Operating Your

FOCUS™ Ellipsometer System

Part No. A15424

5/01/97

One Rudolph Road, P.O. Box 1000

Flanders, NJ 07836
 DISCLAIMER
Every attempt has been made to make this manual complete, accurate,
and up to date. Users are cautioned, however, that Rudolph Technologies,
Inc. reserves the right to make improvements and changes without notice
and shall not be responsible for any damages (including consequential)
caused by reliance on the material presented, including, but not limited to,
typographical, arithmetical, or listing errors.

Copyright © 1997 Rudolph Technologies, Inc. All rights reserved. No part

of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photo-
copying, recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of Rudolph
Technologies, Inc.
Revision History
This page provides a revision history for this manual.

Pages Affected Revision Change Date Reason

All 5/01/97 Original release covering
FE III, IV, VII, SMIF, and
D Series.

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iv Operating Your FOCUS Ellipsometer System A15424

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Table of Contents

About This Guide

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxi
Intended Audience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxii
Related Manuals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxii
Usage Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxiii
Chapter 1 System Overview
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
FOCUS Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Measurement Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3
Measurement System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3
Control Electronics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3
Computer System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3
Wafer Handler Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Robot Arm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Cassette Plates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
FE System Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
External Flat/Notch Finder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Monitor Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Optional Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Dual Wavelength . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
SMIF Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Queued Loading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
GEM-compliant SECS II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Pattern Recognition (Vision System) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
Unit Mounting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
Signal Tower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
FE System Safety Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7
FOCUS Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8
Focus Operator Queued Loading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Focus Interactive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Focus Recipe Creator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Focus Mapping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Focus Browser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Focus Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Focus SECS-II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10

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Contents

Chapter 2 Operator Interface

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
Starting Focus Operator and Logging In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Focus Operator Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
Cassette View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
Wafer View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Data View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Using Focus Operator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Setting Up a Process Run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18
Cancel the Process Run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-20
Start the Process Run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-21
Process Run Completion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-22
Skipping a Wafer Measurement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-23
Aborting a Measurement Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-24
Setting Up Queued Loading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-25
Queuing Multiple Cassettes Prior to Starting the Run . . . . . . . . 2-25
Queuing Another Cassette While a Run is in Progress . . . . . . . 2-27
Queued Run Completion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-29
Retrieving Run Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-30
Accessing Current Run Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-31
Accessing Previously Run Data (History Log) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-32
Sample Report Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-34
Creating a Wafer Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-36
Accessing Wafer Mapping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-38
Logging Out and Exiting Focus Operator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-39
Chapter 3 Developing Film Applications
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1
Introduction to Film Application Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Starting Focus Interactive and Logging In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5
Focus Interactive Main Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8
Wafer View Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8
Site Locator Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
Site Locator Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
Filmstack Model Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-11
Filmstack Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-12
Calculated Parameters Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-13
Focus Interactive Main Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-13
Filmstack Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-17
Load a Test Wafer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-17
Choosing a Filmstack Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-20
Selecting an Existing Filmstack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-20
Modifying an Existing Filmstack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-22
Creating a New Filmstack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-26
Logging Measurements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-28
Start Logging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-28
Stop Logging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-29
Testing the Filmstack Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-31

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 Analyzing Test Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-33
Fit Error . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-33
Error Estimates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-34
Order Searching and Order Resolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-34
Order Resolution by Fit Error . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-35
Order Resolution by Index Matching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-36
Remodeling a Modified Filmstack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-36
Unloading the Wafer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-37
Creating and Modifying Filmstacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-38
Changing the Filmstack Substrate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-38
Adding Film Layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-41
Creating New Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-46
Creating Non-EMA Composite Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-46
Creating EMA Composite Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-47
Deleting Film Layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-49
Modifying Film Layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-50
Selecting Measurement Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-54
Setting Range Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-55
Faxing Data to Rudolph Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-56
Exiting Focus Interactive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-59
Applications by Fab Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-60
Diffusion Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-61
Diffusion Application: Oxides/Nitrides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-61
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-61
Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-61
Analyzing the Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-63
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-63
Diffusion Application: Poly Variations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-64
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-64
About Interlayers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-64
Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-67
Analyzing the Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-68
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-69
Diffusion Application: Poly-Si Using EMA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-70
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-70
Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-70
Analyzing the Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-76
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-76
CVD (Deposition) Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-77
CVD Application: Thick Oxide, T&N Measurements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-77
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-77
Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-77
Analyzing the Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-79
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-79
CVD Application: Amorphous Si . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-80
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-80
Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-80
Analyzing the Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-82
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-82

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Contents

CVD Application: TiN/Si . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-83

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-83
Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-83
Analyzing the Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-85
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-85
Etch Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-87
Etch Application: Oxide Etch to Clear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-87
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-87
Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-87
Analyzing the Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-90
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-90
CMP Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-91
CMP Application: Teos on Metal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-91
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-91
Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-92
Analyzing the Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-93
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-93
CMP Application: BPSG on Metal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-94
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-94
Lithography Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-95
Lithography Application: Photo Resist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-95
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-95
Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-95
Analyzing the Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-97
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-97
Chapter 4 Creating Recipes
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Wafer Recipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4
Process Specifications and Process Steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4
Starting Recipe Creator and Logging In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5
Recipe Creator Main Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-8
Wafer View Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-8
Wafer Recipe Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-9
Site Locator Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-10
Site Locator Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-10
Recipe Creator Main Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-12
Creating a Wafer Recipe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-16
Recipe Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-16
Wafer Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-17
Film Stack Specification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-19
Wafer Registration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-21
Creating a Monitor Wafer Recipe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-22
Measurement Pattern Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-22
Wafer Report Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-24
Saving the Recipe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-26

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 Creating a Patterned Wafer Recipe (Cognex System) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-26
Automatic Registration Using Pattern Recognition . . . . . . . . . . 4-26
Pattern Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-34
Select Measured Chips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-38
Wafer Report Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-41
Saving the Recipe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-42
Modifying a Wafer Recipe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-43
Recipe Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-43
Creating a Wafer Mapping Recipe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-45
Creating and Modifying Measurement Patterns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-46
Pattern Creation by Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-47
Pattern Creation by Coordinate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-49
Pattern Creation by Shape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-51
Line Patterns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-52
Circular Patterns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-54
Rectangular Area Patterns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-55
Circular Area Patterns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-56
Changing Measurement Sites in a Registered Pattern . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-58
Wafer Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-61
Transfer Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-64
Creating and Modifying a Process Specification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-68
Modifying a Process Step . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-73
Exiting Recipe Creator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-75
Chapter 5 Wafer Mapping and Data Reporting
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1
Wafer Mapping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Starting Focus Mapping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
Focus Mapping Main Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
Map Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
Map Window Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Viewing Wafer Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Topographical Mapping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Contour Mapping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Difference and Etch Rate Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Creating a Difference Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Creating an Etch Rate Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Updating Wafer Map Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Automatic Updating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Manual Updating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Switching Color Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Changing Wafer Orientation View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15
Switching Between Topographic and Contour Mapping . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Clearing the Wafer Map View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Opening a New or Additional Wafer Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Editing the Measured Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Exiting Wafer Mapping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Wafer Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Starting Focus Browser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Focus Browser Main Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Cassette Icon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22

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Browsing the Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23

Cassette Browsing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Database Queries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Viewing Report Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-30
Displaying Data as a Graph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-31
Displaying Data in Text Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-32
Text Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-32
Text Dump Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-33
Query Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-35
Exiting Focus Browser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-36
Importing and Exporting Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-37
Creating an Import/Export Media Disk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-41
Appendix A Starting and Stopping the System
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-1
FE System Control Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-2
Normal System Startup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-3
Normal System Shutdown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-4
Emergency System Shutdown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-5
Emergency Motion Off (EMO) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-5
Emergency Power Off (EPO) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-5
Recovering from an Emergency System Shutdown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-6
Appendix B System Configuration
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-1
Starting Focus Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-2
Focus Setup Main Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-3
Setting FE System Login Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-7
Exiting Focus Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-10
Setting Up User Logins and Passwords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-11
Creating New User Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-11
Renaming, Deleting, or Copying User Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-14
Modifying User Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-16
Database Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-19
Backing Up the FE Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-19
Restoring the FE Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-21
Database Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-23
Delete Vision System Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-23
Database Compression . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-24
Recommended Intervals for Database Backup and Maintenance . . . . . B-26
SECS-II/GEM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-27
Appendix C Default Recipes and Filmstacks
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-1
Default Filmstacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-2
Default Recipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-5
Default Measurement Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-7

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Appendix D Menu Maps Quick Reference
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-1
Focus Interactive Menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-3
Focus Recipe Creator Menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-5
Focus Operator Menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-7
Focus Browser Menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-8
Focus Mapping Menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-10
Focus Setup Menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-12
Appendix E Theory of Operation
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-1
Interaction of Light with Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-1
Polarized Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-2
Linear Polarization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-3
Circular Polarization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-4
Elliptical Polarization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-5
Reflection of Light from a Surface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-6
Ellipsometry Parameters ∆ and Ψ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-8
∆ / Ψ Trajectories and Cycle Thickness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-9
Instrumentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-11
Required Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-11
Ellipsometer Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-11
Null Ellipsometers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-11
Rotating Compensator Ellipsometers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-12
Focused Beam Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-15
Fit Error and Error Estimates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-16
Film Parameter Computation Algorithm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-17
Order Search Algorithm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-19
Appendix F Error Messages/Getting Help
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F-1
FE System Hardware Symptoms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F-2
Software Error Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F-3
Contacting Rudolph Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F-10
Glossary
Index

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List of Tables
Chapter 1 System Overview
Table 1-1. Safety Clutch Stall Forces .................................................................... 1-7
Chapter 3 Developing Film Applications
Table 3-1. Filmstack Model Window Conventions ............................................... 3-11
Table 3-2. Typical Applications by Fab Area ....................................................... 3-60
Table 3-3. Under Etched Wafer of Oxide on Silicon ............................................ 3-89
Table 3-4. Over Etched Wafer of Oxide on Silicon .............................................. 3-89
Chapter 4 Creating Recipes
Table 4-1: Wafer ID Generation ........................................................................... 4-72
Appendix B System Configuration
Table B-1. Recommended Intervals for Database Operations ............................ B-26
Appendix C Default Recipes and Filmstacks
Table C-1. Rudolph Supplied Filmstacks ...............................................................C-2
Table C-2. Rudolph Supplied Wafer Recipes .........................................................C-5
Table C-3. Rudolph Supplied Measurement Controls ............................................C-7
Appendix E Theory of Operation
Table E-1. Order Search Modes .......................................................................... E-20
Appendix F Error Messages/Getting Help
Table F-1. FE System Hardware Problem Symptoms ........................................... F-2
Table F-2. FE System Software Error Messages .................................................. F-3

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List of Figures
Chapter 1 System Overview
Figure 1-1. The FE System. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Figure 1-2. Laser Safety Label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7
Figure 1-3. Focus Ellipsometer Folder (OS/2 Desktop) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8
Chapter 2 Operator Interface
Figure 2-1. Focus Operator Login Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Figure 2-2. Focus Operator Queued Loading Selection Screen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
Figure 2-3. Focus Operator User Login Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
Figure 2-4. Focus Operator Password Entry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
Figure 2-5. Cassette View Login Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
Figure 2-6. Cassette View Process Specification Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Figure 2-7. Cassette View Process Step Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Figure 2-8. Cassette View Process Ready Screen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10
Figure 2-9. Cassette View Process Running Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11
Figure 2-10. Wafer View Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Figure 2-11. Data View Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Figure 2-12. Focus Operator Queued Loading Screen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Figure 2-13. Focus Operator Showing Process Step Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18
Figure 2-14. Focus Operator Ready to Start Run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-20
Figure 2-15. Wafer View Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-21
Figure 2-16. Process Run Complete — Press for Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-22
Figure 2-17. Focus Ellipsometer Control Panel Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-23
Figure 2-18. Focus Ellipsometer Control Panel Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-24
Figure 2-19. Focus Operator — Two Cassettes Queued to Run . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-26
Figure 2-20. Focus Operator — One Cassette Running, None Queued . . . . . . . 2-27
Figure 2-21. Focus Operator — One Cassette Running, One Queued . . . . . . . . 2-28
Figure 2-22. All Runs Complete — Press for Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-29
Figure 2-23. Cassette View Window Data Retrieval . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-30
Figure 2-24. Sample Report File (Partial) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-31
Figure 2-25. History Log File Selection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-33
Figure 2-26. Sample Report File. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-34
Figure 2-27. Wafer Map Name Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-36
Figure 2-28. Queued Loading Options Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-38
Chapter 3 Developing Film Applications
Figure 3-1. Measuring Film Layers Flow Diagram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Figure 3-2. Focus Interactive Main Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5
Figure 3-3. Focus Interactive User Login Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6
Figure 3-4. Focus Interactive Password Entry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7
Figure 3-5. Focus Interactive Wafer View Element. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8
Figure 3-6. Focus Interactive Site Locator Element . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9

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Figure 3-7. Focus Interactive Filmstack Model Element . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-11

Figure 3-8. Focus Interactive Calculated Parameters Element . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-13
Figure 3-9. Wafer Load/Unload Window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-18
Figure 3-10. Wafer Specification Window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-19
Figure 3-11. Filmstack Selection Window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-20
Figure 3-12. Filmstack Model Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-21
Figure 3-13. Filmstack Selection Window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-23
Figure 3-14. Options Result Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-24
Figure 3-15. Filmstack Model Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-24
Figure 3-16. Filmstack Selection Window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-26
Figure 3-17. Filmstack Model Window - Substrate Only. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-27
Figure 3-18. Log File Report Selection Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-28
Figure 3-19. Logging Measurement Data Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-29
Figure 3-20. Logging Measurement Data Graphics Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-30
Figure 3-21. Calculated Parameters Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-32
Figure 3-22. Fit Error Equation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-34
Figure 3-23. Cycle Thickness Function. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-34
Figure 3-24. Substrate View Window - Single Wavelength . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-38
Figure 3-25. Substrate View Window - Dual Wavelength . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-39
Figure 3-26. Material Selection Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-41
Figure 3-27. Layer View Window - Single Wavelength . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-42
Figure 3-28. Layer View Window - Dual Wavelength . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-43
Figure 3-29. Search Tolerance Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-45
Figure 3-30. EMA Material Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-47
Figure 3-31. EMA Material Constituent Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-47
Figure 3-32. EMA Material Window - First Component . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-48
Figure 3-33. EMA Material Window - Two Components. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-48
Figure 3-34. Layer View Window - Single Wavelength . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-50
Figure 3-35. Layer View Window - Dual Wavelength . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-51
Figure 3-36. Search Tolerance Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-53
Figure 3-37. Measurement Selection Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-54
Figure 3-38. Range Specifications Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-55
Figure 3-39. Measured Data Selection Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-57
Figure 3-40. Measurement Data Fax Printout. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-58
Figure 3-41. Rudolph-supplied Thin Oxide Filmstack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-62
Figure 3-42. Sample Calculated Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-63
Figure 3-43. Poly Filmstack without an Interlayer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-64
Figure 3-44. Specifying an Interlayer (Layer View Window) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-65
Figure 3-45. Poly Filmstack with an Interlayer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-66
Figure 3-46. A Diffusion Poly Filmstack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-67
Figure 3-47. Calculated Parameters Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-68
Figure 3-48. Calculated Parameters (Improved Fit Error). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-69
Figure 3-49. Layer View Window - Adding a POLY.EMA Layer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-71
Figure 3-50. Revised Filmstack with POLY.EMA Layer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-72

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 Figure 3-51. Calculated Parameters Using POLY.EMA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-73
Figure 3-52. Final Composition: EMA Material Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-74
Figure 3-53. EMA Layer View with New Constants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-75
Figure 3-54. Final Calculated Parameters for Poly EMA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-76
Figure 3-55. Thick Oxide Filmstack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-78
Figure 3-56. Calculated Parameters Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-79
Figure 3-57. Amorphous Si Filmstack - Original . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-80
Figure 3-58. Amorphous Si Filmstack - Modified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-81
Figure 3-59. A-Si Calculated Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-82
Figure 3-60. New TiN/Si Filmstack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-83
Figure 3-61. TiN Film Layer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-84
Figure 3-62. Completed TiN/Si Filmstack Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-85
Figure 3-63. Oxide Etch to Clear Filmstack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-88
Figure 3-64. Teos Filmstack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-92
Figure 3-65. Teos Calculated Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-93
Figure 3-66. Photo Resist Filmstack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-96
Figure 3-67. Photo Resist Calculated Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-96
Chapter 4 Creating Recipes
Figure 4-1. Creating Wafer Recipes Flow Diagram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Figure 4-2. Recipe to Process Specification Relationship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4
Figure 4-3. Recipe Creator Main Window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5
Figure 4-4. Recipe Creator User Login Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6
Figure 4-5. Focus Operator Password Entry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-7
Figure 4-6. Recipe Creator Wafer View Element . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-8
Figure 4-7. Recipe Creator Wafer Recipe Element . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-9
Figure 4-8. Recipe Creator Site Locator Element . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-10
Figure 4-9. Wafer Recipe Selection Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-17
Figure 4-10. Wafer Selection Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-18
Figure 4-11. Wafer Specification Window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-19
Figure 4-12. Film Stack Selection Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-20
Figure 4-13. Pattern Selection Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-22
Figure 4-14. Report Selection Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-24
Figure 4-15. Wafer Load/Unload Window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-27
Figure 4-16. Wafer Layout Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-28
Figure 4-17. Die Corner Training Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-29
Figure 4-18. Examples of Shapes for Pattern Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-31
Figure 4-19. Vision System Setup Window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-32
Figure 4-20. Refine Die Pitch Site Confirmation Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-33
Figure 4-21. Stepper Group Pattern Training Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-35
Figure 4-22. Site Locator Wafer View Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-35
Figure 4-23. Site Pattern Window - Patterned Wafers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-36
Figure 4-24. Point Selection Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-37
Figure 4-25. Stepper Group Map Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-39
Figure 4-26. Site Locator Wafer View - Stepper Group Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-39

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Contents

Figure 4-27. Report Selection Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-41

Figure 4-28. Wafer Recipe Selection Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-43
Figure 4-29. Site Pattern Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-46
Figure 4-30. Measurement Point Selection Window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-48
Figure 4-31. Coordinates Entry Pattern Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-49
Figure 4-32. Shape Pattern Window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-51
Figure 4-33. Linear Selection Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-53
Figure 4-34. Linear Selection Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-54
Figure 4-35. Area Selection Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-55
Figure 4-36. Circular Area Window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-56
Figure 4-37. Wafer Report Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-61
Figure 4-38. Transfer Selection Window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-65
Figure 4-39. Transfer Specification Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-66
Figure 4-40. Process Specification Selection Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-68
Figure 4-41. Process Specification Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-69
Figure 4-42. Recipe Control Selection Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-71
Figure 4-43. Recipe Control Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-72
Chapter 5 Wafer Mapping and Data Reporting
Figure 5-1. Focus Mapping Main Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
Figure 5-2. Example Wafer Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
Figure 5-3. Map Files Selection Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Figure 5-4. Topographical Wafer Map (Black and White). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Figure 5-5. Contour Wafer Map (Black and White). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Figure 5-6. Etch Rate Calculation Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Figure 5-7. View Control Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15
Figure 5-8. Editing Measured Data Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Figure 5-9. Focus Browser Main Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Figure 5-10. Cassette Selection List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Figure 5-11. Cassette Measurement Report. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Figure 5-12. Browser Query Selection Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Figure 5-13. Query Definition Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Figure 5-14. Focus Browser with Query Selected . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-30
Figure 5-15. Sample Measurement Value Graph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-31
Figure 5-16. Sample Text Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-32
Figure 5-17. Sample Data Dump Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-34
Figure 5-18. Query Information Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-35
Figure 5-19. Recipe Import/Export Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-38
Figure 5-20. Recipe Import/Export Window - Make Media Disk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-41
Appendix A Starting and Stopping the System
Figure A-1. Power On/Off Switches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-2
Figure A-2. FE System Utility Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-3

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Appendix B System Configuration
Figure B-1. Focus Setup Main Window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-2
Figure B-2. Focus Login Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-8
Figure B-3. Person Selection Window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-11
Figure B-4. Operator Information Window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-12
Figure B-5. Person Selection Window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-14
Figure B-6. Person Selection Options Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-15
Figure B-7. Person Selection Window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-16
Figure B-8. Operator Information Window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-17
Figure B-9. Vision Database Maintenance Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-23
Figure B-10. Database Compression Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-25
Appendix D Menu Maps Quick Reference
Figure D-1. Focus Interactive Program Main Menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D-3
Figure D-2. Focus Interactive Site Locator Window Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D-4
Figure D-3. Focus Interactive Filmstack Model Window Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D-4
Figure D-4. Focus Interactive EMA Material Window Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D-4
Figure D-5. Focus Recipe Creator Main Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D-5
Figure D-6. Focus Recipe Creator Site Locator Window Menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D-6
Figure D-7. Focus Recipe Creator Stepper Group Pattern Training Menu . . . . . .D-6
Figure D-8. Focus Operator Site Locator Window Menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D-7
Figure D-9. Focus Operator File Viewer Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D-7
Figure D-10. Focus Browser Main Menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D-8
Figure D-11. Focus Browser File Viewer Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D-8
Figure D-12. Focus Browser Measurement Graph Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D-9
Figure D-13. Focus Mapping Main Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D-10
Figure D-14. Focus Mapping Wafer Map Window Menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D-10
Figure D-15. Focus Mapping File Viewer Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D-11
Figure D-16. Focus Mapping Graphics Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D-11
Figure D-17. Focus Setup Program Main Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D-12
Appendix E Theory of Operation
Figure E-1. Light Propagation in Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-2
Figure E-2. Linear Polarization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-3
Figure E-3. Right-Circular Polarization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-4
Figure E-4. Elliptical Polarization. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-5
Figure E-5. Fresnel Equations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-6
Figure E-6. Multi-Reflection Through Thin Dielectric. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-7
Figure E-7. Two Polarization States (S&P) for Light Reflected from a Surface . . E-8
Figure E-8. Delta/Psi Plot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-10
Figure E-9. Typical Null Ellipsometer Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-12
Figure E-10. Typical FOCUS Ellipsometer Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-13
Figure E-11. Dual Wavelength FOCUS Ellipsometer (Optical Schematic) . . . . . . E-13
Figure E-12. Polarization Effects of Compensator Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-14

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Contents

Figure E-13. Focused Beam Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-15

Figure E-14. Film Parameter Computation Algorithm (Single Wave) . . . . . . . . . . E-17
Figure E-15. Film Parameter Computation Algorithm (Dual Wave) . . . . . . . . . . . E-18
Figure E-16. Order Resolution Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-19
Figure E-17. Order Search Algorithm Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-20

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About This Guide

Introduction This guide describes how to set up and use the FOCUS Ellipsometer
(FE) System for performing wafer thickness measurements and analy-
ses, and is made up of the following sections:

About This Guide

Describes the purpose, structure, and intended audience of this guide.

Chapter 1: System Overview

Describes the hardware and software components of the FE System.

Chapter 2: Operator Interface

Describes how to run a measurement process on a cassette of wafers
and retrieve the data. Includes high level information on queued load-
ing and wafer mapping.

Chapter 3: Developing Film Applications

Describes how to develop filmstack models and how to test the film-
stacks for use in wafer measurements. Sample applications using the
FE System in the Fab are also provided.

Chapter 4: Creating Recipes

Describes how to create wafer recipes and the organization of wafer
recipes. Includes information on monitor recipes and product recipes
(using pattern recognition).

Chapter 5: Wafer Mapping and Data Reporting

Describes how to generate contour (2D) and topographical (3D) wafer
maps as well as etch rate and difference wafer maps. Also describes
how to retrieve wafer measurement data and how to import/export
data between two or more FE Systems.

Appendix A: Starting and Stopping the System

Describes how to start up and shut down the FE System under normal
and emergency conditions, and how to recover from an emergency
shut down.

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About This Guide

Appendix B: System Configuration

Describes how to configure the FE System to require the use of opera-
tor logins and passwords and how to add login names and passwords
to the system. Also includes some high level information on setting up
a SECS-II/GEM interface and how to perform database backup,
restore, and maintenance procedures.

Appendix C: Default Recipes and Filmstacks

Provides a listing and a description of the default recipes, filmstacks,
and measurement controls that are provided with the FE System by
Rudolph Technologies.

Appendix D: Menu Maps Quick Reference

Provides menu maps for each of the programs that make up the
FOCUS software package.

Appendix E: Theory of Operation

Provides an introduction to the basic theory behind FOCUS ellipsometry.

Appendix F: Error Messages/Getting Help

Provides a listing of error messages, possible causes, and trouble-
shooting steps including how to contact Rudolph Technologies for
additional information and support.

Glossary
Provides definitions of commonly used terms.

Intended This guide is mainly intended for those people who are responsible for
setting up wafers and cassettes for measuring and testing (Process
Audience Engineers), as well as those responsible for performing the actual
wafer measurements (Operators).

Related Other relevant Rudolph publications include:

Manuals • FOCUS Ellipsometer Facility Requirements Manual

(Part Number A14376). Describes considerations that need to be
addressed prior to shipment and installation of the FE System.

• FOCUS Ellipsometer SECS-II/GEM Interface Specifications

(Part Number A11646). Describes the SECS-II/GEM interface.

• Additional documentation as provided by Rudolph Technologies.

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 Usage Conventions

Usage The following table shows some of the conventions used in this guide.

Conventions
Usage
Meaning
Example
FOCUS Window names and areas of a dialog box appear in
Setup window initial capitals followed by the word “window” or “area”.
Bold Bold text identifies menu selections, window buttons,
and other text that may require particular attention.

Notes provide important or explanatory information that stands out

from the rest of the text. Notes are presented in the following manner:

NOTE

This is an example of a note.

Cautions indicate the presence of a hazard that will or can cause prop-
erty damage (such as equipment damage, loss of software/data, or
service interruption) if the hazard is not avoided. Cautions are pre-
sented in the following manner:

CAUTION

This is an example of a caution.

Warnings indicate the presence of a hazard that will or can cause per-
sonal injury if the hazard is not avoided. Warnings are presented in the
following manner:

WARNING

This is an example of a warning.

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About This Guide

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System Overview Chapter 1

Introduction The purpose of this chapter is to provide descriptions of the main hard-
ware and software components that make up the FOCUS Ellipsometer
System. The information in this section applies to the FOCUS Ellipsome-
ter (FE) III, IV, and VII systems, and includes the following topics:

• Descriptions of the main hardware components of the FE System.

• Descriptions of the programs that make up the software package
that is part of the FE System, including:

- Focus Operator Queued Loading

- Focus Interactive
- Focus Recipe Creator
- Focus Mapping
- Focus Browser
- Focus Setup

This section is intended to be a high level overview of the FE System.

Detailed operating instructions and theory of operation are provided in
later chapters.

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System Overview

FOCUS The FOCUS Ellipsometer uses simultaneous multiple angle of incidence

ellipsometry, as described in Appendix E, “Theory of Operation”. The FE
Hardware System is used in the characterization of transparent films in semi-con-
ductor applications. The major modules for the FE System include:

1. Measurement Console — Provides the means to accurately

measure film thickness on the FE System.

2. Wafer Handler Console — Used to transport wafers through the FE

System.

3. Optional Monitor Console — Provides a platform for the FE System

monitor and some additional storage space.

1
3 2

Figure 1-1. The FE System

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 FOCUS Hardware

Measurement The Measurement Console contains the following components:

Console • Measurement system (including vacuum control, stage, lifters,
optical components, and so on).

• Control electronics
• Computer System (including keyboard and trackball pointing
device).

Measurement The measurement system, located behind the optics door on top of the
System measurement console, includes all of the hardware that actually performs
the film measurements.

Once a wafer is loaded onto the stage, it is detected and held in place by
the vacuum control system. The stage moves the wafer along the x and y
axes to position the desired measurement location under the laser spot.
Once properly positioned, the optical components perform the measure-
ments as programmed by the Engineer.

The FE System may be configured with either one laser (single wave-
length) or two lasers (dual wavelength).

Control The control electronics, located behind the left door panel on the bottom
Electronics of the measurement console, includes all of the electronic control mod-
ules (including rectifiers, transformers, and motion control circuitry) that
powers the FE System and contains the logic and drivers for all motion of
the robot, stage, and vacuum chuck.

Computer System The computer system, located behind the right door panel on the bottom
of the measurement console, is an IBM-compatible PC running OS/2.
The computer system is used to set up measurements and calculate the
data results. A VGA monitor (with live video overlay) and a trackball
pointing device are also part of the computer system.

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Wafer Handler The Wafer Handler Console provides a storage area and contains the fol-
lowing components:
Console
• Wafer handler robot arm
• Cassette plates
• Printer (optional)
• External flat/notch finder (FE IV only)

Robot Arm The robot arm is used to transport wafers between a cassette and the
stage in the Measurement Console. Single arm and dual arm robots are
available.

Cassette Plates The cassette plates hold the wafer cassettes and contain sensors which
are used to automatically determine the size of the wafer cassette that
has been placed upon the plate.

The FE System can be configured with either two or three cassette

plates.

FE System Printer A compartment located behind the door panel on the Wafer Handler Con-
sole provides for additional storage space for the FE System and may
also contain the optional printer for the system.

The printer allows you to generate hard copy of wafer maps and reports
that may be created when measurements are performed.

External Flat/ The external flat/notch finder, available only on FE IV systems, performs
Notch Finder centering and flat/notch orientation on a wafer prior to the wafer being
loaded onto the stage.

The external flat/notch finder takes up the space normally used by cas-
sette plate 3, therefore the FE IV system has only two cassette plates.

Monitor The optional Monitor Console is typically used to provide a mounting sur-
face for the computer monitor and for working counter space. The interior
Console of the console can be used for the storage of cassettes, tools, books and
other materials used with the FE System.

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 FOCUS Hardware

Optional This section describes the following FE System options that can be pur-
chased from Rudolph Technologies:
Equipment
• Dual wavelength
• SMIF unit
• Queued loading
• GEM compliant SECS-II
• Pattern Recognition (vision system)
• Printer
• Floor mounting
• Signal Tower

Dual Wavelength Dual wavelength uses a second laser to provide additional measurement
capability.

SMIF Unit The Standard Mechanical Interface (SMIF) unit provides a Class I mini
clean environment for the containment of cassettes on the FE System.

Queued Loading Queued loading improves throughput, productivity, and tool availability by
allowing data review, cassette removal, cassette setup and recipe setup
to occur while the system is measuring another wafer. In addition, the first
wafer from the next cassette may be pre-aligned while the last wafer of
the first cassette is being measured.

GEM-compliant The GEM-compliant SECS II option uses software and a standard 25-pin
SECS II connector to allow PC to remote mainframe communications.

Pattern The Pattern Recognition (or vision) system allows automatic alignment
Recognition for small site measurement.
(Vision System)

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Printer An optional color printer may be connected to the FE System for printing
out wafer mapping information and measurement data reports.

Unit Mounting There are two types of unit mounting:

1. Earthquake Security Hardware

In those areas where the equipment should be secured against seis-
mic movement, an optional earthquake kit is available to fasten the
FE System to the floor. This optional earthquake security hardware
can be ordered from Rudolph Technologies, Inc.

2. Hard Feet
Levelers that screw into the bottom of the unit to lift and level the unit.

Signal Tower The signal tower option is an audible alarm and array of colored lights
which provide an easy indication of the status of the FE System. What
each light in the signal tower indicates is programmable through the
Focus Setup program.

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 FOCUS Hardware

FE System All FE System models provide the following safety mechanisms:

Safety Features • Laser Safety. The FOCUS Ellipsometer System meets or exceeds
all the requirements of Federal Regulation 21CFR1040.00 for a
Class I laser product. No special measures are required to protect
the operator from laser radiation under normal operating
conditions. For special safety modifications required to comply with
International safety standards, please provide Rudolph
Technologies with a detailed description of any specific safety
requirements. Special safety modification requirements should be
communicated to Rudolph Technologies prior to placing your final
order and must be accepted by Rudolph Technologies. Laser
warning labels (shown below) are affixed at several locations on the
FE System:

DANGER
VISIBLE AND INVISIBLE LAS ER RADIATION
W HEN OPEN AND INTERLOCKS DEFEATED.
AVOID DIRECT EXPOSURE TO BEAM

Helium-Neon Laser 5mw

Infrared Laser 3mw Class 3b

Figure 1-2. Laser Safety Label

• Motion and Laser Interlocks. There are several interlocks built

into the FE System to ensure laser safety. If the plexi door is
opened on the front of the unit, the measurement lasers are
automatically shuttered and the alignment laser is automatically de-
energized.

• Safety Clutch. A safety clutch is built into the FE System robot to

ensure that the following torque limits are not exceeded in each
axis of movement.

Table 1-1. Safety Clutch Stall Forces

Axis Stall Force

Rotational 0.23 kgf (0.5 lb) torque limited
Vertical (down only) 0.91 kgf (2 lbs) clutched
Horizontal 0.23 kgf (0.5 lb) clutched

• Emergency Motion Off. An Emergency Motion Off (EMO) switch

provides emergency stopping of all unit motion except air flow.
Refer to Appendix A, “Starting and Stopping the System” for
additional information.

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FOCUS The FE software is pre-installed by Rudolph Technologies and is ready

to use when you first start the FE System. The software interface con-
Software sists of the OS/2 operating system and the following FE applications:

• Focus Operator Queued Loading

• Focus Interactive
• Focus Recipe Creator
• Focus Mapping
• Focus Browser
• Focus Setup
• Focus SECS-II (optional)

The Focus Ellipsometer folder on the OS/2 desktop is displayed in

Figure 1-3. The programs available, and the icons displayed in the folder
may vary depending on your system configuration and software version.

Figure 1-3. Focus Ellipsometer Folder (OS/2 Desktop)

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 FOCUS Software

Focus Operator The Focus Operator Queued Loading program is used by the Operator to
make measurements on production wafers using recipes created by the
Queued Engineer. After placing a cassette of wafers to be measured on a cas-
Loading sette plate, the Operator can select the desired measurement process to
measure the cassette of wafers, review system status, and start wafer
measurements.

The operation of the FE System can range from completely automatic to

operator-interactive. When a fully automatic recipe is being run, the FE
System does not require any attention from the Operator after measure-
ments begin. In the interactive mode, the Operator may be required to
specify wafer transfers and select/position measurement sites on the
wafers. In both modes, the Operator program continually updates and
displays measurement conditions and results by means of a status
screen. A measurement summary is automatically displayed at the end of
a run for viewing, validation and printing, if desired.

Detailed instructions for using the Focus Operator Queued Loading pro-
gram are provided in Chapter 2, “Operator Interface”.

Focus The Focus Interactive program is used by the Engineer to interactively

develop and test-run a filmstack. Different filmstack models can be cre-
Interactive ated and tested until the best combination is found to characterize a
given structure on a wafer. In this manner, new materials and concepts
can be thoroughly tested and validated before use.

Detailed instructions for using the Focus Interactive program are pro-
vided in Chapter 3, “Developing Film Applications”.

Focus Recipe The Recipe Creator program is used by the Engineer to create wafer rec-
ipes which are incorporated into process steps. A “building block”
Creator approach is possible, where recipe components (templates) can be cre-
ated and stored for later assembly into complete recipes, or data can be
entered to create complete individual recipes.

After the necessary recipes have been created and stored by the Engi-
neer, the Operator can call up the desired process step in the Focus
Operator program and perform the wafer measurements.

Detailed instructions for using the Focus Recipe Creator program are
provided in Chapter 4, “Creating Recipes”.

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Focus Mapping The Focus Mapping program permits the contents of the wafer informa-
tion database, which stores mapping files created during wafer measure-
ments, to be displayed as contour (2D) or topographic (3D) maps.

Detailed instructions for using the Focus Mapping program are provided
in Chapter 5, “Wafer Mapping and Data Reporting”.

Focus Browser The Focus Browser permits stored measurement data to be viewed and
organized as desired. The Focus Browser can be used to perform statis-
tical analyses and database queries and generate output in the form of
suitable reports, charts and graphs.

Detailed instructions for using the Focus Browser program are provided
in Chapter 5, “Wafer Mapping and Data Reporting”.

Focus Setup The Focus Setup program is typically used by Rudolph support person-
nel to change the FOCUS Ellipsometer software configuration, including
all the default parameters and settings for the various FE programs. The
Focus Setup program also provides for the creation of FE System login
names, data file backup, data file restore, and database maintenance
functions.

Instructions for using the Focus Setup program are provided in

Appendix B, “System Configuration”.

Focus SECS-II Using the optional SECS-II/GEM protocol makes it possible for the FE
System to communicate with a host computer. The SECS-II program pro-
vides a programmable interface where the SECS-II controls, communica-
tions and host monitor controls can be specified. Complete host control of
the FE System is possible using SECS-II.

When the FE System is powered up, the SECS-II program begins to exe-
cute in the background, allowing the Operator to run another program in
the foreground simultaneously. The program provides a control panel that
allows the Operator to configure a number of SECS-I and SECS-II inter-
face characteristics and parameters.

For instructions on configuring and using the SECS-II/GEM interface,

refer to the Rudolph Technologies document “FOCUS Ellipsometer
SECS-II/GEM Interface Specifications” (manual part number A11646).

NOTE:

Communications will be limited unless the Focus

Operator program is running.

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Operator Interface Chapter 2

Introduction The purpose of this chapter is to provide information to both the Operator
and the Engineer on how to run a cassette of wafers and retrieve data.
The information in this section pertains to the FOCUS Ellipsometer (FE)
III, IV, and VII systems, and includes the following topics:

• How to log in and log out of the operator interface.

• How to select program names and start a process run.
• Operator views including all operator windows, Wafer View,
Cassette View, and Data View.

• How to retrieve, review and/or print data in the following formats:

- Text data
- Contour maps
- 3D maps
• Advanced operator features to include:
- Setting up queued loading
- Commonly deferred values
- How to abort and skip wafers
- SECS-II/GEM controls
• Commonly encountered error messages.

The tasks described in this chapter are performed with the use of the
Focus Operator Queued Loading program. This is the program that runs
the process steps created by the Recipe Creator and, if your FE System
is so equipped and configured, allows the “queuing” of additional cassette
wafers while a current cassette is running. Queuing allows for uninter-
rupted measurements, thus increasing overall system throughput.

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Operator Interface

Starting To start the Focus Operator Queued Loading program, perform the fol-
lowing procedure:
Focus
1. Position the trackball pointer over the Focus Operator Queued
Operator and Loading icon, located in the Focus Ellipsometer folder, and double
Logging In click the left trackball button.
A Focus Ellipsometer Operator Interface splash screen is displayed
briefly followed by one of the screens shown below.
If your FE System has been configured in such a way as to require
Operators to log in to the system, a screen such as the one shown in
Figure 2-1 is displayed. Continue the procedure with Step 2.

Figure 2-1. Focus Operator Login Screen

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 Starting Focus Operator and Logging In

If your FE System does not require Operators to log in, a screen

such as the one shown in Figure 2-2 is displayed. You are now ready
to select the desired process specification and start the run. See
“Using Focus Operator” on page 2–16 for more information.

Figure 2-2. Focus Operator Queued Loading Selection Screen

2. With the Login screen displayed as shown in Figure 2-1, position the
trackball cursor over the Login button on the screen and click the left
trackball button one time.
A list of the login names that are available on your system is dis-
played as shown in Figure 2-3.

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Operator Interface

Figure 2-3. Focus Operator User Login Selection

3. Select a login name by clicking the left trackball button on the desired
name and then clicking on Enter, or by double clicking the left
trackball button on the name.
The Focus Operator Password Entry dialog box is displayed as
shown in Figure 2-4.

Figure 2-4. Focus Operator Password Entry

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 Starting Focus Operator and Logging In

4. Enter your password and press Enter, or click on OK.

NOTE

For security reasons, asterisks (✱) will be displayed

as you enter your password.
The Focus Operator Queued Loading program screen is displayed as
shown in Figure 2-2.

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Operator Interface

Focus The Focus Operator program consists of three main views or windows.
These are the Cassette View, Wafer View, and Data View windows.
Operator
Windows The following sections provide descriptions of the parts that make up
each of the windows.

Cassette View When the Focus Operator software is first started, the Cassette View win-
dow is displayed. The appearance of the Cassette View window will vary
depending on the system setup and the task that is currently running.

Figure 2-5 shows the Cassette View window as it first appears if the FE
System is configured to require Operator login. Descriptions of the vari-
ous parts of the screen follow the figure.

SECS-II Status
Indicator

Robot
Arm

Cassette
Cassette
Plate Status
Window

History Log File Icon

Figure 2-5. Cassette View Login Screen

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 Focus Operator Windows

• SECS-II Status Indicator — Indicates the current status, either

Off-line or On-line, of the SECS-II communications interface.

• Cassette Plates — Represent the cassette plates on the FE

System. The number of cassette plates shown on the screen will
depend upon your system configuration.

The appearance of the cassette plate will change to display a

message to reflect the status of the FE System as follows:

- Ready when a process run has been selected and is ready to

be started. Clicking on the cassette plate when it indicates
Ready will offer you the option of clearing the program.

- Running when the program is being executed. Clicking on the

cassette plate when it indicates Running will display the Wafer
View and Data View windows.

- PRESS FOR DATA when the program has been completed.

Clicking on PRESS FOR DATA will display the measurement
data for the process just run.

• Cassette Plate Status Windows — Provides information on the

process that is assigned to that cassette plate. Information includes
the process specification and step, the priority level of the process,
and the Operator running the process. Figure 2-8 shows an
example of the Cassette Plate Status window.

• Robot Arm — A graphic representation of the FE System robot

arm. When the FE System is idle, the robot arm points to the left,
when a process is running, the robot arm points to the cassette
plate on which the process is running.

• History Log File Icon — Provides access to the stored history

logs. The number of logs in the history file depends on your system
setup. Clicking on this icon allows you to select an individual logfile
from a previously run measurement session. Refer to “Accessing
Previously Run Data (History Log)” on page 2–32 for information.

• Login Button — Allows the Operator to login and run processes.

This button is only displayed if the FE System is configured to
require system Operators to log in. Refer to “Starting Focus
Operator and Logging In” on page 2–2 for information.

• Options... Button — Provides access to FE System options. The

options available through this button will depend on your system
setup. Examples of options available include: SECS-II status,
setting local or remote control, communications and equipment
state, and mapping.

• Exit Button — Exits the Focus Operator program. Depending on

your system setup, a username and password may be required
to exit.

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Figure 2-6 shows the Cassette View window during process specification
selection. Items unique to this window are described below.

Figure 2-6. Cassette View Process Specification Screen

• Process Specification Selection Area — Provides a list of the

process specifications available to the Operator for selection. Click
once to highlight a process specification, click twice to select that
process specification.

• Description Area — Provides a brief description (if one has been

provided) of the highlighted process specification.

• Enter Button — Selects the highlighted process specification.

• Cancel Button — Cancels the process specification selection.
Clicking on this button will either return you to the Cassette View
Login screen (if Operator log in is required), or will clear the
highlighted process specification and allow you to select a different
process specification (if no Operator log in is required).

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 Focus Operator Windows

Figure 2-7 shows the Cassette View window during process step selec-
tion. Items unique to this window are described below.

Figure 2-7. Cassette View Process Step Screen

• Process Specification — Displays the currently selected process

specification.

• Process Step Selection Area — Provides a list of the process

steps available to the Operator for selection. Click once to highlight
a process step then click on the desired cassette plate, or click
twice on a process step to assign the process to the default
cassette plate.

• Process Spec Button — Re-displays the list of process

specifications available so that you may select a different one.

• More... Button — Clicking on this button provides you with more

information on the components that make up the selected process
step (such as, process step name, and transfer, recipe, and
control information).

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Operator Interface

Figure 2-8 shows the Cassette View window when the process is ready
to run on the selected cassette plate. Items unique to this window are
described below.

Cassette
Icon

Figure 2-8. Cassette View Process Ready Screen

• Cassette Plate Showing Ready — Indicates a process run has

been programmed and is ready to be started. Clicking on the
cassette plate now offers the option of clearing the program.

• Cassette Icon — The cassette icon appears when the process is

ready to be run on the selected cassette plate. Clicking on the icon
allows the Operator to change the slots in the cassette that are
selected for measurement. Depending on the system setup,
entering an Operator login name and password may be required.

• Start Button — Starts the programmed process and causes the

Wafer View window to be displayed (as shown in Figure 2-10).

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 Focus Operator Windows

Figure 2-9 shows the Cassette View window when the process is running
on the selected cassette plate. Items unique to this window are
described below.

Figure 2-9. Cassette View Process Running Screen

• Cassette Plate Showing Running — Indicates a process run has

been started and measurements are being taken. Clicking on the
cassette plate now will display the Wafer View and Data View
windows.

• Control Panel Button — Displays the Wafer View window and the
FE System Control Panel. With the control panel, the Operator may
abort the entire measurement process run, skip the wafer currently
being measured, or select a different view to be displayed (video,
data, or cassette). The measurement process is paused while the
control panel is displayed.

• Wafer View Button — Displays the Wafer View window. An

example of a Wafer View window is shown in Figure 2-10.

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Operator Interface

Wafer View When a measurement process specification and process step have been
selected and assigned to a cassette plate and the run is started, the
Wafer View window is displayed. When all measurements in the run have
been completed, the Wafer View window is automatically closed and you
are returned to the Cassette View window.

Figure 2-10 shows an example of the Focus Operator Wafer View win-
dow. Descriptions of the various parts of the screen follow the figure.

Figure 2-10. Wafer View Window

• Wafer View — Located in the upper lefthand corner, this window

provides a graphical representation of the wafer currently loaded on
the stage and undergoing the measurement process. The red spot
located in the square box indicates the current measurement
location on the wafer. The other spots visible on the wafer indicate
locations on the wafer that have been or will be measured.

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 Focus Operator Windows

• Site Locator — Shows a live video image of the location being

measured on the wafer. The small blue spot in the window indicates
where the laser is focused on the wafer. The Site Locator window
offers the following menu items:

- HiMag/LoMag — Indicates whether the live video image is in

High Magnification or Low Magnification mode. Clicking on this
menu item toggles between the two modes. The field of view in
the Site Locator window in HiMag is .54mm x .72mm (FE VII) or
.9mm x 1.2mm (FE III and IV). The field of view in LoMag is
5.4mm x 7.2mm (FE VII) or 7mm x 9mm (FE III and IV).

- Focus — Clicking on this menu item will focus the laser spot to
a point. When measurements are performed, focus is
automatically performed.

- Control — Clicking on this menu item displays the Control

menu. This menu consists of the following items:

Mag — Consists of the following items: Wafer View

displays the wafer view in the site locator window, Low Mag
causes the microscope to switch to low magnification mode,
High Mag causes the microscope to switch to high
magnification mode. The Low Mag and High Mag items are
functionally the same as the HiMag/LoMag items on the
menu bar.

Zoom — Consists of the following items: One Quarter

reduces the Site Locator window to one quarter size, One
Half displays the Site Locator window at half size (default),
One X displays the Site Locator window on the full screen.

Live Off/Live On — Toggles between turning the live video

view on and off in the Site Locator window.

Laser Off/Laser On — Toggles the laser on and off. The

laser must be on in order to make measurements.

Illumination — Allows you to set the illumination intensity

of the microscope lamp.

- Move — The items in this menu are used to move around on

the wafer and do not apply to the Focus Operator program.

- Light/Dark Icons — Located to the right of the Move menu,

clicking on these icons allow you to change the illumination
intensity of the microscope lamp.

• Location — Shows the X and Y coordinates for the location that is

currently being measured on the wafer.

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• System Status — Provides information associated with the

process including the process specification and step being run, and
the wafer recipe, slot, ID and cassette information.

• Measurement Status — Displays the measurement data and fit

error for each location on the wafer as it is measured.

• Running Wafer Status — Provides a running status of all of the

measurements that have been taken on the wafer currently on the
stage. Status includes: minimum, maximum, average, and standard
deviation of the measurements taken, as well as the number of
points measured and the number of measurements in and out of
tolerance. This window is updated after each measurement is taken
on the wafer.

• Control Panel Button — Displays the FE System Control Panel.

With the control panel, the Operator may abort the entire
measurement process run, skip the wafer currently being
measured, or select a different view to be displayed (video, data, or
cassette). The measurement process is paused while the control
panel is displayed.

• Cassette View Button — Displays the Cassette View window. An

example of a Cassette View window is shown in Figure 2-9.

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 Focus Operator Windows

Data View When a measurement process is running, the Data View window may be
displayed (in addition to the Wafer View window) by clicking on Control
Panel in the Wafer View window, selecting Data View, then clicking
on Enter.

Figure 2-11 shows an example of the Focus Operator Data View window.
Descriptions of the various parts of the screen follow the figure.

Figure 2-11. Data View Window

The Data View window displays the measurement data for each point on
each wafer as it is taken. When all measurements in the run have been
completed, the Data View window is automatically closed and you are
returned to the Cassette View window.

• File Menu — This menu is not active while measurements are

being taken.

• Print Menu — This menu is not active while measurements are

being taken.

• Upload Menu — This menu is not active while measurements are

being taken.

• Exit Menu — Exits the Data View window and returns you to the
Wafer View window.

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Using Focus The FE System can measure both patterned and unpatterned wafers.

