MULTIPLEXING EUV SOURCES IN RETICLE INSPECTION
Granted: February 6, 2014
Application Number:
20140036333
The present disclosure is directed to an illumination system. The illumination system may include a base member rotatable about a rotation axis and a plurality of mirrors disposed on an outer surface of the base member along a perimeter of the base member. The mirrors may be oriented at a predetermined angle. The illumination system also includes at least two illumination sources. Each of the mirrors of the first plurality of mirrors is configured to receive radiation from the first…
Photocathode Including Silicon Substrate With Boron Layer
Granted: February 6, 2014
Application Number:
20140034816
A photocathode is formed on a monocrystalline silicon substrate having opposing illuminated (top) and output (bottom) surfaces. To prevent oxidation of the silicon, a thin (e.g., 1-5 nm) boron layer is disposed directly on the output surface using a process that minimizes oxidation and defects, and a low work-function material layer is then formed over the boron layer to enhance the emission of photoelectrons. The low work-function material includes an alkali metal (e.g., cesium) or an…
METHOD AND APPARATUS TO FOLD OPTICS IN TOOLS FOR MEASURING SHAPE AND/OR THICKNESS OF A LARGE AND THIN SUBSTRATE
Granted: January 30, 2014
Application Number:
20140029016
A semiconductor measuring tool has a folding mirror configuration that directs a light beam to pass the same space multiple times to reduce the size and footprint. Furthermore, the folding mirrors may reflect the light beam at less than forty-five degrees; thereby allowing for smaller folding mirrors as compared to the prior art.
System and Method for Apodization in a Semiconductor Device Inspection System
Granted: January 16, 2014
Application Number:
20140016125
An inspection system with selectable apodization includes an illumination source configured to illuminate a surface of a sample, a detector configured to detect at least a portion of light emanating from the surface of the sample, the illumination source and the detector being optically coupled via an optical pathway of an optical system, a selectably configurable apodization device disposed along the optical pathway, wherein the apodization device includes one or more apodization…
Wafer Inspection
Granted: January 9, 2014
Application Number:
20140009759
Systems and methods for inspecting a wafer are provided. One system includes an illumination subsystem configured to illuminate the wafer; a collection subsystem configured to collect light scattered from the wafer and to preserve the polarization of the scattered light; an optical element configured to separate the scattered light collected in different segments of the collection numerical aperture of the collection subsystem, where the optical element is positioned at a Fourier plane…
EUV High Throughput Inspection System For Defect Detection On Patterned EUV Masks, Mask Blanks, And Wafers
Granted: January 2, 2014
Application Number:
20140001370
Inspection of EUV patterned masks, blank masks, and patterned wafers generated by EUV patterned masks requires high magnification and a large field of view at the image plane. An EUV inspection system can include a light source directed to an inspected surface, a detector for detecting light deflected from the inspected surface, and an optic configuration for directing the light from the inspected surface to the detector. In particular, the detector can include a plurality of sensor…
System With Polarized Scattered Light
Granted: December 26, 2013
Application Number:
20130342833
An optical collection and detection system for use in a surface inspection system for inspecting a surface of a workpiece. The surface inspection system has an incident beam projected through a back quartersphere and toward a desired location on the surface, which is a scanned spot having a known scanned spot size. The incident beam impinges on the surface to create scattered light that is collected by a collector module. The collector module includes collection optics for collecting and…
DEVICE-LIKE SCATTEROMETRY OVERLAY TARGETS
Granted: December 26, 2013
Application Number:
20130342831
In one embodiment, a semiconductor target for detecting overlay error between two or more successive layers of a substrate or between two or more separately generated patterns on a single layer of a substrate is disclosed. The target comprises at least a plurality of a plurality of first grating structures having a course pitch that is resolvable by an inspection tool and a plurality of second grating structures positioned relative to the first grating structures. The second grating…
Linear Stage and Metrology Architecture for Reflective Electron Beam Lithography
Granted: December 26, 2013
Application Number:
20130342827
A stage metrology suitable for REBL includes an interferometer stage metrology system configured to measure the position and rotation of a short-stroke wafer scanning stage, wherein the interferometer metrology system includes two or more interferometers for each axis of measurement, wherein a first interferometer mirror is disposed on a first surface of the short-stroke wafer scanning stage and a second interferometer mirror is disposed on a second surface of the short-stroke wafer…
System With Multiple Scattered Light Collectors
Granted: December 19, 2013
Application Number:
20130335733
A method for inspecting a surface of a workpiece for asymmetric defects, by scanning an incident beam on the surface of the workpiece to impinge thereon to create reflected light extending along a light channel axis in a front quartersphere and scattered light, the incident beam and the light channel axis defining an incident plane, collecting the scattered light at a plurality of collectors disposed above the surface at defined locations such that scatter from asymmetric defects is…
