OVERLAY AND SEMICONDUCTOR PROCESS CONTROL USING A WAFER GEOMETRY METRIC
Granted: April 11, 2013
Application Number:
20130089935
The present invention may include acquiring a wafer shape value at a plurality of points of a wafer surface at a first and second process level, generating a wafer shape change value at each of the points, generating a set of slope of shape change values at each of the points, calculating a set of process tool correctables utilizing the generated set of slope of shape change values, generating a set of slope shape change residuals (SSCRs) by calculating a slope of shape change residual…
HYDROGEN PASSIVATION OF NONLINEAR OPTICAL CRYSTALS
Granted: April 11, 2013
Application Number:
20130088706
The present invention includes an exposure chamber configured to contain a passivating gas having a selected hydrogen concentration, the exposure chamber further configured to contain at least one NLO crystal for exposure to the passivating gas within the chamber, a passivating gas source fluidically connected to the exposure chamber, the passivating gas source configured to supply passivating gas to an interior portion of the exposure chamber, and a substrate configured to hold the NLO…
Capacitive Inspection Of EUV Photomasks
Granted: April 11, 2013
Application Number:
20130088245
Methods and systems for generating an indication of a changing electrostatic field between a sense electrode of a capacitance sensing integrated circuit and a specimen under inspection are presented. The capacitance sensing integrated circuit is an integrated circuit that includes a number of sense electrodes and sense electronics. By fabricating the elements of the capacitance sensing integrated circuit as a single microelectronic chip, the sense electrodes can be miniaturized to sizes…
APPARATUS FOR EUV IMAGING AND METHODS OF USING SAME
Granted: April 4, 2013
Application Number:
20130083321
One embodiment relates to an apparatus that includes an illumination source (102) for illuminating a target substrate (106), objective optics (108) for projecting the EUV light which is reflected from the target substrate, and a sensor (110) for detecting the projected EUV light. The objective optics includes a first mirror (202,302, or 402) which is arranged to receive and reflect the EUV light which is reflected from the target substrate, a second mirror (204, 304, or 404) which is…
High Throughput Thin Film Characterization And Defect Detection
Granted: April 4, 2013
Application Number:
20130083320
Methods and systems for determining band structure characteristics of high-k dielectric films deposited over a substrate based on spectral response data are presented. High throughput spectrometers are utilized to quickly measure semiconductor wafers early in the manufacturing process. Optical dispersion metrics are determined based on the spectral data. Band structure characteristics such as band gap, band edge, and defects are determined based on optical dispersion metric values. In…
Solid-State Laser And Inspection System Using 193nm Laser
Granted: March 28, 2013
Application Number:
20130077086
An improved solid-state laser for generating 193 nm light is described. This laser uses the 6th harmonic of a fundamental wavelength near 1160 nm to generate the 193 nm light. The laser mixes the 1160 nm fundamental wavelength with the 5th harmonic, which is at a wavelength of approximately 232 nm. By proper selection of non-linear media, such mixing can be achieved by nearly non-critical phase matching. This mixing results in high conversion efficiency, good stability, and high…
PROCESS AWARE METROLOGY
Granted: March 28, 2013
Application Number:
20130080984
Systems and methods for process aware metrology are provided.
Dual Scanning Stage
Granted: March 21, 2013
Application Number:
20130073082
A system having a beam for providing movement of a first stage and a second stage in a Y axis. The first stage receives a first substrate. A first motor provides movement for the first stage in an X axis. The second stage receives a second substrate. A second motor provides movement for the second stage in the X axis. The first stage and the second stage move together in the Y axis and independently in the X axis. A robot loads substrates onto the first stage and the second stage. A…
LASER-PRODUCED PLASMA EUV SOURCE WITH REDUCED DEBRIS GENERATION
Granted: March 14, 2013
Application Number:
20130063803
A method and apparatus for generating extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light is disclosed. The method may comprise non-thermally ablating a target material utilizing a first laser beam. The first laser beam may be configured for ejecting a portion of the target material in a non-thermal manner to create a plume. The method may further comprise irradiating the plume utilizing a second laser beam to produce a high-temperature plasma for EUV radiation.