Operator From the operating point of view, pattern recognition (vision) recipes are
not different from non-pattern recognition recipes. The Operator selects
the process specification, selects the process step, and presses Start at
the confirmation screen. The Focus Operator can then perform the nor-
mal wafer load, wafer centering and flat/notch routines.

After the wafer is centered and the flat/notch is found, the vision system
registers the wafer by searching for the two registration points previously
trained. Once the sites are found, the system proceeds to each stepper
group to measure the selected sites.

The display is slightly different during operation. The site locator window
displays a simulated map of the chip and measurement sites on the
wafer. In the live video window, vision measurement sites are repre-
sented by squares. Non-vision sites are represented by an “X”. When the
system moves to a site, the box will be drawn at the location where the
site was predicted to be (by the numbers). Once the vision system cor-
rects the position, the blue diamond will separate from the box showing
the difference between the predicted location (box) and the measurement
location (blue diamond).

This process and the various windows that make up the Focus Operator
program will be discussed in more detail in the sections that follow.

Figure 2-12 shows the Focus Operator Queued Loading screen after the
Operator has logged in and prior to the selection of any process specifi-
cations.

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 Using Focus Operator

Figure 2-12. Focus Operator Queued Loading Screen

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Operator Interface

Setting Up a 1. Place the cassette(s) that contain the wafer(s) to be measured on the
desired cassette plate(s) on the FE System.
Process Run
2. Select a Process Specification from the window list either by double
clicking on the desired name, or by single clicking on the name and
then clicking the Enter button.
A Process Step window will be displayed (as shown below) with a list
of the process steps defined for that process specification.

Figure 2-13. Focus Operator Showing Process Step Window

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 Using Focus Operator

3. Select a Process Step from the window list by clicking on the name
of the desired Process Step then clicking on the appropriate cassette
plate. You may also click on Process Spec to return to the Process
Specification window to select a different name.

NOTE

Double clicking on a Process Step will cause the

system to assign it to the default cassette plate as
determined by your system configuration.
If process run parameters were not deferred, the selected cassette
plate will say Ready and a cassette icon will appear to the right of the
selected cassette plate. Continue with “Start the Process Run” on
page 2–21.
If process run parameters were deferred, the Operator will have to
input the appropriate parameters. Continue with the next step to
enter deferred values.

4. If process run parameters were deferred, the operator must now

enter the appropriate parameters (such as transfer specification or
map name). A window will be displayed for each of the deferred
parameters.
Once all of the deferred process run parameters have been specified,
the selected cassette plate will say Ready and a cassette icon will
appear beside the selected cassette plate. In addition, the selected
process specification and process step, the priority of the run, and the
Operator name appear in the Cassette Status window beside the
selected cassette plate. See Figure 2-14 for a sample screen.

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Operator Interface

Figure 2-14. Focus Operator Ready to Start Run

NOTE

You may change the selected wafer slots at this time

by clicking on the cassette icon located to the right of
the cassette plate status window. A Transfer
Specification window will be displayed in which you
may select some or all of the slots to be measured.

Cancel the Once the selected cassette plate says Ready and the Start button
appears, you may cancel out of the process run by clicking one time on
Process Run the cassette plate.

A confirmation box will appear asking if you wish to clear the process pro-
gram on the selected cassette plate. Click on Yes to clear the program,
No to return to the Focus Operator screen and continue with the pro-
gram. Return to Step 1 of “Setting Up a Process Run” on page 2–18 to
define a new process to run.

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 Using Focus Operator

Start the When the cassette plate says Ready and the Start button appears (as
shown in Figure 2-14) click on Start.
Process Run
Typically, the Wafer View window is now displayed as shown in
Figure 2-15. However, your FE System may have been configured to dis-
play either the Cassette View or Data View window.

For a detailed description of the Wafer View, Cassette View, and Data
View windows, and of the information that is provided by these windows,
refer to “Focus Operator Windows” on page 2–6.

Figure 2-15. Wafer View Window

When the process run has started, from the Wafer View window you will
be able to observe the FE System register and center the selected wafer,
and then perform the specified measurements as defined by the process
specification and steps selected previously.

Upon completion of the process run, the run data is available for retrieval
and a screen as shown in Figure 2-16 is displayed.

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Process Run When the process run has completed, the Focus Operator Cassette View
window is redisplayed and the cassette plate on which the process was
Completion run turns into an icon that says PRESS FOR DATA.

Figure 2-16. Process Run Complete — Press for Data

Click on PRESS FOR DATA to view the report from the process run that
has just completed. The report data, in text format, is then displayed on
the screen.

This report may be printed and/or saved to a file where it may then be
imported into a text viewer or spreadsheet.

For more information on data retrieval and report files, refer to “Retrieving
Run Data” on page 2–30.

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 Using Focus Operator

Skipping a While the process is running, it is possible to skip the wafer currently
being measured by performing the following:
Wafer
Measurement 1. From the Wafer View window (Figure 2-15) click on Control Panel.
The Focus Ellipsometer Control Panel window is displayed as shown
in the figure below.

Figure 2-17. Focus Ellipsometer Control Panel Window

2. Click on Skip in the Wafers section of the Control Panel.

A message is displayed asking if you wish to skip this wafer.

3. Perform one of the following:

• To continue the measurements on this wafer, click on Cancel.

You are returned to the Wafer View window and the measurements
continue as programmed.

• To skip the measurements on this wafer, click on OK.

The measurements being performed on the current wafer are
terminated and the next wafer (if any) is loaded into the FE System
for measurement. If there are additional wafers to be measured
after the wafer that was skipped, you are returned to the Wafer
View window. If there are no additional wafers to be measured, you
are returned to the Focus Operator window and the cassette plate
on which the program was running will display PRESS FOR DATA.

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Aborting a While the process is running, it is possible to abort the entire session by
performing the following:
Measurement
Session 1. From the Wafer View window (Figure 2-15) click on Control Panel.
The Focus Ellipsometer Control Panel window is displayed as shown
in the figure below.

Figure 2-18. Focus Ellipsometer Control Panel Window

2. Click on Abort in the Wafers section of the Control Panel.

A message is displayed asking if you wish to abort this process.

3. Perform one of the following:

• To continue the measurements, click on Cancel.

You are returned to the Wafer View window and the measurements
continue as programmed.

• To abort the process, click on OK.

The remainder of the measurement program is terminated and you
are returned to Focus Operator window. The cassette plate on
which the program was running will display PRESS FOR DATA.

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 Using Focus Operator

Setting Up If the queued loading option has been enabled on your FE System, the
Focus Operator program allows “queuing” of one or two additional cas-
Queued sette(s) of wafers (depending upon the configuration of your FE System)
Loading while a current cassette is running. This allows uninterrupted measure-
ments, thus increasing overall system throughput.

Cassettes may be queued either prior to starting the first process run or
while a process is already running.

Queuing Multiple To queue up multiple cassettes prior to starting the first run, use the fol-
Cassettes Prior to lowing procedure:
Starting the Run
1. Set up the process run for the first cassette following the instructions
provided in “Setting Up a Process Run” on page 2–18 of this manual
but DO NOT press Start after the cassette plate indicates Ready.

2. Set up the process run for the second and/or third cassette also by
following the instructions provided in “Setting Up a Process Run” on
page 2–18 of this manual.

3. Once each of the cassettes have been set up, the Focus Operator
Cassette View window shows which cassette plates are ready and
the run information for each cassette. Figure 2-19 shows an example
of the Cassette View screen with two cassettes queued and ready to
run their programs.

NOTE

The Priority: number in the cassette status window

indicates the order in which the cassettes will be
processed.

4. Press Start to begin wafer measurements.

The Wafer View window is displayed as shown in Figure 2-15.

5. Once the run has completed on all cassettes, the data is available for
review. Proceed to “Queued Run Completion” on page 2–29.

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Figure 2-19. Focus Operator — Two Cassettes Queued to Run

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 Using Focus Operator

Queuing Another To queue up another cassette while a program is running on the first cas-
Cassette While a sette, perform the following:
Run is in Progress
1. In the Wafer View window click on the Cassette View button.
The Focus Operator Cassette View window is displayed as shown in
Figure 2-20.

Figure 2-20. Focus Operator — One Cassette Running, None Queued

2. If Focus Operator Login is required, log in using the procedure in

“Starting Focus Operator and Logging In” on page 2–2. If Operator
Login is not required, continue with the next step.

3. Set up the process run for the second and/or third cassette by
following the instructions provided in “Setting Up a Process Run” on
page 2–18 of this manual.
The Focus Operator Cassette View window will now display the infor-
mation for the cassette that is currently running, as well as the cas-
sette that is queued (as shown in Figure 2-21).

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Operator Interface

Figure 2-21. Focus Operator — One Cassette Running, One Queued

4. You may either remain in the Cassette View window or return to the
Wafer View window by clicking on the Wafer View button.

5. Once the run has completed on all cassettes, the data is available for
review. Proceed to “Queued Run Completion” on page 2–29.

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 Using Focus Operator

Queued Run When the process runs have completed, the Focus Operator Cassette
Completion View window is redisplayed and the cassette plates on which the pro-
cesses were run turn into an icon that says PRESS FOR DATA.

Figure 2-22. All Runs Complete — Press for Data

Click on PRESS FOR DATA on one of the cassette plates to view the
report from the process run that has just completed. The report data, in
text format, is then displayed on the screen.

This report may be printed and/or saved to a file where it may then be
imported into a text viewer or spreadsheet.

Click on PRESS FOR DATA on the other cassette plates as required to

view the report for the process that has just completed on that cassette.

For more information on data retrieval and report files, refer to “Retrieving
Run Data” on page 2–30.

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Operator Interface

Retrieving After each process run, a data file (or report) is generated by the FE Sys-
tem for that run. The data in the report is available for viewing on-line
Run Data either immediately after the completion of the run, or from the history log
file. The reports may then be saved as a text file and/or printed directly to
the printer connected to the FE System.

Figure 2-23 illustrates the two icons on the Focus Operator Cassette
View window that may be used for data retrieval:

• The “PRESS FOR DATA” Icon — Used to view the data associated
with the measurements just completed on that cassette plate.

• The History Log File Icon — Used to call up a history log which lists
the reports available for viewing on the system.

Most Recent Run

“Press For Data” History Log File Icon
Icon

Figure 2-23. Cassette View Window Data Retrieval

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 Retrieving Run Data

Accessing Upon completion of the measurements programmed for a process, the

PRESS FOR DATA icon appears over the cassette plate on which the
Current Run process was run, as shown in Figure 2-23.
Data
Clicking on the PRESS FOR DATA icon will display a report consisting of
the data associated with the measurements just completed. A sample of
a report is shown in Figure 2-24 below. The data that makes up the report
is explained in greater detail in “Sample Report Data” on page 2–34.

Figure 2-24. Sample Report File (Partial)

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Operator Interface

When you have finished viewing the report on-line, you may:

• Save the data in the report to a text file by clicking on the File
menu, then clicking on Save As. Enter the desired destination path
and filename in the dialog box that is displayed and click on Enter.

The data is saved in the specified file and may be imported into a
text editor or spreadsheet.

• Print the report to the printer that is connected to the FE System by

clicking on the Print menu item. Ensure that the printer is
connected, is turned on, and is on-line.

• Upload the data to a host by clicking on the Upload menu item. The
SECS-II interface must be on-line.

• Quit the report viewer by clicking on the Exit menu item. This exits
the report viewer, however the data contained in the report still
resides on the FE System in the history log file.

Quitting the report viewer returns you to the Focus Operator

Cassette View window.

Accessing The FE System maintains a history log of previously run data. The num-
ber of reports that will be saved in the history log is determined by your
Previously Run system setup. Typically, the default is 10.
Data (History
Log) CAUTION

If the FE System history log file already contains the

maximum number of reports and another
measurement run is performed, the new report is
saved in the history log file and the oldest report in
the history log file is removed.

To access the history log file:

1. Click on the History Log File icon (as shown in Figure 2-23).
The History Log File Selection window is displayed as shown in the
figure below. This selection window shows all of the reports currently
saved in the history log, the date and time the measurement run was
completed, the Operator who ran the process, as well as the process
specification and step used to perform the measurements.

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 Retrieving Run Data

Figure 2-25. History Log File Selection

2. Click on the desired report and then click on Enter, or double click on
the report.
The selected report is displayed similar to the sample report shown in
Figure 2-24. The data that makes up the report is explained in greater
detail in “Sample Report Data” on page 2–34.

Once the report is displayed on the screen, you may:

• Save the data in the report to a text file by clicking on the File
menu, then clicking on Save As. Enter the desired destination path
and filename in the dialog box that is displayed and click on Enter.

The data is saved in the specified file and may be imported into a
text editor or spreadsheet.

• Print the report to the printer that is connected to the FE System

by clicking on the Print menu item. Ensure that the printer is
connected, is turned on, and is on-line.

• Upload the data to a host by clicking on the Upload menu item.

The SECS-II interface must be on-line.

• Quit the report viewer by clicking on the Exit menu item. This
exits the report viewer, however the data contained in the report still
resides on the FE System in the history log file.

Quitting the report viewer returns you to the Focus Operator

Cassette View window.

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Sample Report This section provides a brief description of the information that makes up
a report file.
Data
Figure 2-26 provides a sample of a basic report file.

Wafer Run started:

Tool: Focus
Cassette ID: C-13288
Operator: Rudolph
1
Process specification: xxExamples
Process step: 8inOxStd5pt
Total Wafers: 25
Cassette Plate: 1

Wafer number 1
Lot ID: L-13288
2
Wafer ID: W-13288A
Time: Wed Dec 4 15:14:45 1996

Points Measured: 5
3 Filmstacks: 1
F1 = aa_SiO2_<1um_T
Parameters Measured: 1 L1T

Point 1, X: +0.000 Y: +0.000 F1 L1 T : 2183.5 Fit: 0.012

Point 2, X: +90.000 Y: +0.000 F1 L1 T : 2183.5 Fit: 0.012
4 Point 3, X: +0.000 Y: +90.000 F1 L1 T : 2183.5 Fit: 0.012
Point 4, X: -90.000 Y: +0.000 F1 L1 T : 2183.5 Fit: 0.012
Point 5, X: +0.000 Y: -90.000 F1 L1 T : 2183.5 Fit: 0.012

Wafer Statistics
5
F1 L1 T : Avg 2183.50 Min 2183.5 Max 2183.5 Std. Dev 0.000

Wafer number 2
Lot ID: L-13288
Wafer ID: W-13288B
Time: Wed Dec 4 15:14:47 1996
6
.
.
.

End Of Report

Figure 2-26. Sample Report File

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 Retrieving Run Data

1. Provides information associated with the process. Information

includes: the cassette ID, the Operator that performed the
measurements, the process specification and step used for the
measurements, the total number of wafers that were measured, and
the cassette plate used.

2. Provides information specific to the particular wafer being measured.

Information includes: the wafer slot number, the lot ID and wafer ID of
the wafer, and the date and time the measurement of this wafer was
performed.

3. Provides information on the measurement parameters for the wafer.

Information includes: the number of points measured, the filmstack
used, and which parameters were measured. In the example shown
in Figure 2-26, the aa_SiO2_<1um_T filmstack was used to measure
layer 1 thickness of the oxide at five points across the wafer.

4. Provides information on each individual measurement point on the

wafer. Information includes: the X and Y coordinate of the point on
the wafer, the filmstack used, the parameters that were measured at
the point, and the measurement information and fit error for each
point on the wafer.

5. Provides overall wafer statistics including: the average, minimum,

and maximum measurements for the wafer as well as the standard
deviation of the measurements. Warnings may also be displayed
here if any (or all) of the data is out of tolerance.

6. Provides information as stated above for each additional wafer in the

run (if applicable).

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Creating a The FE System has the capability of creating contour and topographical
(3D) maps of a wafer. In addition, etch rate and difference maps may also
Wafer Map be created.

Each of the wafer maps may be displayed in black and white, greyscale,
or color.

To create and view a new wafer map, perform the following:

1. Setup the wafer cassette and select a process specification and

process step, and select the wafer slot(s) (if the slot numbers were
deferred) using the instructions provided in “Setting Up a Process
Run” on page 2–18.

NOTE

Select a process step that is configured to generate

map data (such as, 8in_Ox_49pt_Map).
If the wafer map name was deferred, the Wafer Map Name window is
displayed as shown in the figure below.

Figure 2-27. Wafer Map Name Window

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 Creating a Wafer Map

2. Double click on a map name, or click once on the desired name and
click on Modify.
The selected slot and map appear in the Slot: and Map: fields.

3. Enter a new map name by typing over the information in the Map:
and/or Slot: fields

CAUTION

If you do not enter a new map name, the system will

use the default map name (such as, map.1 for a map
of the wafer in slot 1). If a file with the specified name
already exists, it will be overwritten.

4. Click on Modify to change just the one map name or click on Modify
All to change the name of all of the wafer maps to same name with
the slot number as the file suffix.
The new map name(s) appear in the Wafer Map Name window.

5. If you are specifying individual names for each wafer map (that is,
clicking on Modify after entering the map name), repeat Steps 3 and
4 for each of the wafer maps until all map names have been entered.

6. Once all of the map names have been modified, click Enter.
The Cassette View window is displayed and the selected cassette
plate says Ready.

7. Click Start to begin measuring the wafer(s) and creating the

wafer maps.
The Wafer View window is displayed and the measurements are per-
formed on the selected wafers. Once all of the measurements are
complete, the Cassette View window is displayed and the cassette
plate on which the program was run will indicate PRESS FOR DATA.

8. Click on PRESS FOR DATA to view the measurement data. Print

and/or save the information as desired using the instructions found in
“Retrieving Run Data” on page 2–30.

9. Click on Exit to close the report viewer window.

The Cassette View window is displayed.

10. Follow the procedure in “Accessing Wafer Mapping” on page 2–38 to

view the newly created wafer map.

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Accessing To view a wafer map, perform the following:

Wafer 1. Click on the Options button in the Cassette View window.

Mapping The Options window is displayed as shown in Figure 2-28.

NOTE

The appearance of the Options window will vary

depending upon the configuration of your FE System.

Figure 2-28. Queued Loading Options Window

2. Click on the icon that appears beside Mapping.

The Mapping software is started and a Map File Selection window is
displayed as shown in Figure 5-3 on page 5–6 of this guide. For infor-
mation on viewing wafer maps and using the wafer mapping soft-
ware, refer to Chapter 5, “Wafer Mapping and Data Reporting”.

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 Logging Out and Exiting Focus Operator

Logging Out To log out and exit the Focus Operator Queued Loading program, per-
form the following procedure:
and Exiting
1. On the Focus Operator Interface screen, click on Exit.
Focus
Operator If Login Exit has not been enabled on your FE System, the Focus
Operator Queued Loading program will exit and you will be returned
to the OS/2 desktop.
If Login Exit has been enabled on your FE System, a list of the
names that are available on your system is displayed as shown in
Figure 2-3.

2. Select a name by clicking the left trackball button on the desired

name and then clicking on Enter, or by double clicking the left
trackball button on the name.

NOTE

The name selected must have Engineer or Supervisor

level privileges. Users with Operator level privileges
may not exit the Focus Operator Queued Loading
program.
The Focus Operator Password Entry dialog box is displayed as
shown in Figure 2-4.

3. Enter the password and press Enter, or click on OK.

NOTE

For security reasons, asterisks (✱) will be displayed

as you enter your password.
The Focus Operator Queued Loading program will exit and you will
be returned to the OS/2 desktop.

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Developing Film Chapter 3

Applications

Introduction The purpose of this chapter is to provide information on how to develop

and test filmstack models for use in wafer measurements. Basic theory
and algorithms are also provided. The information in this section pertains
to the FOCUS Ellipsometer (FE) III, IV, and VII systems, and includes the
following topics:

• Describe the basics of the film application development cycle, to

include:

- The elements that make up a filmstack

- Rudolph supplied filmstacks
- Film parameter computation
• How to log in, use, and exit the Focus Interactive program.
• Describe the components that make up the Focus Interactive
program.

• How to develop filmstacks, to include:

- Creating and testing new filmstacks
- Copying and editing existing filmstacks
- Testing filmstacks and performing sample wafer measurements
• How to log measurements
• How to E-mail data and measurement fax printouts to Rudolph
Applications Support.

• Sample applications by Fab Area using the FE System, including:

Diffusion, Etch, CVD, and CMP applications.

The tasks described in this chapter are performed with the use of the
Focus Interactive program. This is the program that allows the Process
Engineer to develop and test filmstack models that are used in the cre-
ation of wafer recipes and process specifications run by the Operator.

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Developing Film Applications

Introduction The FOCUS System provides a simple and straight forward method for
application development. Standard materials can be easily arranged into
to Film layers to produce filmstacks. Parameters such as thickness (T), refractive
Application index (N), and extinction coefficient (K) can be calculated for
these layers.
Development
NOTE

These parameters, as well as the theory behind focus

ellipsometry, are explained in greater detail in
Appendix E, “Theory of Operation”.

The application development cycle begins with some knowledge of the

film being measured. The Engineer creates a filmstack to represent the
films on the wafer. The filmstack can be used to make test measure-
ments of a real wafer and gauge the ellipsometer’s capability for the par-
ticular application. Once a film application is verified, a recipe can be
created and run to complete the application.

Figure 3-1 shows a basic block diagram of the filmstack development and
testing process for the measuring of film layers.

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 Introduction to Film Application Development

Measuring Film Layer(s)

Load Sample Wafer

In Focus Interactive
Choose Existing Filmstack Model

If Necessary
Modify or Develop
New Filmstack Model

Measure Sample Wafer

Using Filmstack Model

Analyze Results
for Accuracy & Repeatability
- Fit Error
- Error Estimates
- Order Resolution

Adjust Filmstack Model

Until Measurement is as Required

Save the Successful Filmstack Model

with a Descriptive Name

Figure 3-1. Measuring Film Layers Flow Diagram

Unlike traditional single angle of incidence ellipsometers, the FE System

measures at multiple angles of incidence simultaneously. The parame-
ters actually measured by ellipsometry are called the ellipsometric angles
∆ and Ψ (Delta and Psi). Mathematical relations of these angles to thick-
ness, refractive index and the extinction coefficient are brought together
by construction of a filmstack model. The model acts as a representation
of the physical filmstack that is to be measured.

Using the Focus Interactive program, a filmstack model is constructed

layer by layer, just as a wafer’s actual filmstack is constructed layer by
layer. The layers act as the building blocks of the completed filmstack.

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Developing Film Applications

Filmstacks are the interface between the user and the computation rou-
tine (algorithm). The parameters that describe a wafer are contained in
the filmstacks. The descriptive parameters, and the film parameters to be
calculated can be changed when the filmstack creation window is open.

When creating a new application, the filmstack is made first, then tested
by measuring the wafer to which the filmstack applies. The first measure-
ment should reveal whether or not the desired results can be obtained. It
may be necessary to adjust some variables before the desired results
are obtained.

After the results of the first measurement have been analyzed, the film-
stack is revised to improve the expected results, and the wafer is mea-
sured again. This loop continues until no further improvement can be
achieved (or the required results are obtained), then the filmstack
is saved.

The Focus Interactive program is used by Process Engineers to set up

and test filmstacks to determine the best model to use for a given mea-
surement point. The Rudolph supplied filmstacks provide a comprehen-
sive library of filmstack models that can be used directly with little or no
changes. However, new filmstacks may be easily created by the Engi-
neer to suit a particular application. The procedures provided in this
chapter will aid you in creating and modifying filmstacks, though you may
wish to contact Rudolph Applications Support for additional assistance.

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 Starting Focus Interactive and Logging In

Starting To start the Focus Interactive program, perform the following procedure:

Focus 1. Position the trackball pointer over the Focus Interactive icon, located
in the Focus Ellipsometer folder, and double click the left trackball
Interactive button.
and Logging In If your FE System does not require a Login for the Focus Interac-
tive program, the Focus Interactive main window is displayed as
shown in Figure 3-2.

Figure 3-2. Focus Interactive Main Window

If your FE System is configured to require a Login for the Focus
Interactive program, a list of the login names that are available on
your system is displayed as shown in Figure 3-3. Continue the pro-
cedure with Step 2.

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Figure 3-3. Focus Interactive User Login Selection

2. Select a login name by clicking the left trackball button on the desired
name and then clicking on Enter, or by double clicking the left
trackball button on the name.

NOTE

If you click on the Cancel button, or if the login name

selected does not have a high enough privilege level,
the Focus Interactive program will exit and you are
returned to the OS/2 desktop view.
The Password Entry dialog box is displayed as shown in Figure 3-4.

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 Starting Focus Interactive and Logging In

Figure 3-4. Focus Interactive Password Entry

3. Enter your password and press Enter, or click on OK.

NOTE

For security reasons, asterisks (✱) will be displayed

as you enter your password.
The Focus Interactive main window is displayed as shown in
Figure 3-2.

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Focus The Focus Interactive main window is divided into the following areas:
the Wafer View, Site Locator (including the Location information window),
Interactive Filmstack, and Calculated Parameters area.
Main Window These areas are described in the sections that follow.

NOTE

Only the Wafer View and Site Locator areas are

available when Focus Interactive first starts up. The
Filmstack Model and Calculated Parameters areas are
available as filmstacks are being created and
measurements are being taken.

Wafer View The Wafer View area provides a graphical representation of the wafer. It
may be used to move around on the wafer by using the scroll bars or by
Area double clicking the right trackball button directly on a spot on the wafer.

Figure 3-5. Focus Interactive Wafer View Element

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 Focus Interactive Main Window

Site Locator Also called the Live Video window, this window shows a live video image
of the wafer surface as it appears in the FE System. It may also be used
Area to move around on the wafer by using the scroll bars or by double clicking
the right trackball button directly on a spot on the wafer. The small blue
spot in the window indicates where the laser is focused on the wafer.

The Location information in the Site Locator area shows the X and Y
coordinates for the location on which the laser is currently focused.

Figure 3-6. Focus Interactive Site Locator Element

Site Locator Menu The Site Locator area also consists of the following menu selections:

• HiMag/LoMag — Indicates whether the live video image is in High

Magnification or Low Magnification mode. Clicking on this menu
item toggles between the two modes. The field of view in the Site
Locator window in HiMag is .54mm x .72mm (FE VII) or .9mm x
1.2mm (FE III and IV). The field of view in LoMag is
5.4mm x 7.2mm (FE VII) or 7mm x 9mm (FE III and IV).

• Focus — Clicking on this menu item will focus the laser spot to a
point. When measurements are performed, focus is automatically
performed.

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• Control — Clicking on this menu item displays the Control menu.

This menu consists of the following items:

- Mag — Consists of the following items: Wafer View displays

the wafer view in the site locator window, Low Mag causes the
microscope to switch to low magnification mode, High Mag
causes the microscope to switch to high magnification mode.
The Low Mag and High Mag items are functionally the same as
the HiMag/LoMag items on the menu bar.

- Zoom — Consists of the following items: One Quarter reduces

the Site Locator window to one quarter size, One Half displays
the Site Locator window at half size (default), One X displays
the Site Locator window on the full screen.

- Live Off/Live On — Toggles between turning the live video

view on and off in the Site Locator window.

- Laser Off/Laser On — Toggles the laser on and off. The laser

must be on in order to make measurements.

- Illumination — Allows you to set the illumination intensity of

the microscope lamp.

• Move — The items in this menu provide alternate methods for

moving the wafer so that the laser spot is positioned over the
desired location. The following options are available:

- Keyboard — Prompts you to enter the X and Y coordinates of

the desired location on the wafer. Make the appropriate entry
and click on Enter to move to the selected spot.

- Center — Moves the wafer so that the laser is located over the
center of the wafer.

- Left — Moves the wafer so that the laser is located at the left
outer edge of the wafer.

- Right — Moves the wafer so that the laser is located at the

right outer edge of the wafer.

- Top — Moves the wafer so that the laser is located at the top
outer edge of the wafer.

- Bottom — Moves the wafer so that the laser is located at the

bottom outer edge of the wafer.

• Light/Dark Icons — Located to the right of the Move menu,

clicking on these icons allow you to change the illumination
intensity of the microscope lamp.

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 Focus Interactive Main Window

Filmstack Displays a graphical representation of the wafer’s film layers, including

the material composition, thickness, and the parameters that are to be
Model Area calculated.

Figure 3-7. Focus Interactive Filmstack Model Element

The following conventions pertain to the Filmstack Model window:

Table 3-1. Filmstack Model Window Conventions

Indicator Meaning
Asterisk (✱) Shown next to a parameter in a filmstack,
indicates that parameter is being calculated.
@ symbol in a red An order search is being performed on that
highlighted layer layer. Order search is a method of obtaining
absolute thickness with no order ambiguity.
Classic single-wavelength, or single angle, ellip-
sometry is unable to resolve order due to the
cyclical behavior of the ellipsometric parame-
ters. The FOCUS multiple angle and multiple
wavelength technique reduces (improves) order
ambiguity. For more information, see “Order
Searching and Order Resolution” on page 3–34.

Green highlighted, This layer has been selected to be an interlayer.

slightly smaller layer For more information on interlayers, see “About
Interlayers” on page 3–64.

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Filmstack Menu The Filmstack area also consists of the following menu selections:

• Layers — Allows you to add and/or delete layers to the current

filmstack using the menu items below:

- Add Layer — Adds layers to the filmstack currently displayed.

You will be prompted to select a material as well as the
parameters to be calculated and measurement ranges for that
material. Layers are added to the top of the filmstack.

- Delete Top — Deletes the top layer of the current filmstack.

You will be prompted to confirm this action.

• Error Est — Turns error estimate function on or off as selected

from the menu. Error estimates are an approximation of the
accuracy of the computed film parameters.

• Enter — Saves any modifications made to the filmstack.

• Cancel — Cancels the filmstack currently displayed. Clicking on
this menu item causes the Filmstack window to be closed.

• Meas: — Allows you to select the measurement control to be used

for the filmstack.

• Ranges — Allows you to set the maximum fit error allowed and the
action the FE System will perform if a measurement is out of range.
Options include: warn and continue, warn and pause, reject, and
switch to a different filmstack.

• Filmstack Layer — The buttons in the main Filmstack window that

represent each layer of the filmstack. Clicking on a Filmstack layer
button allows you to specify the material for the layer, the
parameters to be calculated, and specify ranges for those
calculations.

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 Focus Interactive Main Window

Calculated The Calculated Parameters area provides information pertaining to the

measurement taken to test a filmstack. This information includes: the
Parameters layer and parameter that was measured (layer 1 thickness in the example
Area below), the value of the measurement, and the fit error.

This allows you to assess the validity of the filmstack for your application.

Figure 3-8. Focus Interactive Calculated Parameters Element

Focus The following menu items are available in the Focus Interactive Main win-
dow:
Interactive
Main Menu • Load Wafer — Used to load and unload a test wafer either
manually or automatically using the FE robot.

- Manual Load — The stage moves forward and the system

prompts you to place a wafer on the stage.

NOTE

After manually loading the wafer you must close the

door on the optics hood.

- Cassette Load — Enables the loading of a wafer from a

cassette. Select the cassette and slot number for the wafer to
be loaded.

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- UnLoad — Removes the wafer from the stage in the same

manner in which it was loaded.

- Wafer Setup — Allows you to set the wafer load specifications

such as wafer size, load action (flat or notch), whether to center
the wafer, centering tolerance (this should not be changed),
and wafer orientation.

NOTE

You can center a wafer without finding the wafer flat/

notch. However, the reverse is not possible.

- Register — This function is not available.

- SMIF Arm — Enables the loading and unloading of a wafer
from a cassette by SMIF Arm 1 or 2.

- SMIF Indexer — Enables the loading and unloading of a wafer

from a cassette by SMIF Indexer 1 or 2.

• Filmstack — Allows you to select an existing measurement

filmstack or create a new one.

NOTE

Filmstacks with an “aa” (single wavelength - 633 nm)

or “ad” (dual wavelength - 633 nm/780 nm) prefix are
Rudolph supplied default filmstacks and should not
be modified or deleted. If a modification is necessary,
make a copy as described in “Modifying an Existing
Filmstack” on page 3–22. A list of the Rudolph
supplied filmstacks is provided in Appendix C,
“Default Recipes and Filmstacks”.

• Measure — Used to perform a single test measurement using the

filmstack model you have selected or developed.

• ReModel — Used when remodeling the changes made to a

filmstack model (such as changing the material, adding or deleting
layers, switching from dual to single wavelength, and so on) prior to
performing another measurement. Allows the user to quickly model
a solution based on the Delta/Psi data obtained from the last
measurement that was performed.

NOTE

ReModel may only be used in cases where the

measurement control and the measurement site is
not changed.

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 Focus Interactive Main Window

• Test — Used as directed by Rudolph personnel to troubleshoot

measurement problems and perform diagnostic tests. Only those
functions relevant to applications are shown below. Other menu
options are used by Rudolph service personnel.

- Short Term — Used for making repeated static measurements

at one particular site. The minimum, maximum, and standard
deviation for all parameters calculated are displayed during and
after the measurement is completed. A graphical representation
is also an option upon completion of the measurement.

- Long Term — Simulates a load/unload measurement. The

wafer is driven to its edge and an automatic tilt and height are
performed. The wafer is then returned to its measurement
position where a tilt and height alignment is performed again.
A measurement is then made and the above procedure is
repeated.

- Measurement — Allows a view of intensity, delta, and psi

values versus pixels for the given measurement.

- Just Measure — A measurement is made without an alignment

or auto-intensity setting.

- Measure vs Model — Displays the comparison between the

modeled delta/psi curves (blue lines) and the measured delta
and psi curves (green lines) versus the angle of incidence.

- Measure vs Predicted — Displays the comparison between

the measured delta/psi curves and the delta/psi curves
generated based on the given thickness and optical constraints
before any iteration.

- Reduced Measure — The original delta/psi pairs are reduced/

averaged down to fewer pairs and similar results are obtained
as in the Measurement command above. A typical reduced
measure consists of ten pairs.

• Logging — Used to start and stop saving calculations and

measurement data to a log file. Also allows you to save or load the
delta/psi values measured for a given measurement. This is used to
simulate modeling at a remote location (such as a desktop
computer). This file will have a .log extension.

- Start — Starts saving measurement data to the specified

log file.

NOTE

The file name MUST be eight characters or less and

use the extension “.log”.

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- Stop — Stops saving measurement data to the log file.

- Load Measurement — Used to recall the delta/psi values for a
previously saved single wavelength measurement. Once
loaded, a filmstack model may be used and modified to
calculate parameters based on these measurement values.

- Save Measurement — Saves the delta/psi values for the single

wavelength measurement just taken to a specified filename.

NOTE

The filename MUST be eight characters or less and

use the extension “.log”.

- Load Multi-Wavelength — Used to recall the delta/psi values

for a previously saved dual wavelength measurement. Once
loaded, a filmstack model may be used and modified to
calculate parameters based on these measurement values.

- Save Multi-Wavelength — Saves the delta/psi values for the

dual wavelength measurement just taken to a specified
filename.

NOTE

The filename MUST be eight characters or less and

use the extension “.log”.

- Measurement Fax Printout — Prints the filmstack information

and delta/psi values obtained from the last measurement made.
This can be used to fax the information to Rudolph
Technologies where the measurement may be simulated for
troubleshooting purposes.

• Setup — Used by Rudolph service personnel only.

• Calib — Used by Rudolph service personnel to calibrate the
FE System.

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 Filmstack Development

Filmstack A filmstack is a model, constructed layer by layer, designed to represent

the actual films deposited on a wafer. The filmstack can be used to make
Development test measurements of a real wafer and gauge the ellipsometers capability
for the particular application. Once a film application is verified and
saved, it can later be recalled using the Focus Recipe Creator program
and incorporated into a recipe.

The filmstack development cycle includes the following steps:

1. Load the test wafer.

2. Develop the filmstack.

3. Perform a sample measurement.

4. Unload the test wafer.

Use the following procedure to develop a filmstack for your application:

NOTE

In many instances, the Rudolph supplied filmstacks

will be sufficient for your application. However, it may
be necessary to modify an existing filmstack or
create a new filmstack. A list of the Rudolph supplied
filmstacks is provided in Appendix C, “Default
Recipes and Filmstacks”.

CAUTION

Modifying any existing filmstack will affect every

recipe that uses that filmstack.

Load a Test A sample or test wafer is used to ensure that the filmstack model and rec-
ipe that you are developing will work on similar production wafers.
Wafer
Use the following procedure to load wafers to the stage, either manually
or from a cassette, define the wafer size, loading action, wafer orientation
and wafer registration:

1. In the Focus Interactive main menu, click on Load Wafer.

The Load Wafer menu is displayed.

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2. Determine the method you wish to use to load the wafer and perform
one of the following:

• To load the test wafer from cassette: Click on Cassette Load in

the Load Wafer menu.

The Wafer Load/Unload window is displayed as shown in

Figure 3-9.

Figure 3-9. Wafer Load/Unload Window

Select the cassette and slot from which to load the wafer and click
on Enter. The Wafer Specification window is displayed as shown in
Figure 3-10.

• To manually load the test wafer: Click on Manual Load in the

Load Wafer menu.

A window is displayed prompting you to load a new wafer. Place a

wafer on the stage, center it manually, and click on OK.

The Wafer Specification window is displayed as shown in

Figure 3-10.

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 Filmstack Development

Figure 3-10. Wafer Specification Window

3. Select the information that applies to the test wafer (wafer size,
flat/notch information, centering, and wafer orientation) then click
on the Enter button.

NOTE

When loading a wafer from a cassette, the FE System

has a sensor that automatically detects the wafer
size. Wafer size must always be specified when
manually loading a wafer.

NOTE

Do not change the default Centering Tolerance unless

instructed by Rudolph support personnel. “Center
Wafer” must be selected in order to find a specified
orientation. Entering positive increasing values for
wafer orientation rotates the wafer by degrees in a
counterclockwise direction.
The wafer is loaded and wafer centering and orientation is performed
(if selected). The Site Locator window now shows a live video image
of the wafer, and the Wafer View window is also updated.

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Choosing a This section describes how to choose a filmstack model that will later be
incorporated into a wafer recipe used for measuring production wafers.
Filmstack
Model There are three general procedures that can be used to choose
a filmstack:

• Select an existing filmstack that fits your application.

• Copy an existing filmstack and modify it to create a new filmstack.
• Create an entirely new filmstack.

NOTE

A list of the Rudolph supplied filmstacks is provided

in Appendix C, “Default Recipes and Filmstacks”.

Selecting an This procedure selects an existing filmstack for your application.

Existing Filmstack
1. In the Focus Interactive main menu, click on Filmstack.
The Filmstack Selection window is displayed as shown Figure 3-11.

Figure 3-11. Filmstack Selection Window

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 Filmstack Development

NOTE

For Rudolph supplied filmstacks, an “aa” prefix

indicates a single wavelength (633 nm) measurement.
An “ad” prefix indicates a dual wavelength (633 nm
and 780 nm) measurement.

2. Single click on the desired filmstack name to highlight it.

A description of the selected filmstack appears in the Description
area of the Filmstack Selection window.

3. Review the filmstack description to verify that it is appropriate for your

application. When you have highlighted the appropriate filmstack
name, click the Enter button.
The Filmstack Model window is displayed as shown in Figure 3-12.

Figure 3-12. Filmstack Model Window

4. Perform one of the following:

• If this filmstack is satisfactory and no modifications are

required, test measurements may now be performed using the
procedure provided in “Testing the Filmstack Model” on page 3–31.

NOTE

If you wish to log the test measurements, logging

must be turned on before measurements begin. Refer
to “Logging Measurements” on page 3–28 for
information on activating the logging feature.

• If you wish to modify the selected filmstack, proceed to

“Modifying an Existing Filmstack” on page 3–22.

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Modifying an The FE System software database contains many Rudolph supplied film-
Existing Filmstack stack models covering a wide range of possible applications. For special
applications, these Rudolph supplied filmstacks can be copied and the
new copy modified as follows:

• Select the substrate material for the filmstack.

• Add or delete layers of material that make up the filmstack.
• Choose the parameters (Thickness, N, or K) that will be calculated
or fixed as constants.

• Select the type of measurement (for example: single/dual

wavelength, rough film mode, Ψ exclusion, and tilt options).

• Create new materials with new optical constants.

• Define a range for the calculated parameters.

CAUTION

Modifying any existing filmstack will affect every

recipe that uses that filmstack. It is recommended
that you only modify copies of existing filmstacks.

Use the following procedure to modify an existing filmstack model:

1. In the Focus Interactive main menu, click on Filmstack.

The Film Stack Selection window is displayed as shown Figure 3-13.

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 Filmstack Development

Figure 3-13. Filmstack Selection Window

NOTE

For Rudolph supplied filmstacks, an “aa” prefix

indicates a single wavelength (633 nm) measurement.
An “ad” prefix indicates a dual wavelength (633 nm
and 780 nm) measurement.

2. Single click on the desired filmstack name to highlight it.

A description of the selected filmstack appears in the Description
area of the Filmstack Selection window.

3. Review the filmstack description to verify that it is best suited to your

application. When you have highlighted the appropriate filmstack
name, click the Options button.
The Options Result window is displayed as shown in Figure 3-14.

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Figure 3-14. Options Result Window

4. Enter a new name in the Destination field for the filmstack to be

modified and click on the Save As button.

NOTE

The name of the filmstack should identify the purpose

of the filmstack model (for example: aa_SiO2_<500_T
indicates that the model is used for measuring
thickness of a SiO2 layer that is less than 500 Å).
You are returned to the Filmstack Selection window with the new film-
stack name displayed in the Name field.

5. Click on Enter in the Filmstack Selection window.

A Filmstack Model window is displayed.

Figure 3-15. Filmstack Model Window

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 Filmstack Development

6. Add, delete, and/or modify filmstack layers as follows:

• To change the substrate: Use the procedure provided in

“Changing the Filmstack Substrate” on page 3–38.

• To add a layer: Use the procedure provided in “Adding Film

Layers” on page 3–41.

• To delete a layer: Use the procedure provided in “Deleting Film

Layers” on page 3–49.

• To modify a layer: Use the procedure provided in “Modifying Film

Layers” on page 3–50.

7. Select a Measurement Control for the filmstack using the procedure

provided in “Selecting Measurement Controls” on page 3–54.

8. Set Range Specifications for the filmstack using the procedure

provided in “Setting Range Specifications” on page 3–55.

9. Once the filmstack is satisfactory for your application, click on Enter

in the Filmstack Model window to save this filmstack.
A window is displayed informing you that the changes have been
saved. Click on OK.

10. Test measurements may now be performed using the procedure in

“Testing the Filmstack Model” on page 3–31.

NOTE

If you wish to log the test measurements, logging

must be turned on before measurements begin. Refer
to “Logging Measurements” on page 3–28 for
information on activating the logging feature.

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Creating a New The FE System allows for the creation of entirely new filmstack models to
Filmstack suit your particular application. The new filmstack is built layer by layer on
the default substrate. The default substrate is typically silicon (Si).

Use the following procedure to create a new filmstack model:

1. In the Focus Interactive main menu, click on Filmstack.

The Film Stack Selection window is displayed as shown Figure 3-16.

Figure 3-16. Filmstack Selection Window

2. Enter a name for the new filmstack in the Name field and click on the
Enter button.

NOTE

The name of the filmstack should identify the purpose

of the filmstack model (for example: aa_SiO2_<500_T
indicates that the model is used for measuring
thickness of a SiO2 layer that is less than 500 Å).
A Filmstack Model window is displayed as shown in Figure 3-17. At
this point the filmstack consists only of the default substrate upon
which the filmstack will be constructed.

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 Filmstack Development

Figure 3-17. Filmstack Model Window - Substrate Only

3. If desired, change the filmstack substrate using the procedure

provided in “Changing the Filmstack Substrate” on page 3–38.

4. Add filmstack layers using the procedure provided in “Adding Film

Layers” on page 3–41.

5. Select a Measurement Control for the filmstack using the procedure

provided in “Selecting Measurement Controls” on page 3–54.

6. Set Range Specifications for the filmstack using the procedure

provided in “Setting Range Specifications” on page 3–55.

7. Once the filmstack is satisfactory for your application, click on Enter

in the Filmstack Model window to save this filmstack.
A window is displayed informing you that the changes have been
saved. Click on OK.

8. Test measurements may now be performed using the procedure in

“Testing the Filmstack Model” on page 3–31.

NOTE

If you wish to log the test measurements, logging

must be turned on before measurements begin. Refer
to “Logging Measurements” on page 3–28 for
information on activating the logging feature.

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Logging After the filmstack has been developed, you may wish to save measure-
ment data to a log file. Use the procedures below to start and stop data
Measurements logging.

NOTE

Logging must be activated before measurements

begin and will continue until deactivated.

Start Logging To start logging measurement data, perform the following:

1. In the Focus Interactive main menu, click on Logging.

The Logging menu is displayed.

2. Click on Start in the Logging menu.

A Log File Report Selection window is displayed as shown in
Figure 3-18. If any log files already exist they will be displayed in the
Available Items field.

Figure 3-18. Log File Report Selection Window

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 Filmstack Development

3. Enter the desired log file name in the Name field (eight characters or
less with an extension of .log) and click on Enter.

CAUTION

Entering the name of a log file that already exists will

cause that log file to be overwritten and any data that
was in the log is lost.
A Logging Measurement Data window is displayed as shown in
Figure 3-19.

Figure 3-19. Logging Measurement Data Window

4. Perform the desired measurements using the procedures given in

“Testing the Filmstack Model” on page 3–31.
The Logging Measurement Data window is updated with the results
of each measurement performed.

5. Stop data logging once all measurement data has been collected.

Stop Logging To stop logging measurement data, perform the following:

1. In the Focus Interactive main menu, click on Logging.

The Logging menu is displayed.

2. Click on Stop in the Logging menu.

A window is displayed informing you that logging has been com-
pleted. The number of points that have been measured is also
reported and you are given the opportunity to view a graphical output
of the measurement data.

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3. Perform one of the following:

• If you wish to view the graphical output:

- Click on the Yes button.
A Graphics window similar to the one shown in Figure 3-20 is
displayed.

Figure 3-20. Logging Measurement Data Graphics Window

- When you have finished viewing the measurement data, click

on the icon in the upper left corner beside the Graphics Window
title then click on Close from the menu that is displayed.

The Graphics window is closed and the Logging Measurement

Data window is displayed.

- Click on the icon in the upper left corner beside the Logging
Measurement Data title then click on Close from the menu that
is displayed.

The Logging Measurement Data window is closed and the

Focus Interactive main window is displayed. Data logging is
now stopped.

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 Filmstack Development

• If you do not wish to view the graphical output:

- Click on the No button.
The Logging Measurement Data window is closed and the
Focus Interactive main window is displayed. Data logging is
now stopped.

Testing the Once the filmstack has been developed, it may be tested by making sam-
ple measurements of the wafer. By default, the FE System will perform a
Filmstack single measurement at the center of the wafer. For higher confidence in
Model the test results, and to determine how robust the filmstack is, you may
perform test measurements on multiple locations.

To test the filmstack model, perform the following:

1. Ensure that a wafer is loaded as described in “Load a Test Wafer” on

page 3–17.

2. Ensure the Filmstack Model window is displayed and shows the

filmstack that you selected using the procedures described in
“Choosing a Filmstack Model” on page 3–20.

3. (Optional) If you want to save the measurement data, activate

logging as described in “Logging Measurements” on page 3–28.

NOTE

Logging must be activated before measurements

begin and will continue until deactivated.

4. To measure a location other than the center of the wafer (default

measurement site), select the desired measurement site by
positioning the trackball pointer over the desired location in either the
Wafer View or Site Locator window and double clicking the right
trackball button.
The stage moves the wafer so that the laser is positioned over the
desired location.

5. In the Focus Interactive main menu, click on Measure.

The FE System begins measuring the test site and performs the cal-
culations for the measurement. The title bar of the Site Locator win-
dow indicates the FE System progress with the following messages:

Focusing
Setting intensity
Measuring wafer
Modeling data

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When data modeling is complete, the data is displayed in a Calcu-

lated Parameters window, as shown in Figure 3-21. This window dis-
plays the parameter that was measured, the measured value of that
parameter, and the fit error of the measurement. Refer to “Analyzing
Test Results” on page 3–33 for details on how to use this information.

Figure 3-21. Calculated Parameters Window

6. To test other measurement sites, repeat Step 4 and Step 5 above

until all sites have been measured.

7. If measurement logging was started, stop measurement logging as

described in “Logging Measurements” on page 3–28.

8. Once all measurements have been taken, and the filmstack is

determined to be satisfactory for your application, you may unload
the wafer as described in “Unloading the Wafer” on page 3–37.

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 Filmstack Development

Analyzing Test The FE System provides three indicators to help you determine the accu-
racy and repeatability for using a filmstack model on your application:
Results
• Fit error
• Error estimates
• Order resolution

The degree of correlation between the model and the actual physical film-
stack is interpreted by the fit error, which is based on a χ2 fit between the
measured and modeled ellipsometric angles. Error estimates may also
be used to qualitatively determine the accuracy of the measured parame-
ters.

