公开(公告)号：US10359377B2

公开(公告)日：2019-07-23

申请号：US15495634

申请日：2017-04-24

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Alexander Bykanov ,  Nikolay Artemiev ,  Joseph A. Di Regolo ,  John Wade Viatella

IPC: G21K1/04 ,  G01N23/201 ,  G21K7/00

Abstract: Methods and systems for reducing the effect of finite source size on illumination beam spot size for Transmission, Small-Angle X-ray Scatterometry (T-SAXS) measurements are described herein. A beam shaping slit having a slender profile is located in close proximity to the specimen under measurement and does not interfere with wafer stage components over the full range of angles of beam incidence. In one embodiment, four independently actuated beam shaping slits are employed to effectively block a portion of an incoming x-ray beam and generate an output beam having a box shaped illumination cross-section. In one aspect, each of the beam shaping slits is located at a different distance from the specimen in a direction aligned with the beam axis. In another aspect, the beam shaping slits are configured to rotate about the beam axis in coordination with the orientation of the specimen.

公开(公告)号：US20190212255A1

公开(公告)日：2019-07-11

申请号：US16226597

申请日：2018-12-19

Applicant: KLA-TENCOR CORPORATION

Inventor： Mark Allen Neil

IPC: G01N21/21 ,  G02B6/293 ,  G01B11/06

CPC classification number: G01J3/12 ,  G01B11/02 ,  G01B11/0625 ,  G01B11/14 ,  G01B2210/56 ,  G01J3/0202 ,  G01J3/027 ,  G01J3/0297 ,  G01J3/06 ,  G01J3/18 ,  G01J3/28 ,  G01J2003/1282 ,  G01N21/211 ,  G01N21/47 ,  G01N21/55 ,  G01N2021/213 ,  G01N2021/214 ,  G02B6/29314 ,  G03F7/70616

Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatuses, and articles of manufacture are provided for recovering a digitized spectrum and may comprise: an optical system configured to transform rays, the optical system including a diffraction grating, a steering mirror, a stage, and an actuator configured to move one of the stage, diffraction grating, or steering mirror according to a movement regime to vary an incidence of the rays on the stage; a sensor array disposed on the stage configured to receive the rays incident from the optical system at a plurality of measurement locations to obtain a plurality of ray spectra; and a processor electrically connected to the sensor array configured to receive the ray spectra, interleave the ray spectra to yield an interleaved spectrum, and deconvolve a point spread function corresponding to the optical system from the interleaved spectrum to yield a recovered digitized spectrum.

公开(公告)号：US20190204237A1

公开(公告)日：2019-07-04

申请号：US16296132

申请日：2019-03-07

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Brian Duffy ,  Ajay Gupta ,  Thanh Huy Ha

IPC: G01N21/88 ,  G01N23/00 ,  G03F7/20 ,  G01N21/95

Abstract: Methods and systems for determining parameter(s) of a metrology process to be performed on a specimen are provided. One system includes one or more computer subsystems configured for automatically generating regions of interest (Rats) to be measured during a metrology process performed for the specimen with the measurement subsystem based on a design for the specimen. The computer subsystem(s) are also configured for automatically determining parameter(s) of measurement(s) performed in first and second subsets of the ROIs during the metrology process with the measurement subsystem based on portions of the design for the specimen located in the first and second subsets of the ROIs, respectively. The parameter(s) of the measurement(s) performed in the first subset are determined separately and independently of the parameter(s) of the measurement(s) performed in the second subset.

公开(公告)号：US10340165B2

公开(公告)日：2019-07-02

申请号：US15451038

申请日：2017-03-06

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Jeremy Nabeth ,  Onur N. Demirer ,  Ramkumar Karur-Shanmugam ,  Choon (George) Hoong Hoo ,  Christian Sparka ,  Hoyoung Heo ,  Stuart Sherwin ,  Fatima Anis ,  Mark D. Smith ,  William Pierson

IPC: G01C1/06 ,  H01L21/67 ,  G01B11/27 ,  G06F17/50 ,  G01B11/00 ,  G03F7/20 ,  G03F9/00

Abstract: A semiconductor tool includes an illumination source to generate an illumination beam, one or more illumination optical elements to direct a portion of the illumination beam to a sample, a detector, one or more collection optical elements to direct radiation emanating from the sample to the detector, and a controller communicatively coupled to the detector. The controller is configured to measure alignment at a plurality of locations across the sample to generate alignment data, select an analysis area for alignment zone determination, divide the analysis area into two or more alignment zones having different alignment signatures; model the alignment data of at least a first alignment zone of the two or more alignment zones using a first alignment model, and model the alignment data of at least a second alignment zone of the two or more alignment zones using a second alignment model different than the first alignment model.

