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New advance in confocal microscopy

Chunyong Yin1, Dejiao Lin1,2, Zhongyao Liu1 and Xiangqian Jiang2

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Step height and line-width are two key parameters in the metrology of micro-electronic masks. A novel common-path heterodyne interferometric confocal measuring system is presented to measure the step height of masks. It combines both the methods of heterodyne interferometry and confocal microscopy. The resolution is 0.01 nm and the measurement range is around 8 µm. The procedure is direct by the integration of the measurement of intensity and phase, hereby faster than a normal scanning microscope. For the line-width measurement of masks, a polarization heterodyne interferometric confocal microscope is proposed, which combines a polarization interferometer with a confocal microscope. An ideal beam spot is obtained and precise focus is realized by using the confocal technique. The phase shifts of the two orthogonal polarization beams differ from each other when they are reflected at the edge of a sample. The experimental results show that the uncertainty of line-width measurement is 21 nm. Both of the systems satisfy the common-path principle, so as to get high ability of resistance to environment disturbances.


PACS

07.60.Ly Interferometers

85.40.Hp Lithography, masks and pattern transfer

07.60.Pb Conventional optical microscopes

42.25.Ja Polarization

Subjects

Electronics and devices

Instrumentation and measurement

Optics, quantum optics and lasers

Dates

Issue 3 (March 2006)

Received 8 June 2005, in final form 29 September 2005

Published 31 January 2006



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