Determining Design Coordinates for Wafer Defects
Granted: March 14, 2013
Application Number:
20130064442
Methods and systems for determining design coordinates for defects detected on a wafer are provided. One method includes aligning a design for a wafer to defect review tool images for defects detected in multiple swaths on the wafer by an inspection tool, determining a position of each of the defects in design coordinates based on results of the aligning, separately determining a defect position offset for each of the multiple swaths based on the swath in which each of the defects was…
METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DETECTING AND CORRECTING PROBLEMATIC ADVANCED PROCESS CONTROL PARAMETERS
Granted: March 7, 2013
Application Number:
20130060354
The invention may be embodied in a system and method for monitoring and controlling feedback control in a manufacturing process, such as an integrated circuit fabrication process. The process control parameters may include translation, rotation, magnification, dose and focus applied by a photolithographic scanner or stepper operating on silicon wafers. Overlay errors are used to compute measured parameters used in the feedback control process. Statistical parameters are computed,…
Large Particle Detection For Multi-Spot Surface Scanning Inspection Systems
Granted: February 28, 2013
Application Number:
20130050689
The illumination power density of a multi-spot inspection system is adjusted in response to detecting a large particle in the inspection path of an array of primary illumination spots. At least one low power, secondary illumination spot is located in the inspection path of an array of relatively high power primary illumination spots. Light scattered from the secondary illumination spot is collected and imaged onto one or more detectors without overheating the particle and damaging the…
OVERLAY METROLOGY BY PUPIL PHASE ANALYSIS
Granted: February 21, 2013
Application Number:
20130044331
The present invention may include measuring a first phase distribution across a pupil plane of a portion of illumination reflected from a first overlay target of a semiconductor wafer, wherein the first overlay target is fabricated to have a first intentional overlay, measuring a second phase distribution across the pupil plane of a portion of illumination reflected from a second overlay target, wherein the second overlay target is fabricated to have a second intentional overlay in a…
AIR FLOW MANAGEMENT IN A SYSTEM WITH HIGH SPEED SPINNING CHUCK
Granted: February 14, 2013
Application Number:
20130038866
The present invention is directed to a high speed, spinning chuck for use in a semiconductor wafer inspection system. The chuck of the present disclosure is configured with a turbulence-reducing lip. Spinning of the chuck produces radial airflows proximal to a surface of the wafer and proximal to the bottom of the chuck. The turbulence-reducing lip of the chuck of the present disclosure directs the radial airflows off of the top surface of the wafer and the bottom surface of the chuck in…
METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR DETERMINING A CRITICAL DIMENSION AND OVERLAY OF A SPECIMEN
Granted: February 14, 2013
Application Number:
20130039460
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…
METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING A QUALITY METRIC FOR IMPROVED PROCESS CONTROL
Granted: February 7, 2013
Application Number:
20130035888
The present invention may include acquiring a plurality of overlay metrology measurement signals from a plurality of metrology targets distributed across one or more fields of a wafer of a lot of wafers, determining a plurality of overlay estimates for each of the plurality of overlay metrology measurement signals using a plurality of overlay algorithms, generating a plurality of overlay estimate distributions, and generating a first plurality of quality metrics utilizing the generated…
METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CHARACTERIZING EFFICIENCY IMPACT OF INTERRUPTION DEFECTS IN PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
Granted: February 7, 2013
Application Number:
20130035881
A system for characterizing interruption defect induced efficiency loss in a photovoltaic cell includes an inspection system configured to acquire inspection data from a photovoltaic cell, a control system configured to: receive the inspection data acquired from the photovoltaic cell, identify one or more interruption defects in one or more fingers of an electrode of the one photovoltaic cell utilizing the inspection data, determine a spatial parameter associated with at least one of the…
Methods and Systems for Determining a Characteristic of a Wafer
Granted: February 7, 2013
Application Number:
20130035877
Methods and systems for determining a characteristic of a wafer are provided. One method includes generating output responsive to light from the wafer using an inspection system. The output includes first output corresponding to defects on the wafer and second output that does not correspond to the defects. The method also includes determining the characteristic of the wafer using the second output. One system includes an inspection subsystem configured to illuminate the wafer and to…
Determining Thin Film Stack Functional Relationships For Measurement of Chemical Composition
Granted: February 7, 2013
Application Number:
20130035872
A method for determining chemical composition from optical properties of a stack formed with a process, by preparing test samples of the stack using known and intentional variations to the process to affect a variation in the chemical composition, measuring the optical properties of the test samples, measuring the chemical composition of the test samples, performing a processor-based regression analysis to determine an optical state function including correlations between the optical…
LIGHT SOURCE TRACKING IN OPTICAL METROLOGY SYSTEM
Granted: February 7, 2013
Application Number:
20130033704
The present invention may include loading a diagnostic sample onto a sample stage, focusing light from an illumination source disposed on a multi-axis stage onto the diagnostic sample, collecting a portion of light reflected from a surface of the diagnostic sample utilizing a detector, wherein the illumination source and the detector are optically direct-coupled via an optical system, acquiring a set of diagnostic parameters indicative of illumination source position drift from the…
