Overlay Targets with Orthogonal Underlayer Dummyfill
Granted: November 7, 2013
Application Number:
20130293890
The disclosure is directed to designing and using an overlay target with orthogonal underlayer dummyfill. According to various embodiments, an overlay target may include one or more segmented overlay pattern elements forming at least one overlay target structure. The overlay target may further include one or more inactive pattern elements forming at least one dummyfill target structure. Each of the one or more inactive pattern elements may include dummyfill segmented along an axis…
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.
Method and System for Hybrid Reticle Inspection
Granted: October 24, 2013
Application Number:
20130279792
A semiconductor inspection apparatus performs a hybrid inspection process including cell-to-cell inspection, die-to-die inspection and die-to-golden or die-to-database inspection. The apparatus creates a golden image of a reticle complimentary to portions of the reticle that can be inspected by cell-to-cell inspection or die-to-die inspection. Alternatively, the apparatus creates a reduced database complimentary to portions of the reticle that can be inspected by cell-to-cell inspection…
APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR SYNCHRONIZING SAMPLE STAGE MOTION WITH A TIME DELAY INTEGRATION CHARGE-COUPLE DEVICE IN A SEMICONDUCTOR INSPECTION TOOL
Granted: October 17, 2013
Application Number:
20130270444
A method for synchronizing sample stage motion with a time delay integration (TDI) charge-couple device (CCD) in a semiconductor inspection tool, including: measuring a lateral position of a stage holding a sample being inspected; measuring a vertical position of the stage; determining a corrected lateral position of an imaged pixel of the sample based on the measured lateral and vertical positions; and synchronizing charge transfer of the TDI CCD with the corrected lateral position of…
INDEXING OPTICS FOR AN ACTINIC EXTREME ULTRA-VIOLET (EUV) RETICLE INSPECTION TOOL
Granted: October 17, 2013
Application Number:
20130271827
A method for reducing damage and contamination to an optical element in an extreme ultra-violet (EUV) reticle inspection system, including, presenting an illumination source to a reticle inspection system, and displacing the optical element in the path of the illumination source from a first portion to a second portion, wherein the first portion is damaged and the second portion is not damaged, and the optical element has a plurality of portions.
Systems and Methods for Sample Inspection and Review
Granted: October 17, 2013
Application Number:
20130271596
The disclosure is directed to systems and methods for sample inspection and review. In some embodiments, images are collected and/or defects are located utilizing separately addressable red, green, and blue (RGB) illumination sources to improve image quality. In some embodiments, illumination sources are pulse width modulated for substantially consistent light intensity in presence of variable sample motion. In some embodiments, a stage assembly is configured to support the sample…
SMART MEMORY ALLOYS FOR AN EXTREME ULTRA-VIOLET (EUV) RETICLE INSPECTION TOOL
Granted: October 17, 2013
Application Number:
20130270461
An apparatus for actinic extreme ultra-violet (EUV) reticle inspection including at least one shape memory metal actuator adapted to displace an inspection component in an EUV inspection tool. An apparatus for actinic EUV reticle inspection including a tilt mechanism including at least one shape memory metal actuator adapted to angularly displace an inspection component in an EUV inspection tool. An apparatus for actinic EUV reticle inspection, including a translation stage adapted to…
Back-Illuminated Sensor With Boron Layer
Granted: October 10, 2013
Application Number:
20130264481
An image sensor for short-wavelength light and charged particles includes a semiconductor membrane, circuit elements formed on one surface of the semiconductor membrane, and a pure boron layer on the other surface of the semiconductor membrane. This image sensor has high efficiency and good stability even under continuous use at high flux for multiple years. The image sensor may be fabricated using CCD (charge coupled device) or CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) technology.…
TEMPERATURE CONTROL IN EUV RETICLE INSPECTION TOOL
Granted: October 10, 2013
Application Number:
20130265557
An apparatus comprises an optics assembly and a plate. The optics assembly configured to focus light from an EUV source onto a reticle or sensor. The plate has an opening to allow the EUV light to pass through disposed between the optics assembly and the reticle or sensor. The plate is cooled to a temperature less than that of the reticle or sensor. The plate is engineered to balance out heat absorbed from the reticle or sensor with heat absorbed by the plate. It is emphasized that this…
Protective Fluorine-Doped Silicon Oxide Film For Optical Components
Granted: October 10, 2013
Application Number:
20130265572
An optical component includes a substrate and a fluorine-doped thin film formed on the substrate. This fluorine-doped thin film is dense, and thus very low absorbing and insensitive to various vacuum, temperature, and humidity conditions. This dense film has a high refractive index, which remains stable irrespective of environmental conditions. The fluorine-doped thin film can advantageously ensure low scattering, low reflectance, and high transmittance. Moreover, the fluorine-doped thin…
Variable Polarization Wafer Inspection
Granted: October 10, 2013
Application Number:
20130265577
Methods and systems for variable polarization wafer inspection are provided. One system includes one or more polarizing components position in one or more paths of light scattered from a wafer and detected by one or more channels of an inspection system. The polarizing component(s) are configured to have detection polarization(s) that are selected from two or more polarization settings for the polarizing component(s).
