Apparatus and methods for finding a best aperture and mode to enhance defect detection
Granted: August 8, 2017
Patent Number:
9726617
Disclosed are methods and apparatus for optimizing a mode of an inspection tool. A first image or signal for each of a plurality of first apertures of the inspection tool is obtained, and each first image or signal pertains to a defect area. For each of a plurality of combinations of the first apertures and their first images or signals, a composite image or signal is obtained. Each composite image or signal is analyzed to determine an optimum one of the combinations of the first…
System and method for simultaneous dark field and phase contrast inspection
Granted: August 8, 2017
Patent Number:
9726615
An inspection apparatus for simultaneous dark field (DF) and differential interference contrast (DIC) inspection includes an illumination source and a sample stage configured to secure a sample. The inspection apparatus includes a first sensor, a second sensor and an optical sub-system. The optical sub-system includes an objective, one or more optical elements arranged to direct, through the objective, illumination from the one or more illumination sources to a surface of the sample. The…
Method and system for measuring heat flux
Granted: August 1, 2017
Patent Number:
9719867
A heat flux sensor equipped measurement wafer includes a substrate, a cover thermally coupled to a portion of the substrate, a sensor cavity formed between the substrate and the cover, a thermal barrier disposed within at least a portion of the sensor cavity, a bottom temperature sensor thermally coupled to the substrate and insulated from the cover by a portion of the thermal barrier and a top temperature sensor thermally coupled to the cover and insulated from the substrate by an…
System and method for transverse pumping of laser-sustained plasma
Granted: August 1, 2017
Patent Number:
9723703
A laser-sustained plasma light source for transverse plasma pumping includes a pump source configured to generate pumping illumination, one or more illumination optical elements and a gas containment structure configured to contain a volume of gas. The one or more illumination optical elements are configured to sustain a plasma within the volume of gas of the gas containment structure by directing pump illumination along a pump path to one or more focal spots within the volume of gas.…
Open plasma lamp for forming a light-sustained plasma
Granted: August 1, 2017
Patent Number:
9721761
An open plasma lamp includes a cavity section. A gas input and gas output of the cavity section are arranged to flow gas through the cavity section. The plasma lamp also includes a gas supply assembly fluidically coupled to the gas input of the cavity section and configured to supply gas to an internal volume of the cavity section. The plasma lamp also includes a nozzle assembly fluidically coupled to the gas output of the cavity section. The nozzle assembly and cavity section are…
Detecting defects on a wafer using defect-specific information
Granted: August 1, 2017
Patent Number:
9721337
Methods and systems for detecting defects on a wafer using defect-specific information are provided. One method includes acquiring information for a target on a wafer. The target includes a pattern of interest formed on the wafer and a known DOI occurring proximate to or in the pattern of interest. The information includes an image of the target on the wafer. The method also includes searching for target candidates on the wafer or another wafer. The target candidates include the pattern…
Measurement model optimization based on parameter variations across a wafer
Granted: August 1, 2017
Patent Number:
9721055
An optimized measurement model is determined based a model of parameter variations across a semiconductor wafer. A global, cross-wafer model characterizes a structural parameter as a function of location on the wafer. A measurement model is optimized by constraining the measurement model with the cross-wafer model of process variations. In some examples, the cross-wafer model is itself a parameterized model. However, the cross-wafer model characterizes the values of a structural…
Wafer edge inspection with trajectory following edge profile
Granted: August 1, 2017
Patent Number:
9719943
This inspection system has an optical head, a support system, and a controller in electrical communication with the support system. The support system is configured to provide movement to the optical head with three degrees of freedom. The controller is programmed to control movement of the optical head using the support system such that the optical head maintains a constant angle of incidence relative to a wafer surface while imaging a circumferential edge of the wafer. An edge profiler…
Confined illumination for small spot size metrology
Granted: August 1, 2017
Patent Number:
9719932
Methods and systems are described herein for producing high radiance illumination light for use in semiconductor metrology based on a confined, sustained plasma. One or more plasma confining circuits introduce an electric field, a magnetic field, or a combination thereof to spatially confine a sustained plasma. The confinement of the sustained plasma decreases the size of the induced plasma resulting in increased radiance. In addition, plasma confinement may be utilized to shape the…
Scatterometry system and method for generating non-overlapping and non-truncated diffraction images
Granted: August 1, 2017
Patent Number:
9719920
Scatterometry measurement systems, illumination configurations and respective methods are provided, which comprise illumination beams that have vertical projections on a target plane comprising both a parallel component and a perpendicular component, with respect to a target measurement direction. The illumination beams propagate at an angle to the plane defined by the measurement direction and a normal to the targets surface and generate diffraction images which are off-center at the…
