Reduced coherence symmetric grazing incidence differential interferometer
Granted: June 15, 2006
Application Number:
20060126076
A system for inspecting specimens such as semiconductor wafers is provided. The system provides scanning of dual-sided specimens using a diffraction grating that widens and passes nth order (n>0) wave fronts to the specimen surface and a reflective surface for each channel of the light beam. Two channels and two reflective surfaces are preferably employed, and the wavefronts are combined using a second diffraction grating and passed to a camera system having a desired aspect ratio.…
Quick swap load port
Granted: March 2, 2006
Application Number:
20060045662
Apparatus and method for reducing the load on an automated material handling system during processing of materials are disclosed. A materials processing tool with one or more load ports is equipped with at least one movable buffer attached to the tool front end. The buffer is configured to receive a materials pod from the automated material handling system at a storage location and move the pod to one or more of the one or more of the load ports and/or receive a pod from one or more of…
Inspection system setup techniques
Granted: February 2, 2006
Application Number:
20060025948
Techniques for efficiently setting up inspection, metrology, and review systems for operating upon semiconductor wafers are described. Specifically, this involves setting up recipes that allows each system to accurately inspect semiconductor wafers. The invention gathers pertinent information from these tools and presents the information to users in a way that greatly reduces the time required to complete a recipe. One system embodiment includes an inspection system and a review station…
Apparatus and methods for detecting overlay errors using scatterometry
Granted: December 23, 2004
Application Number:
20040257571
Disclosed is a method of determining an overlay error between two layers of a multiple layer sample. For each of a plurality of periodic targets that each have a first structure formed from a first layer and a second structure formed from a second layer of the sample, a first optical signal is measured using a first ellipsometer or a first reflectometer and a second optical signal is measured using a second ellipsometer or a second reflectometer. There are predefined offsets between the…
High throughput brightfield/darkfield wafer inspection system using advanced optical techniques
Granted: December 16, 2004
Application Number:
20040252297
The broadband brightfield/darkfield wafer inspection system provided receives broadband brightfield illumination information via a defect detector, which signals for initiation of darkfield illumination. The defect detector forms a two dimensional histogram of the defect data and a dual mode defect decision algorithm and post processor assess defects. Darkfield radiation is provided by two adjustable height laser beams which illuminate the surface of the wafer from approximately 6 to 39…
Apparatus and methods for detecting overlay errors using scatterometry
Granted: November 25, 2004
Application Number:
20040233444
Disclosed is a method of determining an overlay error between two layers of a multiple layer sample. For a plurality of periodic targets that each have a first structure formed from a first layer and a second structure formed from a second layer of the sample, an interferometer is employed to modulate substantially a plurality of wavelengths of a broadband source and then acquiring one or more images of the periodic targets. There are predefined offsets between the first and second…
Apparatus and methods for enabling robust separation between signals of interest and noise
Granted: November 25, 2004
Application Number:
20040235206
Disclosed are methods and apparatus for analyzing the Haze data provided by an optical inspection tool. The Haze data is analyzed so as to detect defects associated with the specimen surface. In general, the Haze data is first conditioned so that background noise which corresponds to low frequency variation on the specimen is separated or removed from the Haze data prior to analysis of such Haze data. In a specific embodiment, low frequency variations in the specimen surface are…
Methods and systems for determining a critical dimension and overlay of a specimen
Granted: November 25, 2004
Application Number:
20040235205
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…
Apparatus and methods for detecting overlay errors using scatterometry
Granted: November 25, 2004
Application Number:
20040233443
Disclose is a combined scatterometry mark comprising a scatterometry critical dimension (CD) or profile target capable of being measured to determine CD or profile information and a scatterometry overlay target disposed over the scatterometry CD or profile target, the scatterometry overlay target cooperating with the scatterometry CD or profile target to form a scatterometry mark capable of being measured to determine overlay.
