Inspection System Including Parallel Imaging Paths with Multiple and Selectable Spectral Bands
Granted: September 25, 2014
Application Number:
20140285657
The present disclosure is directed to a system for inspecting a sample with multiple wavelengths of illumination simultaneously via parallel imaging paths. The system may include at least a first detector or set of detectors configured to detect illumination reflected, scattered, or radiated along a first imaging path from a selected portion of the sample in response to the first wavelength of illumination and a second detector or set of detectors configured to concurrently detect…
Interleaved Acousto-Optical Device Scanning For Suppression Of Optical Crosstalk
Granted: September 18, 2014
Application Number:
20140260640
A method of scanning a sample includes simultaneously forming a plurality of co-linear scans. Each scan is formed by a sweep of a spot by an acousto-optical device (AOD). The co-linear scans are separated by a predetermined spacing. A first plurality of swaths are formed by repeating the simultaneous forming of the plurality of co-linear scans in a direction perpendicular to the co-linear scans. The first plurality of swaths have an inter-swath spacing that is the same as the…
APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR AUTOMATIC PITCH CONVERSION OF PICK AND PLACE HEADS, PICK AND PLACE HEAD AND PICK AND PLACE DEVICE
Granted: September 18, 2014
Application Number:
20140271084
An apparatus for automatic pitch conversion for pick and place heads, comprising at least one auto pitch station for adjusting a pitch in a X-coordinate direction and/or adjusting a pitch in a Y-coordinate direction of pickers/grippers of a pick and place heads; a first actuator, operated by a motor gear assembly of the at least one auto pitch station, wherein the first actuator changes the pitch in the X-coordinate direction distance between rows of pickers/grippers of the respective…
Single Die Inspection on a Dark Field Inspection Tool
Granted: September 18, 2014
Application Number:
20140270475
Systems and methods for detecting defects on a wafer are provided. One method includes generating output for a wafer by scanning the wafer with a dark field inspection system. The method also includes generating first image data for the wafer using the output and a first cell size and second image data for the wafer using the output and a second cell size. In addition, the method includes combining the first image data and the second image data corresponding to substantially the same…
Detecting Defects on a Wafer
Granted: September 18, 2014
Application Number:
20140270474
Methods and systems for detecting defects on a wafer are provided. One method includes determining difference values for pixels in first output for a wafer generated using a first optics mode of an inspection system and determining other values for pixels in second output for the wafer generated using a second optics mode of the inspection system. The first and second optics modes are different from each other. The method also includes generating a two-dimensional scatter plot of the…
IMAGE SYNCHRONIZATION OF SCANNING WAFER INSPECTION SYSTEM
Granted: September 18, 2014
Application Number:
20140270471
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…
Method and System for Reference-Based Overlay Measurement
Granted: September 18, 2014
Application Number:
20140270469
The present invention may include acquiring a plurality of reference measurement images from a plurality of reference overlay target sites of a wafer via a reference image sampling process, wherein the reference image sampling process includes acquiring one or more images at each of a plurality of reference overlay target sites of the at least one wafer, generating a reference image by combining the plurality of reference measurement images acquired from the plurality of reference…
Multi-Spot Defect Inspection System
Granted: September 18, 2014
Application Number:
20140268118
The disclosure is directed to a system and method for inspecting a spinning sample by substantially simultaneously scanning multiple spots on a surface of the sample utilizing a plurality of illumination beams. Portions of illumination reflected, scattered, or radiated from respective spots on the surface of the sample are collected by at least one detector array. Information associated with at least one defect of the sample is determined by at least one computing system in communication…
SEGMENTED MIRROR APPARATUS FOR IMAGING AND METHOD OF USING THE SAME
Granted: September 18, 2014
Application Number:
20140264051
An apparatus for inspecting a photomask, comprising an illumination source for generating a light which illuminates a target substrate, objective optics for receiving and projecting the light which is reflected from the target substrate, the objective optics includes a first mirror arranged to receive and reflect the light which is reflected from the target substrate, a second mirror which is arranged to receive and reflect the light which is reflected by the first mirror, a third mirror…
System and Method for Cleaning Optical Surfaces of an Extreme Ultraviolet Optical System
Granted: September 18, 2014
Application Number:
20140261568
The present invention provides a local clean microenvironment near optical surfaces of an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) optical assembly maintained in a vacuum process chamber and configured for EUV lithography, metrology, or inspection. The system includes one or more EUV optical assemblies including at least one optical element with an optical surface, a supply of cleaning gas stored remotely from the one or more optical assemblies and a gas delivery unit comprising: a plenum chamber, one…
PUPIL PLANE CALIBRATION FOR SCATTEROMETRY OVERLAY MEASUREMENT
Granted: September 11, 2014
Application Number:
20140257734
Methods and calibrations modules are provided, for calibrating a pupil center in scatterometry overlay measurements. The calibration comprises calculating fluctuations from a first statistical figure of merit such as an average of an overlay signal per pixel at the pupil and significantly reducing, for example minimizing, the fluctuations with respect to a second statistical figure of merit thereof, such as a pupil weighted variance of the fluctuations.
