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…
PROCESS CONDITION MEASURING DEVICE
Granted: January 31, 2013
Application Number:
20130029433
An instrument comprises a substrate, a plurality of sensors distributed at positions across the substrate's surface, at least one electronic processing component on the surface, electrical conductors extending across the surface and connected to the sensors and processing component, and a cover disposed over the sensors, processing component and conductors. The cover and substrate have similar material properties to a production substrate. The cover is configured to electromagnetically…
METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR VISUALIZATION OF SEMICONDUCTOR WAFER INSPECTION DATA ACQUIRED IN A PHOTOVOLTAIC CELL PRODUCTION PROCESS
Granted: January 31, 2013
Application Number:
20130028506
A system for providing visualization of semiconductor wafer inspection data acquired during in a photovoltaic cell production process includes a display device, a user interface device, and a computer control system configured for: receiving one or more inspection data sets acquired from each of a plurality of semiconductor wafers using a plurality of wafer process tools of a photovoltaic cell production line; generating an aggregated hierarchical wafer data gallery utilizing the…
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR INSPECTION OF LIGHT EMITTING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES USING PHOTOLUMINESCENCE IMAGING
Granted: January 31, 2013
Application Number:
20130027543
A method and apparatus for the inspection of light emitting semiconductor devices. The semiconductor device is illuminated with a light source, wherein at least an area of the light emitting semiconductor is illuminated with a waveband of light. The waveband of light ?A+?B can generate electron-hole pairs in the light emitting semiconductor to be inspected. Through an objective lens at least a part of the light ?C emitted by the light emitting semiconductor is detected. The emitted light…
Laser With High Quality, Stable Output Beam, And Long Life High Conversion Efficiency Non-Linear Crystal
Granted: January 24, 2013
Application Number:
20130021602
A mode-locked laser system operable at low temperature can include an annealed, frequency-conversion crystal and a housing to maintain an annealed condition of the crystal during standard operation at the low temperature. In one embodiment, the crystal can have an increased length. First beam shaping optics can be configured to focus a beam from a light source to an elliptical cross section at a beam waist located in or proximate to the crystal. A harmonic separation block can divide an…
Solar Cell Transport
Granted: January 24, 2013
Application Number:
20130020180
A transport system for substrates, the transport system having at least one belt for receiving the substrates thereon, retainers disposed at spaced distances on the belt, the spaced distances being at least as wide as a width of the substrates, the retainers rising to an elevation above the belt that is sufficient to stop the substrates from sliding when the substrates bump against the retainers, a motor for moving the belt, and a motion controller for providing acceleration and…
Wafer Inspection
Granted: January 17, 2013
Application Number:
20130016346
Systems configured to inspect a wafer are provided.
ATMOSPHERIC MOLECULAR CONTAMINATION CONTROL WITH LOCAL PURGING
Granted: January 10, 2013
Application Number:
20130010311
A local purging tool for purging a portion of a surface of a wafer with purging gas is disclosed. The purging tool includes a purging chamber configured to contain purging gas within a cavity of the purging chamber, a permeable portion of a surface of the purging chamber configured to diffuse purging gas from the cavity of the chamber to a portion of a surface of a wafer, and an aperture configured to transmit illumination received from an illumination source to a measurement location of…
MULTI-ANALYZER ANGLE SPECTROSCOPIC ELLIPSOMETRY
Granted: January 10, 2013
Application Number:
20130010296
Ellipsometry systems and ellipsometry data collection methods with improved stabilities are disclosed. In accordance with the present disclosure, multiple predetermined, discrete analyzer angles are utilized to collect ellipsometry data for a single measurement, and data regression is performed based on the ellipsometry data collected at these predetermined, discrete analyzer angles. Utilizing multiple discrete analyzer angles for a single measurement improves the stability of the…
MEASUREMENT OF COMPOSITION FOR THIN FILMS
Granted: January 3, 2013
Application Number:
20130006539
The present invention includes generating a three-dimensional design of experiment (DOE) for a plurality of semiconductor wafers, a first dimension of the DOE being a relative amount of a first component of the thin film, a second dimension of the DOE being a relative amount of a second component of the thin film, a third dimension of the DOE being a thickness of the thin film, acquiring a spectrum for each of the wafers, generating a set of optical dispersion data by extracting a real…
ADAPTIVE OPTICS FOR COMPENSATING ABERRATIONS IN LIGHT-SUSTAINED PLASMA CELLS
Granted: January 3, 2013
Application Number:
20130003384