Apparatus and methods for detecting overlay errors using scatterometry
Granted: November 25, 2004
Application Number:
20040233442
Disclosed is a method of determining an overlay error between two layers of a multiple layer sample. For a plurality of periodic targets that each have a first structure formed from a first layer and a second structure formed from a second layer of the sample, an optical system is employed to thereby measure an optical signal from each of the periodic targets. There are predefined offsets between the first and second structures. An overlay error is determined between the first and second…
Apparatus and methods for detecting overlay errors using scatterometry
Granted: November 25, 2004
Application Number:
20040233441
Disclosed is a method for determining an overlay error between at least two layers in a multiple layer sample. A sample having a plurality of periodic targets that each have a first structure in a first layer and a second structure in a second layer is provided. There are predefined offsets between the first and second structures. Using a scatterometry overlay metrology, scatterometry overlay data is obtained from a first set of the periodic targets based on one or more measured optical…
Apparatus and methods for detecting overlay errors using scatterometry
Granted: November 25, 2004
Application Number:
20040233440
Disclosed is a method for determining an overlay error between at least two layers in a multiple layer sample. An imaging optical system is used to measure a plurality of measured optical signals from a plurality of periodic targets on the sample. The targets each have a first structure in a first layer and a second structure in a second layer. There are predefined offsets between the first and second structures. A scatterometry overlay technique is then used to analyze the measured…
Apparatus and methods for detecting overlay errors using scatterometry
Granted: November 25, 2004
Application Number:
20040233439
Disclosed is a method of determining an overlay error between two layers of a multiple layer sample. For each of a plurality of periodic targets target that each have a first structure formed from a first layer and a second structure formed from a second layer of the sample, a plurality of optical signals are measured at a plurality of incident angles, wherein there are predefined offsets between the first and second structures. An overlay error is then determined between the first and…
Methodologies for efficient inspection of test structures using electron beam scanning and step and repeat systems
Granted: October 21, 2004
Application Number:
20040207414
Disclosed are techniques for efficiently inspecting defects on voltage contrast test structures. Improved test structures for facilitating such techniques are also provided. In one embodiment, the methodologies and test structures allow inspection to occur entirely within a charged particle (e.g., e-beam) system, such as a step and repeat e-beam system. In a specific embodiment, a method of localizing and imaging defects in a semiconductor test structure suitable for voltage contrast…
Metrology system using optical phase
Granted: October 21, 2004
Application Number:
20040207849
Misalignment error between two periodic structures such as two overlay targets placed side-by-side is measured. The two structures are illuminated by coherent radiation and the positive and negative diffraction beams of the input beam by the two structures are detected to discover the optical phase difference between the positive and negative diffraction beams. The misalignment between the two structures may then be ascertained from the phase difference.
Method and apparatus for inspecting a substrate using a plurality of inspection wavelength regimes
Granted: October 14, 2004
Application Number:
20040201837
A surface inspection apparatus and method are disclosed. In particular, the method and apparatus are capable of inspecting a surface in two (or more) optical regimes thereby enhancing the defect detection properties of such method and apparatus. A method involves illuminating the surface with light in a first wavelength range and a second wavelength range. The first wavelength range selected so that the surface is opaque to the light of the first wavelength range so that a resultant…
In-situ metalization monitoring using eddy current measurements during the process for removing the film
Granted: September 30, 2004
Application Number:
20040189290
A method for measuring conductance of a sample using an eddy current probe with a sensing coil. The method includes N repetitions of measuring first and second voltage pairs including in-phase and quadrature components of an induced AC voltage in the sensing coil, calibrating the first signal based on the measured second signal at a different separation from the sample and reference material, determining a conductance function relating conductance with location along the selected curve,…
Method for process optimization and control by comparison between 2 or more measured scatterometry signals
Granted: September 30, 2004
Application Number:
20040190008
A method for determining one or more process parameter settings of a photolithographic system is disclosed.
Method and apparatus for identifying defects in a substrate surface by using dithering to reconstruct under-sampled images
Granted: September 9, 2004
Application Number:
20040175028
A surface inspection apparatus in accordance with the principles of the invention includes an optical system having a plurality of time delay integration (TDI) sensors. The plurality of TDI sensors are arranged to generate a plurality of images of an object so that the images are offset a sub-pixel distance from each other. A scanning element enables the TDI sensors to scan the object so successive images of the object can be generated. Image processing circuitry is used to process the…
Peak power and speckle contrast reduction for a single layer pulse
Granted: August 26, 2004
Application Number:
20040165621
A system and method for reducing peak power of a laser pulse and reducing speckle contrast of a single pulse comprises a plurality of beamsplitters, mirrors and delay elements oriented to split and delay a pulse or pulses transmitted from a light emitting device. The design provides the ability to readily divide the pulse into multiple pulses by delaying the components relative to one another. Reduction of speckle contrast entails using the same or similar components to the power…
