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  • Current Optics and Photonics
  • Vol. 1,
  • Issue 5,
  • pp. 505-513
  • (2017)

Thickness Measurement of a Transparent Thin Film Using Phase Change in White-Light Phase-Shift Interferometry

Jaeho Kim, Kwangrak Kim, and Heui Jae Pahk

Open Access Open Access

Abstract

Measuring the thickness of thin films is strongly required in the display industry. In recent years, as the size of a pattern has become smaller, the substrate has become larger. Consequently, measuring the thickness of the thin film over a wide area with low spatial sampling size has become a key technique of manufacturing-yield management. Interferometry is a well-known metrology technique that offers low spatial sampling size and the ability to measure a wide area; however, there are some limitations in measuring the thickness of the thin film. This paper proposes a method to calculate the thickness of the thin film in the following two steps: first, pre-estimation of the thickness with the phase at the peak position of the interferogram at the bottom surface of the thin film, using white-light phase-shift interferometry; second, accurate correction of the measurement by fitting the interferogram with the theoretical pattern through the estimated thickness. Feasibility and accuracy of the method has been verified by comparing measured values of photoresist pattern samples, manufactured with the halftone display process, to those measured by AFM. As a result, an area of 880 × 640 pixels could be measured in 3 seconds, with a measurement error of less than 12%.

© 2017 Optical Society of Korea

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References

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  • Author
  • Publication
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    [Crossref]
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    [Crossref]
  3. P. Hlubina, D. Ciprian, J. Lunacek, M. Lesnak, "Dispersive white-light spectral interferometry with absolute phase retrieval to measure thin film," Opt. Express 14, 7678‒7685 (2006)
    [Crossref]
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    [Crossref]
  5. P. Hlubina, J. Lunacek, D. Ciprian, "White-light spectral interferometric technique to measure a nonlinear phase function of a thin-film structure," Opt. Commun. 283, 4877‒4881 (2010)
    [Crossref]
  6. Y. S. Ghim, S. W. Kim, "Spectrally resolved white-light interferometry for 3D inspection of a thin-film layer structure," Appl. Opt. 41, 799‒803 (2009)
  7. S. W. Kim, G. H. Kim, "Thickness-profile measurement of transparent thin-film layers by white-light scanning interferometry," Appl. Opt. 38, 5968‒5973 (1999)
    [Crossref]
  8. Y. M. Hwang, S. W. Yoon, J. H. Kim, S. Kim, H. Pahk, "Thin-film thickness profile measurement using wavelet transform in wavelength-scanning interferometry," Opt. Lasers Eng. 46, 179‒184 (2008)
    [Crossref]
  9. D. Mansfield, "The distorted helix: thin film extraction from scanning white light interferometry," Proc. SPIE 6186, 61860O (2006)
  10. D. Mansfield, "Extraction of film interface surfaces from scanning white light interferometry," Proc. SPIE 7101, 797978 (2008)
  11. B. Maniscalco, P. M. Kaminski, J. Walls, "Thin film thickness measurements using scanning white light interferometry," Thin Solid Films 550, 10‒16 (2014)
    [Crossref]
  12. D. S. Kim, S. H. Kim, "Fast thickness profile measurement using a peak detection method based on an acousto-optic tunable filter," Meas. Sci. Technol. 13, L1‒L5 (2002)
    [Crossref]
  13. J. W. You, S. Kim, D. Kim, "High speed volumetric thickness profile measurement based on full-field wavelength scanning interferometer," Opt. Express 16, 21022‒21031 (2008)
    [Crossref]
  14. T. Jo, K. Kim, S. R. Kim, H. J. Pahk, "Thickness and surface measurement of transparent thin-film layers using white light scanning interferometry combined with reflectometry," J. Opt. Soc. Korea 18, 236‒243 (2014)
    [Crossref]
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    [Crossref]

2014 (2)

2013 (1)

2010 (1)

P. Hlubina, J. Lunacek, D. Ciprian, "White-light spectral interferometric technique to measure a nonlinear phase function of a thin-film structure," Opt. Commun. 283, 4877‒4881 (2010)
[Crossref]

2009 (1)

Y. S. Ghim, S. W. Kim, "Spectrally resolved white-light interferometry for 3D inspection of a thin-film layer structure," Appl. Opt. 41, 799‒803 (2009)

2008 (3)

Y. M. Hwang, S. W. Yoon, J. H. Kim, S. Kim, H. Pahk, "Thin-film thickness profile measurement using wavelet transform in wavelength-scanning interferometry," Opt. Lasers Eng. 46, 179‒184 (2008)
[Crossref]

D. Mansfield, "Extraction of film interface surfaces from scanning white light interferometry," Proc. SPIE 7101, 797978 (2008)