Fit Error After a measurement is made, the calculated parameters and the fit error
are returned. When performing calculations, the FE software searches
for the solution with the lowest fit error. The fit error is a measure of how
well the measured data fits the theoretical Delta (∆) and Psi (Ψ) data of
the film model. The statistical quantity “Chi squared” (χ2) is used to mea-
sure fit error.

A fit error ≤ 1 is expected from a single wavelength measurement of a

dielectric film and means that the measured and modeled data agree to
within the accuracy of the measurement.

Usually, the measured Delta (∆) and Psi (Ψ) data are correct to within the
accuracy of the measurement.

Therefore, a large fit error means there is a problem with the filmstack
model (one or more of the assumed parameter values is incorrect). You
must change the filmstack parameters and re-test the filmstack model.

Fit error can also be used to detect a measurement related problem. For
example, if the laser spot is hitting the edge of a measurement site on a
product wafer, the fit error will be much larger than when the laser spot is
well centered on the site.

Figure 3-22 illustrates the mathematical definition of fit error.

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Figure 3-22. Fit Error Equation

Error Estimates Error estimates provide an assessment of the accuracy of the computed
film parameters. As a general rule, the error estimates should be approx-
imately 1% of the measured value. Thinner films (<100Å) may have
higher error estimates. Usually, as more parameters are calculated, the
error of each parameter is increased, while the fit error is decreased.
Fewer calculations provide better accuracy.

Order Searching Because of the cyclic nature of the interference of light when measuring
and Order thin films, the ∆/ψ pair obtained from a given measurement is not unique.
Resolution These values are periodic with the thickness of the film. Every material
has an associated order thickness, or “Cycle Thickness.” Cycle Thick-
ness (Tc) is a function of refractive index, wavelength of light and angle of
incidence. Figure 3-23 expresses the mathematical definition of this rela-
tionship.

λ
T c = --------------------------------
2 2
2 n – sin θ

Figure 3-23. Cycle Thickness Function

NOTE

Refer to Appendix E, “Theory of Operation” for more

information.

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 Filmstack Development

With other variables remaining constant, ∆/ψ values will be the same for
any multiple of Tc. For example, at a wavelength of 632.8 nm, AOI of 70
and an RI of 1.462, the Tc is 2825Å. Measurement of this material (SiO2
in this case) indicates a thickness of 6000Å as well as 6000Å ± mTc
where m =1,2,3.... . All have the same ∆/ψ pair.

To determine which thickness associated with a given multiple of Tc is the

correct solution, order searching “searches” different orders and returns
the answer that has the lowest fit error, which approximates the “real”
answers for the parameters calculated.

With Standard Order Search (using single wavelength), the region

searched varies with the application but is typically ± 5 orders. This
option is most appropriate for low refractive index films, such as SiO2
and Si3N4.

At times, however, especially for Poly single wavelength measurements,

the fit error between different orders are very close. In this case, a
Restricted Order Search is needed. Because Restricted Order Search
limits the search area, a better foreknowledge of the correct thickness of
the material is needed. The spec thickness must be within the specified
range of search. Refer to Table E-1 on page E–20 for more information.

If the FE software cannot resolve order using the following algorithms, a

message will appear stating that there is order ambiguity.

Order Resolution by Fit Error

The best three answers (by fit error) are generated and a calculation is
performed to determine whether the order is resolved.

If the next best fit is ≥1.5 times the best fit, and the next best fit error is
greater than 2.0, the order is resolved. If the next best fit is ≥1.5 times the
best fit, and the next best fit error is less than 2.0, then order is not
resolved.

This is mathematically expressed as follows:

Let:

x = Best Fit
y = Next Best Fit

For 1.5x < y

If y >2.0: order is resolved

If y < 2.0: order is not resolved

For 1.5x > y: order is not resolved

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Order Resolution by Index Matching

If order is not resolved by fit error, and index or refraction (N) or absorp-
tion (K) are being computed, then the algorithm resorts to “index match-
ing”. Index matching chooses the solution whose measured index values
are within specified tolerances so that order can be resolved. If order
cannot be resolved, the solution whose thickness is closest to the starting
value will be returned.

Specified index values can be modified by using “Set Search Tolerance”

in the Layer View window (Figure 3-27).

Remodeling a Once a measurement is completed, if you are not satisfied with the
results of the measurement, you may want to modify the filmstack model
Modified and recalculate the measurement. To modify the filmstack model, you
Filmstack may change the parameters selected for calculation, choose a different
material, add or delete a layer, or switch from dual to single wavelength.

By using the ReModel option, the filmstack model can be quickly recalcu-
lated without making another measurement.

NOTE

If the measurement control or the measurement site

have been changed, ReModel cannot be used.

To recalculate measurements with a changed filmstack, use the following

procedure:

1. Make the required changes to the filmstack model using the

procedures describe in “Choosing a Filmstack Model” on page 3–20.

2. Once the filmstack has been modified and saved, in the Focus
Interactive main menu, click on ReModel.
The ReModel menu item is highlighted.

3. In the Focus Interactive main menu, click on Measure.

The filmstack model is recalculated based on the changes made in
Step 1 of this procedure. The ellipsometric data obtained from the
previous measurement are used in the re-calculation.

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 Filmstack Development

Unloading the When you have completed measurements on the wafer, use the following
procedure to unload the wafer:
Wafer
1. In the Focus Interactive main menu, click on Load Wafer.
The Load Wafer menu is displayed.

2. Click on Unload in the Load Wafer menu.

The FE System unloads the wafer in the same manner it was loaded:

• If the wafer was loaded using Cassette Load: the robot returns
the wafer to the cassette and slot from which it was initially taken.

• If the wafer was loaded using Manual Load: the stage moves
forward and prompts for the wafer to be manually removed.

A filmstack model has now been created and can be incorporated into a
wafer recipe as described in Chapter 4, “Creating Recipes”

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Creating and The following procedures should be used to change the filmstack sub-
strate, add, delete, or modify filmstack layers, select filmstack measure-
Modifying ment controls, and to set range specifications.
Filmstacks

Changing the To change the substrate in the filmstack model, you must have already
selected, copied, or created a filmstack using the procedures in “Modify-
Filmstack ing an Existing Filmstack” on page 3–22 or “Creating a New Filmstack”
Substrate on page 3–26 respectively.

1. In the Filmstack Model window, click on the substrate layer.

A Substrate View window is displayed that contains the information
for the substrate material. In the examples below the Substrate View
window in Figure 3-24 shows a single wavelength measurement, the
Substrate View window in Figure 3-25 shows a dual wavelength mea-
surement. The window displayed will depend on the type of filmstack
being modified.

Figure 3-24. Substrate View Window - Single Wavelength

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 Creating and Modifying Filmstacks

Figure 3-25. Substrate View Window - Dual Wavelength

2. Enter the values for the substrate in the Substrate View window using
the information below as a guide.

• Substrate Material — Click on the button with name of the material

that makes up the substrate to display the Material Selection
window as shown in Figure 3-26. Select the desired material from
the list by clicking once on the item then clicking Enter, or by
double clicking on the item. The name of the selected material is
displayed in the Substrate Material button in the Substrate View
window and the specs for N, K, dN, and/or K2 (as applicable) are
updated.

NOTE

You may also enter the name of a new material to be

used as the filmstack substrate by using the
procedure in “Creating New Materials” on page 3–46.

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• Spec
- N — Displays the N value (index of refraction) based on the
selected material.

- K — Displays the K value (absorption coefficient) based on the

selected material.

- dN — Only displayed for dual wavelength measurements.

Displays the dN value (difference in refractive index between
the two wavelengths) based on the selected material.

- K2 — Only displayed for dual wavelength measurements.

Displays the K2 value (absorption coefficient for the second
wavelength) based on the selected material.

• Calc. — Specify the parameters that should be calculated during

the measurement.

• Defer — Specify the parameter measurements that will be deferred

to the Operator.

• Range — Enter the range tolerance for the calculated parameters.

Entering 0 in both fields effectively disables range tolerance
checking. If values other than 0 are entered and the calculation is
outside of the specified range, the FE System will take the action
that is selected using the Range button in the Filmstack Model
window. See “Setting Range Specifications” on page 3–55 for more
information.

NOTE

The out of range action only applies to the Focus

Operator Queued Loading program.

- Min. — Specify the minimum range value.

- Max. — Specify the maximum range value.
3. When all entries have been made for the substrate, click the Enter
button in the Substrate View window.
You are returned to the Filmstack Model window with the substrate
modifications displayed in the filmstack model.

4. Make other modifications to the filmstack model as desired.

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 Creating and Modifying Filmstacks

Adding Film To add a layer to the filmstack model, you must have already selected a
filmstack to modify or specified the name for a new filmstack using the
Layers procedures in “Modifying an Existing Filmstack” on page 3–22 or “Creat-
ing a New Filmstack” on page 3–26 respectively.

NOTE

Layers are added to the top of the filmstack model.

1. In the Filmstack Model window, click on Layers then click on Add

Layer when the Layers menu is displayed.
The Material Selection window is displayed as shown in Figure 3-26.

Figure 3-26. Material Selection Window

2. Select the material for the new layer from the list by clicking once on
the item then clicking Enter, or by double clicking on the item.
A Layer View window is displayed as shown in Figure 3-27 and
Figure 3-28. The Layer View window in Figure 3-27 shows a single
wavelength measurement, the Layer View window in Figure 3-28
shows a dual wavelength measurement. The window displayed will
depend upon the type of filmstack being built.

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NOTE

You may also enter the name of a new material to be

used in the filmstack by using the procedure in
“Creating New Materials” on page 3–46.

Figure 3-27. Layer View Window - Single Wavelength

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 Creating and Modifying Filmstacks

Figure 3-28. Layer View Window - Dual Wavelength

3. Enter the values for the selected material in the Layer View window
using the information below as a guide.

• Spec
- Thickness — Enter the approximate thickness (in Angstroms)
for the layer.

- N — Displays the N value (index of refraction) for the layer

based on the selected material.

- K — Displays the K value (absorption coefficient) for the layer

based on the selected material.

- dN — Only displayed for dual wavelength measurements.

Displays the dN value (difference in refractive index between
the two wavelengths) for the layer based on the selected
material.

- K2 — Only displayed for dual wavelength measurements.

Displays the K2 value (absorption coefficient for the second
wavelength) for the layer based on the selected material.

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• Calc. — Specify the parameters that should be calculated during

the measurement.

• Defer — Specify the parameter measurements that will be deferred

to the Operator.

• Range — Enter the range tolerance for the calculated parameters.

Entering 0 in both fields effectively disables range tolerance
checking. If values other than 0 are entered and the calculation is
outside of the specified range, the FE System will take the action
that is selected using the Range button in the Filmstack Model
window. See “Setting Range Specifications” on page 3–55 for more
information.

NOTE

The out of range action only applies to the Focus

Operator Queued Loading program.

- Min. — Specify the minimum range value.

- Max. — Specify the maximum range value.
• Search — Select the search type by clicking on the down arrow
button to the right of the Search field. Refer to “Order Searching
and Order Resolution” on page 3–34 for more information.

- None — The FE System will find the closest local minima of fit
error.

- Restricted Search — Perform order search over a restricted

thickness range. Refer to Table E-1 on page E–20 for more
information.

- Std Order Search — When using single wavelength, the

region searched varies with the application but is typically
± 5 orders.

• Set Search Tolerance — Only displayed when Restricted Search

or Std Order Search types are selected. Sets tolerances on
acceptable values of computed optical constants (N, K, dN, and
K2). The checkboxes for N, K, dN, and/or K2 must be selected for
the entered tolerances to apply. Click on the Set Search Tolerance
button to display the Search Tolerance window as shown in
Figure 3-29. Enter the desired values and click on Enter.

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 Creating and Modifying Filmstacks

Figure 3-29. Search Tolerance Window

• Interlayer — Click on this box to indicate that this layer is an

“interlayer”. This causes the thickness of this layer to be added to
the underlying layer. This feature is useful when a single film is
represented as a composite of two layers (such as, poly-silicon).
Refer to “About Interlayers” on page 3–64 for more information.

4. When all entries have been made for this layer, click the Enter button
in the Layer View window (Figure 3-28).
You are returned to the Filmstack Model window (Figure 3-12) with
the new layer displayed as the top layer of the filmstack model.

5. Perform one of the following:

• To add another layer, repeat Steps 1 through 4 of this procedure.

• To delete the top layer, proceed to “Deleting Film Layers” on page
3–49.

• To modify an existing layer, proceed to “Modifying Film Layers”

on page 3–50.

6. When all filmstack layers have been added, return to Step 6 in

“Modifying an Existing Filmstack” on page 3–22, or Step 5 in
“Creating a New Filmstack” on page 3–26 as appropriate.

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Creating New The FE System contains an extensive database of film materials. How-
ever, you may create new materials to suit your application by using the
Materials procedure in this section.

NOTE

This procedure assumes that you are either creating

a new filmstack model or are modifying a filmstack
model and the Material Selection window
(Figure 3-26) is currently displayed.

1. With the Material Selection window displayed, enter a name for the
new material in the Name field (such as Poly15%) and click on the
Enter button.
A window is displayed asking if this is an EMA (Effective Medium
Approximation) composite material.

2. Perform one of the following:

• If you are creating an EMA composite material, proceed to

“Creating EMA Composite Materials” on page 3–47.

• If you are not creating an EMA composite material, proceed to

“Creating Non-EMA Composite Materials” below.

Creating Non- 1. In the window asking if this is an EMA composite material, click on
EMA Composite No.
Materials A Material window is displayed that allows you to enter the N, K, dN,
and K2 values for the newly created material.

2. Enter the N, K, dN, and K2 values for the material and click on the
Enter button.
The Material Selection window is displayed with the newly created
material highlighted.

3. Click on the Enter button in the Material Selection window.

The Layer View window appears with the optical constants for the
material.

4. In the Layer View window, enter the desired information for the
material using the procedure given in “Modifying Film Layers” on
page 3–50.

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 Creating and Modifying Filmstacks

Creating EMA 1. In the window asking if this is an EMA composite material, click
Composite on Yes.
Materials The EMA Material window appears with the material name specified
as shown in Figure 3-30.

Figure 3-30. EMA Material Window

2. In the EMA Material window, click on Add.

A Constituent window is displayed as shown in Figure 3-31.

Figure 3-31. EMA Material Constituent Window

3. In the Constituent window, click on the Material button and select the
first component of the composite material from the Material Selection
window.
The selected material is displayed in the Constituent window.

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4. In the Constituent window, enter the percentage of the EMA material

that is made up of this constituent in the Volume Fraction field, then
click on the Enter button.
The EMA Material window is displayed with the selected component
as shown in Figure 3-32.

Figure 3-32. EMA Material Window - First Component

5. Add the second component of the EMA composite material by

repeating Step 2 through Step 4 above.
Each time a component is selected, the EMA Material window is
redisplayed showing the components selected. Figure 3-33 below
shows an example of an EMA composite material made up of the
components A-SI and SI.

Figure 3-33. EMA Material Window - Two Components

6. When the components have been selected, in the EMA Material

window menu, click on Enter.
The Material Selection window is displayed with the newly created
material highlighted.

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 Creating and Modifying Filmstacks

7. Click on the Enter button in the Material Selection window.

The Layer View window appears with the optical constants for the
newly created EMA composite material.

8. In the Layer View window, enter the desired information for the
material (such as spec thickness, ranges, and the parameters to be
calculated) using the procedure given in “Modifying Film Layers” on
page 3–50.

Deleting Film To delete the top layer of the filmstack model, you must have already
selected or copied a previously defined filmstack using the procedures in
Layers “Modifying an Existing Filmstack” on page 3–22.

1. In the Filmstack Model window, click on Layers then click on

Delete Top when the Layers menu is displayed.
A window is displayed asking you to confirm that you wish to delete
the top layer of the filmstack model.

2. Perform one of the following:

• If you do not wish to delete the top layer of the filmstack

model, click on Cancel.

You are returned to the Filmstack Model window.

• If you do wish to delete the top layer of the filmstack model,

click on OK.

You are returned to the Filmstack Model window and the top layer
is removed from the filmstack.

3. Repeat this procedure if you wish to delete another layer from the
filmstack model.

4. When you have deleted the desired layer(s), return to Step 6 in

“Modifying an Existing Filmstack” on page 3–22.

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Modifying Film To modify an existing layer in the filmstack model, you must have already
selected, copied, or created a filmstack using the procedures in “Modify-
Layers ing an Existing Filmstack” on page 3–22 or “Creating a New Filmstack”
on page 3–26 respectively.

1. In the Filmstack Model window, click on the layer that you wish to
modify.
A Layer View window is displayed that contains the information for
the selected layer. In the examples below the Layer View window in
Figure 3-34 shows a single wavelength measurement, the Layer
View window in Figure 3-35 shows a dual wavelength measurement.
The window displayed will depend upon the type of filmstack being
modified.

Figure 3-34. Layer View Window - Single Wavelength

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 Creating and Modifying Filmstacks

Figure 3-35. Layer View Window - Dual Wavelength

2. Enter the values for the selected layer in the Layer View window
using the information below as a guide.

• Layer Material — Click on the button with name of the material that
makes up the layer to display the Material Selection window as
shown in Figure 3-26. Select the desired material from the list by
clicking once on the item then clicking Enter, or by double clicking
on the item. The name of the selected material is displayed in the
Layer Material button in the Layer View window and the specs for
N, K, dN, and/or K2 (as applicable) are updated.

NOTE

You may also enter the name of a new material to be

used in the filmstack by using the procedure in
“Creating New Materials” on page 3–46.

• Spec
- Thickness — Enter the approximate thickness (in Angstroms)
for the layer.

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- N — Displays the N value (index of refraction) for the layer

based on the selected material.

- K — Displays the K value (absorption coefficient) for the layer

based on the selected material.

- dN — Only displayed for dual wavelength measurements.

Displays the dN value (difference in refractive index between
the two wavelengths) for the layer based on the selected
material.

- K2 — Only displayed for dual wavelength measurements.

Displays the K2 value (absorption coefficient for the second
wavelength) for the layer based on the selected material.

• Calc. — Specify the parameters that should be calculated during

the measurement.

• Defer — Specify the parameter measurements that will be deferred

to the Operator.

• Range — Enter the range tolerance for the calculated parameters.

Entering 0 in both fields effectively disables range tolerance
checking. If values other than 0 are entered and the calculation is
outside of the specified range, the FE System will take the action
that is selected using the Range button in the Filmstack Model
window. See “Setting Range Specifications” on page 3–55 for more
information.

NOTE

The out of range action only applies to the Focus

Operator Queued Loading program.

- Min. — Specify the minimum range value.

- Max. — Specify the maximum range value.
• Search — Select the search type by clicking on the down arrow
button to the right of the Search field. Refer to “Order Searching
and Order Resolution” on page 3–34 for more information.

- None — The FE System will find the closest local minima of fit
error.

- Restricted Search — Perform order search over a restricted

thickness range. Refer to Table E-1 on page E–20 for more
information.

- Std Order Search — When using single wavelength, the

region searched varies with the application but is typically
± 5 orders.

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 Creating and Modifying Filmstacks

• Set Search Tolerance — Only displayed when Restricted Search

or Std Order Search types are selected. Sets tolerances on
acceptable values of computed optical constants (N, K, dN, and
K2). The checkboxes for N, K, dN, and/or K2 must be selected for
the entered tolerances to apply. Click on the Set Search Tolerance
button to display the Search Tolerance window as shown in
Figure 3-36. Enter the desired values and click on Enter.

Figure 3-36. Search Tolerance Window

• Interlayer — Click on this box to indicate that this layer is an

“interlayer”. This causes the thickness of this layer to be added to
the underlying layer. This feature is useful when a single film is
represented as a composite of two layers (such as, poly-silicon).
Refer to “About Interlayers” on page 3–64 for more information.

3. When all entries have been made for this layer, click the Enter button
in the Layer View window (Figure 3-35).
You are returned to the Filmstack Model window with the layer modifi-
cations displayed in the filmstack model.

4. Repeat this procedure if you wish to modify another layer from the
filmstack model.

5. When all modifications to the filmstack model layers have been

completed, return to Step 6 in “Modifying an Existing Filmstack” on
page 3–22.

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Selecting To select a measurement control for the filmstack model, you must have
already selected, copied, or created a filmstack using the procedures in
Measurement “Modifying an Existing Filmstack” on page 3–22 or “Creating a New Film-
Controls stack” on page 3–26 respectively.

1. In the Filmstack Model window, click on the Meas: button.

A Measurement Selection window is displayed as shown in
Figure 3-37.

Figure 3-37. Measurement Selection Window

2. Select a measurement control for the layer from the list by clicking
once on the item then clicking Enter, or by double clicking on the
item. Select DEFAULT to use the standard measurement mode
(equivalent to thin mode).
You are returned to the Filmstack Model window. The selected mea-
surement control is displayed in the Meas: button.

NOTE

A list of the Rudolph supplied measurement controls

is provided in Appendix C, “Default Recipes
and Filmstacks”.

3. Return to Step 8 in “Modifying an Existing Filmstack” on page 3–22,

or Step 6 in “Creating a New Filmstack” on page 3–26 as appropriate.

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 Creating and Modifying Filmstacks

Setting Range To set the maximum fit error for the filmstack and the action that the FE
System will take when a measurement is out of range, you must have
Specifications already selected, copied, or created a filmstack using the procedures in
“Modifying an Existing Filmstack” on page 3–22 or “Creating a New Film-
stack” on page 3–26 respectively.

1. In the Filmstack Model window, click on the Ranges button.

The Range Specifications window is displayed as shown in
Figure 3-38.

Figure 3-38. Range Specifications Window

2. Enter the desired maximum fit error and select the out-of-range
action to be taken when a measurement exceeds the maximum fit
error.

3. If you selected Switch for the out-of-range action in the previous

step, click on the Filmstack button and select a filmstack from the
Filmstack Selection window. The FE System will automatically switch
to this filmstack and perform the test measurement again if the initial
measurement exceeds the maximum allowed fit error.

4. When you have completed the range specifications for the filmstack,
click on the Enter button in the Range Specifications window.
You are returned to the Filmstack Model window.

5. When the desired measurement control has been selected, return to

Step 9 in “Modifying an Existing Filmstack” on page 3–22, or Step 7
in “Creating a New Filmstack” on page 3–26 as appropriate.

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Developing Film Applications

Faxing Data In the event that you encounter difficulties developing your filmstack
model, or if you need assistance in modeling a wafer, measurement data
to Rudolph may be faxed to the Rudolph Applications Support group. This will allow
Technologies the simulation of your filmstack modeling at the Rudolph Technologies
facilities.

By using the procedure below, a measurement fax printout will be gener-

ated that consists of the filmstack information and the delta/psi values
that were obtained from the last measurement that was made.

1. Ensure that a wafer is loaded as described in “Load a Test Wafer” on

page 3–17.

2. Ensure the Filmstack Model window is displayed and shows the

filmstack that you selected using the procedures described in
“Choosing a Filmstack Model” on page 3–20.

3. In the Focus Interactive main menu, click on Measure.

The FE System begins measuring the test site and performs the cal-
culations for the measurement.

4. Once the measurement calculations have been completed, in the

Focus Interactive main menu, click on Logging.
The Logging menu is displayed.

5. Click on Measurement Fax Printout in the Logging menu.

A window is displayed instructing you to enter lpt1 to send the data to
the printer.

6. Click on OK.
A Measured Data Selection window is displayed as shown in
Figure 3-39.

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 Faxing Data to Rudolph Technologies

Figure 3-39. Measured Data Selection Window

7. Enter lpt1 in the Name field and click on the Enter button.
The filmstack and measurement data is output to the printer that is
connected to the FE System.

8. Fill in the appropriate information in the From: section of the printout

and fax the report to the Rudolph Applications Support group at the
number provided on the printout.
An example of a measurement printout is shown in Figure 3-40.

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Developing Film Applications

*** Rudolph Application Fax ***

To: Rudolph Applications Support

Rudolph Technologies
1 Rudolph Road
Flanders, NJ 07876 USA
Fax: (201)-691-5480

From:

Name:

Company:

Phone

Fax

Comments:

Filmstack:
Film Stack: aa_SiO2_<1um_T

SIO2 T: 1000* N:1.462 K:0.000 @

SI T:Substrate N:3.858 K:0.018

Error Est: Off

Measure Control: aa_Thin_Fast_<1um
Range Specs -
Fit Error: 20.000000
OoR Action: Warn & Continue

Delta, Psi Values

10 1.015388 0.690903 0.000000

67.166321 247.212799 22.871733 0.000000
64.543564 226.229584 21.411255 0.000000
61.872223 204.838364 22.492907 0.000000
59.164879 187.313660 24.389507 0.000000
56.434097 177.728882 26.584040 0.000000
53.692459 168.399933 29.413336 0.000000
50.952538 163.569702 30.001020 0.000000
48.226902 162.007446 33.419010 0.000000
45.528130 158.352844 34.339687 0.000000
42.868790 158.581650 36.561695 0.000000

Figure 3-40. Measurement Data Fax Printout

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 Exiting Focus Interactive

Exiting To exit the Focus Interactive program, perform the following procedure:

Focus 1. On the Focus Interactive screen, perform one of the following:

Interactive • Double click the left trackball button on the icon located in the upper
left-hand corner of the screen (beside the Focus Interactive
program name).

• Single click the left trackball button on the icon located in the upper
left-hand corner of the screen (beside the Focus Interactive
program name). Select Close from the menu that is displayed.
The Focus Interactive program will exit and you will be returned to the
OS/2 desktop.

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Developing Film Applications

Applications The following system applications and Fab areas are covered in the sec-
tions that follow. Examples of common applications, or “application notes”
by Fab Area are provided.

NOTE

The application examples provided in this section are

intended as a teaching tool so that Engineers can
learn the fundamentals of creating filmstacks. All
applications can vary greatly, therefore please
contact the Rudolph Applications Support Group
nearest to you for help with your particular
application.

Table 3-2. Typical Applications by Fab Area

Fab Areas: Diffusion CVD Etch CMP Lithography

System Thin and Thick Oxide Thick Oxide Oxide Etch TEOS Photo Resist
Applications: to Clear on Metal

Thin and Thick Nitride Amorphous Si BPSG on

Metal
Poly Variations TiN/Si PMD on
Silicide
Poly-Si using EMA

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 Diffusion Applications

Diffusion This section provides examples of the system applications within the Dif-
fusion area of the Fab. These include standard filmstacks such as Thin
Applications Oxide, Thick Oxide, Thin Nitride, and Thick Nitride, as well as custom
filmstacks including Poly Variations, and Poly-Si using EMA.

NOTE

The application examples provided in this section are

intended as a teaching tool so that Engineers can
learn the fundamentals of creating filmstacks. All
applications can vary greatly, therefore please
contact the Rudolph Applications Support Group
nearest to you for help with your particular
application.

Diffusion Introduction
Application:
The formation of silicon dioxide (SiO2) on a silicon substrate (oxidation)
Oxides/Nitrides is a popular process in the diffusion area of the Fab. Some functions of
thermally-grown oxide films are:

• Masking against ion implantation and diffusion

• Passivation of the silicon surface
• Isolation of individual devices

Silicon nitride (Si3N4) plays an important role in the diffusion area of the
Fab. It acts as a diffusion barrier, and is useful as a mask for the selective
oxidation of exposed silicon.

The following example will describe the procedure for developing and
testing a filmstack for measuring the thickness of a single layer of SiO2 or
Si3N4 on a silicon substrate.

Procedure

1. In the Focus Interactive main menu, click on Filmstack.

The Filmstack Selection window is displayed.

2. Click the left trackball button once on the Rudolph-supplied filmstack

that is designed to measure the thickness of an oxide or nitride film
on silicon. The name of these filmstacks are aa_SiO2_XXX_T and
aa_Si3N4_XXX_T respectively where XXX is an estimation of the
thickness of the oxide or nitride layer (such as <500 or >1um). The
prefix “aa” indicates this filmstack uses a single wavelength
measurement control.

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3. Review the filmstack description to verify that it is appropriate for your

application, and click the Enter button in the Filmstack Selection
window.
A Filmstack Model window is displayed. The example Filmstack
Model window below shows the thin oxide filmstack model. The film-
stack model windows for other oxide or nitride models are similar.

Figure 3-41. Rudolph-supplied Thin Oxide Filmstack

The filmstack will show a SiO2 or Si3N4 layer on a SI substrate. The

SiO2/Si3N4 layer has fixed optical constants (N and K values) and
shows the filmstack model’s spec thickness (100Å in this example).
The asterisk (✱) indicates a calculated parameter. It is recommended
that the optical constants not be calculated for this application.
Although the target thickness of the actual film layer may not be what
is indicated in the filmstack model, the system will determine the cor-
rect thickness without any modification of this value.

4. Once the filmstack has been reviewed and is determined to be

appropriate for the wafer, in the Focus Interactive main menu, click
on Measure.
The FE System performs the measurement and calculations on this
wafer. When the data modeling is complete, the data is displayed in
the Calculated Parameters window, as shown in Figure 3-42.

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 Diffusion Applications

Figure 3-42. Sample Calculated Parameters

Analyzing the Results

The expected fit error should be in the range of 0 to 0.5 for thin film
dielectrics, and 0 to 1 for thick film dielectrics.

NOTE

Fit error may vary when measuring the same wafer on

a different FE System.

As shown in the calculated parameters window, the fit error for the mea-
sured thickness of the oxide/nitride layer, 1T, falls within the acceptable
range. Therefore, the filmstack chosen for this application can be reliably
used for production measurements in a Wafer Recipe.

Summary

The FE System database includes various Rudolph-supplied filmstacks

for measuring oxide or nitride on silicon, each with different thicknesses
and calculated parameters. Once the appropriate Rudolph-supplied film-
stack has been determined, you should not have to modify it in any way
to produce accurate and repeatable results.

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Diffusion Introduction
Application:
Polycrystalline silicon (Poly-Si) films are generally used as gate elec-
Poly Variations trodes and interconnections in MOS circuits. Optimum resistivity for these
products can be achieved by the doping of polycrystalline films in the dif-
fusion area of the Fab. In most cases, an SiO2 layer is grown before the
Poly-Si is deposited, for purposes of electrical isolation. The FE System
can be used to measure multi-layer filmstacks and multi-parameters for
optical characterization of Poly-Si.

The following example will show the procedure for optimizing the film-
stack required for measuring Poly-Si thickness of a wafer with 1500Å of
Poly-Si deposited on 1000Å thermally grown SiO2. The interlayer feature
for improved modeling is explained below and the EMA feature for optical
characterization will be explained later in this section.

About Interlayers

Interlayers serve to reduce fit errors and improve order resolution. Some
applications model better with one or more interlayers. Poly films often
require these interlayers.

Although the thickness of interlayers is effectively subtracted from the

modeled poly thickness and provides a more accurate representation of
poly films, you may be more accustomed to receiving only one thickness
for the combined poly/interlayer thickness. A typical poly filmstack is
shown below:

Figure 3-43. Poly Filmstack without an Interlayer

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 Diffusion Applications

In this filmstack, the POLYINTR layer represents the partially oxidized

roughness layer (interface between the poly and SiO2). The SiO2 layer
represents the completely oxidized top layer. The resultant poly thickness
will show 75Å less than a non-interlayer model.

In cases where the POLYINTR layer must be calculated, two separate

thickness values must be manually summed to get the total poly thick-
ness. The goal of interlayer modeling is to provide for interlayers and
automatically add back the thickness values.

Each layer in a filmstack can be an interlayer. The interlayer is activated

by checking the Interlayer check box on the Layer View window, as
shown below:

Figure 3-44. Specifying an Interlayer (Layer View Window)

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Developing Film Applications

When interlayer is checked, the layer displays on the Filmstack window

slightly smaller and with green text.

Figure 3-45. Poly Filmstack with an Interlayer

With an interlayer in the filmstack model, the POLYINTR layer thickness

will be automatically added back into the POLY.EMA layer thickness.

The rules for the interlayer calculations are outlined below:

• Any number of adjacent interlayers will be summed into the first

non-interlayer below.

• Interlayers with calculated thickness values will also be summed.

The calculated thickness (of the interlayer) will not be displayed
individually.

• Multiple sets of interlayers are allowed. For example, the filmstack:

INTERLAYER/FILM/INTERLAYER/FILM/SUBSTRATE is allowed
provided that the two film layers have calculated thickness values.

• Calculated refractive index values are not summed or removed by

interlayers.

• The summation is a simple addition, there is no index weighting.

Although these rules allow some flexibility, very few applications will use
more than one interlayer.

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 Diffusion Applications

Procedure

1. In the Focus Interactive main menu, click on Filmstack.

The Filmstack Selection window is displayed.

2. Select the Rudolph-supplied filmstack designed to measure the

thickness of a Poly-Si film on a 1000Å SiO2 film on silicon substrate.
The name of this filmstack is ad_Poly_T. The prefix “ad” indicates a
dual wavelength measurement control.

NOTE

Dual wavelength is recommended for Poly-Si

measurements to enhance order resolution.

3. Review the Description to verify that this filmstack is appropriate for

this application, and click the Enter button.
A Filmstack Model window is displayed as shown below.

Figure 3-46. A Diffusion Poly Filmstack

This filmstack model has an initial oxide layer with a fixed value of
1000Å. Better knowledge of the bottom oxide thickness will provide
more accurate results for the calculated parameters.
The POLY-SI layer shows a spec thickness of 2500Å with optical con-
stants initially set at fixed values. The thickness of the Poly-Si layer is
being calculated with a Restricted Search applied.

NOTE

A Restricted Order Search is recommended for all

Poly-Si and A-Si applications.

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Developing Film Applications

The remaining top layers include an interlayer with calculated thick-

ness and a native oxide layer for improved modeling.
Your Poly-Si application may have a different bottom oxide or Poly-Si
thickness, or different Poly-Si optical constants. If your application dif-
fers, copy the Rudolph-supplied filmstack to a different name using
Save As, and proceed with any necessary modifications.

4. Once the filmstack has been reviewed and is determined to be

appropriate for the wafer, in the Focus Interactive main menu, click
on Measure.
The FE System performs the measurement and calculations on this
wafer. When the data modeling is complete, the data is displayed in
the Calculated Parameters window, as shown in Figure 3-47.

Figure 3-47. Calculated Parameters Window

Analyzing the Results

The fit error for this application can range from 0 to 10, depending on the
quality of the film. Higher fit errors may be expected for Poly-Si films with
disordered crystal structures. The fit error shown above falls within the
acceptable range, and the calculated thickness is close to the target
value. If needed, the fit error may be improved by calculating the absorp-
tion coefficient (K) of the Poly-Si layer. An incorrect fixed value of K may
introduce inaccuracies in the calculated thickness of the Poly-Si.

If you need to re-calculate, use the following procedure:

1. Click on the POLY-SI layer to open the Layer View window.

2. In the Layer View window, check the Calc. box for K and click on the
Enter button.

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 Diffusion Applications

3. In the Focus Interactive main menu, click on ReModel, then click on

Measure.
The FE System performs a recalculation without making another
measurement. The results of the modified filmstack are shown in the
Calculated Parameters window shown in Figure 3-48.

Figure 3-48. Calculated Parameters (Improved Fit Error)

The fit error has decreased, and is approximately one half the value of
the fit error using the original filmstack. This indicates that by modifying
the filmstack to calculate the Poly-Si thickness and K, the results have
been improved.

Summary

The FE system provides the capability to calculate multiple parameters in

a multi-layer filmstack of Poly-Si on oxide using dual wavelength, multiple
angle of incidence ellipsometry. The typical filmstack for measuring
Poly-Si in the thickness range of 500-1500Å includes an interlayer, a
native oxide layer, and calculating the absorption (K).

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Diffusion Introduction
Application:
Deposition and doping conditions can vary the optical properties. There-
Poly-Si Using fore, you might produce inaccurate results if you calculate a Poly-Si thick-
EMA ness while assuming values for the optical constants N (refractive index)
and K (absorption coefficient). EMA (Effective Medium Approximation)
provides the added capability of characterizing the optical constants, N
and K, of the Poly-Si.

The following simplified assumption is the basis for using EMA modeling:

POLY-SI = X%(A-SI) + Y%(SI)

The N and K values of the Poly-Si layer are determined by calculating the
volume fraction (Vf) of the A-Si content. With EMA, the N and K of the
material is assumed to be in proportion to the N and K of the composite
materials. If a Poly-Si film is 80% crystalline silicon and 20% A-Si, the N
and K should be 80% like silicon and 20% like A-Si.

Use EMA to characterize the optical constants of the Poly-Si, and create
a new material according to the calculated Vf of A-Si. Although the rules
for using EMA are application dependent, this feature works best with a
minimum Poly-Si thickness of 1500Å and a bottom oxide of at least 500Å.

NOTE

It is not recommended that EMA be used in day to day

production unless the composition of the Poly-Si
throughout each cassette of wafers varies too widely
to accurately assume the optical constants.

The following example will show the procedure for using EMA and creat-
ing a new material for measuring Poly-Si thickness of a wafer with 5000Å
of Poly-Si deposited on 1000Å thermally grown SiO2.

Procedure

1. In the Focus Interactive main menu, click on Filmstack.

The Filmstack Selection window is displayed.

2. A pre-loaded filmstack does not exist using EMA to measure Poly-Si.

Therefore, highlight the filmstack ad_Poly_T and click on the
Options button. Copy this filmstack to a new name by typing the new
name in the Destination field and click on the Save As button. Click
Enter in the Filmstack Selection window to view the newly created
filmstack model.

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 Diffusion Applications

3. Change the POLY-SI layer to POLY.EMA by clicking on the POLY-SI

layer in the Filmstack Model window.
The Layer View window is displayed.

4. Click on the POLY-SI material in the Layer View window.

The Material Selection window is displayed.

5. Select the material POLY.EMA in the Material Selection window and

click on the Enter button.

6. In the Layer View window, enter a spec thickness of 5000Å in the

field, and check the Calc. box for Thickness and volume fraction (Vf).
The Layer View window is shown below.

Figure 3-49. Layer View Window - Adding a POLY.EMA Layer

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Developing Film Applications

7. Click Enter in the Layer View window.

A Filmstack Model window is displayed as shown in Figure 3-50.

Figure 3-50. Revised Filmstack with POLY.EMA Layer

The new filmstack is identical to the ad_Poly_T filmstack with the

exception of the POLY.EMA layer. The thickness of the Poly-Si layer
is being calculated with a Restricted Search applied.

NOTE

A Restricted Order Search is recommended for all

Poly-Si and A-Si applications.
The remaining top layers include an interlayer with calculated thick-
ness and a native oxide layer for improved modeling.

8. Once the filmstack has been reviewed and is determined to be

appropriate for the wafer, in the Focus Interactive main menu, click
on Measure.
The FE System performs the measurement and calculations on this
wafer. When the data modeling is complete, the data is displayed in
the Calculated Parameters window, as shown in Figure 3-51.

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 Diffusion Applications

Figure 3-51. Calculated Parameters Using POLY.EMA

The fit error for this application can range from 0 to 10, depending on
the quality of the film. Higher fit errors may be expected for Poly-Si
films with disordered crystal structures. The fit error shown above is
acceptable, and the calculated thickness close to the target value.

9. Create a new material associated with the calculated composition of

the Poly-Si for production measurements of Poly-Si thickness. Click
on the POLY.EMA layer in the Filmstack Model window.
The Layer View window is displayed.

10. Click on the POLY.EMA material in the Layer View window.

The Material Selection window is displayed.

11. Enter a name for the new material in the Name field (in this example
enter Poly15%) in the Material Selection window and click on the
Enter button.
A window is displayed asking if this is an EMA composite material.

12. Click Yes to create an EMA material that is created by combining the
two component materials, A-Si and Si.
The EMA Material window appears with the material name specified.

13. In the EMA Material window, click on Add.

A Constituent window is displayed.

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14. In the Constituent window, click on the Material button and select the
first component of the composite material (in this example, A-Si) from
the Material Selection window.
The selected material is displayed in the Constituent window.

15. In the Constituent window, enter 15 in the Volume Fraction field to

specify that the Poly-Si is composed of 15% A-Si, then click on the
Enter button.
The EMA Material window is displayed with the A-Si component
shown.

16. In the EMA Material window, click on Add and select the second
component for the composite material by clicking on the Material
button in the Constituent window and selecting SI from the material
list.
The Constituent window is displayed with the selected material
shown. The FE System automatically determines that the composi-
tion is made up of 85% of the second component and displays 85 in
the Volume Fraction field.

17. In the Constituent window, click on the Enter button.

The EMA Material window is displayed as shown in Figure 3-52.

Figure 3-52. Final Composition: EMA Material Window

18. In the EMA Material window menu, click on Enter.

The Material Selection window is displayed with the newly created
material highlighted.

19. Click on the Enter button in the Material Selection window.

The Layer View window appears (as shown in Figure 3-53) with the
new optical constants for a 15% A-Si and 85% Si polycrystalline
material.

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 Diffusion Applications

Figure 3-53. EMA Layer View with New Constants

20. In the Layer View window, click on the Calc. box for Vf to calculate
thickness only, then click on the Enter button.
The Filmstack Model window is displayed with the updated informa-
tion.

21. Once the filmstack has been reviewed and is determined to be

appropriate for the wafer, in the Focus Interactive main menu, click
on Measure.
The FE System performs the measurement and calculations on this
wafer. When the data modeling is complete, the data is displayed in
the Calculated Parameters window, as shown in Figure 3-54.

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Figure 3-54. Final Calculated Parameters for Poly EMA

Analyzing the Results

The fit error is the same as when calculating Vf and thickness simulta-
neously, but the filmstack will be more reliable for production measure-
ment purposes.

Summary

The dual wavelength, multi-angle technique provided by the FE System

allows for multi-layer, multi-parameter capabilities for measuring Poly-Si
using the EMA modeling feature. Use EMA to characterize the optical
constants of the Poly-Si, and create a new material according to the cal-
culated Vf of A-Si. It is not recommended that EMA be used in day to day
production unless the composition of the Poly-Si throughout each cas-
sette of wafers varies too widely to accurately assume the optical con-
stants.

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 CVD (Deposition) Applications

CVD This section provides examples of Thick Oxide, Amorphous Si, and
TiN/Si applications within the CVD area of the Fab.
(Deposition)
Applications NOTE

The application examples provided in this section are

intended as a teaching tool so that Engineers can
learn the fundamentals of creating filmstacks. All
applications can vary greatly, therefore please
contact the Rudolph Applications Support Group
nearest to you for help with your particular
application.

CVD Introduction
Application:
This example will describe setting up a filmstack model for wafers with a
Thick Oxide, thick oxide layer on top of silicon. This is a simple film structure which
T&N shows the FE System’s ability to calculate both thickness and refractive
Measurements index simultaneously. This procedure applies for filmstacks in the range
of 1000Å to 10000Å.

Procedure

1. In the Focus Interactive main menu, click on Filmstack.

The Filmstack Selection window is displayed.

2. In this example the wafer to be measured was manufactured to a

target thickness of 3000Å. To determine the thickness and refractive
index of the wafer. Select the filmstack labeled, aa_SiO2_>1um_TN.
The Filmstack Model window is displayed as shown in Figure 3-55.

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Developing Film Applications

Figure 3-55. Thick Oxide Filmstack

There is no need to change the initial thickness values because a

standard order search is selected for the oxide thickness so it will be
well within the range of thicknesses for this application.

3. Once the filmstack has been reviewed and is determined to be

appropriate for the wafer, in the Focus Interactive main menu, click
on Measure.
The FE System performs the measurement and calculations on this
wafer. When the data modeling is complete, the data is displayed in
the Calculated Parameters window, as shown in Figure 3-56.

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 CVD (Deposition) Applications

Figure 3-56. Calculated Parameters Window

Analyzing the Results

As expected, the refractive index of SiO2 should be very close to 1.462.

In addition, there is a low fit error. These indicate reliable measurement
results and that the filmstack model is acceptable for this application.

Summary

Ellipsometry allows the metrologist to simultaneously calculate thickness

and refractive index. The FOCUS Ellipsometer’s multiple angle of inci-
dence technology allows the correct thickness order to be determined.

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CVD Introduction
Application:
This example will describe setting up a filmstack model for wafers with an
Amorphous Si amorphous silicon (A-Si) on an oxide layer. This is not a simple film struc-
ture; however, it is one often encountered in CVD.

All A-Si wafers have a native oxide layer present on the surface. This
layer is often considered negligible, but results have shown that by add-
ing a native oxide layer to the filmstack more stable measurement results
can be obtained.

Procedure

1. In the Focus Interactive main menu, click on Filmstack.

The Filmstack Selection window is displayed.

2. To develop this application, copy the A-Si filmstack to a new name

and modify the copy. Highlight the filmstack ad_Amorphous_TT and
click on the Options button. Copy this filmstack to a new name by
typing the new name (in this example 150_A-Si/1000_SiO2) in the
Destination field and click on the Save As button. Click Enter in the
Filmstack Selection window to view the newly created filmstack
model.

Figure 3-57. Amorphous Si Filmstack - Original

3. Modify the filmstack according to your specific application by clicking

the A-Si layer in the Filmstack Model window.
The Layer View window is displayed.

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 CVD (Deposition) Applications

4. In the box under Thickness, type in your thickness value and click
Enter. If necessary repeat this step for the bottom oxide layer.

Figure 3-58. Amorphous Si Filmstack - Modified

5. In the Filmstack Model window, click Enter to save your filmstack.

6. Once the filmstack has been reviewed and is determined to be

appropriate for the wafer, in the Focus Interactive main menu, click
on Measure.
The FE System performs the measurement and calculations on this
wafer. When the data modeling is complete, the data is displayed in
the Calculated Parameters window, as shown in Figure 3-59.

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Figure 3-59. A-Si Calculated Parameters

Analyzing the Results

The thickness returned in the report is very good. As the A-Si layer’s
thickness increases, the fit error may increase, however, less than one is
usually acceptable. If the fit error is poor, one should question either the
accuracy of the assumed thickness on the bottom layer or the optical
constants of the amorphous silicon. For thicker amorphous silicon layers,
it might also be necessary to iterate on the extinction coefficient, K, if
there is difficulty resolving order.

Summary

The FOCUS Ellipsometer has the ability to accurately model and mea-
sure materials with multiple layers.

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 CVD (Deposition) Applications

CVD Introduction
Application:
This example will describe setting up a filmstack model for wafers with a
TiN/Si non opaque Titanium Nitride layer on silicon (TiN/Si). The thickness value
of a TiN layer can be determined for thicknesses less than about 500Å,
depending on how absorbent the material is to light.

Procedure

NOTE

For this example, you must create a new filmstack.

1. In the Focus Interactive main menu, click on Filmstack.

The Filmstack Selection window is displayed.

2. Enter an appropriate name for the filmstack in the Name field (such
as 250_TiN/Si) and click on the Enter button.
The Filmstack Model window is displayed as shown in Figure 3-60.

Figure 3-60. New TiN/Si Filmstack

3. In the Filmstack Model window menu, click on Layers then select

Add Layer when the Layers menu is displayed.
The Material Selection window is displayed.

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Developing Film Applications

4. Select TiN from the list of available items by single clicking the left
trackball button on the item name and clicking on Enter, or by double
clicking on the name.
The Layer View window is displayed.

5. Enter the desired Thickness Spec (for this example, enter 250) and
click the Calc. checkbox under Thickness. When you have
completed entering the specifications, click the Enter button in the
Layer View window.

Figure 3-61. TiN Film Layer

6. In the Filmstack Model window, click on Meas: DEFAULT.

The Measurement Selection window is displayed.

7. Select ad_Dual from the list of available items and click on the Enter
button.

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 CVD (Deposition) Applications

The Filmstack Model window is displayed with the newly created film-
stack as shown in Figure 3-62.

Figure 3-62. Completed TiN/Si Filmstack Model

8. In the Filmstack Model window menu, click Enter.

The filmstack model is saved in the database.

9. Once the filmstack has been reviewed and is determined to be

appropriate for the wafer, in the Focus Interactive main menu, click
on Measure.
The FE System performs the measurement and calculations on this
wafer. When the data modeling is complete, the data is displayed in
the Calculated Parameters window.

Analyzing the Results

TiN optical constants are very dependent on deposition conditions. The

Rudolph starting values for N and K might vary considerably from your
application requirements. If this is the case, we recommend that the N
and K values be calculated.

Summary

The FE System is capable of measuring thin layers of metal on substrate

with exceptional accuracy.

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 Etch Applications

Etch This section provides an example of Oxide Etch to Clear applications

within the Etch area of the Fab.
Applications
NOTE

The application examples provided in this section are

intended as a teaching tool so that Engineers can
learn the fundamentals of creating filmstacks. All
applications can vary greatly, therefore please
contact the Rudolph Applications Support Group
nearest to you for help with your particular
application.

