Defect discovery and recipe optimization for inspection of three-dimensional semiconductor structures
Granted: June 29, 2021
Patent Number:
11047806
Methods and systems for discovery of defects of interest (DOI) buried within three dimensional semiconductor structures and recipe optimization are described herein. The volume of a semiconductor wafer subject to defect discovery and verification is reduced by storing images associated with a subset of the total depth of the semiconductor structures under measurement. Image patches associated with defect locations at one or more focus planes or focus ranges are recorded. The number of…
Measurement models of nanowire semiconductor structures based on re-useable sub-structures
Granted: June 15, 2021
Patent Number:
11036898
Methods and systems for generating measurement models of nanowire based semiconductor structures based on re-useable, parametric models are presented herein. Metrology systems employing these models are configured to measure structural and material characteristics (e.g., material composition, dimensional characteristics of structures and films, etc.) associated with nanowire semiconductor fabrication processes. The re-useable, parametric models of nanowire based semiconductor structures…
Inspection-guided critical site selection for critical dimension measurement
Granted: June 15, 2021
Patent Number:
11035666
Systems and methods for determining location of critical dimension (CD) measurement or inspection are disclosed. Real-time selection of locations to take critical dimension measurements based on potential impact of critical dimension variations at the locations can be performed. The design of a semiconductor device also can be used to predict locations that may be impacted by critical dimension variations. Based on an ordered location list, which can include ranking or criticality,…
Pick-and-place head and method for picking work-pieces
Granted: June 1, 2021
Patent Number:
11020862
A pick-and-place head for picking a plurality of work-pieces from at least one first location and for placing the plurality of work-pieces at least one second location is disclosed. The pick-and-place head exhibits a plurality of nozzles, wherein each nozzle is configured to engage one of the work-pieces by action of a vacuum. At least one nozzle has an individual vacuum supply and at least two further nozzles have a shared vacuum supply. A corresponding method is also disclosed, the…
Systems and methods for automatic correction of drift between inspection and design for massive pattern searching
Granted: May 18, 2021
Patent Number:
11010886
Systems and methods for automatic correction of drift between inspection and design for massive pattern searching are disclosed herein. Defects are identified in a scan of a wafer. The defects are associated with tool coordinates. An SEM review tool captures centered images of the defects. The SEM review tool is aligned with the wafer using design polygons in an imported design file. Design coordinates are exported and used to define patterns of interest and identifying locations of…
Adaptive care areas for die-die inspection
Granted: May 4, 2021
Patent Number:
10997710
The present disclosure describes methods, systems, and articles of manufacture for performing a defect inspection of a die image using adaptive care areas (ACAs). The use of ACAs solve the problem of handling rotations of components that require rotating care areas; handling the situation where each care area requires its own rotation, translation, or affine transformation; and the situation of decoupling intensity differences caused by defects or process variation from intensity…
Apparatus and method for two dimensional nanoindentation
Granted: May 4, 2021
Patent Number:
10996152
A two-dimensional nanoindentation measurement apparatus includes a first actuator that imparts a first force in a first direction, and a second actuator that imparts a second force in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. A first elongate member has a first end attached to the first actuator and a second end attached to an indenter tip that engages the surface of the sample. A second elongate member includes a first end attached to the second actuator and a second end…
On-device metrology using target decomposition
Granted: April 20, 2021
Patent Number:
10983227
Methods and systems for more efficient X-Ray scatterometry measurements of on-device structures are presented herein. X-Ray scatterometry measurements of one or more structures over a measurement area includes a decomposition of the one or more structures into a plurality of sub-structures, a decomposition of the measurement area into a plurality of sub-areas, or both. The decomposed structures, measurement areas, or both, are independently simulated. The scattering contributions of each…
Reflective pupil relay system
Granted: April 13, 2021
Patent Number:
10976249
Methods and systems for relaying an optical image using a cascade arrangement of tilted, concave mirrors are presented. An exemplary optical relay system includes a cascade arrangement of four mirrors each having concave, spherical surface figures. The first and third mirrors are configured to focus collimated wavefronts and the second and fourth mirrors re-collimate diverging wavefronts reflected from the first and third mirrors. Each mirror is tilted such that wavefronts located in the…
Defect discovery using electron beam inspection and deep learning with real-time intelligence to reduce nuisance
Granted: April 6, 2021
Patent Number:
10970834
A deep learning algorithm is used for defect discovery, such as for semiconductor wafers. A care area is inspected with the wafer inspection tool. The deep learning algorithm is used to identify and classify defects in the care area. This can be repeated for remaining care areas, but similar care areas may be skipped to increase throughput.