J. W. You, S. Kim, D. Kim, "High speed volumetric thickness profile measurement based on full-field wavelength scanning interferometer," Opt. Express 16, 21022‒21031 (2008)
[Crossref]

2006 (3)

2002 (2)

H. Maruyama, S. Inoue, T. Mitsuyama, M. Ohmi, M. Haruna, "Low-coherence interferometer system for the simultaneous measurement of refractive index and thickness," Appl. Opt. 41, 1315‒1322 (2002)
[Crossref]

D. S. Kim, S. H. Kim, "Fast thickness profile measurement using a peak detection method based on an acousto-optic tunable filter," Meas. Sci. Technol. 13, L1‒L5 (2002)
[Crossref]

1999 (1)

1996 (1)

K. G. Larkin, "Efficient nonlinear algorithm for envelope detection in white light interferometry," J. Opt. Soc. Am. A. 13, 832‒843 (1996)
[Crossref]

1993 (1)

1983 (1)

1982 (1)

1972 (1)

Burow, R.

Ciprian, D.

P. Hlubina, J. Lunacek, D. Ciprian, "White-light spectral interferometric technique to measure a nonlinear phase function of a thin-film structure," Opt. Commun. 283, 4877‒4881 (2010)
[Crossref]

P. Hlubina, D. Ciprian, J. Lunacek, M. Lesnak, "Dispersive white-light spectral interferometry with absolute phase retrieval to measure thin film," Opt. Express 14, 7678‒7685 (2006)
[Crossref]

de Groot, P.

Debnath, S. K.

Deck, L.

Elssner, K.-E.

Flourney, P. A.

Ghim, Y. S.

Y. S. Ghim, S. W. Kim, "Spectrally resolved white-light interferometry for 3D inspection of a thin-film layer structure," Appl. Opt. 41, 799‒803 (2009)

Grzanna, J.

Hariharan, P.

Haruna, M.

Hlubina, P.

P. Hlubina, J. Lunacek, D. Ciprian, "White-light spectral interferometric technique to measure a nonlinear phase function of a thin-film structure," Opt. Commun. 283, 4877‒4881 (2010)
[Crossref]

P. Hlubina, D. Ciprian, J. Lunacek, M. Lesnak, "Dispersive white-light spectral interferometry with absolute phase retrieval to measure thin film," Opt. Express 14, 7678‒7685 (2006)
[Crossref]

Hwang, Y. M.

Y. M. Hwang, S. W. Yoon, J. H. Kim, S. Kim, H. Pahk, "Thin-film thickness profile measurement using wavelet transform in wavelength-scanning interferometry," Opt. Lasers Eng. 46, 179‒184 (2008)
[Crossref]

Inoue, S.

Itoh, K.

Jo, T.

Kaminski, P. M.

B. Maniscalco, P. M. Kaminski, J. Walls, "Thin film thickness measurements using scanning white light interferometry," Thin Solid Films 550, 10‒16 (2014)
[Crossref]

Kim, D.

Kim, D. S.

D. S. Kim, S. H. Kim, "Fast thickness profile measurement using a peak detection method based on an acousto-optic tunable filter," Meas. Sci. Technol. 13, L1‒L5 (2002)
[Crossref]

Kim, G. H.

Kim, J. H.

S. R. Kim, J. H. Kim, H. J. Pahk, "Fringe-order determination method in white-light phase-shifting interferometry for the compensation of the phase delay and the suppression of excessive phase unwrapping," J. Opt. Soc. Korea 17, 415‒422 (2013)
[Crossref]

Y. M. Hwang, S. W. Yoon, J. H. Kim, S. Kim, H. Pahk, "Thin-film thickness profile measurement using wavelet transform in wavelength-scanning interferometry," Opt. Lasers Eng. 46, 179‒184 (2008)
[Crossref]

Kim, K.

Kim, S.

Y. M. Hwang, S. W. Yoon, J. H. Kim, S. Kim, H. Pahk, "Thin-film thickness profile measurement using wavelet transform in wavelength-scanning interferometry," Opt. Lasers Eng. 46, 179‒184 (2008)
[Crossref]

J. W. You, S. Kim, D. Kim, "High speed volumetric thickness profile measurement based on full-field wavelength scanning interferometer," Opt. Express 16, 21022‒21031 (2008)
[Crossref]

Kim, S. H.

D. S. Kim, S. H. Kim, "Fast thickness profile measurement using a peak detection method based on an acousto-optic tunable filter," Meas. Sci. Technol. 13, L1‒L5 (2002)
[Crossref]

Kim, S. R.

Kim, S. W.

