公开(公告)号：US10438769B1

公开(公告)日：2019-10-08

申请号：US15969555

申请日：2018-05-02

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Alex Lipkind ,  Alon Rosenthal ,  Frank Chilese ,  John Gerling ,  Lawrence Muray ,  Robert Haynes

IPC: H01J37/28 ,  G21K5/04 ,  H01J37/147 ,  H01J37/153 ,  H01J37/244

Abstract: A scanning electron microscopy (SEM) system includes a plurality of electron beam sources configured to generate a primary electron beam. The SEM system includes an electron-optical column array with a plurality of electron-optical columns. An electron-optical column includes a plurality of electron-optical elements. The plurality of electron-optical elements includes a deflector layer configured to be driven via a common controller shared by at least some of the plurality of electron-optical columns and includes a trim deflector layer configured to be driven by an individual controller. The plurality of electron-optical elements is arranged to form an electron beam channel configured to direct the primary electron beam to a sample secured on a stage, which emits an electron beam in response to the primary electron beam. The electron-optical column includes an electron detector. The electron beam channel is configured to direct the electron beam to the electron detector.

公开(公告)号：US20190302734A1

公开(公告)日：2019-10-03

申请号：US16254951

申请日：2019-01-23

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Shivam Agarwal ,  Hariharasudhan Koteeswaran ,  Priyank Jain ,  Suvi Murugan ,  Yuan Zhong

IPC: G05B19/4097 ,  G05B13/02

Abstract: A system includes a controller with processors configured to execute an auto-correlation module embodied in one or more sets of program instructions stored in memory. The auto-correlation module is configured to cause the processors to receive one or more patterned wafer geometry metrics, receive wafer characterization data from one or more characterization tools, determine a correlation between the one or more patterned wafer geometry metrics and the wafer characterization data, generate a ranking of the one or more patterned wafer geometry metrics based on the determined correlation, construct a composite metric model from a subset of the one or more patterned wafer geometry metrics based on the ranking of the one or more patterned wafer geometry metrics, generate one or more composite wafer metrics from the composite metric model, and generate a statistical process control output based on the one or more composite wafer metrics.

公开(公告)号：US20190302033A1

公开(公告)日：2019-10-03

申请号：US16443616

申请日：2019-06-17

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Tom Marivoet ,  Carl Truyens ,  Christophe Wouters

IPC: G01N21/95 ,  G01R31/28 ,  G01R31/01 ,  G01R31/26 ,  G01N21/88 ,  G01N21/956

Abstract: An apparatus, a method and a computer program product for defect detection in work pieces is disclosed. At least one light source is provided and the light source generates an illumination light of a wavelength range at which the work piece is transparent. A camera images the light from at least one face of the work piece on a detector of the camera by means of a lens. A stage is used for moving the work piece and for imaging the at least one face of the semiconductor device completely with the camera. The computer program product is disposed on a non-transitory, computer readable medium for defect detection in work pieces. A computer is used to execute the various process steps and to control the various means of the apparatus.

公开(公告)号：US10429296B2

公开(公告)日：2019-10-01

申请号：US16040798

申请日：2018-07-20

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Mark A. Neil ,  Mikhail Sushchik ,  Natalia Malkova

IPC: G01N21/39 ,  G01N21/956 ,  G01N21/47 ,  G02B27/58 ,  G01N21/21 ,  G01B11/06

Abstract: A metrology system includes a controller coupled to a detector to generate a detection signal based on the reflection of an illumination beam from a multilayer film stack. The multilayer film stack may include one or more zones with a repeating pattern of two or more materials. The controller may generate a model of reflection of the illumination beam by modeling the zones as thick films having zone thicknesses and effective permittivity values using an effective medium model relating the effective permittivity values of the zones to permittivity values and volume fractions of constituent materials. The controller may further determine values of the zone thicknesses and the volume fractions using a regression of the detection signal based on the effective medium model and further determine average thickness values of the constituent materials based on the number of films, the zone thicknesses, the volume fractions, and the effective permittivity values.

