Adaptive alignment methods and systems
Granted: July 7, 2020
Patent Number:
10707107
Adaptive alignment methods and systems are disclosed. An adaptive alignment system may include a scanner configured to align a wafer and an analyzer in communication with the scanner. The analyzer may be configured to: recognize at least one defined analysis area; determine whether any perturbations exist within the analysis area; and in response to at least one perturbation determined to be within the analysis area, invoke a fall back alignment strategy or report the at least one…
System and method for generation of wafer inspection critical areas
Granted: July 7, 2020
Patent Number:
10706522
A method includes receiving one or more sets of wafer data, identifying one or more primitives from one or more shapes in one or more layers in the one or more sets of wafer data, classifying each of the one or more primitives as a particular primitive type, identifying one or more primitive characteristics for each of the one or more primitives, generating a primitive database of the one or more primitives, generating one or more rules based on the primitive database, receiving one or…
Verification metrology target and their design
Granted: July 7, 2020
Patent Number:
10705434
Metrology target design methods and verification targets are provided. Methods include using OCD data related to designed metrology target(s) as an estimation of a discrepancy between a target model and a corresponding actual target on a wafer, and adjusting a metrology target design model to compensate for the estimated discrepancy. The dedicated verification targets may include overlay target features and be size optimized to be measurable by an OCD sensor, to enable compensation for…
Quick adjustment of metrology measurement parameters according to process variation
Granted: June 30, 2020
Patent Number:
10699969
Methods applicable in metrology modules and tools are provided, which enable adjusting metrology measurement parameters with respect to process variation, without re-initiating metrology recipe setup. Methods comprise, during an initial metrology recipe setup, recording a metrology process window and deriving baseline information therefrom, and during operation, quantifying the process variation with respect to the baseline information, and adjusting the metrology measurement parameters…
Identifying nuisances and defects of interest in defects detected on a wafer
Granted: June 30, 2020
Patent Number:
10699926
Methods and systems fir identifying nuisances and defects of interest (DOIs) in defects detected on a wafer are provided. One method includes acquiring metrology data for the wafer generated by a metrology tool that performs measurements on the wafer at an array of measurement points. In one embodiment, the measurement points are determined prior to detecting the defects on the wafer and independently of the defects detected on the wafer. The method also includes determining locations of…
Performance monitoring of design-based alignment
Granted: June 30, 2020
Patent Number:
10698325
Alignment can be monitored by positioning at least one alignment verification location per alignment frame. The alignment verification location is a coordinate within the alignment frame. A distance between each of the alignment verification locations and a closest instance of an alignment target is determined. An alignment score can be determined based on the distance. The alignment score can include a number of the alignment frames between the alignment verification location and the…
Process compatible segmented targets and design methods
Granted: June 30, 2020
Patent Number:
10698321
Methods of designing metrology targets are provided, which comprise distinguishing target elements from their background area by segmenting the background area and optionally segmenting the target elements. The provided metrology targets may maintain a required feature size when measured yet be finely segmented to achieve process and design rules compatibility which results in higher accuracy of the metrology measurements. Particularly, all transitions between target features and…
Correlating SEM and optical images for wafer noise nuisance identification
Granted: June 30, 2020
Patent Number:
10697900
Disclosed are apparatus and methods for inspecting a semiconductor sample. Locations corresponding to candidate defect events on a semiconductor sample are provided from an optical inspector operable to acquire optical images from which such candidate defect events are detected at their corresponding locations across the sample. High-resolution images are acquired from a high-resolution inspector of the candidate defect events at their corresponding locations on the sample. Each of a set…
Care areas for improved electron beam defect detection
Granted: June 23, 2020
Patent Number:
10692690
Use of care areas in scanning electron microscopes or other review tools can provide improved sensitivity and throughput. A care area is received at a controller of a scanning electron microscope from, for example, an inspector tool. The inspector tool may be a broad band plasma tool. The care area is applied to a field of view of a scanning electron microscope image to identify at least one area of interest. Defects are detected only within the area of interest using the scanning…
System and method for providing a clean environment in an electron-optical system
Granted: June 23, 2020
Patent Number:
10692692
An electron extractor of an electron source capable of absorbing contaminant materials from a cavity proximate to the extractor is disclosed. The electron extractor includes a body. The body of the electron extractor is formed from one or more non-evaporable getter materials. The one or more non-evaporable getter materials absorb one or more contaminants contained within a region proximate to the body of the electron extractor. The body of the electron extractor is further configured to…