公开(公告)号：US10338002B1

公开(公告)日：2019-07-02

申请号：US15411719

申请日：2017-01-20

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Robert M. Danen ,  Shuo Sun ,  Thomas Boatwright

IPC: H01L21/00 ,  G01N21/88 ,  G01N21/95 ,  G06T7/00 ,  H01L21/66

Abstract: Methods and systems for selecting optical modes suitable for defect inspection are disclosed. A method may include: scanning a full-stack wafer of the particular type utilizing a set of optical modes to obtain a set of full-stack wafer images; and de-processing the full-stack wafer to produce a de-processed wafer based on a location of a potential defect of interest indicated by the set of full-stack wafer images to facilitate selection of optical modes suitable for defect inspection of wafers of the particular type.

公开(公告)号：US20190198330A1

公开(公告)日：2019-06-27

申请号：US16287237

申请日：2019-02-27

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Yung-Ho Alex Chuang ,  Vladimir Dribinski

IPC: H01L21/30 ,  G01N21/88 ,  C30B29/10 ,  H01S3/109 ,  H01L21/322 ,  H01S3/02 ,  H01S3/094 ,  H01S3/16 ,  C30B33/00 ,  C30B33/02 ,  G01N21/3563 ,  G01N21/59 ,  G01N21/95

CPC classification number: H01L21/3003 ,  C30B29/10 ,  C30B33/00 ,  C30B33/02 ,  G01N21/3563 ,  G01N21/59 ,  G01N21/8806 ,  G01N21/9501 ,  G01N2021/3568 ,  G01N2021/3595 ,  G01N2021/8477 ,  G01N2021/8822 ,  G01N2201/06113 ,  G02F1/3501 ,  H01L21/322 ,  H01S3/027 ,  H01S3/094 ,  H01S3/109 ,  H01S3/1666

Abstract: A laser system includes a nonlinear optical (NLO) crystal, wherein the NLO crystal is annealed within a selected temperature range. The NLO crystal is passivated with at least one of hydrogen, deuterium, a hydrogen-containing compound or a deuterium-containing compound to a selected passivation level. The system further includes at least one light source, wherein at least one light source is configured to generate light of a selected wavelength and at least one light source is configured to transmit light through the NLO crystal. The system further includes a crystal housing unit configured to house the NLO crystal.

公开(公告)号：US10325361B2

公开(公告)日：2019-06-18

申请号：US15367076

申请日：2016-12-01

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Santosh Bhattacharyya

IPC: G06K9/00 ,  G06T7/00 ,  G06T7/33

Abstract: A system, method, and computer program product are provided for automatically generating a wafer image to design coordinate mapping. In use, a design of a wafer is received by a computer processor. In addition, an image of a wafer fabricated from the design is received by the computer processor. Further, a coordinate mapping between the design and the image is automatically generated by the computer processor.

公开(公告)号：US10304177B2

公开(公告)日：2019-05-28

申请号：US15600784

申请日：2017-05-21

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Pavan Kumar Perali ,  Hucheng Lee

IPC: G06T7/00 ,  G06T7/70

Abstract: Systems and methods for removing nuisance data from a defect scan of a wafer are disclosed. A processor receives a design file corresponding to a wafer having one or more z-layers. The processor receives critical areas of the wafer and instructs a subsystem to capture corresponding images of the wafer. Defect locations are received and the design file is aligned with the defect locations. Nuisance data is identified using the potential defect location and the one or more z-layers of the aligned design file. The processor then removes the identified nuisance data from the one or more potential defect locations.

公开(公告)号：US20190139208A1

公开(公告)日：2019-05-09

申请号：US15837582

申请日：2017-12-11

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Hong Chen ,  Michael Cook ,  Pavan Kumar ,  Kenong Wu

IPC: G06T7/00 ,  G06T7/73 ,  G06T7/33 ,  G06K9/62

Abstract: A method may include, but is not limited to, receiving a plurality of reference images of a wafer. The method may include, but is not limited to, receiving the plurality of test images of the wafer. The method may include, but is not limited to, aligning the plurality of reference images and the plurality of test images via a coarse alignment process. The method may include, but is not limited to, aligning the plurality of reference images and the plurality of test images via a fine alignment process after alignment via the coarse alignment process. The fine alignment process may include measuring individual offsets and correcting individual offset data between at least one of the plurality of reference images and the plurality of test images.

公开(公告)号：US10283366B2

公开(公告)日：2019-05-07

申请号：US15284231

申请日：2016-10-03

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Yung-Ho Chuang ,  Vladimir Dribinski

IPC: H01L21/30 ,  C30B29/10 ,  C30B33/00 ,  C30B33/02 ,  G01N21/3563 ,  G01N21/59 ,  G01N21/95 ,  G01N21/88 ,  H01L21/322 ,  H01S3/02 ,  H01S3/094 ,  H01S3/109 ,  H01S3/16 ,  G01N21/35 ,  G01N21/84

Abstract: A laser system includes a nonlinear optical (NLO) crystal, wherein the NLO crystal is annealed within a selected temperature range. The NLO crystal is passivated with at least one of hydrogen, deuterium, a hydrogen-containing compound or a deuterium-containing compound to a selected passivation level. The system further includes at least one light source, wherein at least one light source is configured to generate light of a selected wavelength and at least one light source is configured to transmit light through the NLO crystal. The system further includes a crystal housing unit configured to house the NLO crystal.