公开(公告)号：US20230298847A1

公开(公告)日：2023-09-21

申请号：US18122388

申请日：2023-03-16

Applicant: KLA Corporation ,  National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology

Inventor： Yung-Ho Alex Chuang ,  Yinying Xiao-Li ,  Edgardo García Berríos ,  John Fielden ,  Lavinia Ghirardini ,  Masayoshi Nagao

IPC: H01J37/073 ,  H01J37/28

CPC classification number: H01J37/073 ,  H01J37/28 ,  H01J2237/2812

Abstract: An electron gun for an electron microscope or similar device includes a field emitter cathode having a field emitter protrusion extending from the output surface of a monocrystalline silicon substrate, and electrodes configured to enhance the emission of electrons from a tip portion of the field emitter protrusion to generate a primary electron beam. A contiguous TiN layer is disposed directly on at least the tip portion of the field emitter protrusion using a process that minimizes oxidation and defects in the TiN layer.

公开(公告)号：US20230034635A1

公开(公告)日：2023-02-02

申请号：US17862133

申请日：2022-07-11

Applicant: KLA Corporation

Inventor： John Fielden ,  Yung-Ho Alex Chuang

IPC: G02F1/355 ,  G01N21/95 ,  G03F7/20

Abstract: An amorphous layer is used as a protective coating for hygroscopic nonlinear optical crystals. The amorphous layer consists of one or more alkali metal borates and/or alkali earth metal borates. The amorphous layer slows or prevents water and/or oxygen from diffusing into the hygroscopic nonlinear optical crystal, thus simplifying handling, storage and operating environmental requirements. One or multiple additional coating layers may be placed on top of the amorphous layer, with the additional coating layers including conventional optical materials. The thicknesses of the amorphous layer and/or additional layers may be chosen to reduce reflectance of the optical component at one or more specific wavelengths. The coated nonlinear optical crystal is used in an illumination source utilized in a semiconductor inspection system, a metrology system, or a lithography system.

公开(公告)号：US20220254829A1

公开(公告)日：2022-08-11

申请号：US17544413

申请日：2021-12-07

Applicant: KLA Corporation

Inventor： Sisir Yalamanchili ,  John Fielden ,  Francisco Kole ,  Yung-Ho Alex Chuang

IPC: H01L27/146 ,  G03F7/20

Abstract: Back-illuminated DUV/VUV/EUV radiation or charged particle image sensors are fabricated using a method that utilizes a plasma atomic layer deposition (plasma ALD) process to generate a thin pinhole-free pure boron layer over active sensor areas. Circuit elements are formed on a semiconductor membrane's frontside surface, and then an optional preliminary hydrogen plasma cleaning process is performed on the membrane's backside surface. The plasma ALD process includes performing multiple plasma ALD cycles, with each cycle including forming an adsorbed boron precursor layer during a first cycle phase, and then generating a hydrogen plasma to convert the precursor layer into an associated boron nanolayer during a second cycle phase. Gasses are purged from the plasma ALD process chamber after each cycle phase. The plasma ALD cycles are repeated until the resulting stack of boron nanolayers has a cumulative stack height (thickness) that is equal to a selected target thickness.

公开(公告)号：US20220107544A1

公开(公告)日：2022-04-07

申请号：US17553705

申请日：2021-12-16

Applicant: KLA Corporation

Inventor： Yung-Ho Alex Chuang ,  Yinying Xiao-Li ,  Elena Loginova ,  John Fielden ,  Baigang Zhang

IPC: G02F1/355 ,  G02F1/35

Abstract: An optical element includes Strontium tetraborate SrB4O7 (SBO) crystal plates that are cooperatively configured to create a periodic structure for quasi-phase-matching (QPM) is used in the final frequency converting stage of a laser assembly to generate laser output light having a wavelength in the range of 125 nm to 183 nm. One or more fundamental light beams having fundamental wavelengths between 1 and 1.1 μm are doubled and/or summed using multiple intermediate frequency conversion stages to generate one or more intermediate light beam frequencies (e.g., second through eighth harmonics, or sums thereof), and then the final frequency converting stage utilizes the optical element to either double a single intermediate light beam frequency or to sum two intermediate light beam frequencies to generate the desired laser output light at high power and photon energy levels. A method and inspection system incorporating the laser assembly is also described.

公开(公告)号：US11255797B2

公开(公告)日：2022-02-22

申请号：US16921738

申请日：2020-07-06

Applicant: KLA Corporation

Inventor： Yung-Ho Alex Chuang ,  Yinying Xiao-Li ,  Elena Loginova ,  John Fielden

IPC: G01N21/95 ,  G02B27/10 ,  G02B1/113 ,  G01N21/88 ,  G03F7/20 ,  G02B5/08 ,  G02B3/00 ,  G02B5/30

Abstract: Strontium tetraborate can be used as an optical material. Strontium tetraborate exhibits high refractive indices, high optical damage threshold, and high microhardness. The transmission window of strontium tetraborate covers a very broad range of wavelengths, from 130 nm to 3200 nm, making the material particularly useful at VUV wavelengths. An optical component made of strontium tetraborate can be incorporated in an optical system, such as a semiconductor inspection system, a metrology system, or a lithography system. These optical components may include mirrors, lenses, lens arrays, prisms, beam splitters, windows, lamp cells or Brewster-angle optics.

公开(公告)号：US20210320144A1

公开(公告)日：2021-10-14

申请号：US17197292

申请日：2021-03-10

Applicant: KLA Corporation

Inventor： Abbas Haddadi ,  Sisir Yalamanchili ,  John Fielden ,  Yung-Ho Alex Chuang

IPC: H01L27/146 ,  H01L27/148

Abstract: An image sensor is fabricated by first heavily p-type doping the thin top monocrystalline silicon substrate of an SOI wafer, then forming a relatively lightly p-doped epitaxial layer on a top surface of the top silicon substrate, where p-type doping levels during these two processes are controlled to produce a p-type dopant concentration gradient in the top silicon substrate. Sensing (circuit) elements and associated metal interconnects are fabricated on the epitaxial layer, then the handling substrate and oxide layer of the SOI wafer are at least partially removed to expose a lower surface of either the top silicon substrate or the epitaxial layer, and then a pure boron layer is formed on the exposed lower surface. The p-type dopant concentration gradient monotonically decreases from a maximum level near the top-silicon/epitaxial-layer interface to a minimum concentration level at the epitaxial layer's upper surface.

公开(公告)号：US10943760B2

公开(公告)日：2021-03-09

申请号：US16568110

申请日：2019-09-11

Applicant: KLA Corporation ,  National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology

Inventor： Yung-Ho Alex Chuang ,  Yinying Xiao-Li ,  Edgardo Garcia Berrios ,  John Fielden ,  Masayoshi Nagao

IPC: H01J37/073 ,  H01J37/28 ,  H01J37/317

Abstract: An electron gun for an electron microscope or similar device includes a field emitter cathode having a field emitter protrusion extending from the output surface of a monocrystalline silicon substrate, and electrodes configured to enhance the emission of electrons from a tip portion of the field emitter protrusion to generate a primary electron beam. A thin, contiguous SiC layer is disposed directly on at least the tip portion of the field emitter protrusion using a process that minimizes oxidation and defects in the SiC layer. Optional gate layers may be placed at, slightly lower than or slightly higher than the height of the field emitter tip portion to achieve high emission current and fast and accurate control of the primary emission beam. The field emitter can be p-type doped and configured to operate in a reverse bias mode, or the field emitter can be n-type doped.