THICKNESS CHANGE MONITOR WAFER FOR IN SITU FILM THICKNESS MONITORING
Granted: September 11, 2014
Application Number:
20140253928
An etch rate monitor apparatus has a substrate, an optical element and one or more optical detectors mounted to a common substrate with the one or more detectors sandwiched between the substrate and optical element to detect changes in optical interference signal resulting from changes in optical thickness of the optical element. The optical element is made of a material that allows transmission of light of a wavelength of interest. A reference waveform and data waveform can be collected…
System and Method for Reviewing a Curved Sample Edge
Granted: September 11, 2014
Application Number:
20140253910
The disclosure is directed to a system and method for reviewing a curved edge of a sample. A line scan detector is actuated along an actuation path defined by the edge of the sample to scan a plurality of locations along the sample edge. The scan data is assembled to generate at least one review image of at least a portion of the edge of the sample. In some embodiments a substantially normal angle of incidence is maintained between the sample edge and the scanning illumination. In some…
EUV LIGHT SOURCE USING CRYOGENIC DROPLET TARGETS IN MASK INSPECTION
Granted: September 4, 2014
Application Number:
20140246607
An apparatus for generating extreme ultra-violet (EUV) light for use in a lithography inspection tool, comprising a drive laser arranged to produce a laser pulse, a vacuum chamber, a set of focusing optics arranged to focus the laser pulse produced by the drive laser onto a target spot within the vacuum chamber with a beam target diameter of less than 100 ?m, a target material generator arranged to deliver an amount of a target material to the target spot within the vacuum chamber, and a…
Generalized Virtual Inspector
Granted: August 28, 2014
Application Number:
20140241610
Generalized virtual inspectors are provided. One system includes two or more actual systems configured to perform one or more processes on specimen(s) while the specimen(s) are disposed within the actual systems. The system also includes one or more virtual systems coupled to the actual systems to thereby receive output generated by the actual systems and to send information to the actual systems. The virtual system(s) are configured to perform one or more functions using at least some…
Systems for Providing Illumination in Optical Metrology
Granted: August 28, 2014
Application Number:
20140240951
The disclosure is directed to systems for providing illumination to a measurement head for optical metrology. In some embodiments of the disclosure, illumination beams from a plurality of illumination sources are combined to deliver illumination at one or more selected wavelengths to the measurement head. In some embodiments of the disclosure, intensity and/or spatial coherence of illumination delivered to the measurement head is controlled. In some embodiments of the disclosure,…
Integrated Multi-Channel Analog Front End And Digitizer For High Speed Imaging Applications
Granted: August 28, 2014
Application Number:
20140240562
A module for high speed image processing includes an image sensor for generating a plurality of analog outputs representing an image and a plurality of HDDs for concurrently processing the plurality of analog outputs. Each HDD is an integrated circuit configured to process in parallel a predetermined set of the analog outputs. Each channel of the HDD can include an AFE for conditioning a signal representing one sensor analog output, an ADC for converting a conditioned signal into a…
DC HIGH-VOLTAGE SUPER-RADIANT FREE-ELECTRON BASED EUV SOURCE
Granted: August 28, 2014
Application Number:
20140239805
An array of spatially separated beamlets is produced by a corresponding array of charged particle emitters. Each emitter is at an electrostatic potential difference with respect to an immediately adjacent emitter in the array. The beamlets are converged laterally to form an charged particle beam. The beam is modulated longitudinally with infrared radiation to form a modulated beam. The charged particles in the modulated beam are bunched longitudinally to form a bunched beam. The bunched…
193nm Laser And Inspection System
Granted: August 14, 2014
Application Number:
20140226140
An improved solid-state laser for generating sub-200 nm light is described. This laser uses a fundamental wavelength between about 1030 nm and 1065 nm to generate the sub-200 nm light. The final frequency conversion stage of the laser creates the sub-200 nm light by mixing a wavelength of approximately 1109 nm with a wavelength of approximately 234 nm. By proper selection of non-linear media, such mixing can be achieved by nearly non-critical phase matching. This mixing results in high…
APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR OPTICAL INSPECTION, MAGNETIC FIELD AND HEIGHT MAPPING
Granted: August 7, 2014
Application Number:
20140218503
A metrology system is configured to provide visual inspection of a workpiece, three-dimensional magnetic field map, and height measurement. A stage is configured to bring points of interest at the workpiece under the desired tool for measurement. The optical field, magnetic field, and height information can be used independently or together in order to correlate defects in the manufacturing process of the workpiece. This abstract is provided to comply with rules requiring an abstract…