Y. S. Ghim, S. W. Kim, "Spectrally resolved white-light interferometry for 3D inspection of a thin-film layer structure," Appl. Opt. 41, 799‒803 (2009)

S. W. Kim, G. H. Kim, "Thickness-profile measurement of transparent thin-film layers by white-light scanning interferometry," Appl. Opt. 38, 5968‒5973 (1999)
[Crossref]

Kothiyal, M. P.

Larkin, K. G.

K. G. Larkin, "Efficient nonlinear algorithm for envelope detection in white light interferometry," J. Opt. Soc. Am. A. 13, 832‒843 (1996)
[Crossref]

Lesnak, M.

Lunacek, J.

P. Hlubina, J. Lunacek, D. Ciprian, "White-light spectral interferometric technique to measure a nonlinear phase function of a thin-film structure," Opt. Commun. 283, 4877‒4881 (2010)
[Crossref]

P. Hlubina, D. Ciprian, J. Lunacek, M. Lesnak, "Dispersive white-light spectral interferometry with absolute phase retrieval to measure thin film," Opt. Express 14, 7678‒7685 (2006)
[Crossref]

Maniscalco, B.

B. Maniscalco, P. M. Kaminski, J. Walls, "Thin film thickness measurements using scanning white light interferometry," Thin Solid Films 550, 10‒16 (2014)
[Crossref]

Mansfield, D.

D. Mansfield, "Extraction of film interface surfaces from scanning white light interferometry," Proc. SPIE 7101, 797978 (2008)

D. Mansfield, "The distorted helix: thin film extraction from scanning white light interferometry," Proc. SPIE 6186, 61860O (2006)

Maruyama, H.

McClure, R. W.

McGahan, W. A.

H. G. Tompkins, W. A. McGahan, Spectroscopic ellipsometry and reflectometry: a user’s guide .

Merkel, K.

Mitsuyama, T.

Ohmi, M.

Pahk, H.

Y. M. Hwang, S. W. Yoon, J. H. Kim, S. Kim, H. Pahk, "Thin-film thickness profile measurement using wavelet transform in wavelength-scanning interferometry," Opt. Lasers Eng. 46, 179‒184 (2008)
[Crossref]

Pahk, H. J.

Schmit, J.

Schwider, J.

Spolaczyk, R.

Tompkins, H. G.

H. G. Tompkins, W. A. McGahan, Spectroscopic ellipsometry and reflectometry: a user’s guide .

Walls, J.

B. Maniscalco, P. M. Kaminski, J. Walls, "Thin film thickness measurements using scanning white light interferometry," Thin Solid Films 550, 10‒16 (2014)
[Crossref]

Wyntjes, G.

Yoon, S. W.

Y. M. Hwang, S. W. Yoon, J. H. Kim, S. Kim, H. Pahk, "Thin-film thickness profile measurement using wavelet transform in wavelength-scanning interferometry," Opt. Lasers Eng. 46, 179‒184 (2008)
[Crossref]

You, J. W.

Appl. Opt. (6)

J. Opt. Soc. Am. A. (1)

K. G. Larkin, "Efficient nonlinear algorithm for envelope detection in white light interferometry," J. Opt. Soc. Am. A. 13, 832‒843 (1996)
[Crossref]

J. Opt. Soc. Korea (2)

Meas. Sci. Technol. (1)

D. S. Kim, S. H. Kim, "Fast thickness profile measurement using a peak detection method based on an acousto-optic tunable filter," Meas. Sci. Technol. 13, L1‒L5 (2002)
[Crossref]

Opt. Commun. (1)

P. Hlubina, J. Lunacek, D. Ciprian, "White-light spectral interferometric technique to measure a nonlinear phase function of a thin-film structure," Opt. Commun. 283, 4877‒4881 (2010)
[Crossref]

Opt. Express (3)

Opt. Lasers Eng. (1)

Y. M. Hwang, S. W. Yoon, J. H. Kim, S. Kim, H. Pahk, "Thin-film thickness profile measurement using wavelet transform in wavelength-scanning interferometry," Opt. Lasers Eng. 46, 179‒184 (2008)
[Crossref]

Opt. Lett. (1)

Proc. SPIE (2)

D. Mansfield, "The distorted helix: thin film extraction from scanning white light interferometry," Proc. SPIE 6186, 61860O (2006)

D. Mansfield, "Extraction of film interface surfaces from scanning white light interferometry," Proc. SPIE 7101, 797978 (2008)

Thin Solid Films (1)

B. Maniscalco, P. M. Kaminski, J. Walls, "Thin film thickness measurements using scanning white light interferometry," Thin Solid Films 550, 10‒16 (2014)
[Crossref]

Other (1)

H. G. Tompkins, W. A. McGahan, Spectroscopic ellipsometry and reflectometry: a user’s guide .

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