Determination of sampling maps for alignment measurements based on reduction of out of specification points
Granted: June 23, 2020
Patent Number:
10692227
A system for determining a sample map for alignment measurements includes a metrology tool and a controller. The controller defines a full sampling map including a plurality of measurement locations. The controller directs the metrology tool to measure alignment at each measurement location of the full sampling map for a plurality of samples to generate a reference alignment dataset, generates candidate sampling maps, each being a subset of the full sampling map. The controller may…
Overlay variance stabilization methods and systems
Granted: June 23, 2020
Patent Number:
10691028
Methods and systems for providing overlay corrections are provided. A method may include: selecting an overlay model configured to perform overlay modeling for a wafer; obtaining a first set of modeled results from the overlay model, the first set of modeled results indicating adjustments applicable to a plurality of term coefficients of the overlay model; calculating a significance matrix indicating the significance of the plurality of term coefficients; identifying at least one less…
High-power short-pass total internal reflection filter
Granted: June 23, 2020
Patent Number:
10691024
An apparatus for generating filtered light may include a broadband illumination source configured to generate broadband illumination and a total internal reflection (TIR) filter formed from a material at least partially transparent to the broadband illumination. The TIR filter may include one or more input faces oriented to receive the broadband illumination. The TIR filter may further be oriented to reflect wavelengths of the broadband illumination beam below a selected cutoff…
Methods and systems for measurement of thick films and high aspect ratio structures
Granted: June 23, 2020
Patent Number:
10690602
Methods and systems for performing spectroscopic measurements of semiconductor structures including ultraviolet, visible, and infrared wavelengths greater than two micrometers are presented herein. A spectroscopic measurement system includes a combined illumination source including a first illumination source that generates ultraviolet, visible, and near infrared wavelengths (wavelengths less than two micrometers) and a second illumination source that generates mid infrared and long…
Radiation-induced false count mitigation and detector cooling
Granted: June 23, 2020
Patent Number:
10690599
An inspection system with radiation-induced false count mitigation includes an illumination source configured to illuminate a sample and a liquid-cooling coincidence detector, which includes an illumination detector to detect illumination from the sample, a liquid-cooling device for regulating a temperature of the illumination detector via a liquid, and photodetectors to detect light generated in the liquid in response to particle radiation. The liquid-cooling coincidence detector may…
Laser sustained plasma light source with forced flow through natural convection
Granted: June 23, 2020
Patent Number:
10690589
A broadband radiation source is disclosed. The system may include a plasma containment vessel configured to receive laser radiation from a pump source to sustain a plasma within gas flowed through the plasma containment vessel. The plasma containment vessel may be further configured to transmit at least a portion of broadband radiation emitted by the plasma. The system may also include a recirculation gas loop fluidically coupled to the plasma containment vessel. The recirculation gas…
Metrology using overlay and yield critical patterns
Granted: June 16, 2020
Patent Number:
10685165
Metrology methods are provided, which comprise identifying overlay critical patterns in a device design, the overlay critical patterns having an overlay sensitivity to process variation above a specified threshold that depends on design specifications; and using metrology targets that correspond to the identified overlay critical patterns. Alternatively or complementarily, metrology methods comprise identifying yield critical patterns according to a corresponding process window narrowing…
On the fly target acquisition
Granted: June 16, 2020
Patent Number:
10684563
Metrology systems and methods are provided, which derive metrology target position on the wafer and possibly the target focus position during the movement of the wafer on the system's stage. The positioning data is derived before the target arrives its position (on-the-fly), sparing the time required in the prior art for the acquisition stage and increasing the throughput of the systems and methods. The collection channel may be split to provide for an additional moving-imaging channel…
Localized telecentricity and focus optimization for overlay metrology
Granted: June 9, 2020
Patent Number:
10677588
An overlay metrology tool providing site-by-site alignment includes a controller coupled to a telecentric imaging system. The controller may receive two or more alignment images of an overlay target on a sample captured at two or more focal positions by the imaging system, generate alignment data indicative of an alignment of the overlay target within the imaging system based on the alignment images, set the alignment images as measurement images when the alignment of the overlay target…
Detecting die repeating programmed defects located in backgrounds with non-repeating features
Granted: June 9, 2020
Patent Number:
10677742
Systems and methods for detecting programmed defects on a water during inspection of the wafer are provided. One method includes selecting a mode of an inspection subsystem for detecting programmed defects on a wafer that generates output for the wafer having the lowest non-defect signal and at least a minimum signal for the programmed defects. The method also includes selecting a training care area that is mutually exclusive of care area(s) used for detecting the programmed defects…
