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Determining the focal position of an overlay target with respect to an objective lens is an important prerequisite of overlay metrology. At best, an out-of-focus image will provide less than optimal information for metrology; focal depth for a high-NA imaging system at the required magnification is of the order of 5 microns. In most cases poor focus will lead to poor measurement performance. In some cases, being out of focus will cause apparent contrast reversal and similar effects, due to optical wavelengths (i.e. about half a micron) being used; this can cause measurement failure on some algorithms. In the very worst case, being out of focus can cause pattern recognition to fail completely, leading to a missed measurement.
Previous systems to date have had one of two forms. In the first, a scan through focus is performed, selecting the optimal position using a direct, image-based focus metric, such as the high-frequency component of a Fourier transform. This always gives an optimal or near-optimal focus position, even under wide process variation, but can be time consuming, requiring a relatively large number of images to be captured for each site visited. It also requires the optimal position to be included in the range of the scan; if initial uncertainty is large, then the focus scan needs to be longer, taking even more time.
The second approach is to monitor some property which has a known relationship to focus. This is often calibrated with respect to a scan through focus. On subsequent measurements the output of this secondary system is taken as a focus position. This second system may be completely separate from the imaging system; the primary requirement is only that it is coupled to the imaging system. These systems are generally fast; only one measurement per site is required, and they are typically designed so that only limited image / signal processing is required. However, such techniques are less precise or accurate than performing a scan through focus, and they are also susceptible to effects caused by variations of the wafer under test, e.g. variations in stack depth.
A fast, precise system for measuring focus position, using the imaging optics, has been developed. This new system achieves better accuracy than previous indirect techniques, significantly faster than executing a scan through focus. Its output is linear with respect to focus position, and it has a very high dynamic range, providing a direct estimate of focal position even at large focus offset. It also has an advantage over indirect systems of being an integral part of the imaging system, eliminating calibration drift over extended periods. In this paper we discuss the mathematical background, optical arrangement and imaging algorithms. We present initial performance results, including data on repeatability and time taken to measure focus.
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