Apparatus and methods for electron beam lithography using array cathode
Granted: July 25, 2017
Patent Number:
9715995
One embodiment relates to an apparatus for electron beam lithography. The apparatus includes an array of cold cathode electron sources for generating an array of electron beams, and driver circuitry underlying the array of electron sources. The driver circuitry is configured to selectively blank individual electron beams so as to create a patterned array of electron beams. The apparatus further includes an imaging system configured to focus and demagnify the patterned array of electron…
Context-based inspection for dark field inspection
Granted: July 25, 2017
Patent Number:
9715725
Methods and systems for detecting defects on a wafer are provided. One method includes altering one or more design clips based on how the one or more design clips will appear in output generated by a wafer inspection process for a wafer. The method also includes aligning the one or more altered design clips to the output generated for the wafer during the wafer inspection process. In addition, the method includes detecting defects on the wafer based on the output aligned to the one or…
Wafer inspection recipe setup
Granted: July 25, 2017
Patent Number:
9714905
Methods and systems for setting up a wafer inspection recipe are provided. Inspection results produced by complete wafer inspection recipe candidates, each of which includes one or more optical mode candidates with at least one set of defect detection parameters, are compared to determine which of the complete wafer inspection recipe candidates is the best for use as the wafer inspection recipe. The method does not involve making any decisions regarding performance of the complete wafer…
Predictive wafer modeling based focus error prediction using correlations of wafers
Granted: July 18, 2017
Patent Number:
9707660
Predictive modeling based focus error prediction method and system are disclosed. The method includes obtaining wafer geometry measurements of a plurality of training wafers and grouping the plurality of training wafers to provide at least one training group based on relative homogeneity of wafer geometry measurements among the plurality of training wafers. For each particular training group of the at least one training group, a predictive model is develop utilizing non-linear predictive…
System and method for detecting design and process defects on a wafer using process monitoring features
Granted: July 18, 2017
Patent Number:
9710903
Various systems and methods for detecting design and process defects on a wafer, reviewing defects on a wafer, selecting one or more features within a design for use as process monitoring features, or some combination thereof are provided. One system is configured to detect design defects and process defects at locations on a wafer at which images are acquired by an electron beam review subsystem based on defects in a design, additional defects in the design, which are detected by…
Image based signal response metrology
Granted: July 18, 2017
Patent Number:
9710728
Methods and systems for measuring overlay error between structures formed on a substrate by successive lithographic processes are presented herein. Two overlay targets, each having programmed offsets in opposite directions are employed to perform an overlay measurement. Overlay error is measured based on zero order scatterometry signals and scatterometry data is collected from each target at two different azimuth angles. In addition, methods and systems for creating an image-based…
Overlay target geometry for measuring multiple pitches
Granted: July 18, 2017
Patent Number:
9709903
An overlay target for use in imaging based metrology is disclosed. The overlay target includes a plurality of target structures including three or more target structures, each target structure including a set of two or more pattern elements, wherein the target structures are configured to provide metrology information pertaining to different pitches, different coverage ratios, and linearity. Pattern elements may be separated from adjacent pattern elements by non-uniform distance; pattern…
System and method for separation of pump light and collected light in a laser pumped light source
Granted: July 18, 2017
Patent Number:
9709811
A system for separating plasma pumping light and collected broadband light includes a pump source configured to generate pumping illumination including at least a first wavelength, a gas containment element for containing a volume of gas, a collector configured to focus the pumping illumination from the pumping source into the volume of gas to generate a plasma within the volume of gas, wherein the plasma emits broadband radiation including at least a second wavelength and an…
Determining a configuration for an optical element positioned in a collection aperture during wafer inspection
Granted: July 18, 2017
Patent Number:
9709510
Methods and systems for determining a configuration for an optical element positioned in a collection aperture during wafer inspection are provided. One system includes a detector configured to detect light from a wafer that passes through an optical element, which includes a set of collection apertures, when the optical element has different configurations thereby generating different images for the different configurations. The system also includes a computer subsystem configured for…
Apparatus and methods for measuring properties in a TSV structure using beam profile reflectometry
Granted: July 18, 2017
Patent Number:
9709386
Disclosed are methods and apparatus for measuring a characteristics of a through-silicon via (TSV) structure. A beam profile reflectivity (BPR) tool is used to move to a first xy position having a TSV structure. The BPR tool is then used to obtain an optimum focus of at the first xy position by adjusting the z position to a first optimum z position for obtaining measurements at the first xy position. Via the BPR tool, reflectivity measurements for a plurality of angles of incidence are…