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CLEANING SURFACES AND COMPONENTS OF MASK AND WAFER INSPECTION SYSTEMS BASED ON THE POSITIVE COLUMN OF A GLOW DISCHARGE PLASMA
Granted: October 3, 2013
Application Number:
20130255717
A system and method to clean surfaces and components of mask and wafer inspection systems based on the positive column of a glow discharge plasma are disclosed. The surface may be the surface of an optical component in a vacuum chamber or an interior wall of the vacuum chamber. A cathode and an anode may be used to generate the glow discharge plasma. The negative glow associated with the cathode may be isolated and the positive column associated with the anode may be used to clean the…
Multi-Spot Illumination for Wafer Inspection
Granted: September 26, 2013
Application Number:
20130250582
Illumination subsystems for multi-spot wafer inspection are provided. One illumination subsystem includes a diffractive optical element configured to separate an illumination light beam into multiple light beams and a refractive lens array positioned in the path of the multiple light beams. The refractive lens array is configured to relay the laser beam waist at the diffractive optical element onto a wafer surface and to separately and simultaneously focus each of the multiple light…
Laser with Integrated Multi Line or Scanning Beam Capability
Granted: September 26, 2013
Application Number:
20130250385
A method and system for providing illumination is disclosed. The method may include providing a laser having a predetermined wavelength; performing at least one of: beam splitting or beam scanning prior to a frequency conversion; converting a frequency of each output beam of the at least one of: beam splitting or beam scanning; and providing the frequency converted output beam for illumination.
Systems and Methods for Detecting Defects on a Wafer
Granted: September 26, 2013
Application Number:
20130250287
Systems and methods for detecting defects on a wafer are provided. One method includes generating output for a wafer by scanning the wafer with an inspection system using first and second optical states of the inspection system. The first and second optical states are defined by different values for at least one optical parameter of the inspection system. The method also includes generating first image data for the wafer using the output generated using the first optical state and second…
Photomultiplier Tube with Extended Dynamic Range
Granted: September 19, 2013
Application Number:
20130242291
The disclosure is directed to a photomultiplier tube with extended dynamic range. According to various embodiments, a repulsive electric field is introduced between a photocathode and a plurality of dynodes in order to repel or block low-energy electrons from reaching and being multiplied by the dynodes. As a result, time intervals between current peaks and drops may be decreased because the photomultiplier current will be primarily affected by high-energy electrons emitted by the…
Calibration Of An Optical Metrology System For Critical Dimension Application Matching
Granted: September 19, 2013
Application Number:
20130245985
Methods and systems for matching critical dimension measurement applications at high precision across multiple optical metrology systems are presented. In one aspect, machine parameter values of a metrology system are calibrated based on critical dimension measurement data. In one further aspect, calibration of the machine parameter values is based on critical dimension measurement data collected by a target measurement system from a specimen with assigned critical dimension parameter…
Suppression Of Parasitic Optical Feedback In Pulse Laser Systems
Granted: September 19, 2013
Application Number:
20130242380
A pulsed laser system includes a variable attenuator located in a secondary optical path bounded by a target surface and one or more reflective surfaces outside of the primary laser oscillator of the laser system. The variable attenuator isolates an output optical amplifier of the laser system from light reflected from the target during time periods between laser pulses. In some embodiments, the variable attenuator is synchronously controlled with the primary laser oscillator. In some…
Imaging Overlay Metrology Target and Complimentary Overlay Metrology Measurement System
Granted: September 19, 2013
Application Number:
20130242305
An exclusion region of interest imaging overlay target includes a self-symmetric target structure including two or more pattern elements, and an additional target structure including two or more pattern elements, wherein each of pattern elements of the additional target structure is contained within a boundary defined by one of the pattern elements of the self-symmetric target structure, wherein the self-symmetric target structure is characterized by a composite exterior region of…
METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR SPECTRAL LUMINESCENCE MEASUREMENT
Granted: September 19, 2013
Application Number:
20130242300
One embodiment relates to a computer-implemented method of processing spectral luminescence mapping data obtained from a substrate, the substrate having an epitaxial layer stack that includes a multiple quantum well. A spectral luminescence and an epi thickness at a location on the substrate are obtained. A spectral modulation for the location may be computed given the epi thickness and material indices of refraction. The underlying luminescence spectrum may then be generated by dividing…