SUPER RESOLUTION INSPECTION SYSTEM
Granted: December 5, 2013
Application Number:
20130321797
The disclosure is directed to a system and method for inspecting a sample by illuminating the sample at a plurality of different angles and independently processing the resulting image streams. Illumination is directed through a plurality of pupil apertures to a plurality of respective field apertures so that the sample is imaged by portions of illumination directed at different angles. The corresponding portions of light reflected, scattered, or radiated from the surface of the sample…
Design Alteration for Wafer Inspection
Granted: November 28, 2013
Application Number:
20130318485
Methods and systems for binning defects on a wafer are provided. One method includes identifying areas in a design for a layer of a device being fabricated on a wafer that are not critical to yield of fabrication of the device and generating an altered design for the layer by eliminating features in the identified areas from the design for the layer. The method also includes binning defects detected on the layer into groups using the altered design such that features in the altered…
Methods and Systems for Determining a Critical Dimension and Overlay of a Specimen
Granted: November 28, 2013
Application Number:
20130314710
Methods and systems for monitoring semiconductor fabrication processes are provided. A system may include a stage configured to support a specimen and coupled to a measurement device. The measurement device may include an illumination system and a detection system. The illumination system and the detection system may be configured such that the system may be configured to determine multiple properties of the specimen. For example, the system may be configured to determine multiple…
PHOTOEMISSION MONITORING OF EUV MIRROR AND MASK SURFACE CONTAMINATION IN ACTINIC EUV SYSTEMS
Granted: November 28, 2013
Application Number:
20130313442
Photoelectron emission mapping systems for use with EUV (extreme ultraviolet) mask inspection and lithography systems are described. The mapping systems may be used to provide photoelectron emission maps for EUV photolithography masks and/or EUV mirrors. The systems use EUV photoelectron sources used for mask inspection or photolithography to impinge EUV light on the masks and/or mirrors. The EUV light generates photoelectron on the surfaces of the mask and/or mirrors and the…
Solid-State Laser And Inspection System Using 193nm Laser
Granted: November 28, 2013
Application Number:
20130313440
Improved laser systems and associated techniques generate an ultra-violet (UV) wavelength of approximately 193.368 nm from a fundamental vacuum wavelength near 1064 nm. Preferred embodiments separate out an unconsumed portion of an input wavelength to at least one stage and redirect that unconsumed portion for use in another stage. The improved laser systems and associated techniques result in less expensive, longer life lasers than those currently being used in the industry. These laser…
METHOD AND DEVICE FOR USING SUBSTRATE GEOMETRY TO DETERMINE OPTIMUM SUBSTRATE ANALYSIS SAMPLING
Granted: November 21, 2013
Application Number:
20130310966
A method and apparatus for process control in the processing of a substrate is disclosed in the present invention. Embodiments of the present invention utilize a first analysis tool to determine changes in a substrate's geometry. The substrate geometry data is used to generate sampling plan that will be used to check areas of the substrate that are likely to have errors after processing. The sampling plan is fed forwards to a second analysis tool that samples the substrate after it has…
Substrate Inspection
Granted: November 21, 2013
Application Number:
20130308124
Various embodiments for substrate inspection are provided.
Measurement Model Optimization Based On Parameter Variations Across A Wafer
Granted: November 14, 2013
Application Number:
20130305206
An optimized measurement model is determined based a model of parameter variations across a semiconductor wafer. A global, cross-wafer model characterizes a structural parameter as a function of location on the wafer. A measurement model is optimized by constraining the measurement model with the cross-wafer model of process variations. In some examples, the cross-wafer model is itself a parameterized model. However, the cross-wafer model characterizes the values of a structural…
SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR WAFER SURFACE FEATURE DETECTION, CLASSIFICATION AND QUANTIFICATION WITH WAFER GEOMETRY METROLOGY TOOLS
Granted: November 14, 2013
Application Number:
20130304399
Systems and methods for providing micro defect inspection capabilities for optical systems such as wafer metrology tools and interferometer systems are disclosed. The systems and methods in accordance with the present disclosure may detect, classify and quantify wafer surface features, wherein the detected defects are classified and the important defect metrology information of height/depth, area and volume is reported. The systems and methods in accordance with the present disclosure…
Composite Polarizer With Adjustable Polarization Angles
Granted: November 7, 2013
Application Number:
20130293888
An adjustable, composite polarizer can include first and second plate polarizers and an adjusting apparatus. The adjusting apparatus can adjust a pitch angle and a roll angle for the first and second plate polarizers while maintaining a predetermined, minimal distance between those plates. In this configuration, the adjustable, composite polarizer can provide mirror symmetric polarization with respect to an incident plane while providing the flexibility of any polarization.
