公开(公告)号：US20170287128A1

公开(公告)日：2017-10-05

申请号：US15624649

申请日：2017-06-15

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Junqing Huang ,  Hucheng Lee ,  Kenong Wu ,  Lisheng Gao

IPC: G06T7/00 ,  G06T7/90

CPC classification number: G06T7/0008 ,  G06T7/0006 ,  G06T7/90 ,  G06T2207/10024 ,  G06T2207/20024 ,  G06T2207/20076 ,  G06T2207/30148

Abstract: Methods and systems for detecting defects on a wafer using adaptive local thresholding and color filtering are provided. One method includes determining local statistics of pixels in output for a wafer generated using an inspection system, determining which of the pixels are outliers based on the local statistics, and comparing the outliers to the pixels surrounding the outliers to identify the outliers that do not belong to a cluster of outliers as defect candidates, The method also includes determining a value for a difference in color between the pixels of the defect candidates and the pixels surrounding the defect candidates. The method further includes identifying the defect candidates that have a value for the difference in color greater than or equal to a predetermined value as nuisance defects and the defect candidates that have a value for the difference in color less than the predetermined value as real defects,

公开(公告)号：US20170286589A1

公开(公告)日：2017-10-05

申请号：US15351813

申请日：2016-11-15

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Junqing Huang ,  Soren Konecky ,  Hucheng Lee ,  Kenong Wu ,  Lisheng Gao

IPC: G06F17/50

CPC classification number: G06F17/5081 ,  G01N21/9501 ,  G03F7/7065

Abstract: A method includes identifying a first set of a first care area with a first sensitivity threshold, the first care area associated with a first design of interest within a block of repeating cells in design data; identifying an additional set of an additional care area with an additional sensitivity threshold, the additional care area associated with an additional design of interest within the block of repeating cells in design data; identifying one or more defects within the first set of the first care areas in one or more images of a selected region of a sample based on the first sensitivity threshold; and identifying one or more defects within the additional set of the additional care areas in the one or more images of the selected region of the sample based on the additional sensitivity threshold.

公开(公告)号：US20170103517A1

公开(公告)日：2017-04-13

申请号：US15389442

申请日：2016-12-22

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Satya Kurada ,  Raghav Babulnath ,  Kwok Ng ,  Lisheng Gao

IPC: G06T7/00 ,  G01N21/95 ,  G01N21/956 ,  G06K9/66

CPC classification number: G06T7/0006 ,  G01N21/9501 ,  G01N21/956 ,  G01N21/95607 ,  G01N2021/95676 ,  G01N2201/06113 ,  G01N2201/068 ,  G01N2201/10 ,  G01N2201/12 ,  G06K9/00 ,  G06K9/66 ,  G06T7/0008 ,  G06T7/001 ,  G06T2207/20081 ,  G06T2207/30148

Abstract: Methods and systems for design based sampling and binning for yield critical defects are provided. One method includes aligning each image patch in each inspection image frame generated for a wafer by an optical subsystem of an inspection system to design information for the wafer. The method also includes deriving multiple layer design attributes at locations of defects detected in the image patches. In addition, the method includes building a decision tree with the multiple layer design attributes. The decision tree is used to separate the defects into bins with different yield impacts on a device being formed on the wafer. The method also includes binning the defects with the decision tree.

公开(公告)号：US09552636B2

公开(公告)日：2017-01-24

申请号：US14811409

申请日：2015-07-28

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Kenong Wu ,  Lisheng Gao ,  Grace Hsiu-Ling Chen ,  David W. Shortt

IPC: G06K9/00 ,  G06T7/00 ,  G01N21/95 ,  H01L21/66 ,  G01N21/88 ,  G01N21/956

CPC classification number: G06T7/0008 ,  G01N21/8806 ,  G01N21/8851 ,  G01N21/9501 ,  G01N21/956 ,  G01N2021/8822 ,  G01N2021/8848 ,  G06T7/001 ,  G06T2207/30148 ,  H01L22/12 ,  H01L22/34

Abstract: Methods and systems for detecting defects on a wafer using defect-specific and multi-channel information are provided. One method includes acquiring information for a target on a wafer. The target includes a pattern of interest (POI) formed on the wafer and a known defect of interest (DOI) occurring proximate to or in the POI. The method also includes detecting the known DOI in target candidates by identifying potential DOI locations based on images of the target candidates acquired by a first channel of an inspection system and applying one or more detection parameters to images of the potential DOI locations acquired by a second channel of the inspection system. Therefore, the image(s) used for locating potential DOI locations and the image(s) used for detecting defects can be different.