Combining simulation and optical microscopy to determine inspection mode
Granted: March 30, 2021
Patent Number:
10964016
A best optical inspection mode to detect defects can be determined when no defect examples or only a limited number of defect examples are available. A signal for a defect of interest at the plurality of sites and for the plurality of modes can be determined using electromagnetic simulation. A ratio of the signal for the defect of interest to the noise at each combination of the plurality of sites and the plurality of modes can be determined. A mode with optimized signal-to-noise…
System, method for training and applying defect classifiers in wafers having deeply stacked layers
Granted: March 30, 2021
Patent Number:
10964013
A system, method, and non-transitory computer readable medium are provided for training and applying defect classifiers in wafers having deeply stacked layers. In use, a plurality of images generated by an inspection system for a location of a defect detected on a wafer by the inspection system are acquired. The location on the wafer is comprised of a plurality of stacked layers, and each image of the plurality of images is generated by the inspection system at the location using a…
Process and metrology control, process indicators and root cause analysis tools based on landscape information
Granted: March 30, 2021
Patent Number:
10962951
Methods and metrology modules are provided, which derive landscape information (expressing relation(s) between metrology metric(s) and measurement parameters) from produced wafers, identifying therein indications for production process changes, and modify production process parameters with respect to the identified indications, to maintain the production process within specified requirements. Process changes may be detected in wafer(s), wafer lot(s) and batches, and the information may…
X-ray metrology system with broadband laser produced plasma illuminator
Granted: March 23, 2021
Patent Number:
10959318
Methods and systems for x-ray based semiconductor metrology utilizing a broadband, soft X-ray illumination source are described herein. A laser produced plasma (LPP) light source generates high brightness, broadband, soft x-ray illumination. The LPP light source directs a highly focused, short duration laser source to a non-metallic droplet target in a liquid or solid state. In one example, a droplet generator dispenses a sequence of nominally 50 micron droplets of feed material at a…
Guided scanning electron microscopy metrology based on wafer topography
Granted: March 23, 2021
Patent Number:
10957608
A wafer topography measurement system can be paired with a scanning electron microscope. A topography threshold can be applied to wafer topography data about the wafer, which was obtained with the wafer topography measurement system. A metrology sampling plan can be generated for the wafer. This metrology sampling plan can include locations in the wafer topography data above the topography threshold. The scanning electron microscope can scan the wafer using the metrology sampling plan…
Phase filter for enhanced defect detection in multilayer structure
Granted: March 23, 2021
Patent Number:
10957568
Disclosed are methods and apparatus for facilitating defect detection in a multilayer stack. The method includes selection of a set of structure parameters for modeling a particular multilayer stack and a particular defect contained within such particular multilayer stack and a set of operating parameters for an optical inspection system. Based on the set of structure and operating parameters, an electromagnetic simulation is performed of waves scattered from the particular multilayer…
Repeater defect detection
Granted: March 23, 2021
Patent Number:
10957033
Repeater defects on a wafer can be detected by fusing multiple die images. In an instance, multiple die images are statistically fused to form a die-fused image. Each of the die images can be of a different die on a wafer. A presence of a repeater defect is detected in the die-fused image. The die images can be generated using a laser-scanning system or other systems.
Measurement of overlay error using device inspection system
Granted: March 9, 2021
Patent Number:
10943838
A method and system for measuring overlay in a semiconductor manufacturing process comprise capturing an image of a feature in an article at a predetermined manufacturing stage, deriving a quantity of an image parameter from the image and converting the quantity into an overlay measurement. The conversion is by reference to an image parameter quantity derived from a reference image of a feature at the same predetermined manufacturing stage with known overlay (“OVL”). There is also…
Differential methods and apparatus for metrology of semiconductor targets
Granted: March 2, 2021
Patent Number:
10935893
Disclosed are apparatus and methods for determining process or structure parameters for semiconductor structures. A plurality of optical signals is acquired from one or more targets located in a plurality of fields on a semiconductor wafer. The fields are associated with different process parameters for fabricating the one or more targets, and the acquired optical signals contain information regarding a parameter of interest (POI) for a top structure and information regarding one or more…
Die screening using inline defect information
Granted: February 23, 2021
Patent Number:
10930597
Embodiments herein include methods, systems, and apparatuses for die screening using inline defect information. Such embodiments may include receiving a plurality of defects, receiving wafersort electrical data for a plurality of dies, classifying each of the defects as a defect-of-interest or nuisance, determining a defect-of-interest confidence for each of the defects-of-interest, determining a die return index for each of the dies containing at least one of the defects-of-interest,…