Etch Introduction
Application:
Presently, few nondestructive metrology production tools are capable of
Oxide Etch to accurately detecting a successful etch, specifically the complete removal
Clear of a transparent oxide film on silicon substrate. Any remaining oxide can
adversely effect subsequent process steps by inhibiting interfacial reac-
tions of films deposited on the substrate, or by causing high contact resis-
tance.

When over etch occurs substrate damage causes the SiO2/Si model to
erroneously report the presence of oxide. Hence, this application requires
calculation of a more sensitive parameter in the film model to reliably
detect oxide etch to clear. Simultaneous calculation of both thickness (T)
and absorption (K) of the oxide reliably indicates both the complete
removal of the oxide and the over etch condition by a dramatic change
in K.

The following example will describe the procedure for developing and
testing a filmstack for detecting both the over etch and under etch condi-
tions.

Procedure

1. In the Focus Interactive main menu, click on Filmstack.

The Filmstack Selection window is displayed.

2. Enter the name for the new filmstack (in this example, Oxide_Clear)
and click on the Enter button.
The Filmstack Model window is displayed with the default substrate
material, SI.

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3. In the Filmstack Model window menu, click on Layers, then click on

Add layer when the Layers menu is displayed.
The Material Selection window is displayed.

4. Select SiO2 from the material selection window.

The Layer View window is displayed.

5. Type in the target value in the Thickness field (in this example, 100)
and click on the Calc. checkboxes for both Thickness and K
(absorption). Click on the Enter button when you have completed the
selections.
The Filmstack Model window is displayed with the new material.

6. In the Filmstack Model window, click on the Meas: DEFAULT button.

The Measurement Selection window is displayed.

7. Select a single wavelength measurement control for a very thin film,

aa_Thin<500A.
The Filmstack Model window is displayed as shown in Figure 3-63.

Figure 3-63. Oxide Etch to Clear Filmstack

8. In the Filmstack Model window menu, click on Enter to save the new
filmstack in the database.

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 Etch Applications

9. Once the filmstack has been reviewed and is determined to be

appropriate for the wafer, in the Focus Interactive main menu, click
on Measure.
The FE System performs the measurement and calculations on this
wafer. When the data modeling is complete, the data is displayed in
the Calculated Parameters window.

The following results show five point measurements of an under etched

and over etched wafer using both the simple thickness only filmstack and
the etch to clear filmstack developed using the procedure above.

Table 3-3. Under Etched Wafer of Oxide on Silicon

Point # T Only T K
1 145.24 145.59 0.002
2 137.13 136.53 0.001
3 74.88 74.13 0.007
4 148.19 148.14 0.002
5 169.22 169.64 0.007

Table 3-4. Over Etched Wafer of Oxide on Silicon

Point # T Only T K
1 39.62 0.0 0.86
2 40.18 0.0 0.83
3 31.71 0.0 0.85
4 35.87 0.0 0.91
5 43.22 0.0 0.84

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Analyzing the Results

The data in Table 3-3 is a five point measurement of an under etched

wafer of oxide on silicon. Notice that when simultaneously calculating T
and K there is no significant difference in thickness when comparing with
the T only measurement.

Table 3-4 shows data from a five point measurement of an over etched
wafer. The standard SiO2/Si only film model shows the presence of about
40Å of oxide in spite of the fact that the wafer has been over etched. The
proposed film model which calculates both T and K indicates a dramatic
change in K due to the damaged silicon induced by over etch. Notice the
difference in K in Table 3-4 as compared with K in Table 3-3 of the under
etched wafer. The magnitude of the change in K between the two condi-
tions allows the FOCUS Ellipsometer to accurately detect the complete
removal of the oxide layer without incorrectly reporting the presence of
oxide when over etch occurs.

Software features provided with the FOCUS Ellipsometer allow for a film
model which indicates to the user a complete and successful etch while
displaying the true oxide thickness if the wafer is under etched.

Summary

The FOCUS Ellipsometer provides the required multi-parameter capabil-

ity using a simple film model for detecting complete removal of the oxide
film. With the ability to switch the film model, the user can reliably detect
with great sensitivity both the under etch and etch to clear conditions.

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 CMP Applications

CMP This section provides examples of Teos on Metal, BPSG on Metal, and
PMD on Silicide applications within the CMP area of the Fab.
Applications
NOTE

The application examples provided in this section are

intended as a teaching tool so that Engineers can
learn the fundamentals of creating filmstacks. All
applications can vary greatly, therefore please
contact the Rudolph Applications Support Group
nearest to you for help with your particular
application.

CMP Introduction
Application:
This example will describe how to measure the thickness of a Teos layer
Teos on Metal on metal. In this case the AlCu is optically opaque and is considered to
be a substrate. The TiN layer can be either transparent or opaque. The
TiN and AlCu will be considered to be one effective metal substrate hav-
ing pseudo optical constants Ns and Ks.

It is well understood that the underlying metal layers can vary in thick-
ness and composition. Other measurement techniques can suffer from
order skipping problems in the ILD (Inter-Layer Dielectric – a layer placed
between metal films that acts as an insulating layer) thickness. This is
due to variations in the metal’s pseudo optical constants, and techniques
other than ellipsometry cannot compute the metal optical constants. With
FOCUS Ellipsometry, a user can measure the thickness of the ILD layer,
and the substrate optical constants Ns and Ks simultaneously. The Ns
and Ks parameters account for the process variations in the metal layers
and will stabilize the ILD thickness, thus avoiding order skipping.

NOTE

The procedure that follows is also applicable to the

measurement of BPSG on metal in that the thickness
of the BPSG layer and the N and K values of the
substrate are all calculated.

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Procedure

1. In the Focus Interactive main menu, click on Filmstack.

The Filmstack Selection window is displayed.

2. From the list of filmstacks, highlight ad_CMP-Ox/Metal-T-Ns-Ks then

click on the Options button. Copy this filmstack to a new name by
typing the new name in the Destination field and click on the Save As
button. Click on the Enter button in the Filmstack Selection window to
view the newly created filmstack model.

3. Click on the TEOS layer in the Filmstack Model window to modify the
thickness of the Teos layer.

NOTE

This filmstack has a capture range of about ± 11,000Å

around the target thickness.
The Layer View window is displayed.

4. In the Layer View window, enter the spec thickness of the Teos layer
and click on the Enter button.
The Filmstack Model window is displayed as shown in Figure 3-64.

Figure 3-64. Teos Filmstack

In this example the substrate is the TiN layer. This represents the
combined TiN/AlCu substrate. For other applications the substrate
can be changed to other materials such as Ti, W-Si, or TiS2. All these
materials are present in the material library.

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 CMP Applications

To optimize this filmstack, it is recommended that you have a sample

with only the metal substrate and no ILD on top. This allows you to
measure the optical constants of the substrate, then create a material
with those values. To change substrates, click on the TiN layer in the
Filmstack Model window, then click the TiN button in the Layer View
window. Select the new material for the substrate from the list.

5. When the filmstack is complete, in the Filmstack Model window

menu, click on Enter to save the new filmstack in the database.

6. Once the filmstack has been reviewed and is determined to be

appropriate for the wafer, in the Focus Interactive main menu, click
on Measure.
The FE System performs the measurement and calculations on this
wafer. When the data modeling is complete, the data is displayed in
the Calculated Parameters window as shown in Figure 3-65.

Figure 3-65. Teos Calculated Parameters

Analyzing the Results

The thickness returned in this report is very good. Typically the fit error
should be less than 1 for Oxide measurements on Silicon. This sample
however is on metal and the fit error can range between 0-10. This is due
to the roughness and variation of the metal substrate.

Summary

To measure ILD layers, you must compute the thickness of the ILD along
with the pseudo-optical constants of the metal substrate. The Ns and Ks
parameters yield stable thickness measurements that will not order skip.
Only with ellipsometry can you measure optical constants.

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CMP Introduction
Application:
For information pertaining to the measurement of a BPSG layer on metal,
BPSG on Metal refer to “CMP Application: Teos on Metal” on page 3–91.

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 Lithography Applications

Lithography This section provides an example of a Photo Resist application within the
Lithography area of the Fab.
Applications
NOTE

The application examples provided in this section are

intended as a teaching tool so that Engineers can
learn the fundamentals of creating filmstacks. All
applications can vary greatly, therefore please
contact the Rudolph Applications Support Group
nearest to you for help with your particular
application.

Lithography Introduction
Application:
This example will describe setting up a filmstack model for wafers with a
Photo Resist Resist on silicon. Resist is a straightforward application well suited for
measurement by the FOCUS Ellipsometer.

Procedure

1. In the Focus Interactive main menu, click on Filmstack.

The Filmstack Selection window is displayed.

2. Select the filmstack that is most appropriate for your application (such
as aa_Resist_<1um_T, and aa_Resist_>1um_T). The thickness of
the Resist will determine which filmstack should be chosen. In this
example the sample wafer has approximately 11000Å of Resist,
therefore the aa_Resist_>1um_T is applicable.
The Filmstack Model window is displayed as shown in Figure 3-66.

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Figure 3-66. Photo Resist Filmstack

3. There is no need to modify this filmstack any further, therefore once

the filmstack has been reviewed and is determined to be appropriate
for the wafer, in the Focus Interactive main menu, click on Measure.
The FE System performs the measurement and calculations on this
wafer. When the data modeling is complete, the data is displayed in
the Calculated Parameters window, as shown in Figure 3-67.

Figure 3-67. Photo Resist Calculated Parameters

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 Lithography Applications

Analyzing the Results

As expected, the thickness returned in the Calculated Parameters win-

dow was close to 11000Å. Notice that the Fit Error is low and that the cor-
rect thickness order was found.

Summary

The FE System easily calculates the thickness and, if desired, the refrac-
tive index of photoresists on oxide. Choose from one of three wide thick-
ness ranges for accurate measurements.

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Creating Recipes Chapter 4

Introduction The purpose of this chapter is to provide the Engineers and Supervisors
who are responsible for setting up measurement processes, with the pro-
cedures necessary to create wafer recipes. The information in this sec-
tion pertains to the FOCUS Ellipsometer (FE) III, IV, and VII systems, and
includes the following topics:

• Describe the basics of recipe creation, the components that make

up a wafer recipe, and how to organize recipes into processes and
process steps.

• How to log in, use, and exit the Focus Recipe Creator.
• Describe the components of the Focus Recipe Creator.
• How to create wafer recipes for monitor (bare) and product
(patterned) wafers to include:

- Wafer information
- Filmstacks
- Measurement patterns
- Wafer reports
• How to customize monitor wafer recipes.
• How to customize product wafer recipes to include:
- Pattern recognition
- Deskew
- Site-by-site pattern recognition
• How to create wafer mapping recipes.
• Vision system modes and thresholds.
• Vision system diagnostics.

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Creating Recipes

The tasks described in this chapter are performed with the use of the
Focus Recipe Creator program. This is the program that allows the Pro-
cess Engineer to perform such tasks as; create process specifications
and recipes, and train and automate recognition of patterns on wafers.

NOTE

The Focus Recipe Creator program is also used to set

up Operator information that is used for system login
requirements. For information regarding setting up
system login requirements, refer to Appendix B,
“System Configuration”.

Figure 4-1 shows a basic block diagram of the recipe creation process for
both monitor and product wafers.

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 Introduction

Creating Wafer Recipes

Monitor Recipes Product Recipes

Select Wafer Information Select Wafer Information

Select the Filmstack Select the Filmstack

Select the Measurement Pattern

Automatic Registration,
Die Pitch Calculation
& Deskew

Select the Wafer Report

Choose Measurement
Site and Specify
Direct Drive
or Site by Site
Monitor recipes can be created from standard
recipes supplied with the program or custom
recipes may be developed

Select Measured
Chips

Select the Wafer Report

The pattern recognition feature allows measurement directly

on product wafers. The process is similar to that used for
monitor wafers.

Additional steps are required to final align the wafer using

deskew.

Use direct drive or deskew only for larger measurement

sites and site by site pattern recognition for sites
< 60 x 60 um.

Figure 4-1. Creating Wafer Recipes Flow Diagram

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Creating Recipes

Wafer A Process Engineer will use the Focus Recipe Creator to develop a mea-
surement process using the filmstack created using the Focus Interactive
Recipes program (see Chapter 3, “Developing Film Applications” for information).
This measurement process will later be accessed by an Operator using
the Focus Operator Queued Loading program (see Chapter 2, “Operator
Interface” for information).

Wafer recipes consist of a number of elements or “templates”. The FE

System has several standard templates already programmed to simplify
the recipe creation process. However, these templates may be custom-
ized or entirely new recipes may be created to suit the needs of the appli-
cation.

CAUTION

Modifying any existing template will affect every

recipe that uses that template.

Recipes are combined with transfer and control instructions to form pro-
cess steps which in turn are grouped to form process specifications. This
organization is designed to match the process used at a semiconductor
Fab.

Process There may be several steps in the process specification, each step
involves measurements done on a wafer film layer after a production pro-
Specifications cess. Each process step contains one or more recipes. This relationship
and Process is shown in the figure below:
Steps

Process Specification
Process Step 1
Recipe(s)
Transfer
Control

Process Step 2
Recipe(s)
Transfer
Control
.
.
.

Figure 4-2. Recipe to Process Specification Relationship

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 Starting Recipe Creator and Logging In

Starting To start the Focus Recipe Creator program, perform the following proce-
dure:
Recipe
1. Position the trackball pointer over the Focus Recipe Creator icon,
Creator and located in the Focus Ellipsometer folder, and double click the left
Logging In trackball button.
The Focus Recipe Creator main window is displayed as shown in
Figure 4-3.
If your FE System does not require a Login for the Recipe Creator,
you are now ready to begin the recipe creation process.

Figure 4-3. Recipe Creator Main Window

If your FE System has been configured in such a way as to require a
login to the Recipe Creator, a list of the login names that are available
on your system is also displayed as shown in Figure 4-4. Continue
the procedure with Step 2.

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Creating Recipes

Figure 4-4. Recipe Creator User Login Selection

2. Select a login name by clicking the left trackball button on the desired
name and then clicking on Enter, or by double clicking the left
trackball button on the name.

NOTE

If you click on the Cancel button, or if the login name

selected does not have a high enough privilege level,
the Recipe Creator will exit and you are returned to
the OS/2 desktop view.
The Password Entry dialog box is displayed as shown in Figure 4-5.

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 Starting Recipe Creator and Logging In

Figure 4-5. Focus Operator Password Entry

3. Enter your password and press Enter, or click on OK.

NOTE

For security reasons, asterisks (✱) will be displayed

as you enter your password.
The Focus Recipe Creator main window is displayed as shown in
Figure 4-3.

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Creating Recipes

Recipe The Recipe Creator Main window is divided into three areas: the Wafer
View, Site Locator (including the Location information window), and
Creator Main Wafer Recipe area.
Window These areas are described in the sections that follow.

Wafer View The Wafer View area provides a graphical representation of the wafer. It
may be used to move around on the wafer by using the scroll bars or by
Area double clicking the right trackball button directly on a spot on the wafer.

This window also indicates all the specified measurement sites and, dur-
ing measurement, the site currently being measured.

Figure 4-6. Recipe Creator Wafer View Element

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 Recipe Creator Main Window

Wafer Recipe Displays information about the wafer recipe (including wafer information,
wafer report information, the measurement pattern to be used, and the
Area filmstack to be used for the wafer) that is currently being programmed.
This information is updated as the recipe is built.

Figure 4-7. Recipe Creator Wafer Recipe Element

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Creating Recipes

Site Locator Also called the Live Video window, this window shows a live video image
of the wafer surface as it appears in the FE System. The small blue spot
Area in the window indicates where the laser is focused on the wafer.

The Location information in the Site Locator area shows the X and Y
coordinates for the location on which the laser is currently focused.

Figure 4-8. Recipe Creator Site Locator Element

Site Locator Menu The Site Locator area also consists of the following menu selections:

• HiMag/LoMag — Indicates whether the live video image is in High

Magnification or Low Magnification mode. Clicking on this menu
item toggles between the two modes. The field of view in the Site
Locator window in HiMag is .54mm x .72mm (FE VII) or .9mm x
1.2mm (FE III and IV). The field of view in LoMag is 5.4mm x
7.2mm (FE VII) or 7mm x 9mm (FE III and IV).

• Focus — Clicking on this menu item will focus the laser spot to a
point. When measurements are performed, focus is automatically
performed.

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 Recipe Creator Main Window

• Control — Clicking on this menu item displays the Control menu.

This menu consists of the following items:

- Mag — Consists of the following items: Wafer View displays

the wafer view in the site locator window, Low Mag causes the
microscope to switch to low magnification mode, High Mag
causes the microscope to switch to high magnification mode.
The Low Mag and High Mag items are functionally the same as
the HiMag/LoMag items on the menu bar.

- Zoom — Consists of the following items: One Quarter reduces

the Site Locator window to one quarter size, One Half displays
the Site Locator window at half size (default), One X displays
the Site Locator window on the full screen.

- Live Off/Live On — Toggles between turning the live video

view on and off in the Site Locator window.

- Laser Off/Laser On — Toggles the laser on and off. The laser

must be on in order to make measurements.

- Illumination — Allows you to set the illumination intensity of

the microscope lamp.

• Move — The items in this menu provide alternate methods for

moving the wafer so that the laser spot is positioned over the
desired location. The following options are available:

- Keyboard — Prompts you to enter the X and Y coordinates of

the desired location on the wafer. Make the appropriate entry
and click on Enter to move to the selected spot.

- Center — Moves the wafer so that the laser is located over the
center of the wafer.

- Left — Moves the wafer so that the laser is located at the left
outer edge of the wafer.

- Right — Moves the wafer so that the laser is located at the

right outer edge of the wafer.

- Top — Moves the wafer so that the laser is located at the top
outer edge of the wafer.

- Bottom — Moves the wafer so that the laser is located at the

bottom outer edge of the wafer.

• Light/Dark Icons — Located to the right of the Move menu,

clicking on these icons allow you to change the illumination
intensity of the microscope lamp.

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Creating Recipes

Recipe Creator The following menu items are available in the Recipe Creator Main win-
dow:
Main Menu
• Process — Named by the Engineer, a process specification
includes multiple process steps which can be added to or deleted
from a list of Steps (maximum of 25). Each process step includes a
Transfer, Recipe, and Control which identify the wafer(s) to be
measured, the recipes to be used, and how the data will be stored.

If a cassette includes wafers with different recipes, the Engineer

may use the Details option to modify the wafer program, choose
the correct recipe, and assign it to the wafer slot number. The
Recipe line will display {Varies}, indicating different recipes within
the process step.

• Transfer — A Transfer identifies which cassette and slot the wafer

of interest will be taken from and returned to. If the filmstack being
used rejects wafers that exceed the specified fit error tolerance or
thickness range, the cassette to which these wafers are rejected is
selected here.

There are Transfer files supplied with the Focus software which
have significant meaning. For example: aaX1-1S1,12,25 indicates
cassette 1 as the source and destination of the wafers in slots 1,
12, and 25; aaX1-1S1-5Reject2 indicates cassette 1 as the source
and destination of the wafers in slots 1 through 5, sending the
rejected wafers to cassette 2. The DEFER Transfer allows the
Operator to specify which cassette and slot holds the wafer of
interest.

• Wafer Recipe — Used to create a recipe indicating the wafer

information, filmstack, wafer type (monitor or patterned),
measurement pattern or sites, and type of data report. You must
complete each item of the Wafer Recipe menu in sequence, finally
saving the recipe and using it in a process specification.

- Name — The Engineer assigns a specific Recipe name of

significant meaning.

- Wafer Information — Defines the parameters of a wafer

relating to size, finding a flat or notch, centering, and
orientation. A selection is normally made from the database list.

- Filmstack — Selects a particular filmstack that will be used to

model the wafer(s) being measured. The Filmstack may have
been previously created by the Engineer or one supplied with
the Focus software.

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 Recipe Creator Main Window

- Registration — Differentiates between monitor and patterned

wafers.

None — Use for monitor wafers only. Continue to the

Unpatterned Wafer option.

Manual — Use for patterned wafers when registration sites

will be manually selected by the operator.

Automatic — Use for patterned wafers when registration

sites will be automatically identified using pattern
recognition.

Reteach — Use to retrain pattern recognition sites used for

registration.

- Unpatterned Wafer — Allows the Engineer to choose a

measurement routine for a monitor wafer. A selection may be
made from the database list, or created by entering
coordinates, dragging lines, or forming shapes such as a circle.
See “Creating a Monitor Wafer Recipe” on page 4–22 for more
information.

- Patterned Wafer — After the stepper group registration is

completed, one chip is trained as an example for the system to
recognize as being the model chip for the entire wafer. Next,
the measurement sites within that die are chosen, with three
options for finding the site when running a test:

Pattern Recognition — performs a site by site search and

measurement.

Defer Location — moves to the measurement site and

allows the Operator to do any necessary fine tuning and
initiate a measurement.

Direct Drive — If neither Pattern Recognition nor Defer

Location are selected, the stage direct drives to the
measurement site and a measurement is taken. Direct
driving to a measurement site increases throughput.
Pattern Recognition and Defer Location are reserved for
smaller measurement sites, but require more time.

If there is more than one measurement site with different

film materials, the appropriate filmstack may be chosen for
each individual site. Individual chips, or all chips, may be
selected for measurement. See “Creating a Patterned
Wafer Recipe (Cognex System)” on page 4–26 for more
information.

- Report — Used to select how the data will be presented and

where it will be stored.

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- Save — Saves the current Recipe to the database.

- Cancel — Cancels the current Recipe being created. If
changes were being made to a previously created Recipe, the
corrections will not be saved.

• Template — Used to create or change the following FE database

files. Changes will appear in any recipes that use these files.

- Wafer Information — Defines the parameters of a wafer

relating to size, finding a flat or notch, centering, and
orientation. A selection is normally made from the database list.

- Film Stack — Allows the Engineer to create, choose, or modify

a filmstack. Refer to Chapter 3, “Developing Film Applications”
for information.

- Measure Control — Allows the Engineer to create, choose, or

modify a measurement control (laser type, angle range,
whether to use Psi Exclusion or Psi Reference, rough film
measurement controls, and so on). Refer to Chapter 3,
“Developing Film Applications” for information.

- Equipment — Fab delineated equipment identifier used for

SECS-II communications. Refer to Rudolph Technologies
document number A11646 entitled “FOCUS Ellipsometer
SECS-II/GEM Interface Specifications” for information.

- Report — Allows the Engineer to create, choose, or modify the

style and data to be included in a wafer report. Refer to Chapter
5, “Wafer Mapping and Data Reporting” for information.

- Material — Allows the Engineer to create, choose, or modify

the materials in the database that can be used in filmstacks.
Refer to Chapter 3, “Developing Film Applications” for
information.

- Recipe Control — Allows the Engineer to defer Transfers,

Wafer Recipes, Map Names, and Wafer IDs until run time
where they may be specified by the Operator. The Engineer
may also indicate how many days the data from a certain recipe
will remain in the database, as well as how many times a recipe
will repeat.

NOTE

The number of times a recipe will repeat can also be

set in the Focus Setup program.

- Operator — Sets up login names and passwords for Operator,

Engineer, and Supervisor security levels. Also allows the

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 Recipe Creator Main Window

setting of quick buttons. Refer to Appendix B, “System

Configuration” for information.

• Load — Used to load and unload a test wafer either manually or

automatically using the FE robot.

- Manual Load — The stage moves forward and the system

prompts you to place a wafer on the stage.

- Cassette Load — Enables loading a wafer from a cassette.

Select the cassette and slot number for the wafer to be
measured.

- Unload Wafer — Removes the wafer from the stage in the

same manner in which it was loaded.

- SMIF Arm — Enables the loading and unloading of a wafer

from a cassette by SMIF Arm 1 or 2.

- SMIF Indexer — Enables the loading and unloading of a wafer

from a cassette by SMIF Indexer 1 or 2.

• Vision — Used to set up the FE vision system for automatic pattern

recognition. Select Setup to identify the parameters necessary to
create a Patterned Wafer recipe. These parameters are preset and
normally do not need to be changed. However, if you need to make
modifications to the vision system setup parameters, contact
Rudolph Technologies.

The Restricted Search feature allows the vision system to

overcome the problem of distinguishing between similar small die
sizes in Low Mag and repeating test structures in Hi Mag. This
search limits the size of the area searched by the vision system to a
smaller region around the trained site. By searching a smaller area,
the vision system will not see the repeating patterns that are
outside the Restricted Search window.

The Training Mode option allows the Engineer to choose between

Auto, which sets the default pattern window to 200 X 200 pixels,
and Manual, where the pattern window may be modified by
dragging out a box to cut out certain troublesome features.

NOTE

The Manual Training Mode must be disabled after site

training.

• Imp/Exp — Used to transfer recipes (import and export) between

FE Systems using a specially formatted floppy disk. Information
that can be imported or exported includes a Process Specification,
Wafer Recipe, Filmstack, or Person. Refer to “Importing and
Exporting Data” on page 5–37 for information.

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Creating a An FE wafer recipe specifies the composition and instructions for mea-
suring a wafer.
Wafer Recipe
To create a recipe, the Process Engineer must complete each step of the
Wafer Recipe menu as described below, ultimately saving the recipe and
using it in a process.

Many of the initial steps taken to create a wafer recipe are common to
both monitor (bare) and product (patterned) wafers. The information pre-
sented in this section is applicable to both monitor and product wafers.

It is often convenient to use templates to create the elements of the rec-

ipe in advance.

CAUTION

Modifying any existing template will affect every

recipe that uses that template.

Use the following procedure to create a new wafer recipe. For information
on how to select and modify existing wafer recipes, refer to “Modifying a
Wafer Recipe” on page 4–43.

Recipe Selection 1. In the Recipe Creator main menu, click on Wafer Recipe.
The Wafer Recipe menu is displayed.

2. Click on Name in the Wafer Recipe menu.

The Wafer Recipe Selection window is displayed as shown in
Figure 4-9.

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 Creating a Wafer Recipe

Figure 4-9. Wafer Recipe Selection Window

3. Create a new wafer recipe by typing the desired name in the Name
field and a description (if desired) in the Description field. Click on
Enter when you have completed the entry.
The pertinent wafer recipe information (if any) is displayed in the
Wafer Recipe area of the Recipe Creator.

Wafer Information 1. In the Recipe Creator main menu, click on Wafer Recipe.
The Wafer Recipe menu is displayed.

2. Click on Wafer Information in the Wafer Recipe menu.

The Wafer Selection window is displayed as shown in Figure 4-10.
This window is used to specify wafer parameters such as size, wafer
flat or notch, centering, and orientation.

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Figure 4-10. Wafer Selection Window

3. Select the item that matches the information for the wafer to be
measured by clicking once on the item then clicking Enter, or by
double clicking on the item. You may also click on DEFAULT to select
the default wafer parameters based on the previously selected wafer
recipe.
You may also modify an existing Wafer Selection entry by clicking
once on the entry name, then clicking on Modify. A Wafer Specifica-
tion window is displayed as shown in Figure 4-11. Specify the wafer
size, flat/notch information, and orientation as desired and click on
Enter.

CAUTION

Modifying any existing wafer information template

will affect every recipe that uses that template.

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 Creating a Wafer Recipe

NOTE

The minimum recommended setting for Centering

Tolerance is 0.2mm.

Figure 4-11. Wafer Specification Window

The Wafer Information is displayed in the Wafer Recipe area of the
Recipe Creator.

Film Stack 1. In the Recipe Creator main menu, click on Wafer Recipe.
Specification
The Wafer Recipe menu is displayed.

2. Click on Film Stack in the Wafer Recipe menu.

The Film Stack Selection window is displayed as shown in
Figure 4-12. This window is used to specify filmstack parameters
such as layer composition, and parameters to be measured.

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Figure 4-12. Film Stack Selection Window

3. Select the desired filmstack from the list by clicking once on the item
then clicking Enter, or by double clicking on the item. You may also
click on DEFAULT to select the default filmstack specification.
You may also modify an existing filmstack entry by clicking once on
the entry name, then clicking on Modify. A Filmstack Model window
is displayed in which you may make changes to the layer and mea-
sured parameters as desired. For information on how to use this win-
dow, refer to Chapter 3, “Developing Film Applications”.

CAUTION

Modifying any existing filmstack will affect every

recipe that uses that filmstack.
When the desired filmstack has been selected, the filmstack informa-
tion is displayed in the Wafer Recipe area of the Recipe Creator.

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 Creating a Wafer Recipe

Wafer Registration 1. In the Recipe Creator main menu, click on Wafer Recipe.
The Wafer Recipe menu is displayed.

2. Click on Registration in the Wafer Recipe menu.

The Registration sub-menu is displayed. See “Recipe Creator Main
Menu” on page 4–12 for descriptions of the menu items.

3. Select one of the options from the Registration sub-menu based on

the type of wafer to be measured (either monitor wafer or patterned
wafer). Perform one of the following:

• For an unpatterned wafer: Select None and proceed to “Creating

a Monitor Wafer Recipe” on page 4–22 to continue the procedure
for creating the recipe.

• For a patterned wafer: Proceed to “Creating a Patterned Wafer

Recipe (Cognex System)” on page 4–26 to continue the procedure
for creating the recipe.

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Creating a After completing the steps in “Creating a Wafer Recipe” on page 4–16,
and selecting None from the Registration sub-menu under the Wafer
Monitor Wafer Recipe menu, select a measurement pattern and report style using the
Recipe information in the sections that follow.

Measurement 1. In the Recipe Creator main menu, click on Wafer Recipe.

Pattern Selection
The Wafer Recipe menu is displayed.

2. Click on Unpatterned Wafer in the Wafer Recipe menu.

The Pattern Selection window is displayed as shown in Figure 4-13.

NOTE

If you wish to create a wafer mapping recipe, refer to

the procedure given in “Creating a Wafer Mapping
Recipe” on page 4–45.

Figure 4-13. Pattern Selection Window

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 Creating a Wafer Recipe

3. Perform one of the following:

• Select an existing measurement pattern: click once on a pattern

in the Available Items window then click Enter, or double click on
the desired pattern name.

• Modify an existing measurement pattern: click once on a pattern

name in the Available Items window then click on Modify. The Site
Pattern window is displayed as shown in Figure 4-29.

CAUTION

Modifying any existing measurement pattern will

affect every recipe that uses that measurement
pattern.

For information on modifying measurement patterns, see “Creating

and Modifying Measurement Patterns” on page 4–46.

When you have completed modifying the measurement pattern, the

pattern information is displayed in the Wafer Recipe area of the
Recipe Creator.

NOTE

Do not modify the Rudolph supplied patterns. To

make modifications to the Rudolph supplied patterns,
they should first be copied to a new file using the
“Options” button then modify the newly created file.

• Create a new measurement pattern: type the desired name in the

Name field, and a description (if desired) in the Description field.
Click on Enter and the Site Pattern window is displayed as shown
in Figure 4-29 on page 4–46.

For information on creating a new measurement pattern, see

“Creating and Modifying Measurement Patterns” on page 4–46.

When you have completed modifying the measurement pattern, the

pattern information is displayed in the Wafer Recipe area of the
Recipe Creator.

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Wafer Report 1. In the Recipe Creator main menu, click on Wafer Recipe.
Selection
The Wafer Recipe menu is displayed.

2. Click on Report in the Wafer Recipe menu.

The Report Selection window is displayed as shown in Figure 4-14.

Figure 4-14. Report Selection Window

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 Creating a Wafer Recipe

3. Perform one of the following:

• Select an existing report: click once on a report name in the

Available Items window then click Enter, or double click on the
desired report name. Select DEFAULT to use the default report
parameters.

• Modify an existing report: click once on a report name in the

Available Items window then click on Modify. The Wafer Report
window is displayed in which you may specify the data source,
where the data will be saved and/or displayed, how the data is
saved and/or displayed, and what data will be included in the
report.

CAUTION

Modifying any existing report template will affect

every recipe that uses that template.

For information on modifying wafer reports, refer to “Creating a

Wafer Mapping Recipe” on page 4–45 and “Wafer Reports” on
page 4–61.

When you have completed modifying the wafer report, the report
name is displayed in the Wafer Recipe area of the Recipe Creator.

NOTE

Do not modify the Rudolph supplied reports. To make

modifications to the Rudolph supplied reports, they
should first be copied to a new file using the
“Options” button then modify the newly created file.

• Create a new report: type the desired name in the Name field, and
a description (if desired) in the Description field. Click on Enter
and the Wafer Report window is displayed in which you may specify
the data source, where the data will be saved and/or displayed,
how the data is saved and/or displayed, and what data will be
included in the report.

For information on modifying wafer reports, refer to “Creating a

Wafer Mapping Recipe” on page 4–45 and “Wafer Reports” on
page 4–61.

When you have completed creating the new report, the report name
is displayed in the Wafer Recipe area of the Recipe Creator.

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Saving the Recipe Once all of the recipe selections have been made, save the current rec-
ipe in the database by performing the following:

1. In the Recipe Creator main menu, click on Wafer Recipe.

The Wafer Recipe menu is displayed.

2. Click on Save in the Wafer Recipe menu. You may also click on
Cancel in the Wafer Recipe menu at any time while creating the
recipe to cancel the current wafer recipe and start over.
The monitor wafer recipe has now been created. Before the wafer
recipe can be run by the Operator, the recipe (together with transfer
and control information) must be inserted into a process step under a
process specification.

3. Proceed to “Transfer Control” on page 4–64.

Creating a After completing the steps in “Creating a Wafer Recipe” on page 4–16,
and selecting Automatic from the Registration sub-menu under the
Patterned Wafer Recipe menu, you must now train the FE System to automatically
Wafer Recipe recognize (register) the patterns on the wafer using one of three methods
(Cognex (direct drive, site-by-site, and deferred), and select the measured chips.
System)

Automatic 1. In the Recipe Creator main menu, click on Wafer Recipe.

Registration
The Wafer Recipe menu is displayed.
Using Pattern
Recognition 2. Click on Registration in the Wafer Recipe menu, then click on
Automatic when the Registration sub-menu is displayed.
A window is displayed asking if you wish to load a wafer.

3. Click on Yes to load a wafer.

The Wafer Load/Unload window is displayed as shown in
Figure 4-15.

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 Creating a Wafer Recipe

Figure 4-15. Wafer Load/Unload Window

4. Select the cassette and slot from which to load the wafer and click on
Enter.
The selected wafer is loaded onto the stage and the Site Locator win-
dow now shows a live video image of the wafer. An Automatic Regis-
tration window is displayed instructing you to input the die pitch and
click on the Train button to determine chip spacing parameters.

NOTE

Depending on the software version of the Recipe

Creator and the type of imaging system hardware, the
Site Locator window will display the video image in
either half or full screen mode.

5. Click on OK in the Automatic Registration window that is displayed

once the wafer is loaded on the stage.
The Wafer Layout window is displayed as shown in Figure 4-16.

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Figure 4-16. Wafer Layout Window

6. If the Die Pitch (the size of the stepper groups) is known, enter the
value in millimeters in the Die Pitch boxes. If the Die Pitch is not
known, leave the default values and proceed with the next step.

7. Click on the Train button in the Wafer Layout window to begin the
stepper group training.
A Die Pitch Training window is displayed instructing you to move to
the lower left-hand corner of a die in the Site Locator window.

8. Click on OK in the Die Pitch Training window.

A boxed area with a blue diamond is displayed on the live video
image in the Site Locator window indicating the location on the wafer
that the laser spot is focused.
You must now select the lower left hand corner of three dies as illus-
trated in Figure 4-17. The three dies should be located near the cen-
ter of the wafer.

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 Creating a Wafer Recipe

Figure 4-17. Die Corner Training Locations

9. In LoMag, drive the laser spot to the lower left-hand corner of the first
die (corner 1), switch to HiMag and refine the positioning to the
precise lower left corner of the first die. Positioning the wafer under
the laser spot (blue diamond) may be done by moving the trackball
pointer to the desired location in the live video image of the Site
Locator window, and double clicking the right trackball button.

NOTE

It may not be easy to determine just what the corner

of the die looks like. The die corner can be set up on
any repeating feature in the pattern. It does not
necessarily have to be the true lower left corner of a
die if it will be easier to perform pattern recognition
on another feature.

10. Once the laser spot has been positioned over the lower left corner of
the first die, click on the Corner 1 button.
A window is displayed instructing you to choose the lower left-hand
corner of the next die DOWN.

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11. Switch to LoMag, then drive the wafer so that the laser spot (blue
diamond) is positioned over the lower left-hand corner of the die
directly below the first die (corner 2), switch to HiMag and refine the
positioning. If the correct die pitch was chosen, the stage will
automatically drive to the approximate position of the second corner,
then you may refine the position.

NOTE

Ensure that all of the same types of features are

visible in the Site Locator window for the second die
as were present for the first die.

12. Once the laser spot has been positioned over the lower left corner of
the second die, click on the Corner 2 button.
A window is displayed instructing you to choose the lower left-hand
corner of the next die to the LEFT.

13. Switch to LoMag, then drive the wafer so that the laser spot (blue
diamond) is positioned over the lower left-hand corner of the die
directly to the left of the second die (corner 3), switch to HiMag and
refine the positioning. If the correct die pitch was chosen, the stage
will automatically drive to the approximate position of the third corner,
then you may refine the position.

NOTE

Ensure that all of the same types of features are

visible in the Site Locator window for the third die as
were present for the first and second dies.

14. Once the laser spot has been positioned over the lower left corner of
the third die, click on the Corner 3 button.
The Wafer Layout window is redisplayed with the rough X and Y val-
ues for the Die Pitch.

15. Click on the Enter button in the Wafer Layout window.

The pattern recognition system will now automatically complete the
registration. The system will adjust the lightbulb illumination, select
the best color channel for the wafer, and train and test the registration
points.

NOTE

For FE III and FE IV systems, training will be

performed in HiMag and LoMag mode. For FE VII
systems, training will be performed in HiMag only.

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 Creating a Wafer Recipe

A Site Pattern Selection window is displayed instructing you to drag a

box over the teach site. The teach site is the three corners just speci-
fied. Click on OK.

16. Position the trackball pointer over the corner of the image you want to
train, click down and hold the left trackball button and simultaneously
move the trackball to drag a rectangular box over the desired area.
When the box is the correct size, release the left trackball button.

NOTE

If you released the left trackball button in error, or if

you wish to redraw the teach site box, you may redo
this step and redraw the box again.
The outline of the box will appear on the screen. Click on the OK but-
ton in the lower right corner of the Site Locator window.

NOTE

It is important that the selected teach site box not be

too small. As a suggestion, try to make the box
approximately the size of the Site Locator screen that
is located in the upper left corner of the live video
image.

Ensure that you include several distinguishing

features within the teach site box. The Cognex
pattern recognition system will more easily recognize
differences between large shapes rather than small
lines. Letters are usually unique, however they may
be difficult to see. Examples of good shapes to train
on are shown in the figure below.

Figure 4-18. Examples of Shapes for Pattern Training

17. Click on OK in the Site Pattern box.

The system will now move through the teach site area to memorize
the patterns within the teach site. Once the system has completed
this step, a Vision System Setup window will be displayed as shown
in Figure 4-19.

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The Vision System Setup window gives you a graphic representation

of how well the system could teach that site (the higher the score, the
better). This indicates the likelihood of the system being able to rec-
ognize that pattern on the wafer.

Figure 4-19. Vision System Setup Window

18. Perform one of the following:

• If you wish to reteach the system: Click on the Cancel button in

the Vision System Setup window. You will then be allowed to drag a
box for the new teach site as explained in Step 16 of this
procedure.

• If the score for the teach site is acceptable: Click on the Enter
button in the Vision System Setup window.
Once you have accepted the score for the teach site and clicked on
Enter, the system will refine the die pitch using the pattern taught in
the previous steps. At each site, depending on the version of the soft-
ware, a window may be displayed asking if the site shown is a good
refine site.

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 Creating a Wafer Recipe

Figure 4-20. Refine Die Pitch Site Confirmation Window

19. If prompted to confirm the refine site, perform one of the following:

• If the refine site displayed closely matches the teach site: click
on Yes.

The system moves to the next refine site and you are once again
prompted to confirm if this is a valid refine site.

• If the refine site displayed does not closely match the teach
site: click on No.

The system moves to a new refine site and you are once again
prompted to confirm if this is a good refine site.
Once the system has found the refine sites on the wafer, a window is
displayed showing the refined die pitch information.

20. Click on the OK button in the Automatic Die Pitch Refine window.
The system will now deskew the wafer to ensure that it is centered on
the stage and the pattern is aligned correctly. The number of sites
checked will depend on the version of the software. At each location
a window is displayed asking you to verify that this is a valid registra-
tion site.

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21. Each time you are prompted to verify the registration site, perform
one of the following:

• If this is not a valid registration site: click on No.

The system moves to another site and you are asked to verify if this
is a valid registration site.

• If this is a valid registration site: click on Yes.

The system moves to the another deskew site. A window is
displayed asking you to verify that this is a valid registration site.

Once all of the registration sites have been verified, a window is

displayed informing you that wafer registration is now complete.

22. Click on the OK button.

The Pattern Recognition System sets up a grid outlining the dies, and
Automatic Registration is complete. A window is displayed asking
you to select Train Patterns from the Patterned Wafer sub-menu of
the Wafer Recipe menu.

23. Click on the OK button.

You are returned to the Recipe Creator Main window.

You may now train the measurement patterns for the wafer.

Pattern Training The steps provided in this section will allow you to identify the measure-
ment sites within a die on the wafer. The trained measurement pattern
may then be duplicated onto other selected dies. Modifications may be
made to trained measurement patterns using the procedure in “Changing
Measurement Sites in a Registered Pattern” on page 4–58.

To train the measurement patterns, perform the following:

1. In the Recipe Creator main menu, click on Wafer Recipe.

The Wafer Recipe menu is displayed.

2. Click on Patterned Wafer in the Wafer Recipe menu, then click on

Train Patterns when the Patterned Wafer sub-menu is displayed.
A window is displayed instructing you to press one of the die but-
ton(s) in the stepper group pattern window to train a die pattern.

3. Click on OK in the Stepper Group window.

A Stepper Group Pattern Training window (Figure 4-21), and the Site
Locator window showing a grid simulating the chip spacing on the
wafer (Figure 4-22) are displayed.

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Figure 4-21. Stepper Group Pattern Training Window

Figure 4-22. Site Locator Wafer View Window

4. In the Site Locator Wafer View window located in the upper left-hand
portion of the screen, move to the stepper group that will be used as
a model to train the measurement sites by positioning the trackball
pointer over the desired stepper group and double clicking the right
trackball button.
The stage moves the wafer to the selected stepper group.

5. Click on the Die 1 button in the Stepper Group Pattern Training

window.
The stage moves and the laser spot is positioned over the bottom left
corner of the selected stepper group in the Site Locator Live Video
window and the selected stepper group in the Site Locator Wafer
View window is highlighted. The Site Pattern Window is displayed as
shown in Figure 4-23.

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Creating Recipes

Figure 4-23. Site Pattern Window - Patterned Wafers

6. Click the Point button in the Site Pattern window.

A window is displayed instructing you to move a measurement site to
the laser spot and click the Enter button in the lower right corner of
the Site Locator window. Click on OK.

NOTE

Remember to stay within the active die while training

the points to measure. The region of the die is marked
by lines drawn in the lower Site Locator window and
is highlighted in the upper right Site Locator window.
Training is not allowed in other stepper groups.

7. Move to the desired measurement site within the previously selected

stepper group by positioning the trackball pointer over the desired
site and double clicking the right trackball button. Use HiMag and/or
LoMag as necessary to move to the desired site.
The stage moves the wafer so that the laser spot is positioned over
the selected location.

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 Creating a Wafer Recipe

8. Click the Enter button in the lower right corner of the Site Locator
window.
The Point Selection window is displayed as shown in Figure 4-24. A
default filmstack is displayed in the Filmstack field.

Figure 4-24. Point Selection Window

9. In the Point Selection window, you may:

• Specify the desired filmstack for this point by clicking on the

Filmstack button then selecting the desired filmstack from the
selection list that is displayed.

• Allow the Operator to fine tune the position of the measurement site
at run time by clicking on the button beside Defer Location. This is
particularly useful if you have a very small measurement site and
should only be used if the FE System has no pattern recognition
hardware, or when the pattern recognition hardware will not work
and the direct drive alignment is not acceptable.

• Perform site-by-site pattern recognition on this location by clicking

on the button beside Pattern Recognition. This is particularly
useful if you have a very small measurement site.

NOTE

Selecting neither Defer Location nor Pattern

Recognition allows the system to directly drive to the
measurement site. This relies on the original deskew
for position accuracy. Individual sites are not
checked. This mode has the fastest throughput.

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10. Click on the Enter button in the Point Selection window.

One of the following will occur:

- If you did not select Pattern Recognition, you are returned to

the Recipe Creator Main window with the Site Pattern window
displayed. An “X” is displayed on the selected measurement
location.

- If you selected Pattern Recognition, the system goes

through the same registration procedure used for training the
registration sites. Drag a box over the teach site for the
measurement location and click on OK in the Site Pattern
window that is displayed. The Vision System Setup window is
then displayed. Click on Enter to accept the teach site, Cancel
to reject the teach site and select another.

When the teach site has been selected, you are returned to the
Recipe Creator Main window with the Site Pattern window
displayed. A square box is displayed on the selected
measurement location to indicate that pattern recognition will
be used for this site.

11. Repeat Step 6 through Step 10 of this procedure to select additional

measurement sites within this stepper group.

12. When all measurement sites have been selected, click on the Enter
button in the Site Pattern window.
A window is displayed indicating that training is completed and
instructing you to select the Select Measured Chips item from the
Patterned Wafer sub-menu of the Wafer Recipe menu.

13. Click on the OK button.

You are returned to the Recipe Creator Main window.

You may now select the chips to be measured on the wafer. Once the
pattern has been trained, it may be modified using the procedure
provided in “Changing Measurement Sites in a Registered Pattern” on
page 4–58.

Select Measured The steps provided in this section will allow you to identify the stepper
Chips groups on which to perform the previously defined measurement. The
stepper groups will be measured in the order in which they are selected
in this procedure.

To select the stepper groups to be measured and apply the measurement

pattern, perform the following:

1. In the Recipe Creator main menu, click on Wafer Recipe.

The Wafer Recipe menu is displayed.

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 Creating a Wafer Recipe

2. Click on Patterned Wafer in the Wafer Recipe menu, then click on

Select Measured Chips when the Patterned Wafer sub-menu is
displayed.
The Site Locator Live Video window is displayed in half screen,
LoMag mode. A Stepper Group Map window is displayed as shown in
Figure 4-25 and the Site Locator Wafer View window appears as
shown in Figure 4-26.

Figure 4-25. Stepper Group Map Window

Figure 4-26. Site Locator Wafer View - Stepper Group Selection

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3. Move a stepper group to the laser spot by positioning the trackball

pointer over the desired stepper group in the Site Locator Wafer View
window and double click the right trackball button.
The wafer moves to the selected position and the blue diamond is
now positioned over the selected stepper group.

NOTE

For stepper groups printed near the outer edge of the

wafer, you may wish to verify that the desired stepper
group is actually printed completely on the wafer by
checking the die in the Site Locator Live Video
window. Incomplete stepper groups may not contain
all of the measurement sites trained in the example
stepper group.

4. Click on the Group # button in the upper left Site Locator Wafer View
window.
The selected stepper group is now highlighted in the Site Locator
window and the number in the Group # button increments by one.
The Total Selected Groups field of the Stepper Group Map window
displays the number of stepper groups that have currently been
selected.

NOTE

You may select ALL of the stepper groups on this

wafer by clicking on the “All” button in the Stepper
Group Map window. All of the stepper groups are
then highlighted and you are prompted to remove any
selected stepper groups that are not wholly printed
on the wafer.

5. Repeat Step 3 and Step 4 above for each desired stepper group.

NOTE

You may deselect a previously selected stepper

group by moving the laser spot to that stepper group
and clicking on the “Group #” button in the upper left
Site Locator window. Alternatively, you may clear ALL
of the selected stepper groups by clicking on the
“Clear” button in the Stepper Group Map window.

6. Once all of the desired stepper groups have been selected, click on
Enter in the Stepper Group Map window.
You are returned to the Recipe Creator Main window. You may now
select the wafer report to complete the recipe.

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 Creating a Wafer Recipe

Wafer Report 1. In the Recipe Creator main menu, click on Wafer Recipe.
Selection
The Wafer Recipe menu is displayed.

2. Click on Report in the Wafer Recipe menu.

The Report Selection window is displayed as shown in
Figure 4-27.

Figure 4-27. Report Selection Window

3. Perform one of the following:

• Select an existing report: click once on a report name in the

Available Items window then click Enter, or double click on the
desired report name. Select DEFAULT to use the default report
parameters.

• Modify an existing report: click once on a report name in the

Available Items window then click on Modify. The Wafer Report
window is displayed in which you may specify the data source,
where the data will be saved and/or displayed, how the data is
saved and/or displayed, and what data will be included in the
report.

