FLUORESCENCE MICROSCOPY METROLOGY SYSTEM AND METHOD OF OPERATING FLUORESCENCE MICROSCOPY METROLOGY SYSTEM

20240212122

18/528206

December 04, 2023

A fluorescence microscopy metrology system includes an optical system configured to generate first light and second light having different wavelengths, a microscope body configured to irradiate a sample, coated with a fluorescent material, with the first light and the second light received from the optical system, and to receive fluorescence reflected from the sample, an image detection device configured to detect a fluorescence image corresponding to the received fluorescence, and a nanostructure analysis device configured to measure line edge roughness (LER) from the detected fluorescence image, to analyze power spectral density (PSD), or to detect a nanoparticle defect.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (Suwon-si, KR), IUCF-HYU(Industry-University Cooperation Foundation Hanyang University) (Seoul, KR)

1. A fluorescence microscopy metrology system comprising: an optical system configured to generate first light and second light having different wavelengths, the first light and the second light configured to excite a fluorescent material: a microscope body configured to irradiate a sample, coated with the fluorescent material, with the first light and the second light received from the optical system such that the fluorescent material fluoresces, and to receive the fluorescence from the sample: an image detection device configured to detect a fluorescence image corresponding to the received fluorescence; and a nanostructure analysis device including processing circuitry configured to, from the detected fluorescence image, at least one of measure line edge roughness (LER) of the sample, analyze power spectral density (PSD) of the sample, or detect a nanoparticle defect of the sample.

2. The fluorescence microscopy metrology system of claim 1, wherein the optical system includes: a first light source configured to output the first light; a second light source configured to output the second light; a plurality of mirrors in at least one of a first optical path of the first light or a second optical path of the second light; and a plurality of lenses in at least one of the first optical path of the first light or the second optical path of the second light such that the plurality of lenses are configured to condense or emit light transmitted or reflected from one of the plurality of mirrors.

3. The fluorescence microscopy metrology system of claim 2, wherein the first light has a peak wavelength of 405 nm, and the second light has a peak wavelength of 647 nm.

4. The fluorescence microscopy metrology system of claim 1, wherein the nanostructure analysis device is configured based on a correlation analysis, and the correlation analysis is based on the sample having a Si pattern and a SiO2 pattern alternately disposed, and the fluorescence image having a spatial resolution ranging from 10 nm to 20 nm.

5. The fluorescence microscopy metrology system of claim 1, wherein the nanostructure analysis device is configured to convert the fluorescence image into a gray-scale image; fill an empty space of a stippled portion of the converted gray-scale image through at least one of an erosion or a dilation operation; detect a line edge from an image with the filled empty space; select at least a portion of the detected line edge; and measure roughness of the selected portion of the line edge.

6. The fluorescence microscopy metrology system of claim 5, wherein the nanostructure analysis device is configured to detect the line edge using a line edge detection algorithm.

7. The fluorescence microscopy metrology system of claim 1, wherein the nanostructure analysis device is configured to calculate a correlation length value indicating a frequency degree of roughness from a transition decay value of the LER for the analysis of the PSD.

8. The fluorescence microscopy metrology system of claim 7, wherein the nanostructure analysis device is configured to select at least a portion of a detected line edge; determine a displacement value of the selected portion; obtain a PSD curve through fast Fourier transform (FFT) analysis on the displacement value; determine an average of a plurality of PSD curves based on the obtained PSD curve; and obtain the correlation length value of the line edge through fitting with respect to the average of the plurality of the PSD curves.

9. The fluorescence microscopy metrology system of claim 1, wherein the nanostructure analysis device is configured to obtain information on at least one of a position, number, size, or shape of the nanoparticles.

10. The fluorescence microscopy metrology system of claim 1, wherein the nanostructure analysis device is configured to convert the fluorescence image into a gray-scale image; perform erosion and dilation operations to detect an outer portion while filling an empty space of a stippled portion of the gray-scale image; detect nanoparticles based on a boundary detection algorithm; and obtain an outer line image of the detected nanoparticles; wherein the nanostructure analysis device is configured to allow for an overlap of a line of the detected nanoparticles and the fluorescence image.

