Scanner Performance Comparison And Matching Using Design And Defect Data
Granted: July 14, 2011
Application Number:
20110172804
A system and method of matching multiple scanners using design and defect data are described. A golden wafer is processed using a golden tool. A second wafer is processed using a second tool. Both tools provide focus/exposure modulation. Wafer-level spatial signatures of critical structures for both wafers can be compared to evaluate the behavior of the scanners. Critical structures can be identified by binning defects on the golden wafer having similar patterns. In one embodiment, the…
Adaptive Signature Detection
Granted: July 14, 2011
Application Number:
20110170766
A processor-based method for detecting defects in an integrated circuit, by creating an image of at least a portion of the integrated circuit with a sensor, grouping pixels of the image into bins based at least in part on a common characteristic of the pixels that are grouped within a given bin, creating a histogram of the pixels in each of the bins, calculating a mean value of the histogram for each of the bins, comparing the mean value for each of the bins to a threshold value,…
Alleviation Of Laser-Induced Damage In Optical Materials By Suppression Of Transient Color Centers Formation And Control Of Phonon Population
Granted: July 7, 2011
Application Number:
20110164648
Laser-induced damage in an optical material can be mitigated by creating conditions at which light absorption is minimized. Specifically, electrons populating defect energy levels of a band gap in an optical material can be promoted to the conduction band—a process commonly referred to as bleaching. Such bleaching can be accomplished using a predetermined wavelength that ensures minimum energy deposition into the material, ideally promoting electron to just inside the conduction band.…
METHODS FOR ACCURATE IDENTIFICATION OF AN EDGE OF A CARE AREA FOR AN ARRAY AREA FORMED ON A WAFER AND METHODS FOR BINNING DEFECTS DETECTED IN AN ARRAY AREA FORMED ON A WAFER
Granted: June 16, 2011
Application Number:
20110142327
Methods for identifying an edge of a care area for an array area formed on a wafer and/or for binning defects detected in the array area are provided. One method for identifying an edge of a care area for an array area formed on a wafer includes determining a value for a difference image as a function of position from a position known to be inside the array area to a position known to be outside of the array area. The method also includes identifying the position that is located closest…
Shielding, Particulate Reducing High Vacuum Components
Granted: June 16, 2011
Application Number:
20110142382
A method of forming a gate valve for use in a high vacuum environment of an electron gun by machining a core of non-magnetic nickel-chromium-molybdenum-iron-tungsten-silicon-carbon alloy that is weldable with nickel alloys and has a tensile strength of about 750 megapascals, machining a cladding of nickel-iron, welding the core to the cladding to form the gate valve, and machining the gate valve so as to remove any dimensional differences at an interface between the core and the…
Localized Substrate Geometry Characterization
Granted: June 16, 2011
Application Number:
20110144943
A system for evaluating the metrological characteristics of a surface of a substrate, the system including an optical substrate measurement system, a data analyzing system for analyzing data in an evaluation area on the substrate, applying feature-specific filters to characterize the surface of the substrate, and produce surface-specific metrics for characterizing and quantifying a feature of interest, the surface-specific metrics including a range metric for quantifying maximum and…
INLINE INSPECTION OF PHOTOVOLTAICS FOR ELECTRICAL DEFECTS
Granted: June 9, 2011
Application Number:
20110133750
A method of inline inspection of photovoltaic material for electrical anomalies. A first electrical connection is formed to a first surface of the photovoltaic material, and a second electrical connection is formed to an opposing second surface of the photovoltaic material. A localized current is induced in the photovoltaic material and properties of the localized current in the photovoltaic material are sensed using the first and second electrical connections. The properties of the…
Process Excursion Detection
Granted: June 9, 2011
Application Number:
20110137576
A method for analyzing defect information on a substrate, including logically dividing the substrate into zones, and detecting defects on the substrate to produce the defect information. The defect information from the substrate is analyzed on a zone by zone basis to produce defect level classifications for the defects within each zone. The zonal defect level classifications are analyzed according to at least one analysis method. The defect level classifications are preferably selected…
Integrated Visible Pilot Beam for Non-Visible Optical Waveguide Devices
Granted: May 26, 2011
Application Number:
20110122398
In one embodiment, a radiation based analysis system comprises a first radiation source to generate first radiation having a wavelength outside the visible spectrum, a second radiation source to generate second radiation having a wavelength within the visible spectrum, and a waveguide coupler to couple a portion of the first radiation and a portion of the second radiation into a combined radiation beam such that the first radiation and the second radiation follow a path that is…
Spectroscopic Scatterometer System
Granted: May 26, 2011
Application Number:
20110125458
Before the diffraction from a diffracting structure on a semiconductor wafer is measured, where necessary, the film thickness and index of refraction of the films underneath the structure are first measured using spectroscopic reflectometry or spectroscopic ellipsometry. A rigorous model is then used to calculate intensity or ellipsometric signatures of the diffracting structure. The diffracting structure is then measured using a spectroscopic scatterometer using polarized and broadband…
EUV High Throughput Inspection System For Defect Detection On Patterned EUV Masks, Mask Blanks, And Wafers
Granted: May 19, 2011
Application Number:
20110116077
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…
Curvature-Based Edge Bump Quantification
Granted: May 12, 2011
Application Number:
20110112796
Evaluating irregularities in surfaces of objects such as semiconductor wafers using a thickness profile of a surface section and analyzing the profile to obtain information of an irregularity start position, magnitude, and span along with surface slope and height information.
