APPARATUS, TECHNIQUES, AND TARGET DESIGNS FOR MEASURING SEMICONDUCTOR PARAMETERS
Granted: November 12, 2015
Application Number:
20150323471
In one embodiment, apparatus and methods for determining a parameter of a target are disclosed. A target having an imaging structure and a scatterometry structure is provided. An image of the imaging structure is obtained with an imaging channel of a metrology tool. A scatterometry signal is also obtained from the scatterometry structure with a scatterometry channel of the metrology tool. At least one parameter, such as overlay error, of the target is determined based on both the image…
DELTA DIE AND DELTA DATABASE INSPECTION
Granted: October 1, 2015
Application Number:
20150276617
Disclosed are methods and apparatus for inspecting a photolithographic reticle. An inspection tool is used to obtain a plurality of patch area images of each patch area of each die of a set of identical dies on a reticle. An integrated intensity value for each patch area image is determined. A gain is applied to the integrated intensity value for each patch area image based on a pattern sparseness metric of such patch area image and its relative value to other patch area images' pattern…
MODEL FOR ACCURATE PHOTORESIST PROFILE PREDICTION
Granted: September 17, 2015
Application Number:
20150261896
A photoresist modelling system includes a mathematical model for a photolithography process. The mathematical model may be executable using a computer processor. The mathematical model may be used to model a photoresist as formed on a semiconductor wafer surface. A blocked polymer concentration gradient equation may be implemented into the mathematical model. The blocked polymer concentration gradient equation may describe an initial concentration gradient of a blocked polymer in the…
APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR DETECTING DEFECTS IN VERTICAL MEMORY
Granted: September 17, 2015
Application Number:
20150260660
Disclosed are methods and apparatus for inspecting a vertical memory stack. On an inspection tool, incident light having a first wavelength range is used to detect defects on a surface of the vertical memory stack. On the inspection tool, incident light having a second wavelength range is used to detect defects on both the surface and throughout a depth of the vertical memory stack. The defects detected using the first and second wavelength range are compared to detect defects only…
System and Method for Field-By-Field Overlay Process Control Using Measured and Estimated Field Parameters
Granted: August 27, 2015
Application Number:
20150241790
The present disclosure is directed to a method of determining at least one correctable for a process tool. In an embodiment, the method includes the steps of: measuring one or more parameter values at one or more measurement locations of each field of a selection of measured fields of a wafer; estimating one or more parameter values for one or more locations of each field of a selection of unmeasured fields of the wafer; and determining at least one correctable for a process tool based…
Wafer and Lot Based Hierarchical Method Combining Customized Metrics with a Global Classification Methodology to Monitor Process Tool Condition at Extremely High Throughput
Granted: August 20, 2015
Application Number:
20150234379
Methods and systems for monitoring process tool conditions are disclosed. The method combines single wafer, multiple wafers within a single lot and multiple lot information together statistically as input to a custom classification engine that can consume single or multiple scan, channel, wafer and lot to determine process tool status.
REDUCING ALGORITHMIC INACCURACY IN SCATTEROMETRY OVERLAY METROLOGY
Granted: August 20, 2015
Application Number:
20150233705
Methods and systems for minimizing of algorithmic inaccuracy in scatterometry overlay (SCOL) metrology are provided. SCOL targets are designed to limit the number of oscillation frequencies in a functional dependency of a resulting SCOL signal on the offset and to reduce the effect of higher mode oscillation frequencies. The targets are segmented in a way that prevents constructive interference of high modes with significant amplitudes, and thus avoids the inaccuracy introduced by such…
MULTI-SPOT SCANNING COLLECTION OPTICS
Granted: August 13, 2015
Application Number:
20150226677
Disclosed are apparatus and methods for inspecting or measuring a specimen. A system comprises an illumination channel for generating and deflecting a plurality of incident beams to form a plurality of spots that scan across a segmented line comprised of a plurality of scan portions of the specimen. The system also includes one or more detection channels for sensing light emanating from a specimen in response to the incident beams directed towards such specimen and collecting a detected…
APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR COMBINED BRIGHTFIELD, DARKFIELD, AND PHOTOTHERMAL INSPECTION
Granted: August 13, 2015
Application Number:
20150226676
Disclosed are methods and apparatus for detecting defects or reviewing defects in a semiconductor sample. The system has a brightfield (BF) module for directing a BF illumination beam onto a sample and detecting an output beam reflected from the sample in response to the BF illumination beam. The system has a modulated optical reflectance (MOR) module for directing a pump and probe beam to the sample and detecting a MOR output beam from the probe spot in response to the pump beam and the…
SYMMETRIC TARGET DESIGN IN SCATTEROMETRY OVERLAY METROLOGY
Granted: July 23, 2015
Application Number:
20150204664
Metrology methods, systems and targets are provided, which implement a side by side paradigm. Adjacent cells with periodic structures are used to extract the overlay error, e.g., by introducing controllable phase shifts or image shifts which enable algorithmic computation of the overlay. The periodic structures are designed to exhibit a rotational symmetry to support the computation and reduce errors.