Abstract translation: 提供了使用缺陷特定和多信道信息检测晶片上的缺陷的方法和系统。 一种方法包括获取晶片上目标的信息。 目标包括形成在晶片上的感兴趣模式（POI）和在POI附近或在POI中出现的已知感兴趣缺陷（DOI）。 该方法还包括通过基于由检查系统的第一通道获取的目标候选者的图像来识别潜在的DOI位置来检测目标候选中的已知DOI，并将一个或多个检测参数应用于由第二个所获取的潜在DOI位置的图像 检查系统通道。 因此，用于定位潜在DOI位置的图像和用于检测缺陷的图像可以不同。

公开(公告)号：US09523646B2

公开(公告)日：2016-12-20

申请号：US15158413

申请日：2016-05-18

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Grace H. Chen ,  Rudolf Brunner ,  Lisheng Gao ,  Robert M. Danen ,  Lu Chen

IPC: G01N21/00 ,  G01N21/88 ,  G01N21/95

CPC classification number: G01N21/8806 ,  G01N21/8851 ,  G01N21/9501 ,  G01N21/956 ,  G01N21/95623 ,  G01N2021/8822 ,  G01N2021/95676 ,  G01N2201/061 ,  G01N2201/0638 ,  G01N2201/068 ,  G01N2201/12

Abstract: In an optical inspection tool, an illumination aperture is opened at each of a plurality of aperture positions of an illumination pupil area one at a time across the illumination pupil area. For each aperture opening position, an incident beam is directed towards the illumination pupil area so as to selectively pass a corresponding ray bundle of the illumination beam at a corresponding set of one or more incident angles towards the sample and an output beam, which is emitted from the sample in response to the corresponding ray bundle of the incident beam impinging on the sample at the corresponding set of one or more incident angles, is detected. A defect detection characteristic for each aperture position is determined based on the output beam detected for each aperture position. An optimum aperture configuration is determined based on the determined defect detection characteristic for each aperture position.

公开(公告)号：US20150063677A1

公开(公告)日：2015-03-05

申请号：US14468237

申请日：2014-08-25

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Junqing Huang ,  Huan Jin ,  Grace Hsiu-Ling Chen ,  Lisheng Gao

IPC: G01N21/95 ,  G06T5/00

CPC classification number: G01N21/9501 ,  G06T5/002 ,  G06T2207/20061 ,  G06T2207/30148

Abstract: Methods and systems for filtering scratches from wafer inspection results are provided. One method includes generating a defect candidate map that includes image data for potential defect candidates as a function of position on the wafer and removing noise from the defect candidate map to generate a filtered defect candidate map. The method also includes determining one or more characteristics of the potential defect candidates based on portions of the filtered defect candidate map corresponding to the potential defect candidates. In addition, the method includes determining if each of the potential defect candidates are scratches based on the one or more characteristics determined for each of the potential defect candidates and separating the potential defect candidates determined to be the scratches from other defects in inspection results for the wafer.

Abstract translation: 提供了从晶片检查结果过滤划痕的方法和系统。 一种方法包括生成缺陷候选图，其包括作为晶片上的位置的函数的潜在缺陷候选的图像数据，并且从缺陷候选图中去除噪声以生成滤波的缺陷候选图。 该方法还包括基于与潜在缺陷候选对应的经滤波的缺陷候选映射的部分来确定潜在缺陷候选的一个或多个特性。 此外，该方法包括基于为每个潜在缺陷候选确定的一个或多个特性确定每个潜在的缺陷候选是否划伤，并且将确定为划痕的潜在缺陷候选与检查结果中的其他缺陷分离为 晶圆。

公开(公告)号：US20150062571A1

公开(公告)日：2015-03-05

申请号：US14470916

申请日：2014-08-27

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Ashok V. Kulkarni ,  Lisheng Gao ,  Junqing Huang

IPC: G01N21/88 ,  G01N21/95

CPC classification number: H01L22/12 ,  G01N21/9501 ,  H01L22/20

Abstract: Systems and methods for determining one or more parameters of a wafer inspection process are provided. One method includes aligning optical image(s) of an alignment target to their corresponding electron beam images generated by an electron beam defect review system. The method also includes determining different local coordinate transformations for different subsets of alignment targets based on results of the aligning. In addition, the method includes determining positions of defects in wafer inspection system coordinates based on coordinates of the defects determined by the electron beam defect review system and the different local coordinate transformations corresponding to different groups of the defects into which the defects have been separated. The method further includes determining one or more parameters for an inspection process for the wafer based on defect images acquired at the determined positions by a wafer inspection system.