For information on modifying wafer reports, refer to “Creating a

Wafer Mapping Recipe” on page 4–45 and “Wafer Reports” on
page 4–61.

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When you have completed modifying the wafer report, the report
name is displayed in the Wafer Recipe area of the Recipe Creator.

CAUTION

Modifying any existing wafer report will affect every

recipe that uses that report.

• Create a new report: type the desired name in the Name field, and
a description (if desired) in the Description field. Click on Enter
and the Wafer Report window is displayed in which you may specify
the data source, where the data will be saved and/or displayed,
how the data is saved and/or displayed, and what data will be
included in the report.

For information on modifying wafer reports, refer to “Creating a

Wafer Mapping Recipe” on page 4–45 and “Wafer Reports” on
page 4–61.

When you have completed creating the new report, the report name
is displayed in the Wafer Recipe area of the Recipe Creator.

Saving the Recipe Once all of the recipe selections have been made, save the current rec-
ipe in the database by performing the following:

1. In the Recipe Creator main menu, click on Wafer Recipe.

The Wafer Recipe menu is displayed.

2. Click on Save in the Wafer Recipe menu. You may also click on
Cancel in the Wafer Recipe menu to cancel the current wafer recipe
being created and start over.

CAUTION

If you click on “Cancel” the wafer recipe will not be

saved.
The patterned wafer recipe has now been created. Before the wafer
recipe can be run by the Operator, it must be placed into a process
specification.

3. Proceed to “Transfer Control” on page 4–64.

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 Modifying a Wafer Recipe

Modifying a To modify a recipe, the Process Engineer first selects the desired recipe.
Once selected modifications may either be made to that recipe or to a
Wafer Recipe copy of the selected recipe. The changes are then saved and the recipe
may then be used in a process.

CAUTION

Modifying any existing recipe will affect every

process specification that includes that recipe.

Use the following procedure to select and modify existing wafer recipes.
For information on creating new wafer recipes, refer to “Creating a Wafer
Recipe” on page 4–16.

Recipe Selection 1. In the Recipe Creator main menu, click on Wafer Recipe.
The Wafer Recipe menu is displayed.

2. Click on Name in the Wafer Recipe menu.

The Wafer Recipe Selection window is displayed as shown in
Figure 4-28.

Figure 4-28. Wafer Recipe Selection Window

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3. Perform one of the following:

• Modify an existing wafer recipe: click once on a wafer recipe in

the Available Items window then click Enter, or double click on the
desired wafer recipe name.

• Modify a copy of an existing recipe: click once on a wafer recipe

name in the Available Items window then click on Options. Enter
the new wafer recipe name in the Destination field, then click on
Save As. Click on Enter when you have returned to the Wafer
Recipe Selection window.
The pertinent wafer recipe information (if any) is displayed in the
Wafer Recipe area of the Recipe Creator.

4. Once the wafer recipe is selected and displayed in the Wafer Recipe
area, perform any of the following:

• Modify the Wafer Information in the wafer recipe using the

procedure provided in “Wafer Information” on page 4–17.

• Modify the Filmstack in the wafer recipe using the procedure

provided in “Film Stack Specification” on page 4–19.

• Modify the Wafer Registration information in the wafer recipe

using the procedure provided in “Wafer Registration” on page 4–21.

• Modify a Monitor wafer recipe using the procedure provided in

“Creating a Monitor Wafer Recipe” on page 4–22.

• Modify a Patterned wafer recipe using the procedure provided

in “Creating a Patterned Wafer Recipe (Cognex System)” on page
4–26.

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 Modifying a Wafer Recipe

Creating a This section provides information on how to create a wafer recipe that will
generate a wafer map file. The map file may be viewed either using the
Wafer Mapping Focus Mapping software (see Chapter 5, “Wafer Mapping and Data
Recipe Reporting”) or the Focus Operator Queued Loading software (see
Chapter 2, “Operator Interface”).

Any wafer recipe can be a wafer mapping recipe providing at least five
points are measured. Perform the following to configure a wafer recipe to
generate a wafer map file:

1. Perform the procedure provided in “Creating a Wafer Recipe” on

page 4–16.

2. Perform the procedures provided in “Creating a Monitor Wafer

Recipe” on page 4–22 and “Creating a Patterned Wafer Recipe
(Cognex System)” on page 4–26 as appropriate up to the point of
specifying a wafer report.

3. Perform one of the following:

• Select an existing report by clicking once on the report name in

the list of available items and then clicking on Modify.

CAUTION

Modifying any existing wafer report will affect every

recipe that uses that report.

• Create a new report by entering the desired name for the report in
the Name field and a description for the report (if desired) in the
Description field and click on Enter.
The Wafer Report window is displayed as shown in Figure 4-37 on
page 4–61.

4. Use the information provided in “Wafer Reports” on page 4–61 to

configure the wafer report for this recipe.

CAUTION

The “Map” option must be selected in the Display

portion of the Wafer Report window to generate a
wafer map. If the Map option is not selected, a wafer
map will not be generated.

5. In the Recipe Creator main menu, click on Wafer Recipe then click
on Save when the Wafer Recipe menu is displayed.
The wafer recipe has now been saved.

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Creating and The FE System allows the Process Engineer to create new wafer mea-
surement patterns, or modify measurement patterns that already exist in
Modifying the database, in the event that a default pattern does not meet the needs
Measurement of the current application.

Patterns Once you have entered a new measurement pattern name, or selected a
pattern for modification, as described in Step 3 of “Measurement Pattern
Selection” on page 4–22, the Site Pattern window is displayed as shown
in Figure 4-29.

NOTE

Creating and modifying measurement patterns can

only be performed while creating or modifying a
recipe.

Figure 4-29. Site Pattern Window

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 Creating and Modifying Measurement Patterns

The following buttons are available from the Site Pattern window:

• Draw Point — Select individual points to be measured on the wafer

by double clicking on the desired location in the Site Locator
window.

• Draw Coords — Select the individual points to be measured on the

wafer by entering the X and Y coordinates of each point.

• Draw Shapes — Select a measurement pattern, such as a circle or

line. The pattern is then drawn in the Site Locator window and
points along the selected pattern will be measured.

• File Export — Saves measurement pattern information to a

specified path and filename so that the information may be used on
another FE System.

• File Import — Loads measurement pattern information from a

specified path and filename.

• Erase Last — Erases the last measurement point or pattern

entered. Clicking repeatedly on this button will erase all points and
patterns in the reverse order in which they were entered.

• Enter — Saves the measurement pattern information and returns

you to the Recipe Creator main window.

• Cancel — Cancels measurement pattern selection and returns you

to the Recipe Creator main window. Any changes made to the
measurement pattern are lost.

• Help — Not available at this time.

Select the desired drawing method and design a measurement pattern.

The following sections provide more information on each of the drawing
methods.

Pattern To create a wafer measurement pattern point by point, perform the follow-
ing:
Creation by
Point 1. In the Site Locator window, change to Wafer View by selecting the
Control menu. Click on Mag from the Control menu items and select
Wafer View from the sub-menu that is displayed
The Site Locator window is now in Wafer View mode.

2. Click on the Point button in the Site Pattern window.

A window is displayed instructing you to double click on the desired
measurement site in the Site Locator window. Click on OK.

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3. Position the trackball pointer over the desired measurement location

in the Site Locator window and double click the left trackball button.
The Point Selection window is displayed as shown in Figure 4-30.

Figure 4-30. Measurement Point Selection Window

4. Make any changes to the filmstack selection for this measurement

point by clicking on the Film Stack button. You may also opt to defer
the measurement of this point to the Operator when the process is
run.

5. Click on Enter to enter the information for this measurement point.

The Wafer View window and the wafer view in the Site Locator win-
dow are updated to show the new measurement location and you are
returned to the Site Pattern window.
You may also click on Cancel to abort the selection of this point and
return to the Site Pattern window.

6. Repeat Steps 2 through 5 of this procedure to select any additional

measurement points.

7. When all measurement points have been selected, click on the Enter
button in the Site Pattern window.
You are returned to the Recipe Creator main window.

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 Creating and Modifying Measurement Patterns

Pattern To create a wafer measurement pattern using point X and Y coordinates,

perform the following:
Creation by
Coordinate 1. In the Site Locator window, change to Wafer View by selecting the
Control menu. Click on Mag from the Control menu items and select
Wafer View from the sub-menu that is displayed.
The Site Locator window is now in Wafer View mode.

2. Click on the Coord button in the Site Pattern window.

The Coordinates Entry Pattern window is displayed as shown in
Figure 4-31.

Figure 4-31. Coordinates Entry Pattern Window

NOTE

If any measurement points have been previously

defined, they will be displayed in the Coordinates
Entry Pattern window. If no points have been defined,
this window will be blank.

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3. You may Add, Modify, Review, and Delete individual measurement

points by clicking on the appropriate button in the Coordinates Entry
Pattern window. You may also Clear all points, Reverse the order in
which the points will be measured, and defer the measurement of
these points to the Operator when the process is run.

4. Click on Enter to enter the information for these measurement points.

The Wafer View window and the wafer view in the Site Locator win-
dow show the new measurement locations and you are returned to
the Site Pattern window.
You may also click on Cancel to abort the selection of these points
and return to the Site Pattern window.

5. When all measurement points have been entered, click on the Enter
button in the Site Pattern window.
You are returned to the Recipe Creator main window.

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 Creating and Modifying Measurement Patterns

Pattern To create a wafer measurement pattern by drawing shapes on the wafer

view, perform the following:
Creation by
Shape 1. In the Site Locator window, change to Wafer View by selecting the
Control menu. Click on Mag from the Control menu items and select
Wafer View from the sub-menu that is displayed.
The Site Locator window is now in Wafer View mode.

2. Click on the Shapes button in the Site Pattern window.

The Shape Pattern window is displayed as shown in Figure 4-32.

Figure 4-32. Shape Pattern Window

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The following buttons are available from the Shape Pattern window:

• Draw Line — Selects points to be measured along a specified line

drawn on the wafer view.

• Draw Circle — Selects points to be measured around the

perimeter of a circle drawn on the wafer view.

• Area Rect. — Selects points to be measured in a selected

rectangular area.

• Area Circle — Selects points to be measured in a selected

circular area.

• Erase Last — Erases the last measurement shape pattern

entered. Clicking repeatedly on this button will erase all patterns in
the reverse order in which they were entered.

• Enter — Saves the measurement shape pattern information and

returns you to the Site Pattern window.

• Cancel — Cancels measurement shape selection and returns you

to the Site Pattern window. Any changes made to the measurement
shape pattern are lost.

• Help — Not available at this time.

Line Patterns To create a linear wafer measurement pattern, perform the following:

1. Click on the Line button in the Shape Pattern window.

A window is displayed instructing you to drag a line in the Site Loca-
tor window. Click on OK.

2. Position the trackball pointer over the desired starting point for the
line, press and hold the left trackball button and move the trackball
pointer to the ending point for the line and release the left trackball
button.
The Linear Selection window is displayed as shown in Figure 4-33.
This window provides information about the number of measurement
points along the line.

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Figure 4-33. Linear Selection Window

3. Click on the Enter button to accept the displayed information, or you

may enter another number in the Total Points field and then click on
the Enter button.
The shape measurement pattern is displayed on the wafer view and
you are returned to the Shape Pattern window.
You may also click on the Cancel button to reject this information.
The point information is discarded and you are returned to the Shape
Pattern window where you may make another selection.

4. Repeat Steps 1 through 3 of this procedure to draw additional linear

patterns on the wafer as desired.

5. When all linear patterns have been completed, click on the Enter
button in the Shape Pattern window.
You are returned to the Site Pattern window.

6. Click on the Enter button in the Site Pattern window to save the
measurement pattern information.
You are returned to the Recipe Creator main window.

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Circular Patterns To create a circular wafer measurement pattern, perform the following:

1. Click on the Circle button in the Draw section of the Shape Pattern
window.
A window is displayed instructing you to drag the center and radius of
the circle in the Site Locator window. Click on OK .

2. Position the trackball pointer over the desired center point of the
circle, press and hold the left trackball button and move the trackball
pointer the desired distance for the radius of the circle and release
the left trackball button.
The outline of a circle is displayed in the Site Locator window as you
drag the trackball. When the left trackball button is released, the Lin-
ear Selection window is displayed as shown in Figure 4-34. This win-
dow provides information about the number of measurement points
along the perimeter of the circle.

Figure 4-34. Linear Selection Window

3. Click on the Enter button to accept the displayed information, or you

may enter another number in the Total Points field and then click on
the Enter button.
The shape measurement pattern is displayed on the wafer view and
you are returned to the Shape Pattern window.
You may also click on the Cancel button to reject this information.
The point information is discarded and you are returned to the Shape
Pattern window where you may make another selection.

4. Repeat Steps 1 through 3 of this procedure to draw additional circular

patterns on the wafer as desired.

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 Creating and Modifying Measurement Patterns

5. When all circular patterns have been completed, click on the Enter
button in the Shape Pattern window.
You are returned to the Site Pattern window.

6. Click on the Enter button in the Site Pattern window to save the
measurement pattern information.
You are returned to the Recipe Creator main window.

Rectangular Area To create a rectangular area wafer measurement pattern, perform the fol-
Patterns lowing:

1. Click on the Rect. button in the Shape Pattern window.

The Area Selection window is displayed as shown in Figure 4-35.

Figure 4-35. Area Selection Window

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2. Enter the desired Grid Style and/or the number of measurement

points and click on the Enter button, or just click on the Enter button
to accept the default values.
The area pattern is displayed on the wafer view and you are returned
to the Shape Pattern window.
You may also click on the Cancel button to reject this information.
You are returned to the Shape Pattern window where you may make
another selection.

3. Click on the Enter button in the Shape Pattern window when all
shape patterns have been completed.
You are returned to the Site Pattern window.
You may also click on the Cancel button to reject this information.
You are returned to the Site Pattern window where you may make
another selection.

4. Click on the Enter button in the Site Pattern window to save the
measurement pattern information.
You are returned to the Recipe Creator main window.

Circular Area To create a circular area wafer measurement pattern, perform the follow-
Patterns ing:

1. Click on the Circle button in the Area section of the Shape Pattern
window.
The Circular Area window is displayed as shown in Figure 4-36.

Figure 4-36. Circular Area Window

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 Creating and Modifying Measurement Patterns

2. Enter the desired Grid Style and/or circle radius for the pattern. Click
on the desired number of measurement points for the pattern and
then click on the Enter button.
The area pattern is displayed on the wafer view and you are returned
to the Shape Pattern window.
You may also click on the Cancel button to reject this information.
You are returned to the Shape Pattern window where you may make
another selection.

3. Click on the Enter button in the Shape Pattern window when all
shape patterns have been completed.
You are returned to the Site Pattern window.
You may also click on the Cancel button to reject this information.
You are returned to the Site Pattern window where you may make
another selection.

4. Click on the Enter button in the Site Pattern window to save the
measurement pattern information.
You are returned to the Recipe Creator main window.

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Changing A Registered Pattern is one in which the stepper groups have already
been trained.
Measurement
Sites in a To change a Registered Pattern, but keep the selected chips to be mea-
sured the same, use the following procedure:
Registered
1. In the Recipe Creator main menu, click on Wafer Recipe.
Pattern
The Wafer Recipe menu is displayed.

2. Click on Name in the Wafer Recipe menu.

The Wafer Recipe Selection window is displayed as shown in
Figure 4-9.

3. Select an existing patterned wafer recipe by clicking once on a wafer

recipe in the Available Items window then clicking Enter, or by double
clicking on the desired wafer recipe name.
The pertinent wafer recipe information (if any) is displayed in the
Wafer Recipe area of the Recipe Creator.

4. In the Recipe Creator main menu, click on Wafer Recipe.

The Wafer Recipe menu is displayed.

5. Click on Registration in the Wafer Recipe menu, then click on

Automatic when the Registration sub-menu is displayed.
The wafer is loaded and the system automatically registers the wafer,
sets up the stepper group grid, and displays the chips to be mea-
sured and the measurement sites. A window is displayed informing
you when the registration is complete. Click on OK.

6. In the Recipe Creator main menu, click on Wafer Recipe.

The Wafer Recipe menu is displayed.

7. Click on Patterned Wafer in the Wafer Recipe menu, then click on

Train Patterns when the Registration sub-menu is displayed.
A Stepper Group Pattern Training window (Figure 4-21), and the Site
Locator window showing a grid simulating the chip spacing on the
wafer (Figure 4-22) are displayed.

8. In the Site Locator Wafer View window located in the upper left-hand
portion of the screen, move to the stepper group that you wish to
modify by positioning the trackball pointer over the desired stepper
group and double clicking the right trackball button.
The wafer is moved to position the selected stepper group under the
laser spot.

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 Changing Measurement Sites in a Registered Pattern

9. In the Stepper Group Pattern Training window menu, click on Modify,

then click on Stepper Group when the Modify menu is displayed.

10. Click on the Die 1 button in the Stepper Group Pattern Training
window.
The measurement sites that were previously chosen are highlighted
and the Site Pattern Window is displayed as shown in Figure 4-23.

11. You may perform any of the following:

• Click on Last under Erase in the Site Pattern window to clear any
unwanted measurement sites.

• Select Point in the Site Pattern window to add any new

measurement sites. Use the instructions provided in Step 6 through
Step 11 of the section entitled “Pattern Training” on page 4–34.

12. When you are finished erasing and adding sites, click on Enter in the
Site Pattern window.
You are returned to the Recipe Creator Main window.

13. In the Recipe Creator main menu, click on Wafer Recipe.

The Wafer Recipe menu is displayed.

14. Click on Patterned Wafer in the Wafer Recipe menu, then click on
Select Measured Chips when the Registration sub-menu is
displayed.
The Site Locator Live Video window is displayed in half screen,
LoMag mode. A Stepper Group Map window is displayed as shown in
Figure 4-25 and the Site Locator Wafer View window appears as
shown in Figure 4-26.

15. Click on Update in the Stepper Group Map window so that the new
measurement sites will appear in the selected chips to be measured.
A window is displayed informing you when the selected stepper
groups have been updated with the new measurement pattern. Click
on OK.

16. Click on Enter in the Stepper Group Map window.

You are returned to the Recipe Creator Main window.

17. In the Stepper Group Pattern Training window menu, click on View,
then click on Wafer Pattern from the View menu.
The Wafer View will show all of the updated measurement sites.

18. In the Stepper Group Pattern Training window menu, click on Close.
The Stepper Group Pattern Training window is closed and you are
returned to the Recipe Creator Main window.

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Creating Recipes

19. In the Recipe Creator main menu, click on Wafer Recipe.

The Wafer Recipe menu is displayed.

20. Click on Save in the Wafer Recipe menu. You may also click on
Cancel in the Wafer Recipe menu to cancel the current wafer recipe
being created and start over.

CAUTION

If you click on “Cancel” any information modified in

the wafer recipe is lost.
The modifications to the measurement sites have now been com-
pleted. Before the wafer recipe can be run by the Operator, wafer
transfer control must be specified and the process specification must
be created.

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 Wafer Reports

Wafer Once you have entered a new measurement report name, or selected a
report for modification, as described in Step 3 of “Wafer Report Selection”
Reports on page 4–24 for monitor wafers, or Step 3 of “Wafer Report Selection”
on page 4–41 for patterned wafers, the Wafer Report window is displayed
as shown in Figure 4-37.

Figure 4-37. Wafer Report Window

This window is used to specify how the measurement data will be pre-
sented and where it will be stored.

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The data may be saved to the database, a specified filename, or a map

with a specified filename. The contents of the report, such as wafer infor-
mation, per point information, and cassette summary statistics, may also
be specified.

The Wafer Report window is made up of the following sections that allow
you to customize the report format and destination.

• Report Source — This option is for future software use.

• Destination — Determines the measurement data output
destination. Select from the following (more than one option may be
selected):

- Screen — Displays measurement data on the screen only.

- Database — Saves measurement data to the database in a
log file.

NOTE

The “Database” option must be selected in order to

generate wafer measurement reports that can be
used by the Focus Browser. Refer to “Wafer Reports”
on page 5–20 of Chapter 5, “Wafer Mapping and Data
Reporting” for information.

- Host — Transfers measurement data to the host system

(if SECS-II option is available). An option is also available to
require Operator confirmation of the data transfer on a per
wafer or per cassette basis.

- Print — Automatically directs measurement data to the printer

connected to the FE System.

- File — This option is for future software use.

• Display — Generates wafer map or linescan files.
- Map — Saves the wafer measurement data in the specified
map file. Map files may then be displayed by the Focus
Mapping software or the Focus Operator program.

NOTE

The “Map” option must be selected in order to

generate wafer measurement maps that can be used
by the Focus Mapping program. Refer to “Wafer
Mapping” on page 5–2 of Chapter 5, “Wafer Mapping
and Data Reporting” for information.

- Linescan — This option is for future software use.

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 Wafer Reports

• Style — This option is for future software use.

• Content — This option is for future software use.
• Per Point — Includes the selected information for each
measurement point in the report.

- Calculated Parameters — The parameter(s) for each

measurement point are displayed.

- X Y Coordinates — The measurement position for each point

on the wafer is displayed with 0,0 representing the center of
the wafer.

- Fit — The fit error of each measurement point is displayed.

- Measurement Quality — This option is for future software use.
- Measurement Acceptance — This option is for future software
use.

- Delta Psi — The delta/psi data for each measurement point is

displayed.

NOTE

Selecting “Delta Psi” will dramatically increase the

data to be stored and should be used only if delta/psi
information is absolutely necessary.

• Summary Stats — Determines which statistics are to be displayed

in the report.

- Min. Max. — Displays minimum and maximum values across

the wafer.

- Averages — Displays the average of the cassette.

- Range — Displays the maximum to minimum values across the
cassette.

- Std Dev — Displays standard deviation value across the

cassette.

- Cassette Status Summary — Displays the same values

except across an entire run of wafers in a cassette.

• Uniformity — Allows you to input a uniformity formula either across

a wafer or a cassette.

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Creating Recipes

Transfer Wafer transfer control allows the Process Engineer to specify the source
and destination cassette(s) and or slot(s) for the wafer to be measured,
Control as well as how the wafers will be transferred and the destination for
rejected wafers. These options may also be deferred at this time allowing
the Operator to make these decisions when the process is run using the
Focus Operator Queues Loading program (see Chapter 2, “Operator
Interface” for information).

Once you have created and saved a wafer recipe, specify transfer control
by performing the following:

1. In the Recipe Creator main menu, click on Transfer.

The Transfer Selection window is displayed as shown in Figure 4-38.
The naming conventions of the transfer specifications shown indicate
the source and destination cassettes, wafer slots, transfer style and
where rejected wafers will be placed (each of these parameters are
discussed in detail later in this procedure).
The following examples illustrate the naming convention:

• xxX1-1S1,12,25
Indicates this transfer will take wafers from cassette 1 and return
them to cassette 1 after measurement. Wafers in slots 1, 12, and
25 will be measured.

• xxX1-2S1-25
Indicates this transfer will take wafers from cassette 1 and return
them to cassette 2 after measurement. Wafers in slots 1 through 25
will be measured.

• xxX1-1S1-5Reject2
Indicates this transfer will take wafers from cassette 1 and return
them to cassette 1 after measurement. Wafers in slots 1 through 5
will be measured. Wafers that are rejected will be placed in
cassette 2.

• xxX1-3S1-25_B2T
Indicates this transfer will take wafers from cassette 1 and return
them to cassette 3 after measurement. Wafers in slots 1 through 25
will be measured. As the measurements are completed, the wafers
are transferred between the two cassettes in a “bottom to top”
manner. That is the wafer taken from cassette 1 slot 1 will be
returned to cassette 3 slot 25 and so on.

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 Transfer Control

Figure 4-38. Transfer Selection Window

2. Perform one of the following:

• Select an existing transfer control item: click once on a transfer

name in the Available Items window then click Enter, or double
click on the desired transfer name. Select DEFER to defer the
transfer control to the Operator at run time.

• Modify an existing transfer control item: click once on a transfer

name in the Available Items window then click on Options. Enter
the new transfer control name in the Destination field, then click on
Save As. Click on Enter when you have returned to the Transfer
Selection window.

CAUTION

Modifying an existing transfer control will affect all

recipes that use that transfer control.

• Create a new transfer control item: type the desired name in the
Name field, and a description (if desired) in the Description field
then click on Enter.
The Transfer Specification window is displayed as shown in
Figure 4-39.

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Figure 4-39. Transfer Specification Window

3. Perform one of the following:

• To accept the default values: select the desired wafer slots then
click on Enter in the Transfer Specification window.

• To modify the transfer specification: make the selections using

the information below then click on Enter in the Transfer
Specification window:

Source/Destination — Specifies the source cassette from which

the wafer will be selected and the destination cassette to which the
wafer will be returned after measurement. Selecting Manual defers
these selections to the Operator.

Measure Wafer — Specifies the cassette slot number(s) for the

wafers to be measured. Leaving all slots blank defers this selection
to the Operator. Select All to select all slots, None to deselect
all slots.

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 Transfer Control

Transfer Style — Specifies how the wafers will be transferred from

one cassette to another. One to one takes a wafer from Slot 1 and
after measurements are completed places the wafer in the
destination cassette in Slot 1, Bottom to top takes a wafer from
Slot 1 and returns it to Slot 25, and Top to bottom takes a wafer
from Slot 25 and returns it to Slot 1.

CAUTION

Specifying “Bottom to top” or “Top to bottom”

transfer style could result in damage to a wafer if
there is already a wafer in the slot in which the FE
system is attempting to transfer. To reduce the risk of
damage to the wafer, it is recommended that only the
“One to one” transfer style be used.

Reject — Specifies the destination cassette for wafers that are

rejected due to measurements out of tolerance. Selecting Manual
defers this selection to the Operator.

CAUTION

Ensure that the destination cassette is empty,

otherwise damage could occur to the wafer.
The transfer control information is saved and you are returned to the
Recipe Creator Main window. Before the wafer recipe can be run by
the Operator, the process specification must be created.

4. Proceed to “Creating and Modifying a Process Specification” on page

4–68.

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Creating Recipes

Creating and The process specification consists of those steps (the wafer recipe(s),
transfer, and control information) that have been previously defined by
Modifying a the Process Engineer in this chapter. The process specification is then
Process run by the Operator and the actual wafer measurements are performed
(see Chapter 2, “Operator Interface” for information).
Specification
Once you have created and saved a wafer recipe and specified the trans-
fer control information, create a process specification by performing the
following:

1. In the Recipe Creator main menu, click on Process.

The Process Specification Selection window is displayed as shown in
Figure 4-40. Using the Process Specification Selection window you
may enter the name of the process. Typically this name will reflect the
end product for this wafer, such as 80586_CHIP.

Figure 4-40. Process Specification Selection Window

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 Creating and Modifying a Process Specification

2. Perform one of the following:

• Select an existing process specification: click once on a name

in the Available Items window then click Enter, or double click on
the desired name.

• Modify an existing process specification: click once on a name

in the Available Items window then click on Options. Enter the new
name in the Destination field, then click on Save As. Click on
Enter when you have returned to the Process Specification
Selection window.

• Create a new process specification: type the desired name in the

Name field, and a description (if desired) in the Description field,
then click on Enter.
The Process Specification window is displayed as shown in
Figure 4-41. Using the Process Specification window you may create
the individual steps that make up the final process specification. If
process steps have already been created within the selected process
specification, they will be displayed in the Process Steps area of the
window. If no process steps have been defined, this area will be
blank.

Figure 4-41. Process Specification Window

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Creating Recipes

3. Perform one of the following:

• To modify an existing process step: proceed to “Modifying a

Process Step” on page 4–73.

• To create a new process step: continue with the next step in this
procedure.

4. Click the Name button on the Process Specification window. Enter

the desired process step name and click on Enter. The process step
name should be descriptive of the function of that step. For example,
8inOxStd5pt would indicate that this step will perform a standard five
point measurement on an eight inch oxide wafer.
The name appears on the Name field of the Step Components.

5. Click the Transfer button on the Process Specification window.

The Transfer Selection window appears as shown in Figure 4-38 on
page 4–65.

6. Select DEFER to defer the transfer options to the Operator at run

time, or you may select a transfer specification from the list or create
or modify a transfer specification using the procedure given in
“Transfer Control” on page 4–64. Click on Enter when you have
selected the desired name.
The selected name appears on the Transfer field of the Step Compo-
nents in Figure 4-40.

7. Click the Recipe button on the Process Specification window.

The Wafer Recipe Selection window appears as shown in
Figure 4-9 on page 4–17.

8. Select a wafer recipe from the list or create or modify a wafer recipe
using the procedure in “Creating a Wafer Recipe” on page 4–16.
Click on Enter when you have selected the desired name.
The selected name appears on the Recipe field of the Step Compo-
nents in Figure 4-40.

9. Click the Control button on the Process Specification window.

The Recipe Control Selection window appears as shown in
Figure 4-42. Using the Recipe Control window you may choose to
defer certain actions to the Operator at run time.

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 Creating and Modifying a Process Specification

Figure 4-42. Recipe Control Selection Window

10. Perform one of the following:

• Select a recipe control item: click on the item name then click on
Enter, or double click on the item name. Selecting DEFAULT will
defer no options to the Operator.

• Modify a recipe control item: click on the item name and then
click on Modify.

The Recipe Control window is displayed as shown in

Figure 4-43. Make the desired selections on the Recipe Control
window.

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Figure 4-43. Recipe Control Window

The selection for Wafer ID in the Recipe Control window interacts

with the Generate IDs On/Off setting that was configured by the
Focus Setup software. Refer to Table 4-1 for information on this
interaction.

Table 4-1: Wafer ID Generation

Generate ID1 Wafer ID2 Result

Off None No Wafer ID is generated.

On Auto/None Wafer IDs are automatically generated.
Off Operator The Operator manually enters Wafer IDs.
Wafer IDs are automatically generated
On Operator and the Operator is given the option to
accept the ID or enter a new ID.

1. As specified by the Focus Setup program.

2. As specified in the Recipe Control window.

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 Creating and Modifying a Process Specification

Once all desired entries are made in the Recipe Control window,
click on the Enter button then click on Enter again when you are
returned to the Recipe Control Selection window.
The selected name appears on the Control field of the Step Compo-
nents.

11. Click the Add button on the Process Specification window.

The process step just created is displayed at the bottom of the list in
the Process Steps area of the Process Specification window.

12. Click the Enter button on the Process Specification window.

The process specification is saved and you are returned to the Rec-
ipe Creator Main window.

13. Repeat Step 1 through Step 12 of this procedure to add additional

steps to the process specification.

When all process steps have been added to the process specification,
the recipe creation process has been completed. The Operator may now
run the process specification using the Focus Operator Queued Loading
program to perform wafer measurements. Refer to Chapter 2, “Operator
Interface” for information.

Modifying a To modify a process step that has already been created and is part of a
process specification, perform the following:
Process Step
NOTE

This procedure assumes that the Recipe Creator Main

window is displayed. If you were sent to this section
by Step 3 in “Creating and Modifying a Process
Specification” on page 4–68, you may begin this
procedure at Step 3.

1. In the Recipe Creator main menu, click on Process.

The Process Specification Selection window is displayed as shown in
Figure 4-40.

2. Select the desired process specification by either clicking once on a

name in the Available Items window then clicking Enter, or by double
clicking on the desired name.
The Process Specification window is displayed as shown in
Figure 4-41 on page 4–69.

3. Click once on the process step you wish to modify.

The components that make up the process step are displayed.

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Creating Recipes

4. Click on the appropriate button in the Step Components area to make

changes to the process step as desired.
The new information is displayed.

NOTE

Selecting a new Transfer option will automatically

clear the Recipe selection. You must reselect a wafer
recipe to continue.

5. When all changes to the process step have been completed, click on
the Add button in the Process Specification window.
A window is displayed to inform you that the selected process step
has been successfully modified. Click on OK .

6. Perform one of the following:

• To modify another process step: select another process step to

be modified and repeat Step 3 through Step 5 of this procedure.

• If all modifications are complete: click on the Enter button.

You are returned to the Recipe Creator Main window.

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 Exiting Recipe Creator

Exiting To exit the Focus Recipe Creator program, perform the following proce-
dure:
Recipe
1. On the Recipe Creator screen, perform one of the following:
Creator
• Double click the left trackball button on the icon located in the upper
left corner of the screen (beside the Focus Recipe Creator program
name).

• Single click the left trackball button on the icon located in the upper
left corner of the screen (beside the Focus Recipe Creator program
name). Select Close from the menu that is displayed.
The Focus Recipe Creator program will exit and you will be returned
to the OS/2 desktop.

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Wafer Mapping and Chapter 5

Data Reporting

Introduction The purpose of this chapter is to provide information on how to utilize

wafer mapping and data reporting functions to analyze wafer measure-
ment information that is gathered when the Operator runs the process
specifications created by the Engineer. The information in this section
pertains to the FOCUS Ellipsometer (FE) III, IV, and VII systems, and
includes the following topics:

• How to use the Focus Mapping software to access the following

wafer map types:

- Contour maps
- Topographical maps
- Difference maps
- Etch Rate maps
• How to use the Focus Browser software to access tabular data
reports.

• How to import and export between two or more FE Systems.

The tasks described in this chapter are performed with the use of the
Focus Mapping and Focus Browser software (with the exception of
importing and exporting data, which is performed using the Focus Recipe
Creator software). Wafer mapping and report data is also available
through the Focus Operator Queued Loading program. For information
on how to access this information using the Focus Operator Queued
Loading program, refer to Chapter 2, “Operator Interface”.

It should be noted that certain steps must be performed using the Focus
Recipe Creator and/or Focus Operator Queued Loading programs in
order to create the wafer mapping and report data. Refer to the appropri-
ate chapter in this guide for more information.

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Wafer Mapping and Data Reporting

Wafer The Focus Mapping program makes it possible to display wafer measure-
ment data graphically. Any or all of the three optical parameters (T, N,
Mapping and K) can be presented on the monitor in either topographical (3D) or
contour (2D) form. In addition, etch maps (showing etch rate or difference
information) may also be generated.

NOTE

Wafer mapping data may also be displayed using the

Focus Operator Queued Loading program. Refer to
“Accessing Wafer Mapping” on page 2–38 of
Chapter 2, “Operator Interface” for information.

Using the mapping software, the map viewing perspective can be

changed to obtain the best point of view of the film parameter variations.
Up to one hundred maps can be displayed, with each map using up to
fourteen colored strata to show parameter variations.

The following steps are taken to create a wafer map:

1. The Map box must be checked in the report section of the wafer
recipe. Refer to “Creating a Wafer Mapping Recipe” on page 4–45 of
Chapter 4, “Creating Recipes” for information.

2. The process specification and step containing the wafer mapping

recipe are run by the Operator using the Focus Operator Queued
Loading program. This will generate the map file. Refer to “Creating a
Wafer Map” on page 2–36 of Chapter 2, “Operator Interface” for
information.

Once the wafer map file is generated, the Focus Mapping program may
be used to create a wafer map from the wafer map file and to view, scale,
manipulate, and print the map.

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 Starting Focus Mapping

Starting To start the Focus Mapping program, position the trackball pointer over
the Focus Mapping icon, located in the Focus Ellipsometer folder, and
Focus double click the left trackball button.
Mapping The Focus Mapping main window is displayed as shown in Figure 5-1.

Figure 5-1. Focus Mapping Main Window

Focus Mapping The following menu items are available in the Focus Mapping Main win-
dow:
Main Menu
• Maps — Used to select the wafer map to be viewed. Clicking on
the Maps menu item causes the Map Files Selection window to be
displayed.

• Clear All — Used to close all open maps and clear the screen.

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• NoFix/Fix — Toggle item, switches between NoFix and Fix mode.

In NoFix mode (default) the minimum and maximum values in the
wafer map file are automatically scaled on the vertical axis. In Fix
mode, the minimum and maximum map values can be selected and
fixed so that all subsequent maps will be displayed according to
these values. When map scaling is fixed, the differences between
maps can be directly compared.

• Etch — Used to create Difference and Etch Rate wafer maps.

- Difference Map — Used to compare two wafer map files to
generate a wafer difference map.

- Etch Rate Map — Used to compare two wafer map files to

generate a wafer etch rate map.

• Linescan — This item is reserved for future use.

Map Window This window displays the generated wafer map file. Wafer maps may be
viewed in Contour (2D) or Topographic (3D) mode, and each may be dis-
played in either color, greyscale, or black and white.

Figure 5-2 shows an example of a greyscale contour wafer map.

Figure 5-2. Example Wafer Map

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 Starting Focus Mapping

Map Window Menu The Wafer Map window also consists of the following menu selections:

• View — Used to alter the viewpoint from which the map is seen.
Displays a View Control Window that allows you to modify the
angle of elevation and rotation of the view. These modifications
only apply to Topographic wafer maps.

- Elevation: Enter the number of degrees (0-90°) that the top of

the map should be turned toward the viewer.

- Rotation: Enter the number of degrees (0-360°) that the front

of the map should be rotated. Increasing the value rotates the
view counterclockwise away from the viewer.

• Scale — Used to modify the vertical scale of the Topographic wafer

map. Choosing smaller sigmas increases the vertical sensitivity of
the map and the number of colors displayed. The average value of
the data will always remain centered on the vertical scale. This
mode automatically optimizes the display of single wafer maps.

• Color — Used to display the map in Color, Grey, or Black & White
mode. Also allows you to determine whether the color divisions will
be set automatically or in a user specified range.

• Mode — Selects the way in which the map will be displayed.

- Topograph — Displays the map in simulated 3D with a rotation
angle of 60° counter-clockwise and an elevation angle of 60°.

- Contour — Displays the map in 2D with a rotation angle of 0°

and an elevation angle of 90°.

- Spec Line — Displays a line on the map denoting the average

of the parameter being displayed. If Draw Marker is also
selected, the markers are displayed as a “ +” if points are higher
than the spec line, and “–” if points are lower than the spec line.

- Draw Box — Displays a wireframe box around the wafer map.

- Draw Contour — In color or greyscale mode, lines are
displayed between the divisions.

- Draw Grid — Displays a black wire grid over the wafer map.
- Draw Marker — Displays markers on each measurement point.
• Edit — Allows you to edit the data that makes up the wafer map.
• Text — Displays the wafer map data in text format.
• Update — When selected, the wafer map is automatically updated
each time a display mode is selected.

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Wafer Mapping and Data Reporting

Viewing Wafer Once a wafer mapping recipe has been created, incorporated into a pro-
cess step, then run by the Operator using the procedures provided in
Maps Chapter 4, “Creating Recipes” and Chapter 2, “Operator Interface”
respectively, the wafer map may be viewed.

To view the wafer maps, perform the following:

1. Perform one of the following:

• If the Map Files Selection window is displayed, continue with the

next step.

• If the Map Files Selection window is not displayed, in the Focus

Mapping main menu, click on Maps.

The Map Files Selection window is displayed as shown in

Figure 5-3.

Figure 5-3. Map Files Selection Window

2. Select the wafer map you wish to view by clicking once on the
desired map file name in the list of available items and then clicking
on Enter, or double click on desired map file name.
The selected map is displayed on the screen. The type of map that is
displayed (contour or topographic) color mode (black and white, grey,
or color) is determined by your FE System configuration.

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 Viewing Wafer Maps

Topographical Topographical wafer mapping is a 3D representation of the wafer thick-

ness as measured by the FE System.
Mapping
Topographical wafer maps may be displayed in black and white, color, or
greyscale, and the orientation of the wafer view can also be easily
changed. You may also switch back and forth between topographical and
contour maps for the wafer as desired.

Figure 5-4 shows an example of a black and white topographical wafer

map. Note that the wafer statistics are also displayed with the map.

Figure 5-4. Topographical Wafer Map (Black and White)

NOTE

The arrow pointing to the wafer map indicates the

location of the wafer flat or notch.

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Contour Contour wafer mapping is a 2D representation of the wafer thickness as

measured by the FE System.
Mapping
Contour wafer maps may be displayed in black and white, color, or grey-
scale, and the orientation of the wafer view can also be easily changed.
You may also switch back and forth between contour and topographical
maps for the wafer as desired.

Figure 5-5 shows an example of a black and white contour wafer map.
Note that the wafer statistics are also displayed with the map.

Figure 5-5. Contour Wafer Map (Black and White)

NOTE

The arrow pointing to the wafer map indicates the

location of the wafer flat or notch.

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 Viewing Wafer Maps

Difference and The FE System’s mapping software has the capability to create the fol-
lowing types of etch maps:
Etch Rate Maps
• Difference Map — Compares a wafer before and after undergoing
an etch or CMP (Chemical Mechanical Polishing) process that
removes material from the wafer. Difference maps show how much
material was removed between measurements.

• Etch Rate Map — Created according to an equation that is

developed for etch rate calculations. Etch rate maps give an
indication of the uniformity of the etch process.

Creating a To create a difference map, you should first have created a map of the
Difference Map wafer both before and after the etch process. Once both maps have
been created, enter the mapping software using the procedure in
“Starting Focus Mapping” on page 5–3.

1. With the wafer mapping software running, perform one of the

following:

• If the Map File Selection window is displayed, click on the

Cancel button in the Map File Selection window then continue with
Step 2.

• If the Map File Selection window is not displayed, continue with

Step 2.

2. In the Focus Mapping main menu, click on Etch.

The Etch menu is displayed.

3. Click on Difference Map in the Etch menu.

A window is displayed instructing you to select two wafer maps. The
formula used is DISPLAYED MAP = WAFER1 – WAFER2.

4. Click on OK.
A window is displayed instructing you to select the first wafer map.

5. Click on OK.
The Map File Selection window is displayed as shown in Figure 5-3
on page 5–6.

6. Click once on the desired map file name in the Map File Selection
window then click on Enter, or double click on the desired map
file name.
A window is displayed instructing you to select the wafer map that will
be subtracted from the first map.

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7. Click on OK.
The Map File Selection window is displayed.

8. Click once on the desired map file name in the Map File Selection
window and then click on Enter, or double click on desired map file
name.
A window is displayed asking if you wish to see the map.

9. Perform one of the following:

• Click on No and the resultant wafer difference information is

displayed in text format. After viewing the information you may save
the information to a specified destination path and filename, and/or
print the information.

Click on Exit when you have finished viewing the information.

• Click on Yes and the wafer difference map is displayed on the

screen along with a window asking if you wish to save the
difference map.

- Click on No and the difference map data is not saved. The map
remains on the screen.

CAUTION

If you do not save the difference map, when you clear

the map or exit the Mapping software, the newly
created map is lost.

- Click on Yes and a window is displayed in which you may enter

the desired difference map name. Type the desired name for
the difference map and click on the Enter button.

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 Viewing Wafer Maps

Creating an Etch To create an etch rate map, you should first have created a map of the
Rate Map wafer both before and after the etch process. Once both maps have
been created, enter the mapping software using the procedure in
“Starting Focus Mapping” on page 5–3.

1. With the wafer mapping software running, perform one of the

following:

• If the Map File Selection window is displayed, click on the

Cancel button in the Map File Selection window then continue with
Step 2.

• If the Map File Selection window is not displayed, continue with

Step 2.

2. In the Focus Mapping main menu, click on Etch.

The Etch menu is displayed.

3. Click on Etch Rate Map in the Etch menu.

A window is displayed as shown in Figure 5-6 that shows you the cur-
rent etch rate calculation formula. This window also allows you to
define a new etch rate calculation formula.

Figure 5-6. Etch Rate Calculation Window

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4. Perform one of the following:

• Click on Ok to accept the current etch rate calculation formula.

A window is displayed instructing you to select two etch maps.
Continue with Step 5.

• Make the desired changes to the etch rate calculation information.

Click on the Formula button to change the actual etch rate formula.
Click on the Ok button in the Etch Rate Formula window when you
have finished modifying the etch rate formula, then click on Ok in
the Etch Rate Calculation window.

A window is displayed instructing you to select two etch maps.

Continue with Step 5.

5. Click on OK.
A window is displayed instructing you to select the map before etch.

6. Click on OK.
The Map File Selection window is displayed as shown in Figure 5-3
on page 5–6.

7. Click once on the desired map file name in the Map File Selection
window and then click on Enter, or double click on desired map file
name.
A window is displayed instructing you to select the map after etch.

8. Click on OK.
The Map File Selection window is displayed.

9. Click once on the desired map file name in the Map File Selection
window and then click on Enter, or double click on desired map file
name.
A window is displayed asking if you wish to see the map.

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 Viewing Wafer Maps

10. Perform one of the following:

• Click on No and the resultant etch rate information is displayed in

text format. After viewing, you may save the information to a
specified destination path and filename, print the information,
and/or upload the information to a host.

Click on Exit when you have finished viewing the information.

• Click on Yes and the wafer etch rate map is displayed on the
screen along with a window asking if you wish to save the map.

- Click on No and the etch rate map data is not saved. The map
remains on the screen.

CAUTION

If you do not save the etch rate map, when you clear
the map or exit the Mapping software, the data is lost.

- Click on Yes and a window is displayed in which you may enter

the desired difference map name. Type the desired name for
the etch rate map and click on the Enter button.

Updating Wafer There are two ways in which to update the wafer map that is currently
displayed on the screen. These methods are Automatic and Manual
Map Views updating.

Automatic In Automatic update mode, the Update button on the menu bar is high-
Updating lighted. Any change made to the display, such as changing the color
mode, map orientation, or switching between contour and topographical
displays will cause the wafer map to be updated immediately. This
method can be time consuming if several changes are to be made to the
wafer map view. Automatic update is the system default.

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Manual Updating In Manual update mode, you may make several changes to the wafer
map view and the changes will not take effect until the Operator manually
updates the view. To enter Manual update mode, perform the following:

1. Click on the Update button in the menu bar so that the button is no
longer highlighted.

2. Make other menu selections (such as changing the color mode, map
orientation, switching between contour and topographical displays, or
modifying other display modes) as desired using the procedures
given in this chapter. Note that the wafer map view is not updated.

3. Click on the Update button in the menu bar. The button is now
highlighted and the wafer map view is updated with the new display
selections.

Switching To change the wafer map view to/from black and white, color, or grey-
scale, perform the following:
Color Modes
1. Click on Color in the menu bar.
The Color menu is displayed (with a checkmark beside the current
color mode).

2. Click on the desired color mode (Color, Grey, or Black + White).

The wafer map is displayed in the selected color mode.

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 Viewing Wafer Maps

Changing To change the orientation of the wafer map on the screen, perform the
following:
Wafer
Orientation 1. Click on View in the menu bar.
View The View Control window is displayed as shown in the figure below.

Figure 5-7. View Control Window

2. Click in the Rotation: and/or Elevation: fields and enter the desired
values, or use the slider bars to display the desired rotation and
elevation of the view.

NOTE

Elevation and Rotation values only apply to

topographic wafer maps.

3. When the desired values are displayed, click on the OK button.

The wafer map view is updated using the new rotation and/or eleva-
tion values.

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Switching To change the wafer map view between topographical and contour map-
ping, perform the following:
Between
Topographic 1. Click on Mode in the menu bar.
and Contour The Mode menu is displayed (with a checkmark beside the current
Mapping display mode).

2. Click on either Topograph or Contour in the Mode menu.

A map of the selected type is displayed using the current wafer mea-
surement information. See Figure 5-4 on page 5–7 and Figure 5-5 on
page 5–8 for examples of topographical and contour wafer maps.

Clearing the When you have completed viewing the wafer maps, you may clear the
screen by clicking on Clear All in the menu bar.
Wafer Map View
All currently displayed maps are closed. You may now exit the Mapping
software (see “Exiting Wafer Mapping” on page 5–19), or select another
wafer map to view (see “Opening a New or Additional Wafer Maps” on
page 5–16).

Opening a New You may open a new wafer map to view after clearing the screen, or open
an additional wafer map while the current map is still displayed by per-
or Additional forming the following:
Wafer Maps
1. Click on Maps in the menu bar.
The Map File Selection window is displayed as shown in
Figure 5-3 on page 5–6.

2. Select a map name using the procedure given in “Viewing Wafer

Maps” on page 5–6.
The selected map is displayed on the screen.

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 Viewing Wafer Maps

Editing the Erroneous points, which may be caused by processing, debris, or edge
effects on the wafer, may distort the appearance of a wafer map.
Measured Data
You may edit the measurement data for the displayed wafer map by per-
forming the following:

1. With a wafer map displayed, click on Edit in the menu bar then click
on Data from the Edit menu.
The Editing Measured Data window is displayed as shown in the fig-
ure below.

Figure 5-8. Editing Measured Data Window

NOTE

Clicking on the Cancel button at any time returns you

to the Wafer Map View window.

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2. Click on Min to automatically select the minimum measurement point,

Max to automatically select the maximum measurement point, or
click on the point you wish to edit.
The selected point is highlighted.

3. Once the desired measurement point is selected, click on the Edit

button to edit the data or Delete to delete the measurement point.
If you select Delete, you are asked to confirm your action. Click on
Yes to delete the point or No to return to the Editing Measured Data
window.
If you select Edit, a window is displayed in which you may enter the
new measurement information for the selected point. Enter the new
information and click on Enter.

