公开(公告)号：US11270430B2

公开(公告)日：2022-03-08

申请号：US15971536

申请日：2018-05-04

Applicant: KLA-TENCOR CORPORATION

Inventor： Abdurrahman Sezginer ,  Xiaochun Li ,  Pavan Kumar ,  Junqing Huang ,  Lisheng Gao ,  Grace H. Chen ,  Yalin Xiong ,  Hawren Fang

IPC: G06T7/00

Abstract: Systems and methods increase the signal to noise ratio of optical inspection of wafers to obtain higher inspection sensitivity. The computed reference image can minimize a norm of the difference of the test image and the computed reference image. A difference image between the test image and a computed reference image is determined. The computed reference image includes a linear combination of a second set of images.

公开(公告)号：US20180003647A1

公开(公告)日：2018-01-04

申请号：US15707791

申请日：2017-09-18

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Abdurrahman Sezginer ,  Patrick LoPresti ,  Joe Blecher ,  Rui-fang Shi ,  Yalin Xiong ,  John Fielden

IPC: G01N21/88 ,  G06T7/00 ,  G01N21/958

CPC classification number: G01N21/8851 ,  G01N21/8806 ,  G01N21/958 ,  G01N2021/8887 ,  G01N2201/125 ,  G06T7/001 ,  G06T2207/20224 ,  G06T2207/30148

Abstract: Block-to-block reticle inspection includes acquiring a swath image of a portion of a reticle with a reticle inspection sub-system, identifying a first occurrence of a block in the swatch image and at least a second occurrence of the block in the swath image substantially similar to the first occurrence of the block and determining at least one of a location, one or more geometrical characteristics of the block and a spatial offset between the first occurrence of the block and the at least a second occurrence of the block.

公开(公告)号：US09766185B2

公开(公告)日：2017-09-19

申请号：US14466688

申请日：2014-08-22

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Abdurrahman Sezginer ,  Patrick LoPresti ,  Joe Blecher ,  Rui-fang Shi ,  Yalin Xiong ,  John Fielden

IPC: G06K9/62 ,  G01N21/88 ,  G01N21/958 ,  G06T7/00

CPC classification number: G01N21/8851 ,  G01N21/8806 ,  G01N21/958 ,  G01N2021/8887 ,  G01N2201/125 ,  G06T7/001 ,  G06T2207/20224 ,  G06T2207/30148

Abstract: Block-to-block reticle inspection includes acquiring a swath image of a portion of a reticle with a reticle inspection sub-system, identifying a first occurrence of a block in the swatch image and at least a second occurrence of the block in the swath image substantially similar to the first occurrence of the block and determining at least one of a location, one or more geometrical characteristics of the block and a spatial offset between the first occurrence of the block and the at least a second occurrence of the block.

公开(公告)号：US09892503B2

公开(公告)日：2018-02-13

申请号：US15344788

申请日：2016-11-07

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Chun Guan ,  Yalin Xiong ,  Joseph M. Blecher ,  Robert A. Comstock ,  Mark J. Wihl

IPC: G01N21/00 ,  G06T7/00 ,  G01N21/956

CPC classification number: G06T7/0006 ,  G01N21/956 ,  G01N21/95607 ,  G01N2021/95676 ,  G06T2207/30148

Abstract: A reticle that is within specifications is inspected to generate baseline candidate defects and their location and size. After using the reticle in photolithography, the reticle is inspected to generate current candidate defects and their location and size. An inspection report of filtered candidate defects and their images is generated so that these candidate defects include a first subset of the current candidate defects and their images and exclude a second subset of the current candidate defects and their images. Each of the first subset of candidate defects has a location and size that fails to match any baseline candidate defect's location and size, and each of the excluded second subset of candidate defects has a location and size that matches a baseline candidate defect's location and size.

