公开(公告)号：US11259394B2

公开(公告)日：2022-02-22

申请号：US17076767

申请日：2020-10-21

Applicant: KLA Corporation

Inventor： Chao Chang ,  Will Schumaker ,  Jongjin Kim ,  Michael Friedmann

IPC: H05G2/00

Abstract: Methods and systems for generating X-ray illumination from a laser produced plasma (LPP) employing a liquid sheet jet target are presented herein. A highly focused, short duration laser pulse is directed to a liquid sheet jet target. The interaction of the focused laser pulse with the sheet jet target ignites a plasma. In some embodiments, the liquid sheet jet is generated by a convergent capillary nozzle or a convergent, planar cavity nozzle. In some embodiments, the target material includes one or more elements having a relatively low atomic number. In some embodiments, the liquid sheet jet LPP light source generates multiple line or broadband X-ray illumination in a soft X-ray (SXR) spectral range used to measure structural and material characteristics of semiconductor structures. In some embodiments, Reflective, Small-Angle X-ray Scatterometry measurements are performed with a liquid sheet jet LPP illumination source as described herein.

公开(公告)号：US20250005435A1

公开(公告)日：2025-01-02

申请号：US18217290

申请日：2023-06-30

Applicant: KLA Corporation

Inventor： Houssam Chouaib ,  Zhaxylyk Kudyshev ,  Chao Chang ,  Derrick A. Shaughnessy

IPC: G06N20/00

Abstract: A system may include a controller including processors configured to execute program instructions causing the processors to implement a measurement recipe by: generating a transformation model for transforming full loop optical measurement data to short loop optical measurement data, wherein the short loop optical measurement data includes optical measurement data of periodic memory array structures, wherein the full loop optical measurement data includes optical measurement data of complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) under array (CuA) devices, the CuA devices including CMOS structures beneath duplicates of the periodic memory array structures; generating a measurement model for determining measurements of the CuA devices; receiving full loop optical measurement data for CuA devices test samples; converting the full loop optical measurement data to short loop optical measurement data using the transformation model; and determining values of the measurements of the periodic memory array structures on the test samples using the measurement model.

公开(公告)号：US20200294774A1

公开(公告)日：2020-09-17

申请号：US16814319

申请日：2020-03-10

Applicant: KLA CORPORATION

Inventor： Chao Chang ,  Michael Friedmann

IPC: H01J37/32 ,  B01D53/04 ,  B01D53/047 ,  B01D53/22

Abstract: A process chamber, such as for semiconductor processing equipment, is connected with a recovery unit. The recovery unit includes a first storage tank for buffer gas and a second storage tank for rare gas. Both storage tanks are connected with a column in the recovery unit. The recovery unit and process chamber can operate as a closed system. The rare gas can be transported at a variable flow rate while separation in the recovery unit operates at a constant flow condition.

公开(公告)号：US11557462B2

公开(公告)日：2023-01-17

申请号：US16814319

申请日：2020-03-10

Applicant: KLA CORPORATION

Inventor： Chao Chang ,  Michael Friedmann

IPC: H01J37/32 ,  B01D53/04 ,  B01D53/047 ,  B01D53/22

Abstract: A process chamber, such as for semiconductor processing equipment, is connected with a recovery unit. The recovery unit includes a first storage tank for buffer gas and a second storage tank for rare gas. Both storage tanks are connected with a column in the recovery unit. The recovery unit and process chamber can operate as a closed system. The rare gas can be transported at a variable flow rate while separation in the recovery unit operates at a constant flow condition.

公开(公告)号：US20250052666A1

公开(公告)日：2025-02-13

申请号：US18677487

申请日：2024-05-29

Applicant: KLA Corporation

Inventor： Chao Chang ,  Jongjin Kim ,  David Zimdars

IPC: G01N21/21 ,  G01N21/17 ,  G01N21/23 ,  G01N21/88

Abstract: A measurement system may direct an illumination beam including at least one of a first frequency comb or a second frequency comb to a sample, and generate a sequence of images of the sample based on the first frequency comb and the second frequency comb. The system may include one or more coding optical elements to encode data associated with one or more transfer matrix elements into the sequence of images of the sample. The system may further generate a transfer matrix dataset including measurements of at least one of the one or more transfer matrix elements associated with the sample based on at least one of spectral, spatial, or temporal analysis of the sequence of images, and generate one or more measurements of the sample based on the transfer matrix dataset.

公开(公告)号：US11272607B2

公开(公告)日：2022-03-08

申请号：US17076774

申请日：2020-10-21

Applicant: KLA Corporation

Inventor： Chao Chang ,  Michael Friedmann ,  Jongjin Kim ,  Will Schumaker ,  Ben Clarke

IPC: H05G2/00

Abstract: Methods and systems for generating X-ray illumination from a laser produced plasma (LPP) employing a low atomic number, cryogenic target are presented herein. A highly focused, short duration laser pulse is directed to a low atomic number, cryogenically frozen target, igniting a plasma. In some embodiments, the target material includes one or more elements having an atomic number less than 19. In some embodiments, the low atomic number, cryogenic target material is coated on the surface of a cryogenically cooled drum configured to rotate and translate with respect to incident laser light. In some embodiments, the low atomic number, cryogenic LPP light source generates multiple line or broadband X-ray illumination in a soft X-ray (SXR) spectral range used to measure structural and material characteristics of semiconductor structures. In some embodiments, Reflective, Small-Angle X-ray Scatterometry measurements are performed with a low atomic number, cryogenic LPP illumination source as described herein.