EXTREME ULTRA-VIOLET (EUV) INSPECTION SYSTEMS
Granted: July 9, 2015
Application Number:
20150192459
Disclosed are methods and apparatus for reflecting, towards a sensor, extreme ultra-violet (EUV) light that is reflected from a target substrate. The system includes a first mirror arranged to receive and reflect the EUV light that is reflected from the target substrate, a second mirror arranged to receive and reflect the EUV light that is reflected by the first mirror, a third mirror arranged to receive and reflect the EUV light that is reflected by the second mirror, and a fourth…
Low-Noise Sensor And An Inspection System Using A Low-Noise Sensor
Granted: June 25, 2015
Application Number:
20150177159
A method of inspecting a sample at high speed includes directing and focusing radiation onto a sample, and receiving radiation from the sample and directing received radiation to an image sensor. Notably, the method includes driving the image sensor with predetermined signals. The predetermined signals minimize a settling time of an output signal of the image sensor. The predetermined signals are controlled by a phase accumulator, which is used to select look-up values. The driving can…
A DUAL INTERFEROMETER SYSTEM WITH A SHORT REFERENCE FLAT DISTANCE FOR WAFER SHAPE AND THICKNESS VARIATION MEASUREMENT
Granted: June 25, 2015
Application Number:
20150176973
An interferometer system is disclosed. The interferometer system includes two spaced apart reference flats having corresponding reference surfaces forming a cavity therebetween for placement of a polished opaque plate. The surfaces of the plate are approximately 2.5 millimeters or less from the corresponding reference surfaces when the plate is placed in the cavity. The interferometer system also includes two interferometer devices located on diametrically opposite sides of the cavity to…
IMAGE SYNCHRONIZATION OF SCANNING WAFER INSPECTION SYSTEM
Granted: June 18, 2015
Application Number:
20150170357
An inspection system comprises a beam generator module for deflecting spots across scan portions of a specimen. The system also includes detection channels for sensing light emanating from a specimen in response to an incident beam directed towards such specimen and generating a detected image for each scan portion. The system comprises a synchronization system comprising clock generator modules for generating timing signals for deflectors of the beam generator module to scan the spots…
SUB 200NM LASER PUMPED HOMONUCLEAR EXCIMER LASERS
Granted: June 18, 2015
Application Number:
20150168847
Disclosed are methods and apparatus for generating a sub-200 nm continuous wave (cw) laser. A laser apparatus includes a chamber for receiving at least a rare gas or rare gas mixtures and a pump laser source for generating at least one cw pump laser focused in the chamber for generating at least one laser-sustained plasma in the chamber. The laser apparatus further includes a system for forming an optical cavity in which the at least one laser-sustained plasma serves as an excitation…
STAGE APPARATUS FOR SEMICONDUCTOR INSPECTION AND LITHOGRAPHY SYSTEMS
Granted: June 11, 2015
Application Number:
20150160564
A semiconductor sample is received on a chuck of a stage that is movable with respect to a stage frame. The stage, chuck, and sample are moved under an inspection or exposure head for inspecting or exposing the sample, and multiple 2D encoder heads are coupled with the chuck. Multiple 2D encoder scales are coupled with a base through which the head is inserted, and a stage encoder is positioned on the stage frame. Movement of the stage, chuck, and sample is controlled based on a position…
Decision Tree Construction for Automatic Classification of Defects on Semiconductor Wafers
Granted: May 7, 2015
Application Number:
20150125064
Methods and systems for decision tree construction for automatic classification of defects on semiconductor wafers are provided. One method includes creating a decision tree for classification of defects detected on a wafer by altering one or more floating trees in the decision tree. The one or more floating trees are sub-trees that are manipulated as individual units. In addition, the method includes classifying the defects detected on the wafer by applying the decision tree to the…
APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR INSPECTING EXTREME ULTRA VIOLET RETICLES
Granted: April 30, 2015
Application Number:
20150117754
Disclosed are methods and apparatus for inspecting an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) reticle is disclosed. An inspection tool for detecting electromagnetic waveforms is used to obtain a phase defect map for the EUV reticle before a pattern is formed on the EUV reticle, and the phase defect map identifies a position of each phase defect on the EUV reticle. After the pattern is formed on the EUV reticle, a charged particle tool is used to obtain an image of each reticle portion that is…
METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR MEASURING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE OVERLAY USING X-RAY METROLOGY
Granted: April 30, 2015
Application Number:
20150117610
Disclosed are apparatus and methods for determining overlay error in a semiconductor target. For illumination x-rays having at least one angle of incidence (AOI), a correlation model is obtained, and the correlation model correlates overlay error of a target with a modulation intensity parameter for each of one or more diffraction orders (or a continuous diffraction intensity distribution) for x-rays scattered from the target in response to the illumination x-rays. A first target is…
SMALL-ANGLE SCATTERING X-RAY METROLOGY SYSTEMS AND METHODS
Granted: April 23, 2015
Application Number:
20150110249
Disclosed are apparatus and methods for performing small angle x-ray scattering metrology. This system includes an x-ray source for generating x-rays and illumination optics for collecting and reflecting or refracting a portion of the generated x-rays towards a particular focus point on a semiconductor sample in the form of a plurality of incident beams at a plurality of different angles of incidence (AOIs). The system further includes a sensor for collecting output x-ray beams that are…