公开(公告)号：US20190295804A1

公开(公告)日：2019-09-26

申请号：US16249069

申请日：2019-01-16

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Gildardo Delgado ,  Katerina Ioakeimidi ,  Frances A. Hill ,  Rudy F. Garcia ,  Mike Romero ,  Zefram Marks ,  Gary V. Lopez

IPC: H01J37/073 ,  H01J37/285 ,  H01J37/29 ,  H01J37/244

Abstract: A high-brightness electron beam source is disclosed. The electron beam source may include a broadband illumination source configured to generate broadband illumination. A tunable spectral filter may be configured to filter the broadband illumination to provide filtered illumination having an excitation spectrum. The electron beam source may further include a photocathode configured to emit one or more electron beams in response to the filtered illumination, wherein emission from the photocathode is adjustable based on the excitation spectrum of the filtered illumination from the tunable spectral filter.

公开(公告)号：US20190287232A1

公开(公告)日：2019-09-19

申请号：US16295715

申请日：2019-03-07

Applicant: KLA-TENCOR CORPORATION

Inventor： Bjorn Brauer

IPC: G06T7/00

Abstract: A best optical inspection mode to detect defects can be determined when no defect examples or only a limited number of defect examples are available. A signal for a defect of interest at the plurality of sites and for the plurality of modes can be determined using electromagnetic simulation. A ratio of the signal for the defect of interest to the noise at each combination of the plurality of sites and the plurality of modes can be determined. A mode with optimized signal-to-noise characteristics can be determined based on the ratios.

公开(公告)号：US20190287230A1

公开(公告)日：2019-09-19

申请号：US16106341

申请日：2018-08-21

Applicant: KLA-TENCOR CORPORATION

Inventor： Shaoyu Lu ,  Li He ,  Sankar Venkataraman

IPC: G06T7/00

Abstract: Autoencoder-based, semi-supervised approaches are used for anomaly detection. Defects on semiconductor wafers can be discovered using these approaches. The model can include a variational autoencoder, such as a one that includes ladder networks. Defect-free or clean images can be used to train the model that is later used to discover defects or other anomalies.

公开(公告)号：US20190285407A1

公开(公告)日：2019-09-19

申请号：US15952081

申请日：2018-04-12

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Yung-Ho Alex Chuang ,  Yinying Xiao-Li ,  John Fielden ,  Xuefeng Liu ,  Peilin Jiang

IPC: G01B11/27

Abstract: A system for measuring an overlay error of a sample is disclosed. The system may include a broadband illumination source configured to emit broadband illumination. The system may also include one or more optical elements configured to direct the broadband illumination to a target disposed on the sample, wherein the one or more optical elements are configured to collect illumination from the target and direct it to a spectrometer, wherein the spectrometer is configured to disperse multiple wavelengths of the illumination collected from the sample to multiple elements of a sensor to generate a plurality of signals. The system may also include a controller configured to calculate an overlay error between a first structure and a second structure of the target by comparing the plurality of signals with a plurality of calculated signals.

公开(公告)号：US10416087B2

公开(公告)日：2019-09-17

申请号：US15357888

申请日：2016-11-21

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Jing Zhang ,  Jeremy Nesbitt ,  Grace Hsiu-Ling Chen ,  Richard Wallingford

IPC: G06K9/20 ,  G06K9/36 ,  G06K9/62 ,  G01N21/88 ,  G01N21/95 ,  G06T3/40 ,  G06T5/00 ,  G06T7/00

Abstract: An inspection system includes an illumination sub-system, a collection sub-system, and a controller. The illumination sub-system includes an illumination source configured to generate a beam of illumination and a set of illumination optics to direct the beam of illumination to a sample. The collection sub-system includes a set of collection optics to collect illumination emanating from the sample and a detector configured to receive the collected illumination from the sample. The controller is configured to acquire a test image of the sample, reconstruct the test image to enhance the resolution of the test image, and detect one or more defects on the sample based on the reconstructed test image.

公开(公告)号：US10393671B2

公开(公告)日：2019-08-27

申请号：US15140438

申请日：2016-04-27

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Govindarajan Thattaisundaram ,  Hucheng Lee ,  Lisheng Gao

IPC: G01N21/00 ,  G01N21/95 ,  G06T7/00 ,  G01N21/956 ,  G01N21/88

Abstract: Methods and systems for detecting defects on a specimen are provided. One system includes one or more computer subsystems configured for acquiring images generated by an imaging subsystem at multiple instances of a pattern of interest (POI) within a die formed on the specimen. The multiple instances include two or more instances that are located at aperiodic locations within the die. The computer subsystem(s) are also configured for generating a POI reference image from two or more of the images generated at the multiple instances of the POI within the die. The computer subsystem(s) are further configured for comparing the images generated at the multiple instances of the POI within the die to the POI reference image and detecting defects in the multiple instances of the POI based on results of the comparing.