4. When you have completed making changes to the measurement

data, click on the Apply button.
The wafer map is redisplayed using the new measurement informa-
tion.

5. Click on Edit in the menu bar.

The Edit menu is displayed.

6. Click on Save in the Edit menu to save the new measurement

information.

CAUTION

If you do not save the new measurement information,

when you clear the wafer map or exit the Mapping
software, the changes you made will be lost.

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 Exiting Wafer Mapping

Exiting Wafer To exit the wafer mapping software, double click the icon in the upper-left
corner of the screen, or single click the icon to display a menu. With the
Mapping menu displayed, click on the Close menu item.

Any wafer maps currently displayed will be closed and the Mapping soft-
ware will exit. You are returned to the OS/2 desktop.

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Wafer Mapping and Data Reporting

Wafer The Focus Browser program makes it possible to view the wafer mea-
surement data collected by the FE System. In order to view the data you
Reports must select the wafers that you wish to view and, within the selected set
of wafers, the exact point(s), film layer(s), and film parameter(s) must be
selected.

The process of “Browsing” the data consists of defining a query and dis-
playing data. A query is the means used to collect the data. An example
query might be: “Select all of the 16 MEG-DRAM Gate oxide wafers and
display only the thickness of the first point on each wafer.” The data can
be displayed as a graph, an SPC trend chart or text.

The following steps are taken to create a wafer report:

1. A wafer recipe must be created by the Engineer that sends the wafer
measurement data to the database using the Focus Recipe Creator
program. The wafer recipe is then incorporated into a process step.
Refer to “Wafer Report Selection” on page 4–24 of Chapter 4,
“Creating Recipes” for information.

2. The process specification and step containing the wafer recipe are
run by the Operator using the Focus Operator Queued Loading
program. This will generate the database report file. Refer to
Chapter 2, “Operator Interface” for information.

Once the wafer database file is generated, the Focus Browser program
may be used to query the database and display the measurement
report data.

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 Starting Focus Browser

Starting To start the Focus Browser program, position the trackball pointer over
the Focus Browser icon, located in the Focus Ellipsometer folder, and
Focus double click the left trackball button.
Browser The Focus Browser main window is displayed as shown in Figure 5-9.

Figure 5-9. Focus Browser Main Window

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Focus Browser The following menu items are available in the Focus Browser Main win-
dow:
Main Menu
• Define Query — Used to select a predefined database query or to
define a new database query for retrieving the desired data from
the FE System database.

• Display Graph — Displays the retrieved measurement data as a

graph in “values vs. measurements” format.

• Display Report — Displays the retrieved measurement data as a

Text Report, or Data Dump.

- Text Report — Presents the data in the format similar to the

reports generated by the Operator using the Focus Operator
Queued Loading program, except that the points do not
necessarily represent consecutive data.

- Data Dump — Displays the data in columns separated by tabs

to facilitate its use in a spreadsheet program.

• Display SQL — Provides information on the query currently

selected (such as query name, process specification and step,
recipe, and filmstack information).

Cassette Icon The Cassette Icon, displayed in the Focus Browser main window, pro-
vides an easy method for reviewing data by cassette groups. Cassette
groups are identified by cassette ID and measurement data. The most
recently measured cassettes appear at the top of the list.

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 Browsing the Database

Browsing the The following methods may be used to browse the database:

Database • Cassette Browsing

• Database Queries

NOTE

Prior to wafer measurement, it is essential that the

database option be selected in the “report” template
of the wafer recipe. Refer to “Wafer Report Selection”
on page 4–24 of Chapter 4, “Creating Recipes” for
information.

Cassette The cassette mode makes it possible to view the measurement data in its
“as measured” format. The data cannot be reorganized.
Browsing
To start the cassette browsing mode, perform the following:

1. Click the left trackball button on the Cassette Icon located on the
Focus Browser main window.
A window is displayed with a list of the available cassette IDs as
shown in Figure 5-10. The date and time during which the cassettes
were measured is also given. The cassette IDs are listed in reverse
time order, most recent cassette measured at the top of the list.

Figure 5-10. Cassette Selection List

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2. Select a cassette by single clicking on the desired item from the list
and clicking on the OK button or by double clicking on the desired
item. Scroll the list up or down using the Page Up and Page Down
buttons if necessary. The display may be changed to show the
cassette ID, the recipe that was run on the cassette, or the Operator
who ran the process step by clicking on the Cassette ID, Recipe, or
Person button respectively.
A measurement report is displayed as shown in Figure 5-11. The cas-
sette entry will be shown in a format similar to those produced by
Focus Operator Queued Loading program. One difference between
the formats is that multiple parameters create duplicate lines
(for example, two lines for point 1).

Figure 5-11. Cassette Measurement Report

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 Browsing the Database

3. When when the report is displayed, you may perform any of the
following:

• Save the data in the report to a text file by clicking on the File
menu, then clicking on Save As. Enter the desired destination path
and filename in the dialog box that is displayed and click on Enter.

The data is saved in the specified file and may be imported into a
text editor or into Microsoft Excel.

• Print the report to the printer that is connected to the FE System by

clicking on the Print menu item. Ensure that the printer is
connected, is turned on, and is on-line.

• Quit the report viewer by clicking on the Exit menu item. This exits
the report viewer, however the data contained in the report still
resides in the FE System database.

Quitting the report viewer returns you to the Focus Browser

window.

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Wafer Mapping and Data Reporting

Database A query is a set of rules used to retrieve data from the database. You
must indicate which wafers you wish to view and then decide which infor-
Queries mation from each wafer you wish to see.

To query the database, perform the following procedure:

1. From the Focus Browser main menu, click on Query Database.

The Browser Query Selection window is displayed as shown in
Figure 5-12. If there are any pre-defined queries, they will be dis-
played in the Available Items section.

Figure 5-12. Browser Query Selection Window

2. Perform one of the following:

• Select an existing browser query: click once on a query name in

the Available Items window then click Enter, or double click on the
desired query name.

You are returned to the Focus Browser main window with the
selected query name displayed as shown in Figure 5-14. Proceed
to “Viewing Report Data” on page 5–30 to perform the desired
query (graph, text, or text dump).

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 Browsing the Database

• Modify an existing query: click once on a query name in the

Available Items window then click on Modify.

The Query Definition Screen is displayed similar to the one shown

in Figure 5-13.

NOTE

When modifying an existing query, the query

parameters will be displayed in the Query Definition
Screen.

• Create a new query: type the desired name in the Name field, type
a description for the new query in the Description field, then click
on the Enter button.

The Query Definition Screen is displayed as shown in

Figure 5-13.

Figure 5-13. Query Definition Screen

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Wafer Mapping and Data Reporting

The following information must be defined in the query:

- Process Specification
- Process Step
- Wafer Recipe
- FilmStack
- Layer
- Film Parameter
- Wafer Points
- Wafer Slot
This information is required to avoid mixing different types of informa-
tion. For example, nitride film thicknesses cannot be compared to
oxide film thicknesses. However, there are cases where it may be
desirable to mix information. For example, the measurement points
listed on the wafer can be taken from any wafer. In this case, it is per-
missible to mix the choices.
The items in the above list comprise all of the information required to
extract one type of information from the database. The information
itself can be separated into three categories:

- Recipe information
- Film information
- Position information
3. Perform one of the following:

• If you are defining a new query: click on the Process Spec

button on the Query Definition Screen.

The system will automatically step you through the query definition
process. Each time you are prompted, select the desired process
spec, process step, wafer recipe, filmstack, layer, points, and
wafer slot.

NOTE

If only one option is available for a given parameter,

the system will automatically select that option and
display it in the appropriate field.

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 Browsing the Database

• If you are modifying an existing query: click on the button of the

parameter you wish to modify and select the new value for that
parameter.

The system automatically steps through the remainder of the query

definition from that point. Each time you are prompted, select the
desired option for the parameter displayed.

4. Make any optional selections for the query as desired. These

selections include:

• Whether to calculate statistics, which statistics to calculate, and

how to group the calculations.

• Selecting lot, cassette, and wafer IDs.

• Specifying date ranges for the query.
5. Perform one of the following:

• To cancel the query definition: click on the Cancel button.

You are returned to the Focus Browser main window.

• To clear the Query Definition Screen: click on the Clear button.

The Query Definition Screen is cleared. Repeat this procedure from
Step 3 above to create a new query.

• To save the query: click on the OK button.

The query is saved in the database and you are returned to the
Focus Browser main window with the selected query name
displayed as shown in Figure 5-14.

• To perform the query and display the data as a graph: click on

the Graph button.

A Measurement Value Graph is displayed. Refer to “Displaying

Data as a Graph” on page 5–31.

• To perform the query and display the data as a report: click on

the Report button.

A text report is displayed. Refer to “Displaying Data in Text Format”

on page 5–32.

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Viewing Data can be displayed as a graph, text report, or text dump (suitable for a
spread-sheet program). In addition, the query statistics (query name, pro-
Report Data cess specification and step, recipe name, and so on) can be displayed.

The current query, displayed in either in the Focus Browser main window
(Figure 5-14) or in the Query Definition Screen, will be used to select the
data for display.

Figure 5-14. Focus Browser with Query Selected

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 Viewing Report Data

Displaying Once a query has been defined and selected, display the data retrieved
by the query as a graph by performing the following:
Data as a Graph
1. Perform one of the following:

• From the Focus Browser window: click on Display Graph from

the main menu.

• From the Query Definition Screen: click on the Graph button.

A database query is performed and a Measurement Value Graph is
displayed similar to the example shown in Figure 5-15.

Figure 5-15. Sample Measurement Value Graph

2. When you have finished viewing the graph, exit the viewer by double
clicking the icon in the upper left corner of the viewer window (to the
left of the Measurement Value Graph name), or single click the icon
to display a menu. With the menu displayed, click on the Close item.
You are returned to the screen from which you opted to display the
graph (the Focus Browser window or the Query Definition Screen).

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Displaying The data retrieved by the selected query may be displayed in either text
mode or data dump format.
Data in Text
Format

Text Mode The text display presents the data in the format similar to that generated
by the Focus Operator Queued Loading program, except that the points
do not necessarily represent consecutive data.

Once a query has been defined and selected, display the data retrieved
by the query as a text report by performing the following:

1. Perform one of the following:

• From the Focus Browser window: click on Display Report from

the main menu, then click on Text Report.

• From the Query Definition Screen: click on the Report button.

A database query is performed and a text report is displayed similar
to the example shown in Figure 5-16.

Figure 5-16. Sample Text Report

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 Viewing Report Data

2. When you have finished viewing the report on-line, you may:

• Save the data in the report to a text file by clicking on the File
menu, then clicking on Save As. Enter the desired destination path
and filename in the dialog box that is displayed and click on Enter.

The data is saved in the specified file and may be imported into a
text editor or into Microsoft Excel.

• Print the report to the printer that is connected to the FE System by

clicking on the Print menu item. Ensure that the printer is
connected, is turned on, and is on-line.

• Quit the report viewer by clicking on the Exit menu item. This exits
the report viewer, however the data contained in the report still
resides in the FE System database.
You are returned to the screen from which you opted to display the
report (either the Focus Browser main window or the Query Definition
Screen).

Text Dump Mode The text dump mode displays the data in columns separated by tabs to
facilitate its use in a spreadsheet program.

Once a query has been defined and selected, display the data retrieved
by the query as a data dump report by performing the following:

1. From the Focus Browser window, click on Display Report from the
main menu, then click on Data Dump.
A database query is performed and a text report is displayed (in data
dump mode) similar to the example shown in Figure 5-17.

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Figure 5-17. Sample Data Dump Report

2. When you have finished viewing the report on-line, you may:

• Save the data in the report to a text file by clicking on the File
menu, then clicking on Save As. Enter the desired destination path
and filename in the dialog box that is displayed and click on Enter.

The data is saved in the specified file and may be imported into a
text editor or into Microsoft Excel.

• Print the report to the printer that is connected to the FE System by

clicking on the Print menu item. Ensure that the printer is
connected, is turned on, and is on-line.

• Quit the report viewer by clicking on the Exit menu item. This exits
the report viewer, however the data contained in the report still
resides in the FE System database.
You are returned to the Focus Browser main window.

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 Viewing Report Data

Query Statistics To display the parameters that make up the current query, perform the
following:

1. In the Focus Browser main menu, click on Display SQL.

A Query Information window is displayed as shown in Figure 5-18.

Figure 5-18. Query Information Window

2. When you have finished viewing the query information, click on the
OK button.
You are returned to the Focus Browser main window.

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Exiting To exit the Focus Browser software, double click the icon in the upper-left
corner of the screen, or single click the icon to display a menu. With the
Focus menu displayed, click on the Close menu item.
Browser Any reports currently displayed will be closed and the Focus Browser will
exit. You are returned to the OS/2 desktop.

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 Importing and Exporting Data

Importing The Import/Export function of the FE System allows the Engineer to

export process specification, wafer recipe, filmstack, and/or person (login
and Exporting name) information from one FE System and import that data to another
Data system’s database. This process is performed through the Focus Recipe
Creator program.

NOTE

The software versions on the two FE Systems must

be identical. Patterned wafer recipes may only be
imported and exported to/from FE-VII systems.

A media disk, or a blank, formatted floppy disk is required which must

then be converted into a Media disk before data may be imported or
exported.

CAUTION

If the media disk becomes full during the export

process, the FE System database will be corrupted.
To reduce the risk of corrupting the FE database, you
should always use a new media disk and export one
wafer recipe at a time. It is NOT recommended that
you export by process spec.

Perform the following:

1. Start the Focus Recipe Creator program and log in using the
procedures provided in “Starting Recipe Creator and Logging In” on
page 4–5 of Chapter 4, “Creating Recipes”.

2. In the Focus Recipe Creator main menu, click on Imp/Exp.

A window is displayed instructing you to have an import/export media
disk or a blank, formatted floppy disk inserted in disk drive A:\.

3. Perform one of the following:

• If you already have an import/export media disk: insert the

media disk in drive A:\. Continue the procedure with Step 5.

• If you do not have an import/export media disk: insert a blank,

formatted floppy in drive A:\. Proceed to “Creating an Import/Export
Media Disk” on page 5–41.

4. With the media disk inserted in drive A:\, click on the OK button.
The Recipe Import/Export window is displayed as shown in
Figure 5-19.

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Figure 5-19. Recipe Import/Export Window

The Recipe Import/Export window is made up of the following:

• Focus Database — Displays all process spec, wafer recipe,

filmstack, or person (login names) information currently in the
Focus database. This includes default information and new entries
that were created by the Engineer. The list that is displayed is
dependent upon the Recipe Type that is selected.

• Media Database — Displays the process spec, wafer recipe,

filmstack, or person (login names) information that is currently on
the media disk.

• Recipe Type
- Process Spec — Displays all process spec information that is
in the Focus database and on the media disk in the Focus
Database and Media Database lists.

- Wafer Recipe — Displays all wafer recipe information that is in

the Focus database and on the media disk in the Focus
Database and Media Database lists.

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 Importing and Exporting Data

- Film Stack — Displays all filmstack information that is in the

Focus database and on the media disk in the Focus Database
and Media Database lists.

- Person — Displays all login name information that is in the

Focus database and on the media disk in the Focus Database
and Media Database lists.

• Imp/Exp Button — Clicking this button after selecting an item, or

items, from a list will cause the selected item(s) to either be
exported from the Focus database to the media disk, or imported
from the media disk to the Focus database. The label on this button
will display Import or Export depending on which list the item(s)
were selected. Selecting items from the Focus Database list will
cause this button to display Export. Selecting items from the Media
Database list will cause the button to display Import and arrows
(“>>” or “<<“) in the Imp/Exp button will indicate the direction the
files will move.

• Delete Entry Button — Clicking this button after selecting an item,

or items, from a list will result in the selected item(s) being deleted
from the database. You will be prompted to confirm the action
before the item(s) are actually deleted.

• Enable overwrite — Selecting this option will allow the system to

automatically overwrite any entries that already exist in the
destination database. If this option is not selected and an item
already exists in the destination database, you will be prompted to
decide whether or not the item should be overwritten.

• Initialize Media Button — Clicking this button will cause the media
disk to be erased. You will be prompted to confirm this action before
the disk is actually erased.

• Media Path — Displays the path for the media disk.

5. Select the desired Recipe Type to be imported or exported by clicking
on the Process Spec, Wafer Recipe, Film Stack, or Person button
as appropriate.

CAUTION

If the media disk becomes full during the export

process, the FE System database will be corrupted.
To reduce the risk of corrupting the FE database, you
should always use a new media disk and export one
wafer recipe at a time. It is NOT recommended that
you export by Process Spec.
The database information for both the Focus System and media disk
is displayed.

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Wafer Mapping and Data Reporting

6. Select the desired item(s) to import, export, or delete from the

appropriate list by positioning the trackball pointer over the item and
single clicking the left trackball button.
The selected item(s) are highlighted and the Imp/Exp button will dis-
play either Import or Export.

7. You may optionally select Enable overwrite to automatically

overwrite any files that already exist in the destination database.

8. Perform one of the following:

• To delete the selected item(s): click on the Delete button.

A window is displayed for each item you have selected for deletion
asking you to confirm the action. Click on Yes to delete the item,
click on No to leave the item in the database.

• To import the selected item(s) from the media disk to the

Focus Database: click on the Import button.

The selected item(s) are copied from the media disk to the FE data-
base. If Enable overwrite was not selected, you are prompted
before items that already exist in the database are overwritten.
Click on Yes to overwrite the file, No to keep the existing file.

• To export the selected item(s) from the Focus Database to the

media disk: click on the Export button.

The selected item(s) are copied from the FE database to the media
disk. If Enable overwrite was not selected, you are prompted
before items that already exist on the media disk are overwritten.
Click on Yes to overwrite the file, No to keep the existing file.

9. Repeat Step 5 through Step 8 above for each of the Recipe Types
you wish to import or export.

10. When all of the desired information has been imported or exported,
click on the Exit button.
The message Deregistering Export Media is displayed.

CAUTION

DO NOT remove the media disk while the message

“Deregistering Export Media” is being displayed.
Removing the disk while the message is displayed
will corrupt the FE System database.

11. After the Deregistering Export Media message is no longer displayed

and the drive activity light has been off for at least 10 seconds, you
may remove the media disk from the floppy drive.

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 Importing and Exporting Data

Creating an A media disk is a Focus database formatted disk which has all of the
default database filmstacks, materials, recipes, and so on.
Import/Export
Media Disk After inserting a blank, formatted floppy in disk drive A:\ as described in
Step 3 of the procedure provided in “Importing and Exporting Data” on
page 5–37, use the following procedure to create an import/export
media disk.

1. Click on the OK button.

The Recipe Import/Export window is displayed as shown in
Figure 5-20.

Figure 5-20. Recipe Import/Export Window - Make Media Disk

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Wafer Mapping and Data Reporting

2. In the Recipe Import/Export window, click on the Make Media Disk

button.
A window is displayed asking you to confirm that a blank, formatted
floppy disk is inserted in drive A:\.

NOTE

If you do not already have a blank, formatted floppy

disk inserted in drive A:\, insert one at this time.

3. With a blank, formatted floppy in drive A:\, click on the Yes button.
A window is displayed indicating that a Media Disk is being created.
Once the process has completed, the Recipe Import/Export window
is redisplayed as shown in Figure 5-19. Notice that the Make Media
Disk button is now labeled Initialize Media.

NOTE

This step may take several minutes to complete as

the system transfers all of the default database
information to the floppy disk.

4. With the media disk now created, return to Step 5 of the procedure
given in “Importing and Exporting Data” on page 5–37.

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Starting and Appendix A

Stopping the System

Introduction The purpose of this appendix is to provide the operator and the engineer
with detailed instructions for starting and stopping the system. The infor-
mation in this section pertains to the FOCUS Ellipsometer (FE) III, IV, and
VII systems, and includes the following topics:

• How to perform a normal system startup.

• How to perform a normal system shutdown.
• How to initiate an emergency system shutdown.
• How to recover from an emergency system shutdown.

NOTE

The procedures in this guide assume that once the FE

System is started after installation it will be left on.
The shutdown procedures are provided for possible
service requirements or emergency situations.

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Starting and Stopping the System

FE System All FE System models have a standard control panel (as shown in the fig-
ure below) which contains the following:
Control Panel
1. Power On/Off switch — Green switch used to turn the system on
and off under normal operating conditions.

2. Emergency Motion Off (EMO) or Emergency Power Off (EPO)

switch — Red switch for emergency use. This switch can be
configured (to customer requirements) as an EMO switch, which
stops all unit motion but maintains air flow and power to the unit, or
as an EPO switch, which powers down the unit.

1 2

Figure A-1. Power On/Off Switches

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 Normal System Startup

Normal To startup your FE System, ensure that power is applied to the system
(that is, the power cord is plugged into the wall outlet, the main power
System breaker for that outlet is turned on, and the circuit breaker behind the
Startup large door on the measurement module is turned on) then press the
green Power On/Off switch on the control panel.

NOTE

Turning off the circuit breaker behind the large door

on the measurement module will remove all power
from the FE System after the breaker. Figure A-2
shows the location of the circuit breaker.

The system software will boot up and the hardware will initialize automat-
ically.

C irc u it B re ak e r
1/4" O .D. Va cu um tubin g
con nec tion

S E C S -II C on ne c tion
A C r ece ptac le for m onitor and
op ti onal p rinter P ri nter/P lo tte r
C on n ec tio n
FE 7 U T IL 1 . W M F

Figure A-2. FE System Utility Connections

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Starting and Stopping the System

Normal To perform a normal FE System shutdown, use the following procedure:

System 1. Remove all wafers from the stage, external flat/notch finder, and the
robot.
Shutdown
2. Exit the Focus program that is currently running (such as: Focus
Operator, Focus Interactive, and so on).
You are returned to the OS/2 desktop.

NOTE

Your FE System may have been configured to require

an Engineer or Supervisor level login name and
password to exit the Focus Operator program.

3. On the OS/2 desktop background, not in a window, click once with

the RIGHT mouse button.
A list of OS/2 system commands is displayed.

4. Click the LEFT mouse button on the Shut down command.

The computer will go through its shutdown procedure and will display
a message when the shutdown is complete and it is safe to turn off
the system.

5. Press the green Power On/Off switch on the FE System control panel
to turn off the system.
The FE System is powered off.

NOTE

If the large door under the control panel is opened,

there is a circuit breaker in the lower left hand corner
that may also be switched off. Turning off this circuit
breaker removes all power from the FE System after
the breaker.

6. Once the FE System is powered off, and if desired, the power cord
can be removed from the outlet or the main power breaker may be
shut off.

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 Emergency System Shutdown

Emergency To perform an emergency FE System shutdown, press the red EMO/EPO

switch on the FE System control panel.
System
Shutdown The result of pressing the EMO/EPO switch will depend on whether the
switch is configured as an Emergency Motion Off or Emergency Power
Off switch.

Emergency If the EMO/EPO switch is configured as an Emergency Motion Off switch,

the following will occur when the switch is pressed:
Motion Off
(EMO) 1. The stage and robot will stop moving.

2. The compensator will shutdown.

3. The laser shutters will be activated and the tilt LED will turn off.

4. For an FE III or FE IV System, the last two LEDs on the rectifier board
(the Positive Rotating Compensator and Positive Motor LEDs) will
turn off.

5. For an FE VII System (with or without SMIF), the LEDs on the rectifier
board corresponding to Positive Chuck Power, Positive Motor, and
Positive Converter Input will turn off.

6. Air flow around the FE System is maintained.

Emergency If the EMO/EPO switch is configured as an Emergency Power Off switch,

the FE System will turn off completely.
Power Off
(EPO)

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Starting and Stopping the System

Recovering Once the EMO/EPO switch has been pressed and the FE System is shut-
down, perform the following:
from an
1. Clear any wafers from the robot or external flat/notch finder.
Emergency
System 2. Shutdown the software using the standard shutdown procedure given
in “Normal System Shutdown” on page A–4.
Shutdown
3. Press the green Power On/Off switch on the control panel.

NOTE

The next step must be performed with the power off

to ensure a proper recovery.

4. Reset the EMO/EPO switch.

5. Power the FE System on by pressing the green Power On/Off switch

on the control panel.

6. Verify that the Positive Rotating Compensator and Positive Motor

LEDs (FE III or FE IV) or Positive Chuck Power, Positive Motor, and
Positive Converter Input LEDs (FE VII) are now on.

The FE System may now be used. If any wafers were left on the stage,
robot, or flat/notch finder, the system will sense them and will ask where
you wish to unload them.

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System Appendix B

Configuration

Introduction The purpose of this appendix is to provide information that will allow you
to configure the FOCUS Ellipsometer system and customize the default
parameters and settings for the programs that make up the FOCUS Ellip-
someter software package. The information in this section pertains to the
FOCUS Ellipsometer (FE) III, IV, and VII systems, and includes the fol-
lowing topics:

• How to start up, use, and exit the Focus Setup program.
• Describe the configuration options available through the Focus
Setup program.

• How to create user login names and passwords and configure the
FE System login requirements.

• How to configure the FE System to communicate with a host

computer via SECS-II/GEM interface.

• How to perform database backup and restore procedures.

The tasks described in this appendix are performed with the use of the
Focus Setup program. This is the program that allows the user to change
the FOCUS Ellipsometer software configuration. The Focus Setup pro-
gram also provides data file backup, data file restore, and database main-
tenance functions.

NOTE

Configuring user login and password information

requires the use of the Focus Recipe Creator program
in addition to the Focus Setup program.

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System Configuration

Starting To start the Focus Setup program, perform the following procedure:

Focus Setup 1. Position the trackball pointer over the Focus Setup icon and double
click the left trackball button.
The Focus Setup main window is displayed as shown in Figure B-1.

Figure B-1. Focus Setup Main Window

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 Starting Focus Setup

Focus Setup The following menu items are available in the Focus Setup Main window:
Main Menu
CAUTION

The FOCUS System is set up and configured by

Rudolph Technologies personnel when the system is
installed. It is recommended that these settings not
be changed unless directed to do so by Rudolph
Technical Support.

With the exception of configuring user login

information, only brief descriptions of the options
available are provided in this section. Contact
Rudolph Technologies for more detailed
configuration information.

NOTE

The Focus Setup menu selections will vary depend-

ing on your FE System hardware configuration and
your software version. Some of the items shown in
this section may not be displayed.

• Setup — Allows you to access and change any of the following

parameters. These parameters include hardware configuration data
and default settings for the Focus software.

- Model Number — Specifies the model number, type of

flatnotch finder, type of wafer handling robot, and whether a
SMIF Indexer is present for the FE System.

- Login — Sets the FE System login requirements for the Focus

Operator Queued Loading, Focus Recipe Creator, and Focus
Interactive programs.

- Simulation — When enabled (indicated by a checkmark), the

system recognizes that the hardware has been disabled. This
allows you to load a logged measurement from the Focus
Interactive program and experiment with filmstacks. No
measurements can be made in Simulation mode.

- Initialization — Sets the initialization frequency of the wafer

handler. Initialization frequency may be set to every time a
program (Focus Interactive, Focus Recipe Creator, or Focus
Operator) is started, or only on power-up. With Smart Idle
Initialization enabled, a window may be set to initialize the
wafer handler at a specified time when the system has not been
used for a specified period of time. Also indicates the last time
the wafer handler was initialized.

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System Configuration

- Mapping — Sets the system defaults for viewing wafer maps.

Sigma level, grid dimensions, type of map (2D or 3D), color
mode, and other display options may be specified.

- Vision & Video — Specifies the type of vision system installed

and defines the vision and pattern recognition system related
parameters.

- Measurement — Sets the FE System measurement defaults

including: the default number of test repeats for repeatability
testing, delay count, fit tolerance, compensator motor speed,
default substrate and ambient layers, laser wavelengths,
measurement units, and temperature compensation.

- Wafer Handler — Sets the wafer handler system defaults

including: stage x and y movement, robot arm, and stage chuck
settings. The Pulses Per Second numbers indicate the speed
of the robot/stage movements. The Ramping Time numbers
indicate the ramping time of robot/stage movements.

NOTE

Setting the wafer handler speed values too high may

cause the stage/robot to stall.

- Focus Operator — Sets the default values for the Focus

Operator program. Options include: enable or disable the
queued loading feature, whether to generate cassette plate
information and wafer IDs, transfer window type, date review
and Operator lock on/off, the default view when Focus Operator
is started up, and the items that will be available when the
Operator clicks on the Options button.

- Database — Enables or disables the saving of wafer

measurement data and specifies how long measurement data
will remain in the database. Also specifies the media path,
which defines the default path for the Recipe Creator
import/export function.

- Data Files — Specifies the default filenames for the History log
and the log that contains the data from the measurement that
was last run. Also specifies the log file path, the number of logs
that will be stored, the font style for the log viewer, and how the
pattern recognition data will be grouped in the log.

- Miscellaneous — Sets the password required to access the

Focus Test diagnostic program. If no entry is made, then no
password is required. Also specifies the tool name (which
identifies the instrument and is shown in the text when
generating a data report), the number of wafer slots per
cassette, wafer unload orientation, centering tolerances,
illumination levels, and SMIF Arm/SMIF Indexer information.

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 Starting Focus Setup

- Recipe Repeat — Specifies the number of times the selected

Wafer Recipe will be run by the Focus Operator program.

- PM — Sets the activation/deactivation method of preventative

maintenance messages (by wafer count or time). Each of four
possible warning messages may have its own specified
warning message text. The Current State indicates the state of
the message. Time Activation can be selected for a Start or a
Repeat method. The Start method will activate the message at
the time selected. The Repeat method will activated the
message every X days. Wafer Activation can be selected for a
Start or a Repeat method. The Start method will activate the
message at the time X wafers have been measured. The
Repeat method will activate the message after every X wafers
are measured.

- Parallel Solver — Enables or disables a separate modeling

process while the system moves and measures.

- D-Series — Sets the height and stage adjustments for the IR

focal point.

- Signal Tower — Specifies whether a signal tower is present on

the system and how the signal tower has been configured.

- Throughput — Used specifically for running throughput tests.

Throughput optimizations and thread sleep times may also be
specified.

• Backup — Allows you to perform FE System database backup

procedures.

- Recipe Database — Backs up the Wafer Recipe database (this

includes the optical characteristics of materials, N and K
database), and the Vision System pattern database.

- Log0 — Backs up the log0 history file.

- Configuration Files — Backs up the calibration files.
- Map Files — Backs up the wafer map files.
- Wafer Database — Backs up the wafer database.

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System Configuration

• Restore — Allows you to restore the FE System database from

backup.

- Recipe Database — Restores the Wafer Recipe database and

the Vision System pattern database.

- Configuration Files — Restores the calibration files.

- Map Files — Restores the wafer map files.
- Wafer Database — Restores the wafer database.
• Database — Allows you to perform database maintenance tasks.
- Vision — Deletes those image files that are left behind in the
database when associated pattern recognition recipe was
deleted.

- Database Compression — Compresses the FE System

database information.

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 Setting FE System Login Requirements

Setting FE The FE System can be configured to require a user to enter a login name
and password in order to access the following programs:
System
• Focus Operator Queued Loading
Login
Requirements • Focus Interactive
• Focus Recipe Creator

For each of the three programs, you may specify whether a user must log
in, if the user must enter a password, and the security level the user must
possess in order to run the program. In addition, for the Focus Operator
Queued Loading program, you may specify if the user must log in to view
measurement data, and if the user must log out in order to exit the Focus
Operator Queued Loading program.

Use the following procedure to specify the login requirements for each of
the FE programs:

1. If it is not already running, start the Focus Setup program using the
procedure given in “Starting Focus Setup” on page B–2.
The Focus Setup main window is displayed.

2. From the Focus Setup main menu, click on Setup then click on
Login when the Setup menu is displayed.
The Focus Login window is displayed as shown in Figure B-2.

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System Configuration

Figure B-2. Focus Login Window

3. Use the following information to set the login requirements for each of
the FE System programs (Focus Operator, Recipe Creator, and
Focus Interactive):

• Login — Click on the Login checkbox to require that a user enter a

valid login name in order to access the program.

• Password — Click on the Password checkbox to require that a

user enter a valid login name and password in order to access the
program.

• Access — Specify the privilege level the user must have in order to
access the program by clicking on the checkbox for either Operator
or Engineer.

NOTE

A user with a higher privilege level than that which is

specified will also be able to access the program. For
example, clicking on the “Operator” checkbox for any
of the programs will also select the “Engineer”
access level. Users with “Super” privilege have
access to all of the programs at all times.

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 Setting FE System Login Requirements

4. For Focus Operator only, set the following as desired:

• Data Login — Specify whether a login is required to access the

data stored in the FE database. Click on the On or Off button as
desired.

• Login Exit — Specify whether a login is required to exit the Focus

Operator program. Click on the On or Off button as desired. If this
option is turned on, only a user with Engineer level access or higher
may exit the Focus Operator program.

5. When you have completed entering the login requirements, click on

the Enter button.
The Focus Setup main window is displayed.

6. You may now exit the Focus Setup program by using the procedure
provided in “Exiting Focus Setup” on page B–10.

7. If user records have not already been created for the FE System,
proceed to “Setting Up User Logins and Passwords” on page B–11.

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System Configuration

Exiting To exit the Focus Setup program, perform the following procedure:

Focus Setup 1. On the Focus Setup screen, perform one of the following:

• Double click the left trackball button on the icon located in the upper
left corner of the screen (beside the Focus Recipe Creator program
name).

• Single click the left trackball button on the icon located in the upper
left corner of the screen (beside the Focus Recipe Creator program
name). Select Close from the menu that is displayed.
The Focus Setup program will exit and you will be returned to the
OS/2 desktop.

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 Setting Up User Logins and Passwords

Setting Up If the FE System is configured to require a user log in to access the FE

Software, user records must be configured using the Focus Recipe Cre-
User Logins ator program.
and A User Record consists of a login name, an optional password, the secu-
Passwords rity level for the user, and optionally assigned “quick buttons” for the pro-
cess specifications the user is allowed to run.

Creating New Use the following procedure to define a new user record:
User Records 1. Start the Focus Recipe Creator program using the procedures
provided in Chapter 4, “Creating Recipes”.
The Focus Recipe Creator main window is displayed.

2. From the Focus Recipe Creator main menu, click on Template then
click on Operator when the Template menu is displayed.
The Person Selection window is displayed as shown in Figure B-3.

Figure B-3. Person Selection Window

3. Enter the new login name in the Name: field. If desired you may also
enter a brief description of this login name in the Description: field.
Click on the Enter button when you have completed the entries.

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System Configuration

The Operator Information window is displayed as shown in

Figure B-4.

Figure B-4. Operator Information Window

4. Enter the desired password for this user in the Password: field.

NOTE

The password is optional and is not case sensitive.

5. Select the security level for this user by clicking the left trackball
button on the desired privilege button. The security level will
determine which programs the user is allowed to access (as
determined by the Focus Setup program). Refer to “Setting FE
System Login Requirements” on page B–7 for information.

NOTE

Assigning a security level of “Super” grants the user

access to all programs.

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 Setting Up User Logins and Passwords

6. Perform one of the following:

• If you wish to specify the process specs the user may access:
click on one of the Process Spec. Quick Buttons.

Select the desired process specification from the Process Selection

window by single clicking the left trackball button on the desired
item then clicking the Enter button, or by double clicking the left
trackball button on the item. You may clear a process specification
from a Quick Button by selecting the *** Clear Entry *** item.

Repeat this step for each Quick Button you wish to assign then
proceed to the next step.

• If you do not wish to specify the process specs the user may
access: proceed to the next step.

7. In the Operator Information window, click on the Enter button.

The Focus Recipe Creator main window is displayed.

8. If desired, repeat Step 2 through Step 7 of this procedure to add more

login names.

9. When you have completed specifying login names, you may exit the
Focus Recipe Creator using the procedures provided in Chapter 4,
“Creating Recipes”.

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System Configuration

Renaming, In addition to creating a new user record, you may rename an existing
user record, delete user records from the database, or copy an existing
Deleting, or user record to a new name by using the following procedure:
Copying User
Records 1. Start the Focus Recipe Creator program using the procedures
provided in Chapter 4, “Creating Recipes”.
The Focus Recipe Creator main window is displayed.

2. From the Focus Recipe Creator main menu, click on Template then
click on Operator when the Template menu is displayed.
The Person Selection window is displayed as shown in Figure B-5.

Figure B-5. Person Selection Window

3. Click the left trackball button once on the login name you wish to
change, delete, or copy then click on the Options button.
The Person Selection Options window is displayed as shown in
Figure B-6.

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 Setting Up User Logins and Passwords

Figure B-6. Person Selection Options Window

4. Perform one of the following:

• To delete the login name and its database information: click the
Delete button.

You will be prompted to confirm that the login name should be

deleted. Click on the Yes button to delete the login name and return
to the Person Selection window.

• To rename the login name: enter the new name in the

Destination: field and click the ReName button.

The login name is changed and you are returned to the Person
Selection window.

• To copy the login name and password to a new login name:

enter the new name in the Destination: field and click the Save As
button.

The login name and password are copied to the new name and you
are returned to the Person Selection window.

• To print the login name and its database information: click the
Print button.

The login name and its database information are printed and you
are returned to the Person Selection window.

5. Repeat Step 3 and Step 4 for each login name you wish to delete,
rename, copy, or print.

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System Configuration

6. When you have completed all of the desired changes, in the Person
Selection Window click the Enter button.
The Focus Recipe Creator main window is displayed.

7. Exit the Focus Recipe Creator using the procedures provided in

Chapter 4, “Creating Recipes”.

Modifying User Once a user record is created, you can change the user’s password,
security level, and/or process specification quick buttons by using the fol-
Records lowing procedure:

1. Start the Focus Recipe Creator program using the procedures

provided in Chapter 4, “Creating Recipes”.
The Focus Recipe Creator main window is displayed.

2. From the Focus Recipe Creator main menu, click on Template then
click on Operator when the Template menu is displayed.
The Person Selection window is displayed as shown in Figure B-7.

Figure B-7. Person Selection Window

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 Setting Up User Logins and Passwords

3. Select the login name to modify by single clicking the left trackball
button on the desired name then clicking the Enter button, or by
double clicking the left trackball button on the name.
The Operator Information window is displayed as shown in
Figure B-8.

Figure B-8. Operator Information Window

4. Modify the user record as desired by changing the login password,

privilege level, and/or clicking on a process specification quick button
and selecting new (or clearing) quick button assignments.

NOTE

The password is optional and is not case sensitive.

NOTE

Assigning a security level of “Super” grants the user

access to all FE System programs.

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System Configuration

5. When all modifications have been completed, In the Operator

Information window, click on the Enter button.
The Focus Recipe Creator main window is displayed.

6. If desired, repeat Step 2 through Step 5 of this procedure to modify

additional user records.

7. When you completed all modifications, you may exit the Focus
Recipe Creator using the procedures provided in Chapter 4, “Creating
Recipes”.

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 Database Operations

Database In order to protect against the possible loss of database information, the
FE System provides the capability to back up and restore the following
Operations database information and files:

• Wafer recipe database (including the optical characteristics of

materials, N and K database)

• Vision System pattern database

• The log0 history file
• Calibration files
• Wafer map files
• Wafer database

In addition to the database backup and restore operations, certain data-

base maintenance tasks (such as database compression) may also be
performed.

All of these database operations are performed with the use of the Focus
Setup program.

Backing Up the Use the following procedure to back up selected FE System files:
FE Database 1. If it is not already running, start the Focus Setup program using the
procedure given in “Starting Focus Setup” on page B–2.
The Focus Setup main window is displayed.

2. From the Focus Setup main menu, click on Backup.

The Backup menu is displayed.

3. Select the files to back up using the information below:

• Recipe Database — Backs up the Wafer Recipe database (this

includes the optical characteristics of materials, N and K database),
and the Vision System pattern database.

• Log0 — Backs up the log0 history file.

• Configuration Files — Backs up the calibration files.
• Map Files — Backs up the wafer map files.
• Wafer Database — Backs up the wafer database.
A window is displayed asking if you wish to backup to drive A:\.

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System Configuration

NOTE

The number of floppy disks required to backup the

database will vary. However, it is recommended that
you have at least 10 blank, formatted, floppy disks
available for the backup.

4. Perform one of the following:

• To backup to a floppy disk in drive A:\, click on Yes.

A window is displayed indicating that the database files are being
compressed. When the compression has been completed a
window is displayed indicating the number of floppy disks the
backup will require. Continue with Step 5.

• To backup to a path other than drive A:\, click on No.

A window is displayed in which you may enter the desired backup
path. Enter the full path name of the desired backup directory
(such as, E:\BACKUP\) and click on Enter. A window is displayed
indicating that the selected database files are being written to the
backup path. Proceed to Step 7.

5. Click on OK .
A window is displayed instructing you to insert a blank, formatted
floppy disk in drive A:\.

6. Insert a blank, formatted floppy disk in drive A:\ and click on OK.
A window is displayed indicating that the selected database files are
being written to the disk. You will be prompted to insert each addi-
tional floppy disk that is required to complete the backup.

7. When all files have been written to the selected backup path, a
window will be displayed indicating that the backup is complete.
Click on the OK button.
One of the following will occur:

- If you selected any option from the Backup menu except

Log0, you are returned to the Focus Setup main window.

- If you selected Log0 from the Backup menu, a window is

displayed asking if you wish to delete the current Log0 file.
Click on Yes to delete the Log0 file, click on No to leave the
current Log0 file on the FE System. You are then returned to
the Focus Setup main window.

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 Database Operations

Restoring the Use the following procedure to backup selected FE System files:
FE Database 1. If it is not already running, start the Focus Setup program using the
procedure given in “Starting Focus Setup” on page B–2.
The Focus Setup main window is displayed.

2. From the Focus Setup main menu, click on Restore.

The Restore menu is displayed.

3. Select the files to restore using the information below:

• Recipe Database — Backs up the Wafer Recipe database (this

includes the optical characteristics of materials, N and K database),
and the Vision System pattern database.

• Configuration Files — Backs up the calibration files.

• Map Files — Backs up the wafer map files.
• Wafer Database — Backs up the wafer database.
A window is displayed warning you that the existing files on the
FE System will be overwritten.

4. Perform one of the following:

• To continue with the restore and overwrite the existing files,

click on OK.

A window is displayed asking if you wish to restore from drive A:\.

Continue with Step 5.

• To abort the restore, click on Cancel.

You are returned to the Focus Setup main window and the
procedure is complete.

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System Configuration

5. Perform one of the following:

• To restore from a floppy disk in drive A:\, click on Yes.

A window is displayed in which you must enter the number of floppy
disks that make up the backup set for the selected files. Continue
with Step 6.

• To restore from a path other than drive A:\, click on No.

A window is displayed in which you may enter the source path for
the restore files. Enter the full path name of the desired directory
(such as, E:\BACKUP\) and click on Enter. A window is displayed
indicating that the files are being copied from the restore path.
Proceed to Step 8.

6. Enter the number of floppy disks that make up the backup set and
click on Enter.
A window is displayed instructing you to insert the first disk in
drive A:\.

7. Insert the first backup disk in drive A:\ and click on OK.
A window is displayed indicating that the files are being copied from
the floppy disk. You will be prompted to insert each additional floppy
disk that is required to complete the restore.

8. When all files have been copied from the selected restore path, a
window will be displayed indicating that the restore is complete. Click
on the OK button.
You are returned to the Focus Setup main window.

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 Database Operations

Database In addition to database backup and restore operations, general database

maintenance may be performed with the Focus Setup program. These
Maintenance tasks include:

• Deleting the image files that are left behind in the database when
associated pattern recognition recipes are deleted.

• Compressing the FE System database to save disk space.

Delete Vision Use the following procedure to delete the image files that are no longer
System Files associated with a current recipe:

1. If it is not already running, start the Focus Setup program using the
procedure given in “Starting Focus Setup” on page B–2.
The Focus Setup main window is displayed.

2. From the Focus Setup main menu, click on Database then click on
Vision when the Database menu is displayed.
The Vision Database Maintenance window is displayed as shown in
Figure B-9. This window will show all of the image files in the data-
base that are no longer associated with a recipe.

Figure B-9. Vision Database Maintenance Window

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System Configuration

3. Select the image file(s) to be deleted by single clicking the left

trackball button on the desired name(s) in the list, or click on the ALL
button to select all of the image files shown.

4. Click on the Delete button to delete the selected image files from the
database.

5. When the task has been completed, in the Vision Database

Maintenance window, click on the Ok button.
You are returned to the Focus Setup main window.

Database
Compression NOTE

Database compression should not be performed

unless instructed to do so by Rudolph Support
personnel.

Use the following procedure to compress the FE System database:

1. If it is not already running, start the Focus Setup program using the
procedure given in “Starting Focus Setup” on page B–2.
The Focus Setup main window is displayed.

2. From the Focus Setup main menu, click on Database then click on
Database Compression when the Database menu is displayed.
A window is displayed informing you that this process may take a
long time to complete.

3. Perform one of the following:

• To abort the database compression, click on Cancel.

You are returned to the Focus Setup main window. This procedure
is completed.

• To continue with the database compression, click on OK.

A window is displayed informing you that a temporary database is
being created. The Database Compression window is displayed as
shown in Figure B-10.

This window provides information estimating how long the

compression will take as well as the size of the database and the
amount of free hard disk space both before and after the
compression.

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 Database Operations

Figure B-10. Database Compression Window

NOTE

If the “HD Free Space” is less than the “Database

Size” times 2, the FE System will abort the database
compression.

4. Click on OK in the Database Compression window.

A window is displayed informing you that the compression is being
performed. When the compression is complete, you are returned to
the Focus Setup main window.

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System Configuration

Recommended The following table provides the recommended intervals for database
backup and maintenance procedures:
Intervals for
Database
Backup and
Table B-1. Recommended Intervals for Database Operations
Maintenance
Database File Operation Frequency
Recipe Database Backup User determined based on
frequency of Recipe creation.
Log0 File Backup and Delete Quarterly
Configuration Files Backup On installation and after
calibration.
Map Files Backup User determined based on
size of Map file database.
Wafer Database Backup User determined based on
use of the database.
Compression Compression should only be
performed when instructed
to do so by Rudolph Support
personnel.
Vision Files Purge Quarterly

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 SECS-II/GEM

SECS-II/GEM The SECS-II/GEM program provides a programmable interface that

allows the FE System to communicate with a host computer.

For detailed information on the SECS-II/GEM interface, refer to Rudolph

Technologies document number A11646 entitled “FOCUS Ellipsometer
SECS-II/GEM Interface Specifications”.

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System Configuration

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B-28 Operating Your FOCUS Ellipsometer System A15424

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Default Recipes Appendix C

and Filmstacks

Introduction The purpose of this appendix is to provide a listing of the filmstacks, reci-
pes, and measurement controls that are provided by Rudolph Technolo-
gies with your FE System. The information in this section applies to the
FOCUS Ellipsometer (FE) III, IV, and VII systems.

These listings are provided in tabular form with a brief description of each
column following the table.

NOTE

Rudolph supplied filmstacks, recipes, and

measurement controls should not be modified or
deleted. If changes must be made, make a copy of the
desired filmstack, recipe, and/or measurement
control to a new file and modify the copy.

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Default Recipes and Filmstacks

Default The following filmstacks are supplied by Rudolph Technologies and

should not be modified or deleted. If necessary, create a copy of the film-
Filmstacks stack to a new name and modify the copy.

A description of each column follows the table.

Table C-1. Rudolph Supplied Filmstacks

Filmstack Laser Description

632.8/ Computes thickness of the A-Si and bottom oxide layer. Edit
150_A-Si/1000_SiO2
780 spec thicknesses for your application.

Uses EMA modeling to compute N, K, and T of an amorphous

aa_Amorphous_EMA 632.8
film. Edit oxide and A-Si spec thicknesses for your application.
Computes thickness of the A-Si and bottom oxide layer. Edit
aa_Amorphous_TT 632.8
spec thicknesses for your application.
Computes thickness of top nitride layer. Modify spec
aa_Nitride_on_Oxide_T 632.8
thicknesses for your application.
Computes thickness of the Poly layer along with Vf which is
aa_Poly_EMA 632.8 used to compute N and K of the Poly. Edit spec thickness of the
Poly layer for your application.
Performs a standard order search to compute thickness of a
aa_Resist_<1um_T 632.8 Resist layer in the 0 to 12000Å range. Spec thickness set to
4000Å.
Performs a standard order search to compute thickness of a
aa_Resist_>1um_T 632.8 Resist layer in the 8k to 3um range. Spec thickness set to
13000Å.
Computes thickness of a nitride layer in the 1 to 700Å range.
aa_Si3N4_<500_T 632.8
Spec thickness set to 100Å.
Performs a standard order search to compute thickness of a
aa_Si3N4_<6000_T 632.8 nitride layer in the 1 to 7000Å range. Spec thickness set to
500Å.
Performs a standard order search to compute thickness and N
aa_Si3N4_<6000_TN 632.8 of a nitride layer in the 300 to 7000Å range. Spec thickness set
to 500Å.
Performs a standard order search to compute thickness of a
aa_Si3N4_>6000_T 632.8 nitride layer in the 5k to 15kÅ range. Spec thickness set to
9000Å.
Performs a standard order search to compute thickness and N
aa_Si3N4_>6000_TN 632.8 of a nitride layer in the 5k to 15kÅ range. Spec thickness set to
9000Å.

