公开(公告)号：US11237119B2

公开(公告)日：2022-02-01

申请号：US15835399

申请日：2017-12-07

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Martin Plihal ,  Erfan Soltanmohammadi ,  Saravanan Paramasivam ,  Sairam Ravu ,  Ankit Jain ,  Prasanti Uppaluri ,  Vijay Ramachandran

IPC: G01N21/95 ,  H01L21/67 ,  G05B19/418 ,  G01N21/88 ,  G06T7/00 ,  H01J37/22 ,  H01J37/28 ,  G01N23/04 ,  H01L21/66 ,  G06N7/00

Abstract: Wafer inspection with stable nuisance rates and defect of interest capture rates are disclosed. This technique can be used for discovery of newly appearing defects that occur during the manufacturing process. Based on a first wafer, defects of interest are identified based on the classified filtered inspection results. For each remaining wafer, the defect classifier is updated and defects of interest in the next wafer are identified based on the classified filtered inspection results.

公开(公告)号：US11151707B2

公开(公告)日：2021-10-19

申请号：US16277769

申请日：2019-02-15

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Santosh Bhattacharyya ,  Jacob George ,  Saravanan Paramasivam ,  Martin Plihal

IPC: G06T7/00 ,  G06N3/08 ,  G06N3/04 ,  G06K9/62 ,  G01N23/2251

Abstract: A system for defect review and classification is disclosed. The system may include a controller, wherein the controller may be configured to receive one or more training images of a specimen. The one or more training images including a plurality of training defects. The controller may be further configured to apply a plurality of difference filters to the one or more training images, and receive a signal indicative of a classification of a difference filter effectiveness metric for at least a portion of the plurality of difference filters. The controller may be further configured to generate a deep learning network classifier based on the received classification and the attributes of the plurality of training defects. The controller may be further configured to extract convolution layer filters of the deep learning network classifier, and generate one or more difference filter recipes based on the extracted convolution layer filters.

公开(公告)号：US10964013B2

公开(公告)日：2021-03-30

申请号：US15863753

申请日：2018-01-05

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Martin Plihal ,  Ankit Jain

IPC: G06K9/00 ,  G06T7/00 ,  G06K9/20 ,  G06K9/62 ,  G06T7/70

Abstract: 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 different focus setting. Further, a classification of the defect is determined, utilizing the plurality of images.

公开(公告)号：US10902579B1

公开(公告)日：2021-01-26

申请号：US16188674

申请日：2018-11-13

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Erfan Soltanmohammadi ,  Martin Plihal ,  Tai-Kam Ng ,  Sang Hyun Lee

IPC: G06T7/00 ,  G06N3/08 ,  G06N3/04 ,  G06K9/62

Abstract: Defects of interest can be captured by a classifier. Images of a semiconductor wafer can be received at a deep learning classification module. These images can be sorted into soft decisions with the deep learning classification module. A class of the defect of interest for an image can be determined from the soft decisions. The deep learning classification module can be in electronic communication with an optical inspection system or other types of semiconductor inspection systems.

公开(公告)号：US10692690B2

公开(公告)日：2020-06-23

申请号：US15639311

申请日：2017-06-30

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Vidyasagar Anantha ,  Arpit Yati ,  Saravanan Paramasivam ,  Martin Plihal ,  Jincheng Lin

IPC: H01J37/00 ,  H01J37/244 ,  H01J37/28 ,  H01J37/20

Abstract: 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 electron microscope. The care areas can be design-based or some other type of care area. Use of care areas in SEM tools can provide improved sensitivity and throughput.

公开(公告)号：US10670536B2

公开(公告)日：2020-06-02

申请号：US16364098

申请日：2019-03-25

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Martin Plihal ,  Saravanan Paramasivam ,  Ankit Jain ,  Prasanti Uppaluri ,  Raghavan Konuru

IPC: G01N21/88 ,  G01N21/95 ,  G01N21/956

Abstract: Methods and systems for selecting a mode for inspection of a specimen are provided. One method includes determining how separable defects of interest (DOIs) and nuisances detected on a specimen are in one or more modes of an inspection subsystem. The separability of the modes for the Dais and nuisances is used to select a subset of the modes for inspection of other specimens of the same type. Other characteristics of the performance of the modes may be used in combination with the separability to select the modes. The subset of modes selected based on the separability may also be an initial subset of modes for which additional analysis is performed to determine the final subset of the modes.