Photoresist Simulation
Granted: May 12, 2011
Application Number:
20110112809
A processor based method for measuring dimensional properties of a photoresist profile by determining a number acid generators and quenchers within a photoresist volume, determining a number of photons absorbed by the photoresist volume, determining a number of the acid generators converted to acid, determining a number of acid and quencher reactions within the photoresist volume, calculating a development of the photoresist volume, producing with the processor a three-dimensional…
Apparatus for the optical inspection of wafers
Granted: April 21, 2011
Application Number:
20110090483
A metrology tool (1) for measuring the positions of structures (32) on a mask surface (31) is disclosed. On a measuring stage (33) a reflector (36) selective with respect to the wavelength is provided, which essentially reflects light within a first wavelength region emitted from a first illumination device (10), and essentially does not reflect light within a second wavelength region emitted from a second illumination device (20). The reflector (36) selective with respect to the…
External beam delivery system using catadioptric objective with aspheric surfaces
Granted: March 31, 2011
Application Number:
20110075138
An inspection system including a catadioptric objective that facilitates dark-field inspection is provided. The objective includes an outer element furthest from the specimen having an outer element partial reflective surface oriented toward the specimen, an inner element nearest the specimen having a center lens comprising an inner element partial reflective surface oriented away from the specimen, and a central element positioned between the outer lens and the inner lens. At least one…
Referenced Inspection Device
Granted: March 24, 2011
Application Number:
20110069306
A tool for investigating a substrate, where the tool has a tool head for investigating the substrate, a chuck for disposing an upper surface of the substrate in proximity to the tool head, and an air bearing disposed on the tool head adjacent the substrate. The air bearing has a pressure source and a vacuum source, where the vacuum source draws the substrate toward the air bearing and the pressure source prevents the substrate from physically contacting the air bearing. The pressure…
METROLOGY SYSTEMS AND METHODS
Granted: March 24, 2011
Application Number:
20110069312
Various metrology systems and methods are provided.
Substrate Edge Inspection
Granted: March 10, 2011
Application Number:
20110058174
An apparatus for inspecting an edge of a substrate. A light source produces a light beam, and a two-dimensional beam deflector receives the light beam and creates a semi-annular scanning beam. A first flared parabolic surface receives the semi-annular scanning beam and directs the semi-annular scanning beam onto the edge of the substrate, thereby creating specularly reflected light from the edge of the substrate. A second flared parabolic surface receives and directs the specularly…
Substrate Matrix To Decouple Tool And Process Effects
Granted: March 3, 2011
Application Number:
20110051116
A method of characterizing a process by selecting the process to characterize, selecting a parameter of the process to characterize, determining values of the parameter to use in a test matrix, specifying an eccentricity for the test matrix, selecting test structures to be created in cells on a substrate, processing the substrate through the process using in each cell the value of the parameter as determined by the eccentric test matrix, measuring a property of the test structures in the…
UNIQUE MARK AND METHOD TO DETERMINE CRITICAL DIMENSION UNIFORMITY AND REGISTRATION OF RETICLES COMBINED WITH WAFER OVERLAY CAPABILITY
Granted: March 3, 2011
Application Number:
20110051150
A combined metrology mark, a system, and a method for calculating alignment on a semiconductor circuit are disclosed. The combined metrology mark may include a mask misregistration structure and a wafer overlay mark structure.