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 Default Filmstacks

Table C-1. Rudolph Supplied Filmstacks (Continued)

Filmstack Laser Description

Performs a standard order search to compute thickness of an
aa_SiO2_<1um_T 632.8 oxide layer in the 1 to 10000Å range. Spec thickness set to
1000Å.
Performs a standard order search to compute thickness and N
aa_SiO2_<1um_TN 632.8 of an oxide layer in the 400 to 10kÅ range. Spec thickness set
to 1000Å.
Computes thickness of an oxide layer in the 1 to 900Å range.
aa_SiO2_<500_T 632.8
Spec thickness set to 100Å.
Performs a standard order search to compute thickness of an
aa_SiO2_>1um_T 632.8 oxide layer in the 8k to 25kÅ range. Spec thickness set to
13000Å.
Performs a standard order search to compute thickness and N
aa_SiO2_>1um_TN 632.8 of an oxide layer in the 8k to 18kÅ range. Spec thickness set to
13000Å.
632.8/ Computes T, K, and K2 of the A-Si layer. Spec thickness range
ad_Amorphous_TKK
780 is +/-1600Å. Edit spec thicknesses for your application.

632.8/ Computes thickness of the A-Si and bottom oxide layer. Edit
ad_Amorphous_TT
780 spec thicknesses for your application.

632.8/ Measures thickness of the TEOS layer and the Tin layer
ad_CMP-Ox/TiN/Al-TT
780 simultaneously. Edit spec thicknesses for your application.

632.8/ Measures thickness of the TEOS layer along with the optical
ad_CMP-Ox/Metal-T-Ns
780 constants of the “substrate” underneath.

632.8/ Computes thickness of the top oxide and poly layers. Modify all
ad_Ox/Poly/Ox_TT
780 spec thicknesses for your application.

Poly is represented as two layers (Poly-Si and Interface). After

632.8/
ad_Poly_EMA calculation, the thicknesses are added together. Spec thickness
780
range is +/-1600Å. Edit spec thicknesses for your application.
Poly is represented as two layers (Poly-Si and Interface). After
632.8/
ad_Poly_T calculation the thicknesses are added together. Spec thickness
780
range is +/-1600Å. Edit spec thicknesses for your application.
632.8/ Performs a standard order search to compute thickness of an
ad_Resist_>2um_T
780 N-Resist layer. Spec thickness range is +/-8000Å.

632.8/ Performs a standard order search to compute thickness of a

ad_Si3N4_>1um_T
780 nitride layer. Spec thickness range is +/-7000Å.

632.8/ Performs a standard order search to compute thickness and N

ad_Si3N4_>1um_TN
780 of a nitride layer. Spec thickness range is +/-7000Å.

632.8/ Performs a standard order search to compute thickness of an

ad_SiO2>4um_T
780 oxide layer. Spec thickness range is +/-10600Å.

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Default Recipes and Filmstacks

Table C-1. Rudolph Supplied Filmstacks (Continued)

Filmstack Laser Description

Default filmstack specification. Performs a standard order
DEFAULT 632.8 search to compute thickness of an oxide layer. Spec thickness
set to 1000Å. Edit spec thickness for your application.
Used as a throughput test for rough film. Performs a standard
tp_SiO2_<1um_T_Rough 632.8 order search to compute thickness of an oxide layer in the 1 to
10000Å range. Spec thickness set to 1000Å.
632.8/ Calibration filmstack for use with Rudolph’s 100Å SiO2 check
zCal-100
780 sample wafer.

632.8/ Calibration filmstack for use with Rudolph’s 1100Å SiO2 check
zCal-1100
780 sample wafer.

632.8/ Calibration filmstack for use with Rudolph’s 1000Å SiO2 check
zCal-1um
780 sample wafer.

632.8/ Calibration filmstack for use with Rudolph’s 2300Å SiO2 check
zCal-2300
780 sample wafer.

632.8/ Calibration filmstack for use with Rudolph’s 400Å SiO2 check
zCal-400
780 sample wafer.

632.8/ Calibration filmstack for use with Rudolph’s 950Å Si3N4 check
zCal-950-Nit
780 sample wafer.

• Filmstack — The name of the Rudolph supplied filmstack.

NOTE

Do not modify the Rudolph supplied filmstacks. Make

a copy of the desired filmstack and modify the copy if
desired.

• Laser — Indicates the laser wavelength(s) used by each filmstack.

• Description — A brief description of each filmstack.

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 Default Recipes

Default The following wafer recipes are supplied by Rudolph Technologies and
should not be modified or deleted. If necessary, create a copy of the rec-
Recipes ipe and modify the copy.

A description of each column follows the table.

Table C-2. Rudolph Supplied Wafer Recipes

Recipe Description
Used to measure 49 points of an SiO2 film on a 6" wafer in an
aa6inOxCir49pt-Map
octal circular pattern. A wafer map file is generated.
Used to measure 5 points in a standard pattern of an SiO2 film
aa6inOxStd5pt
on a 6" wafer.
Used to measure 49 points of an SiO2 film on an 8" wafer in an
aa8inOxCir49pt-Map
octal circular pattern. A wafer map file is generated.
Used to measure 5 points in a standard pattern of an SiO2 film
aa8inOxStd5pt
on an 8" wafer.
Used to measure 20 points along a line to create a linescan
aa8inOx_Linescan_20pt
graph of an SiO2 film on an 8" wafer.
Throughput test recipe using an 8" wafer and a circular 49 point
tp8inCir49pt_Fast-Map measurement pattern in a high speed measurement mode. A
map file is generated.
Throughput test recipe using both IR and HeNe lasers to
tp8inStd5pt_Dual
measure 5 points in a standard pattern on an 8" wafer.
Throughput test recipe using high speed mode to measure 5
tp8inStd5pt_Fast
points in a standard pattern on an 8" wafer.
Throughput test recipe applying rough film measurement
tp8inStd5pt_Rough techniques to measure 5 points in a standard pattern on an 8"
wafer.
Throughput test recipe using high repeatability measurement
tp8inStd5pt_Slow
mode to measure 5 points in a standard pattern on an 8" wafer.
Throughput test recipe using high speed mode to measure 9
tp8inStd9pt_Fast
points in a standard pattern on an 8" wafer.
Throughput test recipe using high repeatability measurement
tp8inStd9pt_Slow
mode to measure 9 points in a standard pattern on an 8" wafer.
Used to measure 5 points in a standard pattern of an SiO2 film
xx5in_Notch_Std5pt
on an 5" notched wafer.
Used to measure 10 points in a center pattern of an SiO2 film
xx5in_Ox_10pt_cnt
on a 5" wafer.

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Default Recipes and Filmstacks

Table C-2. Rudolph Supplied Wafer Recipes (Continued)

Recipe Description
Used to measure 10 points in a center pattern of a Poly layer
xx6in_2.7KPoly_10pt_cnt
with a thickness of 2.7kÅ on a 6" wafer.
Used to measure 10 points in a center pattern of a Poly layer
xx6in_4KPoly_10pt_cnt
with a thickness of 4kÅ on a 6" wafer.
Used to measure 10 points in a center pattern of a Poly layer
xx6in_550Poly_10pt_cnt
with a thickness of 550Å on a 6" wafer.
Used to measure 10 points in a center pattern of an SiO2 film
xx6in_Ox_10pt_cnt
on a 6" wafer.
Used to measure 5 points in a standard pattern of an SiO2 film
xx8in_Ox_5pt_Fast
on an 8" wafer using high speed mode.

• Recipe — The name of the Rudolph supplied recipe.

NOTE

Do not modify the Rudolph supplied recipes. Make a

copy of the desired recipe and modify the copy if
desired.

• Description — A brief description of each recipe.

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 Default Measurement Controls

Default The following measurement controls are supplied by Rudolph Technolo-

gies and should not be modified or deleted. If necessary, create a copy of
Measurement the measurement control and modify the copy.
Controls A description of each column follows the table.

Table C-3. Rudolph Supplied Measurement Controls

Measurement Meas. # of Angle Psi

Laser Tilt Description
Control Avg. Angles Range Excl.
Vibrates stage for improved perfor-
aa_Rough_Film 632.8 40 10 Full Yes Fast mance on rough films. Can be used for
Poly EMA, OPO, and films on metal.

Used for thick films from 5000Å to

aa_Thick_>1um 632.8 20 10 Full Yes Fast 4um. Can be used for thick Resists,
Oxides, Nitrides and some Poly.

Used for thin films less than 500Å.

aa_Thin_<500A 632.8 40 10 Reduced No On High repeatability mode with slight
decrease in throughput.

High throughput mode (auto-height

and tilt at first measurement point,
aa_Thin_Fast_<1um 632.8 20 10 Reduced No Fast
auto-height only for all other points).
Recommended for films 500Å to 1um.

Tilt lockout mode for applications

which exhibit weak tilt signal error
message. Certain nitride thickness
aa_Tilt_Lock 632.8 20 10 Reduced No Off
regions, Poly thickness regions, and
samples with metal layers may exhibit
this condition.
Standard dual wavelength measure-
ment. Used for improved Poly and
632.8/ A-SI Order Resolution, extended thick
ad_Dual 10 10 Reduced Yes Fast
780 film Order Resolution (nitride > 1um,
Resist > 2um, Oxide > 4um), and bet-
ter OPO measurement performance.

Dual wavelength measurement with

632.8/ improved performance on rough films.
ad_Dual_Rough 20 10 Reduced Yes Fast
780 Can be used for Poly, OPO, A-SI, films
on metals, and etch surfaces).

Standard measurement mode equiva-

DEFAULT 632.8 40 10 Reduced No On lent to Thin Mode. Used for thin film
applications.

632.8/ Only used in Check Sample Calibra-

zzCalibrate 80 10 Reduced No On
780 tion Filmstacks.

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Default Recipes and Filmstacks

• Measurement Control — The name of the Rudolph supplied

measurement control.

NOTE

Do not modify the Rudolph supplied measurement

controls. Make a copy of the desired measurement
control and modify the copy if desired.

• Laser — Indicates the laser wavelength(s) used by each

measurement control.

• Meas. Avg. — The measurement averages used by each

measurement control. One measurement average is taken for each
revolution of the compensator. With an increased number of
averages, the effects of noise are lessened and averaged out.

• # of Angles — Indicates the number of delta-psi pairs that will be

used in the modeling of the filmstack.

• Angle Range — Indicates whether the measurement control uses

Full or Reduced angle range. Full range covers 25° so 10 angles
will be selected within a 25° range. Reduced range covers 15°. This
determines how close or far apart each angle is from the other.

• Psi Excl. — Indicates whether the measurement control uses Psi

Exclusion. This is normally used when modeling thick films or some
Poly thickness regions. Any angles that produce Psi values that fall
below 15° or higher than 55° will be eliminated from the modeling.

• Tilt — Indicates the tilt mode used by each measurement control.

When the tilt is On, auto-tilt is performed at every measurement
site. Fast tilt will perform auto-height and tilt at the first point, and
auto-height only at all the other sites.

• Description — A brief description of each measurement control.

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Menu Maps Appendix D

Quick Reference

Introduction The purpose of this appendix is to provide menu maps for each of the
programs that make up the FOCUS software package. The information in
this section pertains to the FOCUS Ellipsometer (FE) III, IV, and VII sys-
tems, and includes the following:

• Menu maps for the Focus Interactive program including:

- Main menu (Figure D-1 on page D–3)
- Site Locator window menu (Figure D-2 on page D–4)
- Filmstack Model window menu (Figure D-3 on page D–4)
- EMA Material window menu (Figure D-4 on page D–4)
• Menu maps for the Focus Recipe Creator program including:
- Main menu (Figure D-5 on page D–5)
- Site Locator window menu (Figure D-6 on page D–6)
- Stepper Group Pattern Training window menu (Figure D-7 on
page D–6)

• Menu maps for the Focus Operator program including:

- Site Locator window menu (Figure D-8 on page D–7)
- File viewer window menu (Figure D-9 on page D–7)
• Menu maps for the Focus Browser program including:
- Main menu (Figure D-10 on page D–8)
- File viewer window menu (Figure D-11 on page D–8)
- Graphics window menu (Figure D-12 on page D–9)

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Menu Maps Quick Reference

• Menu maps for the Focus Mapping program including:

- Main menu (Figure D-13 on page D–10)
- Wafer Map window menu (Figure D-14 on page D–10)
- File viewer window menu (Figure D-15 on page D–11)
- Graphics window menu (Figure D-16 on page D–11)
• Menu maps for the Focus Setup program including:
- Main menu (Figure D-17 on page D–12)

Detailed descriptions for the selections from each of the menus are
included in the chapter that pertains to that particular program.

D-2 Operating Your FOCUS Ellipsometer System A15424

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 Focus Interactive Menus

Focus Figure D-1 through Figure D-4 show the menu maps for the Focus Inter-
active program. Descriptions of the menu items and instructions for using
Interactive the Focus Interactive program are provided in Chapter 3, “Developing
Menus Film Applications”.

SMIF Arm Menu

Load Wafer Menu SMIF 1 Load Cassette
Manual Load SMIF 1 Unload Cassette
Cassette Load SMIF 2 Load Cassette
Unload SMIF 2 Unload Cassette
Wafer Setup
Register
SMIF Arm >>
SMIF Indexer >> SMIF Indexer Menu

SMIF 1 Load Cassette

Test Menu SMIF 1 Unload Cassette
Short Term Measure SMIF 2 Load Cassette
Long Term Measure SMIF 2 Unload Cassette
Measurement
Just Measure
Measure Vs Model Logging Menu
Measure Vs Predicted
Reduced Measure Start
Alignment Stop
Height Alignment Load Measurement
Intensity Save Measurement
Set Intensity Load Multi-Wavelength
Focus Interactive Main Menu Set Optical Bias Save Multi-Wavelength
System Info Measurement Fax Printout
Load Wafer >> Microscope
Filmstack Light Bulb
Measure Height Scan Measure Setup Menu
ReModel Tilt Scan Measure
Test >> Laser Mode >> Laser Mode Menu
Logging >> Report
Parameters HeNe
Setup >> IR
Calib >> Vision
Pixel Qualification
Motor Speed
Wafer Checking
Modeling >> Modeling Menu
Calib Menu
Normal
Microscope >> Parallel
Overlay Video
Vision System >>
Microscope Menu
Ellipsometer >>
Microspot Focus Low Mag
Measurement Height Hi Mag
Robot >>
Wafer Rotation Ellipsometer Menu Vision System Menu
Measurement
Selective Calibration Null Test Illumination
Y=Mx+b Calibration Compensator Offset Color Channel
System Matching Low Mag
Optical Bias Robot Menu High Mag
Stage Center Light Bulb
Chuck Rotation
Stage Orthogonality Lift Height
Stage Mapping Cassette Rotation
Height & Tilt Cassette Base
Laser Spot Target RAC Steps
Tilt Compensation RASC Steps
Temperature Comp Transfer Wafer
Reference Chip Transfer Wafer NP
Load Wafer NP
Vacuums

Figure D-1. Focus Interactive Program Main Menu

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Menu Maps Quick Reference

Control Menu
Mag >> Mag Menu
Zoom >>
Wafer View
Live Off/Live On
Low Mag
Laser Off/Laser On
High Mag
Illumination
Site Locator Menu
Digital/NTSC
LoMag/HiMag Scale
Focus
Control >> Zoom Menu
Move >> Move Menu
One Quarter
Keyboard One Half
Center One X
Left
Right
Top
Bottom

Figure D-2. Focus Interactive Site Locator Window Menu

Layers Menu
Filmstack Model Menu Add Layer
Delete Top
Layers >>
Error Est. >>
Enter
Cancel Error Est. Menu

On
Off

Figure D-3. Focus Interactive Filmstack Model Window Menu

EMA Material Menu

Add
Delete
Enter
Cancel

Figure D-4. Focus Interactive EMA Material Window Menu

D-4 Operating Your FOCUS Ellipsometer System A15424

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 Focus Recipe Creator Menus

Focus Recipe Figure D-5 through Figure D-7 show the menu maps for the Focus Rec-
ipe Creator program. Descriptions of the menu items and instructions for
Creator using the Focus Recipe Creator program are provided in Chapter 4, “Cre-
Menus ating Recipes”.

Registration Menu
Wafer Recipe Menu
None
Name Manual
Wafer Information Automatic
Film Stack Reteach
Registration >>
Unpatterned Wafer
Patterned Wafer >> Patterned Wafer Menu
Report
Save Train Patterns
Cancel Select Measured Chips

Recipe Creator Main Menu

Template Menu
Process
Transfer Wafer Information
Wafer Recipe >> Film Stack
Template >> Measure Control
Load >> Equipment
Vision >> Report
Imp/Exp Material
Recipe Control
Operator

Load Menu
SMIF Arm Menu
Manual Load
Cassette Load Smif1 Load Cassette
Unload Wafer Smif1 Unload Cassette
SMIF Arm >> Smif2 Load Cassette
SMIF Indexer >> Smif2 Unload Cassette

Vision Menu
SMIF Indexer Menu
Setup
SMIF1 Load Cassette
SMIF1 Unload Cassette
SMIF2 Load Cassette
SMIF2 Unload Cassette

Figure D-5. Focus Recipe Creator Main Menu

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Menu Maps Quick Reference

Control Menu
Mag >> Mag Menu
Zoom >>
Wafer View
Live Off/Live On
Low Mag
Laser Off/Laser On
High Mag
Illumination
Site Locator Menu
Digital/NTSC
LoMag/HiMag Scale
Focus
Control >> Zoom Menu
Move >> Move Menu
One Quarter
Keyboard One Half
Center One X
Left
Right
Top
Bottom

Figure D-6. Focus Recipe Creator Site Locator Window Menu

View Menu

Die Pattern
Stepper Group Wafer Pattern
Pattern Training Menu
View >>
Modify >> Modify Menu
Reteach >>
Close Die Pattern
Done Stepper Group

Reteach Menu

One Die
Stepper Group

Figure D-7. Focus Recipe Creator Stepper Group Pattern Training Menu

D-6 Operating Your FOCUS Ellipsometer System A15424

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 Focus Operator Menus

Focus Figure D-8 through Figure D-9 show the menu maps for the Focus Oper-
ator program. Descriptions of the menu items and instructions for using
Operator the Focus Operator program are provided in Chapter 2, “Operator Inter-
Menus face”.

Control Menu
Mag >> Mag Menu
Zoom >>
Wafer View
Live Off/Live On
Low Mag
Laser Off/Laser On
High Mag
Illumination
Site Locator Menu
Digital/NTSC
LoMag/HiMag Scale
Focus
Control >> Zoom Menu
Move >> Move Menu
One Quarter
Keyboard One Half
Center One X
Left
Right
Top
Bottom

Figure D-8. Focus Operator Site Locator Window Menu

File Viewer Menu

File >> File Menu
Print
Open
Upload
Save As
Exit

Figure D-9. Focus Operator File Viewer Menu

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Menu Maps Quick Reference

Focus Figure D-10 through Figure D-12 show the menu maps for the Focus
Browser program. Descriptions of the menu items and instructions for
Browser using the Focus Browser program are provided in Chapter 5, “Wafer Map-
Menus ping and Data Reporting”.

Focus Browser Main Menu

Define Query
Display Graph
Display Report >> Display Report Menu
Display SQL
Text Report
Data Dump

Figure D-10. Focus Browser Main Menu

File Viewer Menu

File >> File Menu
Print
Open
Upload
Save As
Exit

Figure D-11. Focus Browser File Viewer Menu

D-8 Operating Your FOCUS Ellipsometer System A15424

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 Focus Browser Menus

View Menu

Zoom Out
Dependent Menu
Zoom In
Ind vs Dep1 Multiply 10
Ind vs Dep2 Divide 10
Ind vs 2Dep Statistics
Histogram N ✱ Sigma
Parametric Markers
SPC Join Points
Time Area
Error Bar Limits
Graph Menu

View >>
Dependent >>
Independent >> Independent Menu
Mouse >>
Data to File Multiply 10
Mouse Menu
Editor Divide 10
SPC Zoom Drag Join Points
Scale >> Digitize
Text Drag

Scale Menu

User Scale
Auto Scale

Figure D-12. Focus Browser Measurement Graph Menu

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Menu Maps Quick Reference

Focus Figure D-13 through Figure D-16 show the menu maps for the Focus
Mapping program. Descriptions of the menu items and instructions for
Mapping using the Focus Mapping program are provided in Chapter 5, “Wafer
Menus Mapping and Data Reporting”.

Focus Mapping
Main Menu
Maps
Clear All
NoFix
Etch >> Etch Menu
LineScan
Difference Map
Etch Rate Map

Figure D-13. Focus Mapping Main Menu

Etch Menu

Color
Grey
Black + White
Divisions >> Divisions Menu
Wafer Map Menu Automatic
User Range
View
Scale
Color >>
Mode >> Mode Menu
Edit >>
Text Topograph
Update Contour
Spec Line
Draw Box
Edit Menu
Draw Contour
Data Draw Grid
Save Draw Marker

Figure D-14. Focus Mapping Wafer Map Window Menu

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 Focus Mapping Menus

File Viewer Menu

File >> File Menu

Print
Open
Upload
Save As
Exit

Figure D-15. Focus Mapping File Viewer Menu

View Menu

Zoom Out
Dependent Menu
Zoom In
Ind vs Dep1 Multiply 10
Ind vs Dep2 Divide 10
Ind vs 2Dep Statistics
Histogram N ✱ Sigma
Parametric Markers
SPC Join Points
Time Area
Error Bar Limits
Graph Menu

View >>
Dependent >>
Independent >> Independent Menu
Mouse >>
Data to File Multiply 10
Mouse Menu
Editor Divide 10
SPC Zoom Drag Join Points
Scale >> Digitize
Text Drag

Scale Menu

User Scale
Auto Scale

Figure D-16. Focus Mapping Graphics Menu

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Menu Maps Quick Reference

Focus Setup Figure D-17 shows the menu map for the Focus Setup program. Descrip-
tions of the menu items and instructions for using the Focus Setup pro-
Menus gram are provided in Appendix B, “System Configuration”.

Setup Menu

Model Number
Login
Simulation
Initialization
Mapping
Vision & Video
Measurement
Wafer Handler
Focus Operator
Database
Data Files
Miscellaneous
PM >> PM Menu
Parallel Solver
D-Series Maintenance Activation 1
Signal Tower Maintenance Activation 2
Throughput Maintenance Activation 3
Maintenance Activation 4

Focus Setup Main Menu

Setup >>
Backup >> Backup Menu
Restore >>
Database >> Recipe Database
Log0
Configuration Files
Restore Menu
Map Files
Recipe Database Wafer Database
Configuration Files
Map Files
Wafer Database

Database Menu

Vision
Database Compression

Figure D-17. Focus Setup Program Main Menu

D-12 Operating Your FOCUS Ellipsometer System A15424

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Theory of Operation Appendix E

Introduction Ellipsometry is an optical technique used for the characterization of sur-

faces and thin films on surfaces. It is both non-contact and non-destruc-
tive.

Ellipsometers measure changes in the polarization state of light. When

these polarization state changes are caused by reflection from a sample
surface at non-normal incidence, it is possible to calculate certain optical
properties of the surface, such as the index of refraction (N) and extinc-
tion coefficient (K). If thin films are present on the surface, it is also possi-
ble to determine the thickness (T) of these films.

In general, the equations which relate the polarization state change to the
sample properties cannot be solved for the sample properties analytically.
Consequently, the sample properties are determined through an exten-
sive modeling process.

Interaction of The index of refraction (N) and extinction coefficient (K) are the constants
that characterize the optical properties of a material.
Light with
Material Refractive index is defined by the equation N=C/V, which describes the
ratio of the velocity of light in vacuum to the velocity of light when passing
through another medium. N≅1 for light propagating through air and other
gasses.

The extinction coefficient (K) describes how absorbing a material is. For
dielectric materials such as glass and transparent films, little visible light
is absorbed and K≅0. This is also the case for light in vacuum.

N and K are both a function of wavelength, but are constants at each

wavelength of light used for ellipsometry measurements.

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Theory of Operation

Figure E-1. Light Propagation in Materials

Polarized The polarization state of light is described by the orientation of the elec-
tric fields of its components. The components that constitute the resultant
Light electric field are represented as Ex and Ey. Polarized light may be
obtained by passing the light beam through polarizing optics or by caus-
ing the beam to be reflected under certain conditions.

Unpolarized light has components with electric fields oriented in all direc-
tions perpendicular to the direction of propagation.

E-2 Operating Your FOCUS Ellipsometer System A15424

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 Polarized Light

Linear Linearly or plane polarized light occurs when all of the photons in a light
beam have the electric field oriented in one direction. If two linearly polar-
Polarization ized light beams, one vertical and one horizontal, with the same fre-
quency, amplitude, and phase are combined, the resultant electric field
vector is also linearly polarized 45° from each of the original beams. If the
amplitudes were not the same, the angle of polarization would be deter-
mined by the vector sum of the electric field vector.

Ey

Ex

Figure E-2. Linear Polarization

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Theory of Operation

Circular Circularly polarized light results from the combination of two linearly
polarized light beams whose electric field components are of equal mag-
Polarization nitude and are 90° out of phase. Looking down the direction of propaga-
tion, the tip of the resultant electric field vector would appear to trace a
circle.

Ey

Ex

Figure E-3. Right-Circular Polarization

E-4 Operating Your FOCUS Ellipsometer System A15424

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 Polarized Light

Elliptical Elliptically polarized light, the most general form of polarized light, exhib-
its electric field components with any phase difference and unequal mag-
Polarization nitudes.

Figure E-4. Elliptical Polarization

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Theory of Operation

Reflection of Ellipsometry involves the reflection of elliptically polarized light from a

surface. In order to characterize the behavior of the reflected light, it is
Light from a divided into two components, the P and S polarization states. The P
Surface component refers to the linearly polarized light parallel to the plane of
incidence, and the S component describes the linearly polarized light
perpendicular to the plane of incidence.

The Fresnel reflection coefficient r describes the reflection of the incident

light at a bare surface. The Fresnel reflection coefficients of both the S
and P states are defined as the ratio of the amplitude of the reflected
wave to the amplitude of the incident wave of each polarization state.
Similar equations exist for transmission, but are not used in reflection
ellipsometry.

Figure E-5. Fresnel Equations

E-6 Operating Your FOCUS Ellipsometer System A15424

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 Reflection of Light from a Surface

Most situations involve multiple refractive index boundaries, and the

resultant light returning to the initial medium is composed of multiple
reflections and transmissions. The total reflection coefficients Rp and Rs
account for this, and are determined by the individual Fresnel reflection
coefficients of each interface. R p and R s are defined as the ratios of the
amplitudes of the resultant reflected waves to the amplitudes of the inci-
dent waves.

Figure E-6. Multi-Reflection Through Thin Dielectric

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Theory of Operation

Ellipsometry ∆ (delta) is the change in phase difference between the P and S compo-
nents of the incident light and the P and S components of the reflected
Parameters ∆ light. ∆ ranges from zero to 360°.
and Ψ Ψ (psi) is the angle whose tangent is the ratio of the magnitudes of the
total reflection coefficients Rp and Rs . Ψ represents the change in ampli-
tude upon reflection, and can be between zero and 90°.

The fundamental equation of ellipsometry is a relationship between ∆, Ψ,

Rp, and Rs. From this equation, information about the sample in ques-
tion, such as thickness and index of refraction, may be obtained.

Figure E-7. Two Polarization States (S&P) for Light Reflected from a Surface

E-8 Operating Your FOCUS Ellipsometer System A15424

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 Ellipsometry Parameters D and Y

∆/Ψ Knowing T, N, and K of a film and N and K of a substrate, the expected ∆

and Ψ values can be calculated for a fixed wavelength and angle of inci-
Trajectories dence. By varying T, different ∆ and Ψ values are obtained, and can be
and Cycle plotted to form what is called a ∆/Ψ trajectory.
Thickness For dielectric films with K=0, the trajectory closes in on itself at a specific
thickness called the cycle thickness (Tc ). Therefore, Tc denotes one full
cycle around the closed trajectory. The trajectory retraces the same path
for larger thicknesses, passing through multiples of Tc .

It is possible to have the same ∆ and Ψ pairs for different thicknesses

which differ only by Tc. This results in multiple orders of thickness and
order ambiguity, which can be a problem if the approximate thickness is
unknown.

A different set of possible thickness values can be obtained by changing

the wavelength or the angle of incidence. Only one value should be the
same on both lists, which would represent the correct thickness, and
order would be resolved.

It can be seen that for materials with similar N values, it is difficult to dif-
ferentiate between their trajectories near the cycle thickness. By measur-
ing ∆ and Ψ at multiple angles of incidence, N can be calculated more
precisely.

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Theory of Operation

Figure E-8. Delta/Psi Plot

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 Instrumentation

Instrumentation The following sections discuss the equipment needed to perform the
measurements of the film materials.

Required In order to perform the calculations discussed in the previous sections,

the equipment used to take the measurements must have the following
Components components:

• Monochromatic (single wavelength) light source.

• Optics to convert unpolarized light to linearly polarized light.
• Optics to convert linearly polarized light to elliptically polarized
light.

• Reflection from a sample.

• Optics and detector to determine the polarization of the reflected
light.

• A computer to calculate the results according to an assumed

model.

Ellipsometer The two types of ellipsometers covered in this section are:

Types • Null ellipsometers
• Rotating Compensator Ellipsometers

Null Ellipsometers The Null Ellipsometer is based on the principal that by fixing the com-
pensator at 45°, the polarizer and analyzer are rotated until a null is
found, or the light has been extinguished. Therefore, upon reflection,
the ellipticity created by the compensator is canceled.

To achieve a null, some manual ellipsometers require the use of the

eye to determine whether the light has been extinguished. Most
advanced null ellipsometers use a detector or photomultiplier to detect
the minimum intensity observed at the null for more precise measure-
ments.

∆ and Ψ are related to the settings of the polarizer and analyzer, and
can be easily calculated.

The Rudolph Technologies AutoEL Ellipsometer uses the classical null

configuration.

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Theory of Operation

Figure E-9. Typical Null Ellipsometer Configuration

Rotating The Rudolph Technologies FOCUS Ellipsometer is based on the principal

Compensator of a rotating-compensator ellipsometer (RCE).
Ellipsometers
The polarizer and analyzer are fixed producing a constant state of polar-
ization at the detector, while the compensator is constantly rotating allow-
ing for multiple intensities of the fixed polarization state. The intensity of
the light emerging from the analyzer is measured, sampled, and digitally
Fourier analyzed to determine ∆ and Ψ.

The advantages of RCE are that it is fast, precise, has data processing
flexibility, operates at high detected light levels, and eliminates the hand-
edness ambiguity problem (the inability to distinguish between comple-
mentary polarization states).

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 Instrumentation

Figure E-10. Typical FOCUS Ellipsometer Configuration

Figure E-11. Dual Wavelength FOCUS Ellipsometer (Optical Schematic)

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Theory of Operation

Fas t A xis
z
S lo w A x is
x

Inc id en t L ig ht P olarize d
|| to F a st A xis
C o m p ensa tor

y
I= Ioco s2q

z
Fa st A xis
x

S low A x is
Incid ent L igh t P olarize d
45 o to F as t A xis
C o m pe nsa to r

I= Io co s2q

Figure E-12. Polarization Effects of Compensator Rotation

E-14 Operating Your FOCUS Ellipsometer System A15424

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 Focused Beam Technology

Focused Focused Beam Technology implements a cone shaped beam of light

which includes a range of angles with a minimum of 40°, maximum of
Beam 70°, and mean of 55°.
Technology The detector has multiple pixels to account for the range of measurement
angles. Reflections from the angles near the maximum and minimum (the
outer edge of the microspot) may not produce acceptable results, and the
corresponding pixels can be cut out.

The beam is focused to a spot size incident on the sample of 12 x 24

microns (FE III), or 5 x 10 microns (FE VII).

Focused Beam Technology uses multiple measurement angles, eliminat-

ing order ambiguity, and allowing for T and N measurements near cycle
thickness (Tc).

Figure E-13. Focused Beam Technology

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Theory of Operation

Fit Error and Fit error is a χ2 (Chi squared) statistical quantity that indicates how well
the measured ∆ and Ψ data fit the theoretical data of the film model.
Error
Estimates A small fit error means that the measured and modeled data agree to
within the accuracy of the measurement. A large fit error means that the
measured data is incompatible with the theoretical data of the film model.

Usually, the measured ∆ and Ψ data are correct to within the accuracy of
the measurement. Therefore, large fit errors can be attributed to a prob-
lem with the theoretical data of the film model, such as incorrect N, K , or
T of a fixed underlying layer.

Error estimates provide an estimate of the accuracy of the computed film

parameters, and also indicate how repeatable the measured parameters
will be. Measurement errors are not known exactly, and the error esti-
mates are approximate values only.

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 Film Parameter Computation Algorithm

Film The Engineer first creates a filmstack to compare the measured data with
the theoretical modeled data.
Parameter
Computation Upon making a measurement, the modeled ∆ and Ψ values are com-
pared with those that were measured.
Algorithm
The program searches for the best solution by finding that which has the
lowest fit error. The program is constantly updating the film model by
varying the calculated parameters until the measured and modeled data
converge, and the lowest fit error is found.

If the solution found by the program is not acceptable (the fit error is too
high), the user must then change the filmstack parameters.

Figure E-14. Film Parameter Computation Algorithm (Single Wave)

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Theory of Operation

Figure E-15. Film Parameter Computation Algorithm (Dual Wave)

E-18 Operating Your FOCUS Ellipsometer System A15424

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 Order Search Algorithm

Order Search There are two types of order search modes offered by the FOCUS soft-
ware to find the minimum fit error and to resolve order.
Algorithm
In Standard Order Search mode, using a single wavelength measure-
ment, the region searched varies with the application but is typically ± 5
order cycles. This option is most appropriate for low refractive index
films, such as SiO2 and Si3N4. When using a dual wavelength measure-
ment, the program starts from the spec thickness entered by the user,
and searches ± 4 order cycles.

In Restricted Search mode, using single wavelength measurement, the

program starts from the spec thickness and searches ± 1/2 order cycles.
When using a dual wavelength measurement, Restricted Search mode
searches ± 2 order cycles from the spec thickness.

Figure E-16. Order Resolution Example

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Theory of Operation

Figure E-17. Order Search Algorithm Example

Table E-1. Order Search Modes

Single λ Dual λ
Search Type
(632.8 nm) (632.8 nm + 788 nm)
Restricted Spec thickness ± 1/2 Spec thickness ± 2
Search order cycles. order cycles.
Standard Spec thickness ± 5 Spec thickness ± 4
Order Search order cycles for most order cycles.
applications.

E-20 Operating Your FOCUS Ellipsometer System A15424

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Error Messages/ Appendix F

Getting Help

Introduction The purpose of this appendix is to provide the user with information nec-
essary to perform simple troubleshooting and maintenance tasks. The
information in this section applies to the FOCUS Ellipsometer (FE) III, IV,
and VII systems.

NOTE

Component replacement, repairs, optical alignment

and system calibration should not be attempted
without first contacting Rudolph Technologies.

The topics covered in this appendix include:

• Possible problems that may be encountered with your FE System

hardware.

• Software error messages and probable causes.

• How to contact Rudolph Technologies for assistance.

The troubleshooting tables that follow are not an all inclusive list of every
possible trouble resolution and should be used for reference only. If using
the procedures given in this section do not resolve the problem, contact
Rudolph Technologies for assistance and/or support using the informa-
tion provided at the end of this appendix.

WARNING

Potentially hazardous voltages may be present in the

FE System. Failure to follow proper safety
precautions may result in serious personal injury or
death. Electrical problems should be referred to
qualified electricians or Rudolph Technologies
support personnel.

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 Error Messages/Getting Help

FE System Use the information in the following table to troubleshoot possible hard-
ware problems with your FE System. Locate the applicable symptom in
Hardware the left column of the table to determine probable causes and recom-
Symptoms mended actions to rectify the problem.

Table F-1. FE System Hardware Problem Symptoms

Symptoms Probable Causes Recommended Actions

FE System has no Emergency switch has been Turn Emergency Switch clockwise; cycle the
power. pushed in. ON/OFF switch to reboot the computer.
Low voltage power
supply LEDs are off.
FE System has no 1. Line cord disconnected. 1. Connect line cord.
power. 2. Outlet has no power. 2. Notify an electrician.
3. Main circuit breaker tripped. 3. Open door on the Measurement Console,
cycle/reset the tripped breaker.
4. Miswired. 4. Call Rudolph Field Service.
Most FE functions Aux. 7amp breaker is tripped Cycle/reset the tripped breaker.
not operational. (upper left).
No fans. Aux. 7amp breaker is tripped Cycle/reset the tripped breaker.
(lower left).
Computer outlets Aux. 7amp breaker is tripped Cycle/reset the tripped breaker.
have no power. (upper right).
No front panel Aux 0.5amp breaker is tripped Cycle/reset the tripped breaker.
illumination. (lower right).
One or more DC 1. Low voltage fuse blown. 1. Replace defective fuse on regulator board.
voltage LEDs are 2. Fresh fuse blows again. 2. Repair short circuit.
out on the center
panel. 3. Still no DC voltage. 3. Check AC input to regulator board.
4. Low voltage DC power 4. Replace the regulator board.
supply defective.
5. Miswired. 5. Call Rudolph Field Service.
No vacuum. 1. Hose not connected to 1. Connect hose.
house supply line.
2. House vacuum out. 2. Call plant maintenance.
3. Electronics Control Unit 3. Call Rudolph Field Service.
problem.
Robot/stage is not 1. No AC power to control unit. 1. AC power relay not working.
operational. 2. Electronics Control Unit 2. Call Rudolph Field Service.
problem.

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 Software Error Messages

Software Use the information in the following table to troubleshoot possible soft-
ware problems with your FE System. Locate the applicable error mes-
Error sage in the left column of the table to determine probable causes and
Messages recommended actions to rectify the problem.

NOTE

The error listing provided here is not all inclusive. If

you encounter an error that is not included in this
section, contact the Rudolph Service Department for
information.

Table F-2. FE System Software Error Messages

Err Error
Probable Causes Recommended Actions
# Message
Alignment Matrix Not Align.dat file corrupted. Contact Rudolph Technologies.
6
Calibrate: PC.

ALIGNMENT ERROR. Unable to align optic head to wafer.

- Dust on wafer. Check wafer for problems.
- Bad wafer.
7
- Alignment matrix miscalibrated. Contact Rudolph Technologies.
- Height detector board failure.
- Tilt detector board failure.

ILLEGAL CASSETTE Incorrect wafer cassette identifier specified. Enter correct cassette identifier.
10
SPECIFIED: PC.

ILLEGAL WAFER Incorrect wafer location specified. Enter correct wafer location.
11
SPECIFIED: PC.

BARCODE READ Barcode at location incorrect, unreadable, Supply correct barcode.

13
ERROR. or missing.

A communication Communication cable not connected. Check cables (most likely).

timeout has occurred
17 PC serial port failure. Replace serial port.
between the PC and the
BASE control board. Base control board hangup. Reset FOCUS.

A communication Communication cable not connected. Check cables (most likely).

timeout has occurred PC serial port failure. Replace serial port.
18 between the PC and the
OPTIC control board. Base control board hangup. Reset FOCUS.
Optic control board hangup.
ALIGN.DAT FILE Align.dat file missing. Recover an archived file and
21
MISSING. recalibrate alignment matrices.

ILLEGAL OPTICAL BIAS Invalid optical bias selected. Enter a valid optical bias.
22
LEVEL.

A15424 Operating Your FOCUS Ellipsometer System F-3

5/01/97 This manual contains information proprietary to Rudolph Technologies, Inc.
 Error Messages/Getting Help

Table F-2. FE System Software Error Messages (Continued)

Err Error
Probable Causes Recommended Actions
# Message
EEPROMB.DAT FILE EEPROMB.DAT file missing. Create file and enter command
23 MISSING. “upload base” or “upload_b” in
FOCTEST.

EEPROMO.DAT FILE EEPROMO.DAT file missing. Create file and enter command
24 MISSING. “upload optic” or “upload_o” in
FOCTEST.

WAFER REPOSITION Unable to center the wafer. Make sure flat/notch setting is
25 ERROR: PC. correct.
Recalibrate flat/notch finder.

INVALID PASSWORD. Incorrect password was given. Provide correct password or

26
contact system administrator.

FOCUS.INI FILE FOCUS.INI file missing. Restore backup copy.

27
MISSING.

Illegal Light Bulb Value entered that was outside the valid Specify value that is within the
28 Illumination. Valid Range range. specified range.
(0-31)

Base2 Control Board Not Invalid FOCUS configuration. Check FOCUS configured
29
Installed. correctly in SETUP program.

A communication Communication cable not connected. Check cables.

timeout has occurred Base2 control board hung up. Reboot FOCUS.
30
between the PC and the
BASE2 control board. PC serial port failure. Replace serial port.

EEPROMB2.DAT FILE EEPROMB2.DAT file missing. Create file by entering

31 MISSING. command “upload base2” or
“upload_base2” in FOCTEST.

A communication Communication cable not connected. Check cables.

timeout has occurred
34 SMIF arm not connected. Attach SMIF arm.
between the PC and the
SMIF2 ARM.

37 Extfn Not Installed. External flat/notch finder not installed. Check configuration of FOCUS.

EEPROMO.DAT File Is Unknown. Recreate file by typing

38
Corrupt. “upload_o” in FOCTEST.

EEPROMB.DAT File Is Unknown. Recreate file by typing

39
Corrupt. “upload_b” in FOCTEST.

EEPROMB2.DAT File Is Unknown. Recreate file by typing

40
Corrupt. “upload_base2” in FOCTEST.

ALIGN.DAT File Is Unknown. Restore file from backup copy.

41
Corrupt.

F-4 Operating Your FOCUS Ellipsometer System A15424

This manual contains information proprietary to Rudolph Technologies, Inc. 5/01/97
 Software Error Messages

Table F-2. FE System Software Error Messages (Continued)

Err Error
Probable Causes Recommended Actions
# Message
EEPROMIF.DAT file First time installation. Run FOCTEST and type
missing. Please run “upload intf”.
42 FOCTEST and upload
eeprom values from
interface control board.

EEPROMIF.DAT file is Unknown. Recreate EEPROMIF.DAT file

43 corrupt. by typing “upload intf” in
FOCTEST.

Interface Control Board PC to Interface Control Board Cable not Check cables.
44 Not Communicating with connected.
PC. Interface Control Board failure. Replace interface control board.

Wafer found on robot. Wafer on robot arm when robot is Manually remove wafer from
Cannot initialize robot initialized. On SMIF units, the robot cannot robot.
45 while wafer present. be initialized when wafer is on robot.
Please manually remove
wafer from robot.

Lifter 0 failed to home: Failure to home lifter 0. Retry to initialize unit.

106 TOP SENSOR Not Replace lifter 0.
Found.

Lifter 1 failed to home: Failure to home lifter 1. Retry to initialize unit.

107 TOP SENSOR Not Replace lifter 1
Found.

Lifter 2 failed to home: Failure to home lifter 2. Retry to initialize unit.

108 TOP SENSOR Not Replace lifter 2.
Found.

The base control board Failure to align optic head to wafer because Check wafer.
has been requested to lifter moved to limit.
109 Check alignment system and
move a lifter past its
recalibrate it.
limits.

The wafer FLAT was not Failure to find flat on wafer. Check wafer has a flat.
110
found.
The wafer NOTCH was Failure to find notch on wafer. Check wafer has a notch.
111
not found.

112 The lifters are not homed. Lifters not initialized. Initialize unit.

A wafer has been found Wafer unexpectedly found on robot. Remove wafer from robot by
113
on the robot. unloading it into a cassette.

No Wafer is loaded on Wafer not found on stage when a wafer Check vacuum system.
114 the stage. unload is attempted. Check wafer is on stage.

A15424 Operating Your FOCUS Ellipsometer System F-5

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 Error Messages/Getting Help

Table F-2. FE System Software Error Messages (Continued)

Err Error
Probable Causes Recommended Actions
# Message
Illegal Cassette Attempt to unload wafer to invalid cassette Retry command.
115
Destination. plate.

The wafer transfer cannot Cassette sizes are different. Place identical cassette sizes
be performed because for wafer transfer.
116
the two cassette sizes do
not match.

Cassette Size Error. Cassette not found. Place cassette.

Check that the cassette is
seated properly and that
117
you are using the same
cassette size specified in
the recipe.
SOURCE VACUUM Vacuum error. Check vacuum system.
122 ERROR.
Re-initialize unit.

A communication Failure to communicate with wafer handler Check cables.

timeout has occurred unit. Re-initialize unit.
123 between the BASE
control board and the
WAFER HANDLING unit.

The Wafer was Not Wafer not found in cassette slot. Check wafer present.
124 Found in the Cassette Check vacuum system.
Slot.

BARCODE was not Cannot read barcode on wafer. Check wafer.

126 correctly read.
Check barcode reader.

STAGE VACUUM Stage vacuum sensor failure. Replace stage vacuum sensor.
127
ERROR.
ROBOT VACUUM Robot vacuum sensor failure. Replace robot vacuum sensor.
128
ERROR.

Wafer Centering Failure. Cannot center wafer. Recalibrate flatnotch finding

system.
129
Verify flat or notch selected
correctly.

Vision Process unable to Possible OS/2 or memory problems. Exit from the program and
633
open semaphores. reboot OS/2.

Vision Process unable to Possible OS/2 or memory problems. Exit from the program and
634
set semaphores. reboot OS/2.

Vision Process unable to Possible OS/2 or memory problems. Exit from the program and
635
close semaphores. reboot OS/2.

F-6 Operating Your FOCUS Ellipsometer System A15424

This manual contains information proprietary to Rudolph Technologies, Inc. 5/01/97
 Software Error Messages

Table F-2. FE System Software Error Messages (Continued)

Err Error
Probable Causes Recommended Actions
# Message
Vision Process unable to Possible OS/2 or memory problems. Exit from the program and
636
clear semaphores reboot OS/2.

Vision Process unable to hicalib.par or localib.par is missing from Retrieve hicalib.par or

find calibration file. d:\focus\vision\setup. localib.par from FOCUS vision
637
install disk, then re-calibrate
vision system.

Vision Process unable to VSP.cnf is missing from Retrieve vsp.cnf from FOCUS
638
find configuration file. d:\focus\vision\setup. vision install disk.

Vision Process unable to Filenum.str is missing from Find out the largest pattern
find number generation d:\focus\vision\setup. number in d:\focus\vision\pat,
639 file.
then edit filenum.str, enter the
number and save it.

Vision Process received Possible wrong vismain.exe. Consult Rudolph Service

640 invalid magnification. Department to obtain the correct
vismain.exe.

Poor vision pattern teach Poor features or improper threshold setup. Select different site or re-adjust
641
quality. thresholds.

Not enough successful Poor feature site or repeat pattern site. Select another site.
642
alignments to calibrate.

Vision Calibration Figure Bad calibration site. Select another site and re-
643
Of Merit too high. calibrate.

Vision Teach unable to Poor teach site or hardware sync problem. Select another site or check the
644 find enough patterns to hardware.
qualify for alignment.

Vision Teach unable to No space on hard disk. Check the hard disk space on
645
write patterns. D:\ drive.

Vision Teach unable to Pattern is missing or hardware failure. Check the pattern in
648
read patterns. d:\focus\vision\pat directory.

Vision Process unable to OS/2 memory management problem. Shutdown OS/2 and reboot.
649
allocate.
Vision Search unable to Color variation or pattern is outside FOV. Contact Rudolph Service
650 find 2 patterns in site Department.
pattern file.

Vision Search unable to Pattern is missing. Check the pattern in

651
read patterns. d:\focus\vision\pat directory.

Vision Search unable to Color variation or pattern is outside FOV. Contact Rudolph Service
652 find pattern alignment Department.
quality above threshold.

A15424 Operating Your FOCUS Ellipsometer System F-7

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 Error Messages/Getting Help

Table F-2. FE System Software Error Messages (Continued)

Err Error
Probable Causes Recommended Actions
# Message
Vision Search coupling Possible repeat patterns or similar patterns Use restricted search.
653 exceed Coupling in FOV.
Difference Threshold.

Protect Device not EEPROM is missing on Imaging Tech Contact Rudolph Service
656 installed in Imaging Board. Department.
Technology Board.

