaches metrology data from the detector associated with the second harmonic of the illumination beam comprises: temporally-resolved measurements (¶62, As shown in FIG. 4b, after the reflected fundamental signals 485 and SHG signals 480 are separated by a prism 470, the 400 nm wavelength SHG signals 480 are detected by a PMT 490 and measured by a photon counter with a 0.1 s temporal resolution).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the combination of Adler and Adler (different embodiment) to further include temporally-resolved measurements in order to detect and measure changes in the device over time with high resolution.
Regarding claim 44, Adler as modified by Adler (different embodiment) and Alles teaches the metrology method of claim 43, wherein the generating one or more metrology measurements associated with the one or more films based on the SHG light associated with the interface between the inversion-symmetric substrate and the one or more films comprises: generating metrology measurements of at least one of layer thickness, layer composition, presence of defects, charge/trap states, stress/strain, charge mobility, or surface/interface roughness associated with at least one of the one or more films (Adler, ¶130, the systems and methods described herein can be used to detect defects or contaminants in the sample as discussed above; and see remainder of ¶130 for further details).
Regarding claim 45, Adler as modified by Adler (different embodiment) and Alles teaches the metrology method of claim 43, wherein the interface between the inversion- symmetric substrate and the one or more films is associated with a gate region of at least one of a field effect transistor (FET), a metal-oxide-semiconductor FET (MOSFET), a planar FET, a FinFET, GAA nanosheet FET, a fork-sheet FET, a complimentary GAA FET, a ferroelectric FET, or a 2D FET (Adler, ¶91, The example FinFET structure may include some combination of a silicon substrate 4540, a vertical “Fin” of silicon 4510, an oxide layer covering the Fin 4520 and a conductive gate contact 4530).
Regarding claim 49, Adler as modified by Adler (different embodiment) and Alles teaches the metrology method of claim 43, further comprising: controlling one or more process tools for fabricating at least a portion of the sample (Adler 4302) based on the one or more metrology measurements (Adler, ¶249, the SHG-CD system may comprise a non-transitory memory configured to store data and machine executable instructions and a processor (e.g., a hardware processor, processing electronics, a microprocessor, and the like) configured to execute the machine-readable instructions to perform one or more processes associated with monitoring a sample that includes one or more device; and ¶13, These results (e.g., determined features) may also be used to alert manufacturing personnel of process variations, communicate with in-line fabrication tools and/or provide feedback or feed forward for adjustments to the semiconductor device fabrication process as described previously).
Claims 5-7, 9, 28-30, 32, and 47-48 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Adler (USPGPub 20220364850 A1) in view of Adler (USPGPub 20220364850 A1) (different embodiment) and Alles et al. (USPGPub 20060044641 A1) as applied to claims 1, 24, and 43 above, and further in view of Adell et al. (USPGPub 20170067830 A1).
Regarding claims 5, 28, and 47, Adler as modified by Adler (different embodiment) and Alles teaches the one or more films (Adler, ¶124, The systems and methods described herein can be configured to determine threshold energy for a variety of interfaces such as for example, between two different semiconductors, between a semiconductor and a metal, between a semiconductor and a dielectric, etc.). However, the combination fails to explicitly teach wherein the one or more films comprise: at least one of a high-k layer or an interfacial dipole engineering layer.
However, Adell teaches wherein the one or more films comprise: at least one of a high-k layer (212) or an interfacial dipole engineering layer (¶29, the structure 202 may include a semiconductor substrate 204 having isolation regions formed therein and a fin-shaped semiconductor structure protruding vertically above the isolation regions, which can be further processed to form fin-shaped field effect transistors (FinFETs). In these implementations, the high-k dielectric layer 212 may wrap around the fin-shaped semiconductor structure).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the combination of Adler, Adler (different embodiment), and Alles to incorporate the teachings of Adell to further include a high-k layer because [h]igher dielectric constants of the high-k dielectrics provide higher gate capacitances for a given thickness of the gate dielectric. As a result, by using high-k dielectrics, for a given gate capacitance, the gate dielectric can have a higher physical thickness, thereby enabling reduced leakage currents (Adell, ¶6).
Regarding claims 6 and 29, Adler as modified by Adler (different embodiment), Alles, and Adell teaches the metrology system of claims 5 and 28, wherein the one or more films comprise: at least one of Si3N4, Al2O3, Ta2O5, TiO2, ZrO2, or HfO2 (Adell, ¶30, the high-k dielectric layer 212 can be formed of Si.sub.3N.sub.4, Ta.sub.2O.sub.5, SrTiO.sub.3, ZrO.sub.2, HfO.sub.2, Al.sub.2O.sub.3, La.sub.2O.sub.3, Y.sub.2O.sub.3, HfSiO.sub.4 and LaAlO.sub.3, including non-stoichiometric versions of the above and various mixtures thereof, as well combinations or stacks or nanolaminates thereof, to name a few).