A system for compensating abberative effects caused by a bulb of a plasma cell includes an illumination source configured to generate illumination; a plasma cell, the plasma cell including a bulb for containing a volume of gas; an ellipse configured to focus illumination from the illumination source into the volume of gas in order to generate a plasma within the volume of gas; and one or more adaptive optical elements configured to compensate for aberrations produced by one or more…
Measurement of Critical Dimension
Granted: January 3, 2013
Application Number:
20130003068
A spectroscopic instrument for conducting multi-wavelength, multi-azimuth, multi-angle-of-incidence readings on a substrate, the instrument having a broadband light source for producing an illumination beam, an objective for directing the illumination onto the substrate at multiple azimuth angles and multiple angels-of-incidence simultaneously, thereby producing a reflection beam, an aperture plate having an illumination aperture and a plurality of collection apertures formed therein for…
DETERMINATION OF ABSOLUTE DIMENSIONS OF PARTICLES USED AS CALIBRATION STANDARDS FOR OPTICAL MEASUREMENT SYSTEM
Granted: January 3, 2013
Application Number:
20130003053
The present invention includes providing a plurality of standard particles; providing a substantially crystalline material having one or more characteristic spatial parameters, disposing the plurality of standard particles proximate to a portion of the substantially crystalline material, acquiring imagery data of the plurality of standard particles and the portion of the substantially crystalline material, establishing a spatial relationship between the plurality of standard particles…
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR NONDESTRUCTIVELY MEASURING CONCENTRATION AND THICKNESS OF DOPED SEMICONDUCTOR LAYERS
Granted: January 3, 2013
Application Number:
20130003050
The disclosure is directed to nondestructive systems and methods for simultaneously measuring active carrier concentration and thickness of one or more doped semiconductor layers. Reflectance signals may be defined as functions of active carrier concentration and thickness varying over different wavelengths and over different incidence angles of analyzing illumination reflected off the surface of an analyzed sample. Systems and methods are provided for collecting a plurality of…
OPTICALLY PUMPING TO SUSTAIN PLASMA
Granted: January 3, 2013
Application Number:
20130001438
A method for sustaining a plasma includes providing a volume of a gas; generating illumination of a first selected wavelength; and forming a first plasma species in a first region of the gas and a second plasma species in a second region of the gas by focusing the illumination of the first wavelength into the volume of gas, the first region having a first average temperature and a first size, the second region having a second average temperature and a second size, the illumination of the…
BACKGROUND REDUCTION SYSTEM INCLUDING LOUVER
Granted: January 3, 2013
Application Number:
20130001417
A background reduction system may include, but is not limited to: a charged particle source configured to generate a charged-particle beam; a louvered structure including one or more apertures configured to selectively transmit charged particles according to their angle of incidence; and a charged-particle detector configured to receive charged particles selectively transmitted by the louvered structure.
ILLUMINATION CONTROL
Granted: December 27, 2012
Application Number:
20120327503
An optical system may include an objective, a source of illumination, an illumination system having illumination optics configured to direct the illumination onto the objective, and at least two dynamic optical array devices located at a pupil conjugate plane and a field conjugate plane, respectively in the illumination optics. The dynamic optical array devices are configured to control one or more properties of illumination coupled from the illumination system to the objective.
WAFER LEVEL SPECTROMETER
Granted: December 20, 2012
Application Number:
20120318966
A sensor apparatus for measuring characteristics of optical radiation has a substrate and a low profile spectrally selective detection system located within the substrate at one or more spatially separated locations. The spectrally selective detection system includes a generally laminar array of wavelength selectors optically coupled to a corresponding array of optical detectors. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will…
Optical System Polarizer Calibration
Granted: December 20, 2012
Application Number:
20120320377
A method to calibrate a polarizer in polarized optical system at any angle of incidence, by decoupling the calibration from a polarization effect of the system, by providing a calibration apparatus that includes a substrate having a polarizer disposed on a surface thereof, with an indicator on the substrate for indicating a polarization orientation of the polarizer, loading the calibration apparatus in the polarized optical system with the indicator in a desired position, determining an…
Semiconductor Inspection And Metrology System Using Laser Pulse Multiplier
Granted: December 13, 2012
Application Number:
20120314286
A pulse multiplier includes a polarizing beam splitter, a wave plate, and a set of mirrors. The polarizing beam splitter receives an input laser pulse. The wave plate receives light from the polarized beam splitter and generates a first set of pulses and a second set of pulses. The first set of pulses has a different polarization than the second set of pulses. The polarizing beam splitter, the wave plate, and the set of mirrors create a ring cavity. The polarizing beam splitter transmits…