11. A fluorescence microscopy metrology system for executing the following operations: irradiating a sample with a first light and a second light; receiving fluorescence generated by the sample; detecting a fluorescence image corresponding to the received fluorescence; and analyzing a nanostructure from the fluorescence image, wherein the analyzing the nanostructure includes at least one of determining line edge roughness (LER) from the detected fluorescence image, analyzing power spectral density (PSD) from the detected fluorescence image, or detecting a nanoparticle defect from the detected fluorescence image.

12. The fluorescence microscopy metrology system of claim 11, wherein the fluorescence microscopy metrology system includes a stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (STORM) and an electron multiplying charge coupled device (EM-CCD).

13. The fluorescence microscopy metrology system of claim 11, wherein the calculating the LER includes: converting the fluorescence image into a gray-scale image; filling an empty space of a stippled portion of the gray-scale image through at least one of an erosion or a dilation operation; detecting a line edge from an image with the filled empty space; selecting at least a portion of the detected line edge; and measuring roughness of the selected portion of the line edge.

14. The fluorescence microscopy metrology system of claim 11, wherein the analyzing the PSD includes: selecting at least a portion of a detected line edge; determining a displacement value of the selected specific portion; obtaining a PSD curve through fast Fourier transform (FFT) analysis on the displacement value; determining an average of a plurality of PSD curves based on the obtained PSD curve; and obtaining the correlation length value of the line edge through fitting with respect to the average of the plurality of PSD curves.

15. The fluorescence microscopy metrology system of claim 11, wherein the detecting the nanoparticle defect includes: converting the fluorescence image into a gray-scale image; performing erosion and dilation operations to detect an outer portion while filling an empty space of a stippled portion of the gray-scale image; detecting nanoparticles based on a boundary detection algorithm; obtaining an outer line image of the detected nanoparticles; wherein a line of the detected nanoparticles and the fluorescence image are allowed to overlap each other.

16. A fluorescence microscopy metrology system comprising: an optical system configured to generate first light and second light having different wavelengths, the first light and the second light configured to excite a fluorescent material; a microscope body configured to irradiate a sample, coated with the fluorescent material, with the first light and the second light received from the optical system such that the fluorescent material fluoresces, and to receive the fluorescence from the sample; an image detection device configured to detect a fluorescence image corresponding to the received fluorescence; and a computing device comprising at least one processor, and a memory device storing instructions, which when executed in the at least one processor, cause the computing device to at least one of determine line edge roughness (LER) from the fluorescence image, analyze power spectral density (PSD) from the fluorescence image, or detect a nanoparticle defect from the fluorescence image.

17. The fluorescence microscopy metrology system of claim 16, wherein the fluorescence image is received from a super-resolution fluorescence microscopy, and the fluorescence image has a spatial resolution ranging from 10 nm to 20 nm.

18. The fluorescence microscopy metrology system of claim 16, wherein the instructions further cause the computing device to convert the fluorescence image into a gray-scale image; fill an empty space of a stippled portion of the converted gray-scale image through at least one of an erosion or a dilation operation; detect a line edge from an image with the filled empty space; select at least a portion of the detected line edge; and measure roughness of the selected portion of the line edge.

19. The fluorescence microscopy metrology system of claim 16, wherein the instructions further cause the computing device to select at least a portion of a detected line edge; determine a displacement value of the selected portion; obtain a PSD curve through fast Fourier transform (FFT) analysis on the displacement value; calculate an average of a plurality of PSD curves based on the obtained PSD curve; and obtain the correlation length value of the line edge through fitting with respect to the average of the plurality of PSD curves.

20. The fluorescence microscopy metrology system of claim 16, wherein the instructions further cause the computing device to convert the fluorescence image into a gray-scale image; perform erosion and dilation operations to detect an outer portion while filling an empty space of a stippled portion of the gray-scale image; detect nanoparticles based on a boundary detection algorithm; obtain an outer line of the detected nanoparticles; wherein the instructions allow for a line of the detected nanoparticles and the fluorescence image to overlap each other.

06; 02; 06; 06

edspap.20240212122