公开(公告)号：US09983148B2

公开(公告)日：2018-05-29

申请号：US15166819

申请日：2016-05-27

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Saravanan Paramasivam ,  Martin Plihal

IPC: G01N21/95 ,  H01L21/67 ,  G01N21/88 ,  G05B19/00 ,  G05B23/02 ,  H01L21/66

CPC classification number: G01N21/9501 ,  G01N21/8851 ,  G01N2021/8858 ,  G05B19/00 ,  G05B23/0227 ,  G05B23/0275 ,  G05B2219/45031 ,  H01L21/67253 ,  H01L22/12 ,  H01L22/20

Abstract: A method for production line monitoring during semiconductor device fabrication includes acquiring a plurality of inspection results from a plurality of reference samples with an inspection sub-system. The method includes storing the acquired inspection results and geometric pattern codes for each of the reference samples in a database. The method includes acquiring an additional inspection result from an additional sample, where the additional inspection result includes an additional set of geometric pattern codes for identifying each defect identified within the additional inspection result from the additional sample. The method also includes correlating the set of geometric pattern codes of the additional sample with the geometric pattern codes from the reference set of samples to identify at least one of one or more new patterns or one or more patterns displaying a frequency of occurrence above a selected threshold.

公开(公告)号：US09891538B2

公开(公告)日：2018-02-13

申请号：US15067118

申请日：2016-03-10

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Martin Plihal

IPC: G01N21/95 ,  H01L21/67 ,  G03F7/20 ,  H01L21/66

CPC classification number: G03F7/7065 ,  H01L22/12 ,  H01L22/20

Abstract: Methods and systems for determining a process window for a process performed on a specimen are provided. In general, the embodiments preferentially sample locations in an instance of at least a portion of a device formed on a specimen at a value of a parameter of a process performed on the specimen that is closest to an edge of a determined process window for the process. If defects are detected at the sampled locations, then the sampling may be performed again but for a different instance of the device formed at a value of the parameter that is closer to nominal than the previously used value. When no defects are detected at the sampled locations, then the sampling may be ended, and the determined process window may be modified based on the value of the parameter corresponding to the instance of the device in which no defects were detected.

公开(公告)号：US20170323434A1

公开(公告)日：2017-11-09

申请号：US15194436

申请日：2016-06-27

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Allen Park ,  Martin Plihal

IPC: G06T7/00

CPC classification number: G06T7/001 ,  G06T2207/30148

Abstract: A fabricated device having consistent modulation between target and reference components is provided. The fabricated device includes a target component having a first modulation. The fabricated device further includes at least two reference components for the target component including a first reference component and a second reference component, where the first reference component and the second reference component each have the first modulation. Further, a system, method, and computer program product are provided for detecting defects in a fabricated target component using consistent modulation for the target and reference components.

公开(公告)号：US20170309007A1

公开(公告)日：2017-10-26

申请号：US15373930

申请日：2016-12-09

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Martin Plihal

IPC: G06T7/00 ,  G06T7/174

CPC classification number: G06T7/001 ,  G03F7/7065 ,  G06T7/174 ,  G06T2207/20224 ,  G06T2207/30148

Abstract: A system, method, and computer program product are provided for correcting a difference image generated from a comparison of target and reference dies. In use, an intra-die inspection of a target die image is performed to generate, for each pattern of interest, a first representative image. An intra-die inspection of a reference die image is performed to generate, for each of the patterns of interest, a second representative image. Further, the target die image and the reference die image are compared to generate at least one difference image, and the at least one difference image is corrected using each of the generated first representative images and each of the generated second representative images. Detection is then performed using the corrected difference image.