Regarding claims 7 and 30, Adler as modified by Adler (different embodiment), Alles, and Adell teaches the metrology system of claims 5 and 28, wherein the inversion-symmetric substrate comprises: silicon (Adler, ¶9, An SHG-CD system directs light such as pulsed light (e.g., pulsed laser light) onto a sample, such as a silicon wafer comprising semiconductor devices or partially constructed semiconductor devices).
Regarding claims 9, 32, and 48, Adler as modified by Adler (different embodiment), Alles, and Adell teaches the metrology system of claims 5 and 28, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute program instructions causing the one or more processors to: control one or more process tools for fabricating the at least one of the high-k layer (Adell 212) or the interfacial dipole engineering layer based on the one or more metrology measurements (Adler, ¶249, the SHG-CD system may comprise a non-transitory memory configured to store data and machine executable instructions and a processor (e.g., a hardware processor, processing electronics, a microprocessor, and the like) configured to execute the machine-readable instructions to perform one or more processes associated with monitoring a sample that includes one or more device; and ¶13, These results (e.g., determined features) may also be used to alert manufacturing personnel of process variations, communicate with in-line fabrication tools and/or provide feedback or feed forward for adjustments to the semiconductor device fabrication process as described previously).
Claims 8 and 31 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Adler (USPGPub 20220364850 A1) in view of Adler (USPGPub 20220364850 A1) (different embodiment), Alles et al. (USPGPub 20060044641 A1), and Adell et al. (USPGPub 20170067830 A1) as applied to claims 5 and 28 above, and further in view of Malkova et al. (USPGPub 20200292467 A1).
Regarding claims 8 and 31, Adler as modified by Adler (different embodiment), Alles, and Adell teaches generating one of more metrology measurements (Adler, see ¶130 and ¶209). However, the combination fails to explicitly teach wherein at least one of the one or more metrology measurements comprises: at least one of a threshold voltage (Vt) or a value indicative of the threshold voltage (V).
However, Malkova teaches wherein at least one of the one or more metrology measurements comprises: at least one of a threshold voltage (Vt) or a value indicative of the threshold voltage (V) (¶10, The performance of a logic gate is commonly characterized in terms of electrical characteristics such as equivalent oxide thickness (EOT), leakage current, threshold voltage, leakage EOT, and breakdown voltage. During device processing it is important to monitor and control these parameters).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the combination of Adler, Adler (different embodiment), Alles, and Adell to incorporate the teachings of Malkova to further measure the threshold voltage of the device because, as stated in the sited art, it is important for determining the performance of the semiconductor device being measured (Malkova, ¶10).
Claims 16 and 39 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Adler (USPGPub 20220364850 A1) in view of Adler (USPGPub 20220364850 A1) (different embodiment) and Alles et al. (USPGPub 20060044641 A1) as applied to claims 15 and 38 above, and further in view of Wang et al. (USPGPub 20200225151 A1).
Regarding claims 16 and 39, Adler as modified by Adler (different embodiment) and Alles teaches generating one of more metrology measurements (Adler, see ¶130 and ¶209). However, the combination fails to explicitly teach wherein at least one of the one or more metrology measurements includes a depth-dependent measurement.
However, Wang teaches wherein at least one of the one or more metrology measurements includes a depth-dependent measurement (¶51, hyperspectral imaging detectors 122 and 138 are configured to measure wavelength components by penetration depth (vertical detector), index of refraction, or another wavelength dependent property of the detector).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the combination of Adler, Adler (different embodiment), and Alles to incorporate the teachings of Wang to further include depth-dependent measurements as different wavelengths are able to penetrate into different material, therefore allowing accurate detection of dimensions of the device.
Claim 22 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Adler (USPGPub 20220364850 A1) in view of Adler (USPGPub 20220364850 A1) (different embodiment) and Alles et al. (USPGPub 20060044641 A1) as applied to claim 21 above, and further in view of Zhang (USPGPub 20220034791 A1).
Regarding claim 22, Adler as modified Adler (different embodiment), and Alles teaches the first polarizer (Adler 4120) and the second polarizer (Adler 4220) being adjustable (Adler, ¶9, the incident light pulses may be adjusted to improve (e.g., increase) the SHG signal from the sample, such as by selecting polarization, wavelength or intensity; and ¶13, the wavelength and/or polarization or other optical properties of the primary beam may also be varied). However, the combination fails to explicitly teach wherein an orientation of the polarizer is adjusted to maximize an intensity of the second harmonic of the illumination beam within a selected tolerance.