公开(公告)号：US09778207B2

公开(公告)日：2017-10-03

申请号：US14890880

申请日：2014-05-14

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Weston L. Sousa ,  Yalin Xiong ,  Rui-Fang Shi

IPC: G01N21/88 ,  G03F1/84 ,  G06T7/00 ,  G01N21/956

CPC classification number: G01N21/8851 ,  G01N21/94 ,  G01N21/956 ,  G01N21/95607 ,  G01N2021/558 ,  G01N2021/8867 ,  G01N2021/95676 ,  G01N2201/12 ,  G03F1/84 ,  G06T7/0004 ,  G06T7/001 ,  G06T7/10 ,  G06T7/136 ,  G06T2207/30148

Abstract: Methods and systems for integrated multi-pass reticle inspection are provided. One method for inspecting a reticle includes acquiring at least first, second, and third images for the reticle. The first image is a substantially high resolution image of light transmitted by the reticle. The second image is a substantially high resolution image of light reflected from the reticle. The third image is an image of light transmitted by the reticle that is acquired with a substantially low numerical aperture. The method also includes detecting defects on the reticle using at least the first, second, and third images for the reticle in combination.

公开(公告)号：US20170256043A9

公开(公告)日：2017-09-07

申请号：US14890880

申请日：2014-05-14

Applicant: KLA-TENCOR CORPORATION

Inventor： Weston L. Sousa ,  Yalin Xiong ,  Rui-Fang Shi

IPC: G06T7/00 ,  G01N21/88 ,  G03F1/84

CPC classification number: G01N21/8851 ,  G01N21/94 ,  G01N21/956 ,  G01N21/95607 ,  G01N2021/558 ,  G01N2021/8867 ,  G01N2021/95676 ,  G01N2201/12 ,  G03F1/84 ,  G06T7/0004 ,  G06T7/001 ,  G06T7/10 ,  G06T7/136 ,  G06T2207/30148

Abstract: Methods and systems for integrated multi-pass reticle inspection are provided. One method for inspecting a reticle includes acquiring at least first, second, and third images for the reticle. The first image is a substantially high resolution image of light transmitted by the reticle. The second image is a substantially high resolution image of light reflected from the reticle. The third image is an image of light transmitted by the reticle that is acquired with a substantially low numerical aperture. The method also includes detecting defects on the reticle using at least the first, second, and third images for the reticle in combination.

公开(公告)号：US09518935B2

公开(公告)日：2016-12-13

申请号：US14278277

申请日：2014-05-15

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Chun Guan ,  Yalin Xiong ,  Joseph M. Blecher ,  Robert A. Comstock ,  Mark J. Wihl

IPC: G01N21/00 ,  G01N21/956

CPC classification number: G06T7/0006 ,  G01N21/956 ,  G01N21/95607 ,  G01N2021/95676 ,  G06T2207/30148

Abstract: A reticle that is within specifications is inspected so as to generate a baseline event indicating a location and a size value for each unusual reticle feature. After using the reticle in photolithography, the reticle is inspected so as to generate a current event indicating a location and a size value for each unusual reticle feature. An inspection report of candidate defects and their images is generated so that these candidate defects include a first subset of the current events and their corresponding candidate defect images and exclude a second subset of the current events and their corresponding excluded images. Each of the first included events has a location and size value that fails to match any baseline event's location and size value, and each of the excluded second events has a location and size value that matches a baseline event's location and size value.

Abstract translation: 检查在规格内的掩模版，以便生成指示每个异常掩模版特征的位置和尺寸值的基线事件。 在光刻中使用掩模版之后，检查掩模版以产生指示每个异常掩模版特征的位置和尺寸值的电流事件。 生成候选缺陷及其图像的检查报告，使得这些候选缺陷包括当前事件的第一子集及其对应的候选缺陷图像，并排除当前事件的第二子集及其对应的排除图像。 每个第一个包含的事件都有一个位置和大小值，无法匹配任何基线事件的位置和大小值，并且每个排除的第二个事件具有与基准事件的位置和大小值相匹配的位置和大小值。