Ill formed Vision System Incomplete localib.par or hicalib.par. Check the files. Re-calibrate
657
calibration matrix. vision system if necessary.

Vision Process made call Possible software bugs. Contact Rudolph Service
658 with parameter out of Department.
range.

Vision Process unable to Poor search image or pattern is outside Contact Rudolph Service
659
find any valid pattern. FOV. Department.

Vision Process unable to OS/2 API failure. Shutdown OS/2 and reboot or
660 free shared data. consult with Rudolph Software
Group.

Vision child process is Hardware security key is not installed. Contact Rudolph Service
661 not running, unable to Department to install the
register wafer. security key.

Vision Process unable to Communication failure between vision Re-plug in the board or replace
662
initialize vision board. board and PC. the board.

Vision child process is Communication failure between PC and Check Cognex device driver is
unable to open pseudo Cognex board. properly installed, board is
663
serial port. properly plugged in and
functions normally.

Vision child process is Communication failure between PC and Check Cognex device driver is
unable to close pseudo Cognex board. properly installed, board is
664
serial port. properly plugged in and
functions normally.

Vision child process is Communication failure between PC and Check Cognex device driver is
unable to reset. Cognex board. properly installed, board is
665
properly plugged in and
functions normally.

Vision child process is Cognex functions abnormally. Check the board and run
666
not in polling mode. reset_vp.

Parent Vision Process OS/2 API failure. Shutdown OS/2 and reboot or
675 unable to free shared consult with Rudolph Service
data. Department.

F-8 Operating Your FOCUS Ellipsometer System A15424

This manual contains information proprietary to Rudolph Technologies, Inc. 5/01/97
 Software Error Messages

Table F-2. FE System Software Error Messages (Continued)

Err Error
Probable Causes Recommended Actions
# Message
Parent Vision Process OS/2 failure. Contact Rudolph Service
677 unable to create Department.
semaphores.

Parent Vision Process OS/2 failure. Contact Rudolph Service

678 unable to set Department.
semaphores.

Parent Vision Process OS/2 failure. Contact Rudolph Service

679 unable to close Department.
semaphores.

Parent Vision Process OS/2 failure. Contact Rudolph Service

680 unable to clear Department.
semaphores.
Call made to Child Vision Calls between FOCUS Apps and vismain Exit the problem. Terminate
681
Process after it ended. are out of sync. vismain then restart.

Parent Vision Process The vismain could be still running. Terminate vismain.
682 unable to execute Child
Vision Process.

A15424 Operating Your FOCUS Ellipsometer System F-9

5/01/97 This manual contains information proprietary to Rudolph Technologies, Inc.
Error Messages/Getting Help

Contacting For additional information and support, contact Rudolph Technologies,

Inc. directly or through an authorized representative in your area. Contact
Rudolph information is provided in the following table.
Technologies
Item Information
Phone Number (201) 691-1300
Fax Number (201) 691-5480
Address One Rudolph Road
PO Box 1000
Flanders, NJ 07836

NOTE

Before contacting Rudolph Technologies, please

have ready the Serial Number of your FE System.
This will help Rudolph Technologies personnel to
expedite serving you.

F-10 Operating Your FOCUS Ellipsometer System A15424

This manual contains information proprietary to Rudolph Technologies, Inc. 5/01/97
 Glossary

Glossary
Analog to Digital Board (A/D) Chip and Die
That part of the detector system which changes the Used interchangeably in this document. They refer
output of the detector from an analog to a digital to one integrated circuit on the wafer.
form.
Collimated Diode Laser
Analysis Used to generate the probe beam required by the
The data reduction routines applied to the measure- tilt control system.
ments.
Collimating Lens
Analyzer Makes parallel the diverging rays of light emerging
A manually rotatable Glan-Taylor polarizer assem- from the spatial filter.
bly.
Compensator
Analyzer Arm A mica quarter-wave plate.
An assembly of all the components mounted on the
analyzer arm plate. Used to “analyze” the polariza- Computer Bay
tion state of the light reflected from the sample. The lower right-hand side of the measurement con-
sole that contains the computer CPU and disk
Application drives.
A film measurement requirement.
Database
Barcode Reader Information stored in a structured, easily retrievable
A device used to scan the identification code on the fashion. Consists of the measured data, calculated
bottom of each wafer. parameters, thickness, index of refraction and wa-
fer data.
Batch
A numbered group of wafers. Delta (∆)
The relative phase shift between the S and P polar-
Border izations after reflection from the sample.
The boundary of a window. Clicking on the border
and dragging it changes the size of the window. Die
The region on a wafer that defines one integrated
Browser circuit (chip).
A means for accessing database information.
Dual Wavelength
Cassette Combined 633 nm HeNe laser and 780 nm diode la-
A container for transporting and storing wafers. ser measurement system.

Cassette Storage Dynamic Repeatability

The lower portion of the right cabinet (Wafer Han- A test to determine the measurement variation of
dler Console), which may be used to store wafer the instrument when measuring the same point on
cassettes. a wafer n times, and includes the variations intro-
duced by the mechanical movements of the sample
CCD Detector stage.
A linear array charge coupled detector (CCD), used
to detect the intensity modulated laser beam. Electronics Bay
The lower left portion of the measurement console.

A15424 Operating Your FOCUS Ellipsometer System GL-1

5/01/97 This manual contains information proprietary to Rudolph Technologies, Inc.
Glossary

EMA Focus Recipe Creator

Effective Medium Approximation. Technique for Program used by the Process Engineer to specify
generating the optical constants of a mixture from FE information for measuring wafers. The Process
the optical constants of its constituent parts. Engineer can enter the following information into
the recipe creator: Cassette contents, transfer path,
FE Recipe measurement patterns, wafer physical information.
See “Process Specification”.
Focus Setup
FE Process Specification Program used to configure and customize the FE.
A collection of all the measurement process steps Sets system default values.
that are required for one kind of integrated circuit.
The highest level FE recipe. Generated data
Delta and psi calculated parameters and the results
Filmstack (Film Stack) of any statistical operations.
A template used to represent the materials and pa-
rameters expected in the film structure of a particu- Height Control System
lar site on a wafer. Filmstacks are required to model Senses and adjusts the elevation of the optics head
the measured data and produce calculated results above the sample.
such as t, n and k. For unpatterned wafers, one
filmstack can be used to model all points on the wa- HeNe Laser
fer. For patterned wafers, a different filmstack may A red laser light source.
be used for each measurement location.
Icon
Flat / Notch Finder (Detector) A pictogram that represents a program.
A sensing system used to determine centering and
radial position of the wafer on the vacuum chuck. Iterated Parameters
Iterated (calculated) parameters include items that
Focus Interactive can be calculated from ∆ and ψ. These parameters
Program used by the Process Engineer to interac- can include n, k, Thickness and Order.
tively develop a filmstack.
Laser Shutter
Focus Operator A shutter used to mechanically block the laser
The Focus Operator Program contains wafer mea- beam.
surement recipes created by the Process Engineer.
The Operator uses these recipes to make measure- Mapping
ments on production wafers. The operation of the Program used to view wafer maps. Maps may be
FE by the program can range from completely auto- viewed as contour (2D) or topographic (3D). Cre-
matic to semi-automatic, depending on the purpose ation of etch rate and difference maps is also possi-
for which each recipe was written. The measure- ble.
ment results are automatically stored for use by the
Process Engineer. Identification (name and pass- Material
word) of the Operator. Set-up of the FE for a mea- Physical composition of a film or substrate. There
surement run. Measurement of one cassette load of are two types of materials: homogenous materials
wafers (from fully automatic to semi-automatic). (such as: SiO2), and EMA materials (such as: poly-
Progress and intermediate results are displayed for silicon) which are aggregates composed of two ho-
monitoring purposes. Automatic storage of mea- mogenous materials.
surements and calculated results in the database.
Results displayed at the end of the measurement Maximize Button
run, and can be printed. A small “up” arrow in the upper right corner of a win-
dow used to expand a small window to full screen
size.

GL-2 Operating Your FOCUS Ellipsometer System A15424

This manual contains information proprietary to Rudolph Technologies, Inc. 5/01/97
 Glossary

Measurement Console Psi (ψ)

The main (center) console. The arctangent of the ratio of the reflectances of the
P and S polarizations.
Measurement System
The electro-optical system composed of the optics Recipe
head, the optics base, the stage, and the lifters. A set of instructions to describe the measurement of
a wafer.
Menu Bar
Directly beneath the title bar, the horizontal menu Registration
bar displays the items or commands that can be se- Menu item used for patterned wafers to accurately
lected or activated in this window. “Grayed out” determine chip size and wafer position (deskew).
items can not be selected (for example; the “maxi-
mize” box will gray out if the window has already Repeatability
been maximized). Statistical spread of repeated measurements.

Microscope Report
Used to provide magnified views of the wafer on the A template used to control the format of the mea-
video monitor. sured data.

Minimize Button Sample

A small “down” arrow in the upper right corner of a The object to be measured.
window used to reduce the size of this window or to
shrink this window to an icon. An “iconized” pro- Scroll Bar
gram continues to run in the background (for exam- A vertical or horizontal control and indicator bar,
ple; a compiler). usually located on the right side of a window. To
scroll through the window's contents, click on the
Monitor Console slider button (between the “up” and “down” arrows)
The left console. Used to support the computer and drag it to get to the desired item rapidly. The
monitor and provide additional storage space. slider button can be used as a moving indicator to
show where you are in a list. The small “up” and
Optics Head “down” arrows on the scroll bar can be clicked to
All of the components mounted on top of the lifters. move up or down one line per click, or held down for
continuous scrolling.
Optics Hood
The cover on top of the measurement console. Static Repeatability
A test to determine the measurement variation of
Order Resolution the instrument when measuring the same point on
The ability of the FE to determine the thickness or- a wafer “n” times, and does NOT include the varia-
der. tions introduced by the mechanical movements of
the sample stage.
Patterned Wafer
A wafer having integrated circuits, or precursor Stepper Group
etched patterns, on its surface. Also a menu item The chips contained within one exposure of the
used to “train” measurement locations (patterns) for stepper. Normally each stepper group on a wafer is
the chips or stepper groups on a wafer. identical although the chips within the stepper
groups may not be.
Process Step
Each process step consists of a “step title”, a “trans- Template
fer specification”, one or more “wafer recipes”, and Consists of a data component, such as a filmstack,
a “control specification”. containing a unique data configuration.

Process Specification
A group of process steps.

A15424 Operating Your FOCUS Ellipsometer System GL-3

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Glossary

Transfer Wafer Chuck

Menu item used to create the “Transfer Specifica- A chuck used to retain the wafer in place on the
tions” that identify the source and destination cas- sample stage, and to rotate the wafer when re-
sette locations, the cassette slots containing the quired.
wafers to be measured, and the wafer transfer style.
The creation of transfer specifications is done in the Wafer Handler Console
“Transfer Selection” window. The right console. Contains the wafer handling ro-
bot.
Unpatterned Wafer
A template used to specify the measurement pat-
tern for unpatterned wafers. Recipe made for mon-
itor wafer applications.

GL-4 Operating Your FOCUS Ellipsometer System A15424

This manual contains information proprietary to Rudolph Technologies, Inc. 5/01/97
 Index

Index
A C

Aborting a measurement session, 2-24 Calculated parameters

About interlayers, 3-64 Focus Interactive program, 3-13
About this guide, xxi Calculated parameters area, 3-13
Access level Cancel the process run, 2-20
Assigning to a user, B-12 Cassette browsing, 5-23
Changing, B-17 Cassette icon, 5-22
Accessing current run data, 2-31 Focus Browser program, 5-22
Accessing previously run data Focus Operator cassette view, 2-10
(history log), 2-32 Cassette plates, 1-4, 2-7
Accessing wafer mapping, 2-38 Indicating process running, 2-11
Adding film layers, 3-41 Indicating ready, 2-10
Creating new materials, 3-46 Status windows, 2-7
Material parameters, 3-43 Cassette status window
Material selection, 3-41 Focus Operator cassette view, 2-19
Analyzing test results, 3-33 Cassette view, 2-6
Error estimates, 3-34 Cassette icon, 2-10
Fit error, 3-33 Cassette plate status windows, 2-7
Order resolution, 3-34 Cassette plates, 2-7
Order searching, 3-34 Cassette status window , 2-19
Application development Exit button, 2-7
Introduction, 3-2 History log file icon, 2-7
Applications Login button, 2-7
Developing film applications , 3-1 Options button, 2-7
Applications by Fab area, 3-60 Process ready to run, 2-10
CMP, 3-91 Process running, 2-11
CVD, 3-77 Process specification selection, 2-8
Diffusion, 3-61 Process step selection, 2-9
Etch, 3-87 Robot arm, 2-7
Lithography, 3-95 SECS-II status indicator, 2-7
Area patterns Cassette view button
Circular, 4-56 Focus Operator wafer view, 2-14
Rectangular, 4-55 Cassettes
Automatic registration Queuing prior to starting the run, 2-25
Die pitch training, 4-28 Queuing while a run is in progress , 2-27
Loading a wafer, 4-26 Changing measurement sites in a registered
Site pattern selection, 4-31 pattern, 4-58
Using pattern recognition, 4-26 Changing wafer orientation view , 5-15
Automatic updating Chips, select measured, 4-38
Wafer maps, 5-13 Choosing a filmstack model, 3-20
Creating a new filmstack, 3-26
B Existing filmstacks, 3-20
Modifying existing, 3-22
Circular area patterns, 4-56
Backing up the FE database, B-19
Circular patterns, 4-54
Browsing the database, 5-23
Circular polarization, E-4
Cassette browsing, 5-23
Clearing the wafer map view, 5-16
Database queries, 5-26
CMP applications, 3-91
BPSG on metal, 3-94
Teos on metal, 3-91

A15424 Operating Your FOCUS Ellipsometer System Index-1

5/01/97 This manual contains information proprietary to Rudolph Technologies, Inc.
Index

Cognex vision system CVD applications, 3-77

Patterned wafer recipes, 4-26 Amorphous SI, 3-80
Color modes, switching, 5-14 Thick oxide, T&N measurements, 3-77
Completion of process run, 2-22 TiN/SI, 3-83
Completion of queued run, 2-29 Cycle thickness, and ∆ / Ψ trajectories, E-9
Composite materials
Creating EMA, 3-47 D
Creating non-EMA, 3-46
EMA , 3-47
∆ / Ψ trajectories and cycle thickness, E-9
Non-EMA, 3-46
∆ / Ψ, Ellipsometry parameters, E-8
Compression, database, B-24
Data
Computer system, 1-3
Accessing current run, 2-31
Console
Editing the measured, 5-17
Measurement, 1-2, 1-3, 1-4
Importing and exporting, 5-37
Monitor, 1-2, 1-4
Retrieving run, 2-30
Wafer handler, 1-2, 1-4
Sample report, 2-34
Contacting Rudolph Technologies , F-10
Viewing report, 5-30
Contour mapping, 5-8
Data (history log), accessing, 2-32
Switching to topographical, 5-16
Data as a graph, displaying, 5-31
Contour wafer maps, 5-2
Data in text format, displaying, 5-32
Control electronics, 1-3
Data login
Control panel
Focus Operator program, B-9
Emergency Motion Off, A-2
Data report, measurement, 2-34
Emergency Power Off, A-2
Data reporting, 5-1
FE System, A-2
and Focus Operator, 5-1
Power on/off switch, A-2
and Focus Recipe Creator, 5-1
Control panel button
Wafer mapping and, 5-1
Focus Operator wafer view, 2-14
Data retrieval, 2-30
Control, transfer, 4-64
Current run, 2-31
Controls, selecting measurement, 3-54
History log file icon, 2-30, 2-32
Conventions, usage, xxiii
Press for data icon, 2-30, 2-31
Coordinate, pattern creation by, 4-49
Previous run (history) , 2-32
Copying user records, B-14
Data view, 2-15
Creating a difference map, 5-9
Database
Creating a monitor wafer recipe, 4-22
Backing up, B-19
Creating a new filmstack, 3-26
Browsing the, 5-23
Creating a patterned wafer recipe, 4-26
Restoring, B-21
Creating a wafer map, 2-36
Database backup
Creating a wafer mapping recipe, 4-45
Configuration files, B-19
Creating a wafer recipe, 4-16
log0 file, B-19
Creating an etch rate map, 5-11
Map files, B-19
Creating an import/export media disk, 5-41
Recipe database, B-19
Creating and modifying a
Recommended intervals for, B-26
process specification, 4-68
Wafer database, B-19
Creating and modifying
Database compression, B-24
measurement patterns, 4-46
Database maintenance, B-23
Creating EMA composite materials, 3-47
Recommended intervals for, B-26
Creating filmstacks, 3-38
Database operations, B-19
Creating new materials, 3-46
Backup, B-19
EMA composite materials, 3-47
Compressing the database, B-24
Non-EMA composite materials, 3-46
Delete vision system files, B-23
Creating new user records, B-11
Recommended intervals for, B-26
Creating non-EMA composite materials, 3-46
Restore, B-21
Creating recipes, 4-1
Creating wafer maps, 5-2
Current run data, accessing, 2-31

Index-2 Operating Your FOCUS Ellipsometer System A15424

This manual contains information proprietary to Rudolph Technologies, Inc. 5/01/97
 Index

Database queries, 5-26 Required components, E-11

Creating a new query, 5-27 Rotating compensator ellipsometers, E-12
Defining a query, 5-28 Theory, E-1
Displaying as a graph, 5-29, 5-31 Ellipsometry parameters ∆ and Ψ, E-8
Displaying as a report, 5-29 Elliptical polarization, E-5
Displaying as text, 5-32 EMA composite materials, 3-47
Modifying an existing query , 5-27 Creating, 3-47
Selecting an existing query, 5-26 Menu map, D-4
Database query statistics, 5-35 Selecting constituents, 3-47
Database restore Emergency Motion Off, 1-7, A-2, A-5
Configuration files, B-21 Recovery from, A-6
Map files, B-21 Emergency Power Off, A-2, A-5
Recipe database, B-21 Recovery from, A-6
Wafer database, B-21 Emergency system shutdown, A-5
Default filmstacks, C-2 Recovering from, A-6
Default measurement controls, C-7 EMO, see Emergency Motion Off
Default recipes, C-5 EPO, see Emergency Power Off
Deferred options Equipment, optional, 1-5
Operator selection, 2-19 Error estimates, 3-34
Deleting film layers, 3-49 and Fit error, E-16
Deleting user records, B-14 Error messages, Software, F-3
Deleting vision system files, B-23 Error messages/getting help, F-1
Deregistering export media, 5-40 Etch applications, 3-87
Developing film applications , 3-1 Oxide etch to clear, 3-87
Die pitch training, 4-28 Etch rate wafer maps, 5-2
Difference and etch rate maps, 5-9 Creating, 5-11
Difference wafer maps, 5-2 Difference and, 5-9
Creating, 5-9 Etch rate calculation, 5-12
Diffusion applications, 3-61 Exit button
Oxides/nitrides, 3-61 Focus Operator cassette view, 2-7
Poly variations, 3-64 Exiting Focus Browser, 5-36
Poly-SI using EMA , 3-70 Exiting Focus Interactive, 3-59
Displaying data as a graph, 5-31 Exiting Focus Operator, 2-39
Displaying data in text format, 5-32 Exiting Focus Operator, logging out and, 2-39
Dual wavelength, 1-5 Exiting Focus Setup, B-10
Exiting Recipe Creator, 4-75
E Exiting Wafer Mapping, 5-19
Export media
Creating a media disk, 5-41
Editing the measured data, 5-17
Deregistering, 5-40
Ellipsometer types, E-11
Exporting data, 5-37
Null, E-11
External flat/notch finder, 1-4
Rotating compensator, E-12
Ellipsometry
∆, Ψ parameters, E-8 F
∆, Ψ trajectories and cycle thickness, E-9
Ellipsometer types, E-11 Fab applications
Film parameter computation algorithm , E-17 CMP, 3-91
Fit error and error estimates, E-16 CVD, 3-77
Focused beam technology, E-15 Diffusion, 3-61
Instrumentation, E-11 Etch, 3-87
Interaction of light with material, E-1 Lithography, 3-95
Null ellipsometers, E-11 Fab area, applications by, 3-60
Order search algorithm , E-19 Faxing data to Rudolph Technologies, 3-56
Polarized light, E-2
Reflection of light from a surface, E-6

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Index

FE database Selecting existing, 3-20

Backing up, B-19 Selecting measurement controls, 3-54
Compression, B-24 Setting range specifications, 3-55
Restoring, B-21 Testing, 3-31
FE System Testing the, 3-31
Configuration, B-1 Filmstack model window , 3-11
Control panel, A-2 Menu map, D-4
Database maintenance, B-23 Filmstack specification, 4-19
Database operations, B-19 Filmstacks
Default filmstacks, C-2 Creating, 3-38
Default measurement controls, C-7 Creating new , 3-26
Default recipes, C-5 Default, C-2
Emergency shutdown, A-5 Modifying, 3-38
External flat/notch finder, 1-4 Modifying existing, 3-22
Hardware symptoms, F-2 Remodeling modified, 3-36
Normal shutdown, A-4 Rudolph supplied, 3-14, 3-17, C-2
Normal startup, A-3 Selecting existing, 3-20
Printer, 1-4 Fit error, 3-33
Recommended intervals for database Order resolution by, 3-35
operations, B-26 Range specifications, 3-55
Recovering from emergency shutdown, A-6 Fit error and error estimates, E-16
Safety features, 1-7 Focus, 3-5, 3-59
Setting login requirements, B-7 Focus Browser program, 1-10, 5-1, 5-20
Software error messages, F-3 Browsing the database, 5-23
Starting, A-1 Cassette browsing, 5-23
Stopping, A-1 Cassette icon, 5-22
FE System control panel, A-2 Database queries, 5-26
Emergency Motion Off, A-2 Exiting, 5-36
Emergency Power Off, A-2 File viewer menus, D-8
Power on/off switch, A-2 Main menu, 5-22
FE System hardware symptoms, F-2 Main window, 5-21
FE System printer , 1-4 Measurement graph window menus, D-9
FE System safety features, 1-7 Menus, D-8
File viewer window Query statistics, 5-35
Menu map, D-7, D-8, D-11 Starting, 5-21
Film application development, Viewing report data, 5-30
introduction to, 3-2 FOCUS hardware, 1-2
Film applications, developing, 3-1 Measurement console, 1-2, 1-3
Film layers Monitor console, 1-2, 1-4
Adding, 3-41 Optional equipment, 1-5
Deleting, 3-49 Wafer handler console, 1-2, 1-4
Modifying, 3-50 Focus Interactive program, 1-9, 3-1
Film parameter computation algorithm , E-17 Analyzing test results, 3-33
Filmstack development, 3-17 Creating a new filmstack, 3-26
Filmstack menu, 3-12 Creating filmstacks, 3-38
Filmstack model Default filmstacks, C-2
Adding film layers, 3-41 Default measurement controls, C-7
Analyzing test results, 3-33 Example applications by Fab area, 3-60
Changing the substrate, 3-38 Exiting, 3-59
Choosing a, 3-20 Filmstack model window menus, D-4
Conventions, 3-11 Logging in, 3-5
Creating new materials, 3-46 Logging in and Starting, 3-5
Deleting film layers, 3-49 Logging measurement data, 3-28
Focus Interactive program, 3-11 Main menu, 3-13
Logging measurements, 3-28 Main window, 3-8
Modifying film layers, 3-50 Menus, D-3

Index-4 Operating Your FOCUS Ellipsometer System A15424

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 Index

Modifying an existing filmstack, 3-22 Queued loading, 1-9, 2-1

Modifying filmstacks, 3-38 Setting data login requirements, B-9
Remodeling a modified filmstack, 3-36 Setting login exit requirements, B-9
Selecting an existing filmstack , 3-20 Setting login requirements, B-7
Setting login requirements, B-7 Setting logout requirements, B-7
Setting password requirements, B-8 Setting password requirements, B-8
Site locator, 3-9 Site locator window menus, D-7
Site locator window menus, D-4 Starting, 2-2
Testing the filmstack model, 3-31 Using, 2-16
Wafer view , 3-8 Viewing wafer maps, 2-38
Focus Mapping program, 1-10, 5-1, 5-3 Wafer view , 2-12, 2-21
and wafer mapping recipes, 4-45 Windows, 2-6
Automatic updating of wafer views, 5-13 Focus Recipe Creator program, 1-9, 4-2, 4-73
Clearing wafer maps, 5-16 and passwords, B-1
Creating a difference map, 5-9 and user logins, B-1
Creating an etch rate map, 5-11 Changing measurement sites in a registered
Editing measured data, 5-17 pattern, 4-58
Exiting, 5-19 Configuring user logins and passwords, B-1
File viewer menus, D-11 Copying user records, B-14
Graphics window menus, D-11 Creating a wafer recipe, 4-16
Main menu, 5-3 Creating an import/export media disk, 5-41
Manual updating of wafer map views, 5-14 Creating and modifying measurement
Map window, 5-4 patterns, 4-46
Menus, D-10 Creating monitor recipes, 4-22
Opening new or additional wafer maps , 5-16 Creating new user records, B-11
Starting, 5-3 Creating patterned wafer recipes, 4-26
Switching between contour and topographic Creating wafer mapping recipes, 4-45
modes, 5-16 Default recipes, C-5
Switching wafer map color modes, 5-14 Deleting user records, B-14
Switching wafer orientation view, 5-15 Exiting, 4-75
Updating wafer views, 5-13 Exporting data, 5-37
Viewing contour wafer maps, 5-8 Filmstack specification, 4-19
Viewing difference wafer maps, 5-9 Importing data, 5-37
Viewing etch rate maps, 5-9 Logging in, 4-6
Viewing topographical wafer maps, 5-7 Logging in and starting, 4-5
Viewing wafer maps, 5-6 Main menu, 4-12
Wafer map window menus, D-10 Main window, 4-8
Wafer mapping, 5-2 Menus, D-5
Focus Operator program, 2-1 Modifying a wafer recipe, 4-43
and wafer mapping, 4-45 Modifying user records, B-16
Cassette view, 2-6, 2-25, 2-29 Password entry, 4-7
Data view, 2-15 Process specifications, 4-68
Exit, 2-7 Recipe selection, 4-16, 4-43
Exiting, 2-7, 2-39 Renaming user records, B-14
File viewer window menus, D-7 Setting login requirements, B-7
History log file icon, 2-7 Setting password requirements, B-8
Logging in, 2-2, 2-3 Site locator, 4-10
Logging in and starting, 2-2 Site locator window menus, D-6
Logging out, 2-39 Starting, 4-5
Logging out and exiting, 2-39 Stepper group pattern training menus, D-6
Login, 2-7 Transfer control, 4-64
Menu maps, D-7 User login and password setup, B-11
Options button, 2-7
Out of range action, 3-40, 3-44, 3-52
Process specification selection, 2-8
Process step selection, 2-9

A15424 Operating Your FOCUS Ellipsometer System Index-5

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Index

Wafer information, 4-17 Interlocks

Wafer recipe window , 4-9 Laser, 1-7
Wafer registration, 4-21 Motion, 1-7
Wafer reports, 4-61 Introduction to film application
Wafer view , 4-8 development, 3-2
Focus SECS-II, 1-10
Focus Setup program, 1-6, 1-10, B-1 L
Exiting, B-10
Main window, B-2
Laser safety
Menus, D-12
Interlocks, 1-7
Starting, B-2
Layers
Focus software, 1-8
Adding, 3-41
Focus Browser, 1-10
Changing the filmstack substrate, 3-38
Focus Interactive, 1-9
Deleting, 3-49
Focus Mapping, 1-10
Modifying, 3-50
Focus Operator, 1-9
Line patterns, 4-52
Focus Recipe Creator, 1-9
Linear polarization, E-3
Focus SECS-II, 1-10
Lithography applications, 3-95
Focus Setup, 1-10
Photo resist, 3-95
Focused beam technology, E-15
Loading a test wafer, 3-17
From cassette, 3-18
G Manual load, 3-18
Log
Gem-compliant SECS-II, 1-5 history, 2-7, 2-30, 2-32
Graphics window Logging
Menu map, D-11 Start, 3-28
Stop, 3-29
H Logging in
and starting Focus Interactive, 3-5
and starting Focus Operator, 2-2
Hardware symptoms, FE System, F-2
and starting Focus Recipe Creator, 4-5
History log, 2-7, 2-30, 2-32
Focus Interactive program, 3-6
Accessing previously run data, 2-32
Focus Recipe Creator program, 4-6
Number of reports saved, 2-32
Logging measurement data
Selecting the desired report, 2-33
Start logging, 3-28
Stop logging, 3-29
I Logging measurements, 3-28
Viewing graphical output, 3-30
Icon Logging out and exiting Focus Operator , 2-39
Cassette, 5-22 Login
Press for Data, 2-7, 2-22, 2-23, 2-24, 2-29, Focus Interactive program, 3-5
2-30, 2-31, 2-37 Focus Operator program, 2-2, 2-3
Import/export media disk, creating an, 5-41 Focus Recipe Creator program, 4-5
Importing and exporting data, 5-37 Setting system requirements, B-7
Media disk, 5-37 Login button
Index matching, order resolution by, 3-36 Focus Operator cassette view, 2-7
Intended audience, xxii Login exit
Interaction of light with material, E-1 Focus Operator program, B-9
Interactive program Login names, 2-3
Exiting, 3-59 Adding, xxii, B-11
Starting, 3-5 Copying, B-14
Interlayers Deleting, B-14
About, 3-64 Modifying, B-16
Calculation rules, 3-66 Renaming, B-14
Selection, 2-4, 3-5

Index-6 Operating Your FOCUS Ellipsometer System A15424

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 Index

Login requirements Topographical, 5-7

Access levels, B-8 Topographical wafer maps, 5-2, 5-7
Focus Interactive program, B-7 Updating wafer views, 5-13, 5-14
Focus Operator program, B-7 Viewing wafer maps, 5-6
Focus Recipe Creator program, B-7 Wafer, xxi, 1-6, 2-38, 5-1, 5-2
Setting FE System, B-7 Mapping and data reporting, wafer, 5-1
Logins and passwords, Setting up, B-11 Mapping recipe, creating, 4-45
Maps
M Contour, 5-2
Creating, 5-2
Creating a difference map, 5-9
Main menu
Creating a wafer map, 2-36
Focus Browser, 5-22
Creating an etch rate map, 5-11
Focus Interactive, 3-13
Difference, 5-2
Focus Mapping, 5-3
Difference and etch rate, 5-9
Focus Recipe Creator, 4-12
Etch rate, 5-2
Focus Setup, B-3
Opening a new or additional, 5-16
Main window
Topographical, 5-2
Focus Interactive, 3-8
Viewing, 5-6
Focus Recipe Creator, 4-8
Wafer, 1-4
Focus Setup, B-2
Materials
Maintenance
Creating EMA composite, 3-47
Database, B-23
Creating new , 3-46
Recommended intervals for, B-26
Creating non-EMA composite, 3-46
Manual updating
EMA composite, 3-47
Wafer maps, 5-14
Non-EMA composite, 3-46
Manuals, related, xxii
Measured chips, selecting, 4-38
Map views
Measured data, editing, 5-17
Clearing, 5-16
Measurement console, 1-2, 1-3, 1-4
Updating, 5-13
Computer system, 1-3
Map window, 5-4
Control electronics, 1-3
Menu, 5-5
Measurement system, 1-3
Mapping, 5-1
Measurement controls
and Focus Operator program, 5-2
Default, C-7
Clearing wafer maps, 5-16
Rudolph supplied, 3-54, C-7
Contour, 5-8
Selecting, 3-54
Contour wafer maps, 5-2, 5-8
Selecting existing, 3-54
Creating monitor wafer recipes, 4-45
Measurement data
Creating patterned wafer recipes, 4-45
Faxing to Rudolph Technologies , 3-56
Creating wafer maps, 5-2
Retrieving, 2-22
Creating wafer recipes, 4-45
Measurement data report, 2-34
Difference wafer maps, 5-2, 5-9
Measurement data retrieval, 2-30
Editing measured data, 5-17
Current run, 2-31
Etch rate maps, 5-2
History log file icon, 2-30, 2-32
Etch rate wafer maps, 5-9
Press for data icon, 2-30, 2-31
Exiting, 5-19
Previous run (history) , 2-32
Monitor wafer, 4-45
Measurement graph window
Opening new or additional wafer maps , 5-16
Menu map, D-9
Optical parameters displayed, 5-2
Measurement pattern, 4-34
Patterned wafer , 4-45
Creating by coordinate, 4-49
Switching between contour and topographical
Creating by shape, 4-51
wafer maps, 5-16
Line patterns, 4-52
Switching between topographic
Measurement pattern selection, 4-22
and contour, 5-16
Creating new patterns, 4-23
Switching color modes, 5-14
Modifying existing patterns, 4-23
Switching wafer orientation view, 5-15
Selecting existing patterns, 4-23

A15424 Operating Your FOCUS Ellipsometer System Index-7

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Index

Measurement patterns Normal system shutdown, A-4

Circular area patterns, 4-56 Normal system startup, A-3
Circular patterns, 4-54 Null ellipsometers, E-11
Creating and modifying, 4-46
Creating by point, 4-47 O
Rectangular area patterns, 4-55
Rudolph supplied, 4-23
Opening new or additional wafer maps , 5-16
Measurement session, aborting, 2-24
Operator interface, 2-1
Measurement sites
Optional equipment, 1-5
Changing sites in a registered pattern, 4-58
Dual wavelength, 1-5
Pattern training, 4-34
Gem-compliant SECS-II, 1-5
Measurement status
Mounting hardware, 1-6
Focus Operator wafer view, 2-14
Pattern recognition (vision system), 1-5
Measurement system, 1-3
Printer, 1-6
Measurement, skipping a wafer , 2-23
Queued loading, 1-5
Measurements, Logging, 3-28
Signal tower , 1-6
Media disk, 5-37
SMIF unit, 1-5
Creating, 5-41
Options button
Deregistering export media, 5-40
Focus Operator cassette view, 2-7
Menu maps
Order resolution
Focus Browser program, D-8
by fit error , 3-35
Focus Interactive program, D-3
by index matching, 3-36
Focus Mapping program, D-10
Order searching and, 3-34
Focus Operator program, D-7
Order search algorithm , E-19
Focus Recipe Creator program, D-5
Order searching
Focus Setup program, D-12
and order resolution, 3-34
Menu Maps quick reference, D-1
Restricted, 3-35
Messages
Standard, 3-35
Software error, F-3
Overview, system, 1-1
Modifying a process specification, 4-68
Modifying a process step, 4-73
Modifying a wafer recipe, 4-43 P
Modifying an existing filmstack, 3-22
Modifying film layers, 3-50 Password entry
Material parameters, 3-51 Focus Interactive program, 3-6
Modifying filmstack substrates Focus Recipe Creator program, 4-7
Material parameters, 3-39 Passwords, 2-4, 2-5
Modifying filmstacks, 3-38 Assigning to a user, B-12
Modifying measurement patterns , 4-46 Changing, B-17
Modifying user records, B-16 Configuring the system to require, xxii, B-8
Monitor console, 1-2, 1-4 Setting up user logins and, B-11
Monitor wafer mapping, 4-45 Pattern creation
Monitor wafer recipe by coordinate, 4-49
Creating, 4-22 by point, 4-47
Measurement pattern selection, 4-22 by shape, 4-51
Saving the recipe, 4-26 Pattern recognition, 1-5
Transfer control, 4-26 Die pitch training, 4-28
Wafer report selection, 4-24 Loading a wafer, 4-26
Mounting, unit, 1-6 Pattern training, 4-34
Select measured chips, 4-38
N Site pattern selection, 4-31
Stepper group training, 4-34
Wafer report selection, 4-41
New user records, Creating, B-11
Non-EMA composite materials, 3-46
Creating, 3-46

Index-8 Operating Your FOCUS Ellipsometer System A15424

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 Index

Pattern selection Process run, 2-25, 2-27

Creating new patterns, 4-23 Completion, 2-22, 2-30
Measurement, 4-22 Setting up, 2-18
Modifying existing patterns, 4-23 Starting, 2-21
Selecting existing patterns, 4-23 Process run completion, 2-22
Pattern training, 4-34 View measurement data, 2-22
Measurement point options, 4-37 Process specification, 4-4
Stepper group, 4-34 Adding process steps, 4-69
Training measurement points within a stepper Creating a new specification, 4-69
group, 4-36 Creating and modifying a, 4-68
Patterned wafer mapping, 4-45 Modifying a process step, 4-73
Patterned wafer recipe, 4-21 Modifying an existing specification, 4-69
Automatic registration using pattern Operator selection, 2-3, 2-8, 2-18
recognition, 4-26 Selecting an existing specification, 4-69
Changing measurement sites in a registered Process specification quick buttons, B-13
pattern, 4-58 Changing, B-17
Creating, 4-26 Process specifications and process steps, 4-4
Die pitch training, 4-28 Process steps, 4-4
Pattern training, 4-34 Adding to a process specification, 4-69
Saving the recipe, 4-42 Configuring components of, 4-70
Select measured chips, 4-38 Creating new , 4-70
Site pattern selection, 4-31 Modifying, 4-73
Stepper group training, 4-34 Modifying existing, 4-70
Wafer report selection, 4-41 Operator selection, 2-9, 2-19
Patterned wafer recipes Process specifications and, 4-4
Cognex vision system, 4-26 Programs
Patterns Focus Browser, 1-10, 5-1, 5-20
Changing measurement sites in Focus Interactive, 1-9, 3-1
a registered, 4-58 Focus Mapping, 1-10, 5-1, 5-3
Circular, 4-54 Focus Operator, 1-9, 2-1
Circular area, 4-56 Focus Recipe Creator, 1-9, 4-2, 4-73
Creating and modifying measurement, 4-46 Focus SECS-II, 1-10
Line, 4-52 Focus Setup, 1-6, 1-10
Measurement, 4-34
Rectangular area, 4-55 Q
Rudolph supplied, 4-23
Polarization
Queries, database, 5-26
Circular, E-4
Query statistics, 5-35
Elliptical, E-5
Queued loading, xxi, 1-5, 2-1, 2-25
Linear, E-3
Completion, 2-29
Polarized light, E-2
Focus Operator, 1-9
Circular polarization, E-4
Setting up, 2-25
Elliptical polarization, E-5
Setup prior to starting a process run, 2-25
Linear polarization, E-3
Setup while process run in progress, 2-27
Poly variations
Queued run completion, 2-29
and interlayers, 3-64
Queuing another cassette while a run is in
Power Off switch, A-2
progress, 2-27
Power Off, Emergency, A-2, A-5
Queuing multiple cassettes prior to starting
Power On switch, A-2
the run, 2-25
Press for Data icon, 2-7, 2-22, 2-23, 2-24, 2-29,
2-30, 2-31, 2-37
Previously run data (history log),
accessing, 2-32
Printer, 1-6
FE System, 1-4
Process, 2-20

A15424 Operating Your FOCUS Ellipsometer System Index-9

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Index

R Measurement data, 2-34

Viewing wafer report data, 5-30
Range specifications, setting, 3-55 Wafer, 4-61, 5-20
Recipe selection, 4-16, 4-43 Restoring the FE database, B-21
Creating new recipes, 4-17 Restricted order search, 3-35
Modifying existing recipes, 4-44 Retrieving run data, 2-30
Selecting existing recipes, 4-44 Robot arm, 1-4
Recipes Cassette view, 2-7
Creating, 4-1 Rotating Compensator Ellipsometers, E-12
Creating for a monitor wafer, 4-22 Rudolph Technologies
Creating for a patterned wafer, 4-26 Contacting, F-10
Creating wafer, 4-16 Faxing data to, 3-56
Creating wafer mapping, 4-45 Run
Default, C-5 Canceling, 2-20
Modifying wafer, 4-43 Run completion
Patterned wafer , 4-21 Process, 2-22
Rudolph supplied, C-5 Queued, 2-29
Saving, 4-26, 4-42 Run data
Unpatterned wafer, 4-21 Accessing current, 2-31
Wafer, 4-4 Accessing previous, 2-32
Recommended intervals for database backup Retrieving, 2-30
and maintenance, B-26 Running wafer status
Recovering from an emergency system Focus Operator wafer view, 2-14
shutdown, A-6
Rectangular area patterns, 4-55 S
Reflection of light from a surface, E-6
Registered pattern, changing measurement Safety
sites in a, 4-58 Clutch, 1-7
Registration, wafer, 4-21 Emergency motion off, 1-7
Related manuals, xxii Interlocks, 1-7
Remodeling a modified filmstack, 3-36 Laser, 1-7
Restrictions, 3-36 Safety features, FE System, 1-7
Renaming user records, B-14 Sample report data, 2-34
Report data Saving the recipe, 4-26, 4-42
Sample, 2-34 SECS-II, 1-10, 2-32, 2-33
Viewing, 5-30 Focus, 1-10
Report selection Gem-compliant, 1-5
Creating new reports, 4-25 Status indicator, 2-7
Modifying existing reports, 4-25 SECS-II/GEM, B-27
Selecting existing reports, 4-25 Security level
Wafer, 4-24, 4-41 Assigning to a user, B-12
Reporting Changing, B-17
Data, 5-1 Select measured chips, 4-38
Wafer mapping and data, 5-1 Selecting an existing filmstack , 3-20
Reports, 5-1 Selecting measurement controls, 3-54
Browsing the database, 5-23 Selection
Browsing the database by cassette, 5-23 Measurement pattern, 4-22
Creating wafer reports, 5-20 Recipe, 4-16, 4-43
Data display formats, 5-30 Wafer report, 4-24, 4-41
Database queries, 5-26 Setting FE System login requirements, B-7
Database query statistics, 5-35 Setting range specifications, 3-55
Defining a database query, 5-28 Setting up a process run, 2-18
Displaying wafer data as a graph, 5-31 Setting up queued loading, 2-25
Displaying wafer data in text format, 5-32 Setting up user logins and passwords, B-11
Shape, pattern creation by, 4-51

Index-10 Operating Your FOCUS Ellipsometer System A15424

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 Index

Shutdown System shutdown

Emergency, A-5 Emergency, A-5
Emergency motion off, A-5 Normal, A-4
Emergency power off, A-5 Recovering from an emergency
Normal, A-4 shutdown, A-6
Recovering from emergency shutdown, A-6 System startup
Signal tower , 1-6 Normal, A-3
Site locator menu, 3-9, 4-10 Recovering from an emergency
Site locator window , 3-9, 4-10 shutdown, A-6
Focus Operator wafer view, 2-13 System status
Location information, 3-9, 4-10 Focus Operator wafer view, 2-14
Menu map, D-4, D-6, D-7 System, Starting and stopping the, A-1
Site pattern selection
Pattern recognition, 4-31 T
Skipping a wafer measurement, 2-23
SMIF unit, 1-5
Technical support
Software error messages, F-3
Contacting Rudolph Technologies , F-10
Standard order search, 3-35
Test results, analyzing, 3-33
Start logging, 3-28
Test wafer
Start the process run, 2-21
Loading, 3-17, 3-18
Starting and stopping the system, A-1
Unloading, 3-37
Starting Focus Browser, 5-21
Wafer specifications, 3-19
Starting Focus Interactive and logging in, 3-5
Testing the filmstack model, 3-31
Starting Focus Mapping, 5-3
Error estimates, 3-34
Starting Focus Operator and logging in, 2-2
Faxing data to Rudolph Technologies, 3-56
Starting Focus Recipe Creator
Fit error, 3-33
and logging in, 4-5
Order resolution, 3-34
Starting Focus Setup, B-2
Order searching, 3-34
Starting the FE System, A-1
Text dump mode, 5-33
Startup
Text format, displaying data in, 5-32
Normal, A-3
Text mode, 5-32
Recovering from an emergency
Theory of operation, E-1
shutdown, A-6
Topographic and contour mapping, switching
Statistics, query, 5-35
between, 5-16
Stepper group
Topographical mapping, 5-7
Measurement point options, 4-37
Switching to contour, 5-16
Pattern training, 4-34
Topographical wafer maps, 5-2
Training measurement points, 4-36
Tower, signal, 1-6
Stepper group pattern training window
Transfer control, 4-64
Menu map, D-6
Creating a new control, 4-65
Stop logging, 3-29
Deferring to operator, 4-64
Stopping the FE System, A-1
Modifying an existing control, 4-65
Substrate
Monitor wafer recipe, 4-26
Changing in a filmstack model, 3-38
Rudolph supplied, 4-65
Switching between topographic and contour
Selecting an existing control, 4-65
mapping, 5-16
Setting transfer specifications, 4-66
Switching color modes, 5-14
Troubleshooting, F-1
System control panel, A-2
System login requirements, Setting, B-7
System overview, 1-1
System printer , 1-4
System safety features, 1-7

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Index

U Etch rate maps, 5-9

Exiting, 5-19
Unit mounting, 1-6 Monitor wafer, 4-45
Unloading the wafer, 3-37 Opening new or additional maps, 5-16
Unpatterned wafer recipe, 4-21 Optical parameters displayed, 5-2
Updating wafer map views, 5-13 Patterned wafer , 4-45
Automatic, 5-13 Switching wafer orientation view, 5-15
Manual, 5-14 Topographical, 5-2
Usage conventions, xxiii Viewing wafer maps, 5-6
User logins and passwords, Setting up, B-11 Wafer mapping recipes
User records, B-11 and Focus Mapping program, 4-45
Assigning a password, B-12 and Focus Operator program, 4-45
Assigning a security level, B-12 Creating, 4-45
Assigning process spec quick buttons, B-13 Monitor wafers, 4-45
Copying, B-14 Patterened wafers, 4-45
Creating new , B-11 Wafer maps, 1-4
Deleting, B-14 Automatic updating, 5-13
Modifying, B-16 Contour, 5-2
Renaming, B-14 Creating, 2-36, 5-2
Difference, 5-2
Etch rate, 5-2
V Manual updating, 5-14
Naming, 2-36
Viewing report data, 5-30 Opening a new or additional, 5-16
Viewing wafer maps, 5-6 Switching between contour
Views, updating wafer map, 5-13 and topographical, 5-16
Vision system, 1-5 Switching color modes, 5-14
Cognex, 4-26 Topographical, 5-2
Vision system files Updating, 5-13
Deleting, B-23 Viewing, 2-38, 5-6
Wafer measurement, skipping a, 2-23
W Wafer orientation view, changing, 5-15
Wafer recipe area, 4-9
Wafer handler console, 1-2, 1-4 Wafer recipes, 4-4
Cassette plates, 1-4 and Focus Interactive program, 4-4
External flat/notch finder, 1-4 and Focus Operator program, 4-4
Robot arm, 1-4 and process specifications, 4-4, 4-68
System printer , 1-4 and process steps, 4-4
Wafer information, 4-17 and transfer control, 4-64
Wafer map views and wafer reports, 4-61
Clearing, 5-16 Changing measurement sites in a registered
Updating, 5-13 pattern, 4-58
Wafer map window Components of, 4-4
Menu map, D-10 Creating a, 4-16
Wafer mapping, xxi, 1-6, 2-38, 5-1, 5-2 Creating monitor, 4-22
Accessing, 2-38 Creating monitor wafer recipes, 4-22
and data reporting, 5-1 Creating patterned, 4-26
and Focus Operator, 5-1 Creating patterned wafer recipes, 4-26
and Focus Operator program, 5-2 Filmstack specification, 4-19
and Focus Recipe creator, 5-1 Modifying a, 4-43
Clearing wafer maps, 5-16 Patterned, 4-21
Contour, 5-2 Recipe selection, 4-16, 4-43
Contour maps, 5-8 Unpatterned, 4-21
Difference maps, 5-2, 5-9 Wafer information, 4-17
Editing measured data, 5-17 Wafer registration, 4-21
Etch rate, 5-2

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 Index

Wafer registration, 4-21

Patterned wafer , 4-21
Unpatterned wafer, 4-21
Wafer report selection, 4-24, 4-41
Creating new reports, 4-25
Modifying existing reports, 4-25
Monitor wafer recipe, 4-24
Selecting existing reports, 4-25
Wafer reports, 4-61, 5-20
Browsing the database, 5-23
Cassette browsing, 5-23
Configuring, 4-61
Creating, 5-20
Data display formats, 5-30
Database queries, 5-26
Defining a database query, 5-28
Displaying data as a graph, 5-31
Displaying in text format, 5-32
Patterned wafer recipe, 4-41
Query, 5-20
Query statistics, 5-35
Viewing report data, 5-30
Wafer specifications, 3-19
Wafer view , 2-12, 2-21
Cassette view button, 2-14
Control panel button, 2-14
Focus Interactive program, 3-8
Measurement status, 2-14
Running wafer status, 2-14
Site locator window , 2-13
System status, 2-14
Wafer view area, 3-8, 4-8
Wafers
Patterned, 4-21
Unpatterned, 4-21

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Index

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Index-14 Operating Your FOCUS Ellipsometer System A15424

This manual contains information proprietary to Rudolph Technologies, Inc. 5/01/97
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