Abstract translation: 提供了用于确定晶片检查过程的一个或多个参数的系统和方法。 一种方法包括将对准靶的光学图像与由电子束缺陷检查系统产生的相应的电子束图像对准。 该方法还包括基于对准的结果确定不同的对准目标子集的不同局部坐标变换。 此外，该方法包括基于由电子束缺陷评估系统确定的缺陷的坐标以及对应于缺陷已分离的缺陷的不同组的不同局部坐标变换来确定晶片检查系统坐标中缺陷的位置。 该方法还包括基于由晶片检查系统在所确定的位置处获取的缺陷图像来确定用于晶片的检查处理的一个或多个参数。

公开(公告)号：US20140354983A1

公开(公告)日：2014-12-04

申请号：US14075488

申请日：2013-11-08

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Pavel Kolchin ,  Richard Wallingford ,  Lisheng Gao ,  Grace H. Chen ,  Markus b. Huber ,  Robert M. Danen

IPC: G01N21/88 ,  G01N21/95

CPC classification number: G01N21/9501

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and apparatus for optimizing a mode of an inspection tool. A first image or signal for each of a plurality of first apertures of the inspection tool is obtained, and each first image or signal pertains to a defect area. For each of a plurality of combinations of the first apertures and their first images or signals, a composite image or signal is obtained. Each composite image or signal is analyzed to determine an optimum one of the combinations of the first apertures based on a defect detection characteristic of each composite image.

Abstract translation: 公开了用于优化检查工具的模式的方法和装置。 获得检查工具的多个第一孔的每一个的第一图像或信号，并且每个第一图像或信号属于缺陷区域。 对于第一孔径及其第一图像或信号的多个组合中的每一个，获得合成图像或信号。 基于每个合成图像的缺陷检测特性，分析每个复合图像或信号以确定第一孔径的组合中的最佳一个。

公开(公告)号：US20140105482A1

公开(公告)日：2014-04-17

申请号：US13652377

申请日：2012-10-15

Applicant: KLA-TENCOR CORPORATION

Inventor： Kenong Wu ,  Meng-Che Wu ,  Lisheng Gao

IPC: G06K9/00

CPC classification number: G06T7/001 ,  G01N21/9501 ,  G06T2207/10061 ,  G06T2207/30148

Abstract: Methods and systems for detecting defects on a wafer using defect-specific information are provided. One method includes acquiring information for a target on a wafer. The target includes a pattern of interest formed on the wafer and a known DOI occurring proximate to or in the pattern of interest. The information includes an image of the target on the wafer. The method also includes searching for target candidates on the wafer or another wafer. The target candidates include the pattern of interest. The target and target candidate locations are provided to defect detection. In addition, the method includes detecting the known DOI in the target candidates by identifying potential DOI locations in images of the target candidates and applying one or more detection parameters to images of the potential DOI locations.

Abstract translation: 提供了使用缺陷特定信息检测晶片上的缺陷的方法和系统。 一种方法包括获取晶片上目标的信息。 目标包括在晶片上形成的感兴趣图案，以及在感兴趣的图案附近或其中出现的已知DOI。 信息包括晶片上的目标图像。 该方法还包括在晶片或另一晶片上搜索目标候选。 目标候选人包括兴趣模式。 将目标候选位置和目标候选位置提供给缺陷检测。 此外，该方法包括通过识别目标候选图像中的潜在DOI位置并将一个或多个检测参数应用于潜在DOI位置的图像来检测目标候选中的已知DOI。

公开(公告)号：US20130250287A1

公开(公告)日：2013-09-26

申请号：US13900465

申请日：2013-05-22

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Lu Chen ,  Jason Kirkwood ,  Mohan Mahadevan ,  James A. Smith ,  Lisheng Gao ,  Junqing (Jenny) Huang ,  Tao Luo ,  Richard Wallingford

IPC: G01N21/95

CPC classification number: G01N21/9501 ,  G01N2021/887 ,  H01L22/12

Abstract: Systems and methods for detecting defects on a wafer are provided. One method includes generating output for a wafer by scanning the wafer with an inspection system using first and second optical states of the inspection system. The first and second optical states are defined by different values for at least one optical parameter of the inspection system. The method also includes generating first image data for the wafer using the output generated using the first optical state and second image data for the wafer using the output generated using the second optical state. In addition, the method includes combining the first image data and the second image data corresponding to substantially the same locations on the wafer thereby creating additional image data for the wafer. The method further includes detecting defects on the wafer using the additional image data.

Abstract translation: 提供了用于检测晶片上的缺陷的系统和方法。 一种方法包括通过使用检查系统的第一和第二光学状态的检查系统扫描晶片来产生晶片的输出。 第一和第二光学状态由检查系统的至少一个光学参数的不同值来定义。 该方法还包括使用使用第二光学状态产生的输出使用第一光学状态产生的输出和晶片的第二图像数据为晶片产生第一图像数据。 此外，该方法包括将第一图像数据和对应于晶片上基本相同位置的第二图像数据组合，从而产生用于晶片的附加图像数据。 该方法还包括使用附加图像数据检测晶片上的缺陷。