However, Zhang teaches wherein an orientation of the polarizer is adjusted to maximize an intensity of the second harmonic of the illumination beam within a selected tolerance (¶6, to ensure a precise measurement with methods in the prior art, strict alignment requirements must be met. For example, the sample position has to be fixated and flat, the angles of incidence and reflection are precisely controlled, and the polarization elements precisely rotate at certain steps and to a certain position. Without a tight tolerance for alignment of these measurement systems in the prior art, the calculated thickness or refractive index values are not accurate, or even meaningless).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the combination of Adler, Adler (different embodiment), and Alles to incorporate the teachings of Zhang to have the polarizers adjusted only within a predetermined tolerance because [w]ithout a tight tolerance for alignment of these measurement systems in the prior art, the calculated thickness or refractive index values are not accurate, or even meaningless (Zhang, ¶6).
Claim 46 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Adler (USPGPub 20220364850 A1) in view of Adler (USPGPub 20220364850 A1) (different embodiment) and Alles et al. (USPGPub 20060044641 A1) as applied to claim 45 above, and further in view of Malkova et al. (USPGPub 20200292467 A1).
Regarding claim 46, Adler as modified Adler (different embodiment), and Alles teaches the generating one or more metrology measurements associated with the one or more films based on the SHG light associated with the interface between the inversion-symmetric substrate and the one or more films (Adler, see ¶18, ¶130, and ¶209). However, the combination fails to explicitly teach generating metrology measurements of a threshold voltage (Vt).
However, Malkova teaches generating metrology measurements of a threshold voltage (Vt) (¶10, The performance of a logic gate is commonly characterized in terms of electrical characteristics such as equivalent oxide thickness (EOT), leakage current, threshold voltage, leakage EOT, and breakdown voltage. During device processing it is important to monitor and control these parameters).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the combination of Adler, Adler (different embodiment), and Alles to incorporate the teachings of Malkova to further measure the threshold voltage of the device because, as stated in the sited art, it is important for determining the performance of the semiconductor device being measured (Malkova, ¶10).
Claim 50 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Adler (USPGPub 20220364850 A1) in view of Adler (USPGPub 20220364850 A1) (different embodiment) and Alles et al. (USPGPub 20060044641 A1) as applied to claim 43 above, and further in view of Rosencwaig et al. (U.S. Patent No. 6297880 B1).
Regarding claim 50, Adler as modified Adler (different embodiment), and Alles teaches generating one or more metrology measurements associated with the one or more films based on the SHG light associated with the interface between the inversion-symmetric substrate and the one or more films (Adler, see ¶18, ¶130, and ¶209). However, the combination fails to explicitly teach generating calibration metrology data based on the light associated with known variations of the sample; and generating one or more metrology measurements for the sample associated with the one or more films based on the light from the sample and the calibration metrology data.
However, Rosencwaig teaches generating calibration metrology data based on the light associated with known variations of the sample (col. 3, lines 3-16, a thin film optical measurement system with a wavelength stable ellipsometer that can be used for calibration and to enhance the characterization of multi-layer thin film stacks. When used for calibration purposes, the stable wavelength ellipsometer functions to precisely determine the thickness of a film on a reference sample. The measured results from the calibration ellipsometer are used to calibrate other optical measurement devices in the thin film optical measurement system. By not having to supply a reference sample with a predetermined known film thickness, a reference sample having a film with a known composition can be repeatedly used to calibrate ultra-sensitive optical measurement devices, even if oxidation or contamination of the reference sample changes the thickness of the film over time); and generating one or more metrology measurements for the sample associated with the one or more films based on the light from the sample and the calibration metrology data (col. 10, lines 19-26, Once the thickness d of film 8 has been determined by ellipsometer 2, then the same sample 4 is probed by the other optical measurement devices BPE 10, BPR 12, BRS 14, DUV 16, and BSE 18 which measure various optical parameters of the sample 4. Processor 48 then calibrates the processing variables used to analyze the results from these optical measurement devices so that they produce accurate results).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the combination of Adler, Adler (different embodiment), and Alles to incorporate the teachings of Rosencwaig to calibrate the device and then further include the calibration data in the measurement of the device in order to produce more accurate results.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 19 and 41 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Regarding claim 19, the prior art of record individually or combined fails to teach the metrology system of claim 1 as claimed, more specifically in combination with wherein the temporally-resolved measurement is associated with intermittent illumination of the sample with at least one of the additional illumination beam or the electric field while the illumination beam is constant.
Regarding claim 41, the prior art of record individually or combined fails to teach the metrology system of claim 24 as claimed, more specifically in combination with wherein the temporally-resolved measurement is associated with intermittent illumination of the sample with at least one of the additional illumination beam or the electric field while the illumination beam is constant.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ERIN R GARBER whose telephone number is (571)272-4663. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 0730-1730.
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/ERIN R GARBER/Examiner, Art Unit 2878
/GEORGIA Y EPPS/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2878
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