公开(公告)号：US20210136901A1

公开(公告)日：2021-05-06

申请号：US17076767

申请日：2020-10-21

Applicant: KLA Corporation

Inventor： Chao Chang ,  Will Schumaker ,  Jongjin Kim ,  Michael Friedmann

IPC: H05G2/00

Abstract: Methods and systems for generating X-ray illumination from a laser produced plasma (LPP) employing a liquid sheet jet target are presented herein. A highly focused, short duration laser pulse is directed to a liquid sheet jet target. The interaction of the focused laser pulse with the sheet jet target ignites a plasma. In some embodiments, the liquid sheet jet is generated by a convergent capillary nozzle or a convergent, planar cavity nozzle. In some embodiments, the target material includes one or more elements having a relatively low atomic number. In some embodiments, the liquid sheet jet LPP light source generates multiple line or broadband X-ray illumination in a soft X-ray (SXR) spectral range used to measure structural and material characteristics of semiconductor structures. In some embodiments, Reflective, Small-Angle X-ray Scatterometry measurements are performed with a liquid sheet jet LPP illumination source as described herein.

公开(公告)号：US20210063329A1

公开(公告)日：2021-03-04

申请号：US16551616

申请日：2019-08-26

Applicant: KLA Corporation

Inventor： Alexander Kuznetsov ,  Chao Chang

IPC: G01N23/2206 ,  G01N23/2204 ,  G01N23/207 ,  H01L21/66

Abstract: Methods and systems for measuring structural and material characteristics of semiconductor structures based on wavelength resolved, soft x-ray reflectometry (WR-SXR) at multiple diffraction orders are presented. WR-SXR measurements are simultaneous, high throughput measurements over multiple diffraction orders with broad spectral width. The availability of wavelength resolved signal information at each of the multiple diffraction orders improves measurement accuracy and throughput. Each non-zero diffraction order includes multiple measurement points, each different measurement point associated with a different wavelength. In some embodiments, WR-SXR measurements are performed with x-ray radiation energy in a range of 10-5,000 electron volts at grazing angles of incidence in a range of 1-45 degrees. In some embodiments, the illumination beam is controlled to have relatively high divergence in one direction and relatively low divergence in a second direction, orthogonal to the first direction. In some embodiments, multiple detectors are employed, each detecting different diffraction orders.

公开(公告)号：US20250076208A1

公开(公告)日：2025-03-06

申请号：US18822901

申请日：2024-09-03

Applicant: KLA Corporation

Inventor： Amnon Manassen ,  Kevin Peterlinz ,  Andrew V. Hill ,  Shankar Krishnan ,  Yonatan Vaknin ,  Ido Dolev ,  Suryanarayanan Ganesan ,  Chao Chang ,  Jongjin Kim ,  David Zimdars

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

Abstract: A metrology system may include a dual frequency comb source providing a first comb beam with a first repetition rate and a second comb beam with a second repetition rate, a beamsplitter to generate one or more dual frequency comb illumination beams from the first comb beam and the second comb beam, and a beam combiner to form a dual frequency comb illumination beam from the first comb beam and the second comb beam. The system may further include an illumination sub-system to illuminate a sample with the dual frequency comb illumination beam through an objective lens, a collection sub-system to collect sample light from the sample with the objective lens, and a detector to capture a radio-frequency signal based on the sample light. The system may further extract spectral measurement data associated with the sample from the radio-frequency signal and generate metrology measurements based on the spectral measurement data.

公开(公告)号：US20250004384A1

公开(公告)日：2025-01-02

申请号：US18217199

申请日：2023-06-30

Applicant: KLA Corporation

Inventor： Zhaxylyk Kudyshev ,  Chao Chang ,  Derrick A. Shaughnessy ,  Houssam Chouaib

IPC: G03F7/00 ,  H01L21/66 ,  H01L21/67

Abstract: A system, may include a controller configured to cause the processors to implement a measurement recipe by: receiving optical measurement data for training samples after a first process step for fabricating complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) under array (CuA) devices, wherein the CuA devices include first structures with a non-uniform spatial distribution; classifying the first structures into spatially-continuous regions based on unsupervised clustering; receiving optical measurement data for the training samples after a second process step, wherein the CuA devices after the second process step include periodic second structures above the first structures; developing effective medium models for the first structures; developing measurement models for determining measurements of the CuA devices; receiving optical measurement data for test samples after the second process step; and generating values of the metrology measurements of the second structures based on the optical measurement data for the test samples and the measurement models.