公开(公告)号：US20190381674A1

公开(公告)日：2019-12-19

申请号：US16555578

申请日：2019-08-29

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Carl Truyens

IPC: B25J15/00 ,  B25J15/06 ,  B65G47/91

Abstract: A pick-and-place head for picking a plurality of work-pieces from at least one first location and for placing the plurality of work-pieces at least one second location is disclosed. The pick-and-place head exhibits a plurality of nozzles, wherein each nozzle is configured to engage one of the work-pieces by action of a vacuum. At least one nozzle has an individual vacuum supply and at least two further nozzles have a shared vacuum supply. A corresponding method is also disclosed, the method including the steps of approaching at least one of the plurality of work-pieces with a respective nozzle and then starting generation of a vacuum at each respective nozzle. The generation of vacuum in at least one nozzle is achieved by an individual vacuum supply, and generation of vacuum in at least two further nozzles is achieved by a shared vacuum supply of the at least two further nozzles.

公开(公告)号：US20190353582A1

公开(公告)日：2019-11-21

申请号：US16531940

申请日：2019-08-05

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Pradeep Vukkadala ,  Haiguang Chen ,  Jaydeep K. Sinha ,  Sathish Veeraraghavan

IPC: G01N19/08 ,  C23C14/54 ,  G03F7/20 ,  G01L1/00 ,  G01L5/00 ,  H01L21/66

Abstract: Systems and methods for prediction and measurement of overlay errors are disclosed. Process-induced overlay errors may be predicted or measured utilizing film force based computational mechanics models. More specifically, information with respect to the distribution of film force is provided to a finite element (FE) model to provide more accurate point-by-point predictions in cases where complex stress patterns are present. Enhanced prediction and measurement of wafer geometry induced overlay errors are also disclosed.

公开(公告)号：US10483081B2

公开(公告)日：2019-11-19

申请号：US15247774

申请日：2016-08-25

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Allen Park ,  Ajay Gupta ,  Jan Lauber

IPC: H01J37/22 ,  G06K9/62 ,  G06T7/00 ,  G03F7/20 ,  G06T7/11 ,  G01N21/956 ,  G01N21/88 ,  H01L21/66

Abstract: Methods and systems for determining parameter(s) of a process to be performed on a specimen are provided. One system includes one or more computer subsystems configured for determining an area of a defect detected on a specimen. The computer subsystem(s) are also configured for correlating the area of the defect with information for a design for the specimen and determining a spatial relationship between the area of the defect and the information for the design based on results of the correlating. In addition, the computer subsystem(s) are configured for automatically generating a region of interest to be measured during a process performed for the specimen with a measurement subsystem based on the spatial relationship.

公开(公告)号：US20190333794A1

公开(公告)日：2019-10-31

申请号：US16019341

申请日：2018-06-26

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Pradeep Vukkadala ,  Mark D. Smith ,  Ady Levy ,  Prasanna Dighe ,  Dieter Mueller

IPC: H01L21/67 ,  G01B11/06 ,  G01N21/45 ,  G05B19/4097 ,  G03F7/20

Abstract: A controller is configured to perform at least a first characterization process prior to at least one discrete backside film deposition process on a semiconductor wafer; perform at least an additional characterization process following the at least one discrete backside film deposition process; determine at least one of a film force or one or more in-plane displacements for at least one discrete backside film deposited on the semiconductor wafer via the at least one discrete backside film deposition process based on the at least the first characterization process and the at least the additional characterization process; and provide at least one of the film force or the one or more in-plane displacements to at least one process tool via at least one of a feed forward loop or a feedback loop to improve performance of one or more fabrication processes.

公开(公告)号：US20190333206A1

公开(公告)日：2019-10-31

申请号：US16508778

申请日：2019-07-11

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Hucheng Lee ,  Lisheng Gao ,  Jan Lauber ,  Yong Zhang

IPC: G06T7/00 ,  H01J37/28 ,  H01J37/22 ,  G06T5/00

Abstract: The correlation of optical images with SEM images includes acquiring a full optical image of a sample by scanning the sample with an optical inspection sub-system, storing the full optical image, identifying a location of a feature-of-interest present in the full optical image with an additional sources, acquiring an SEM image of a portion of the sample that includes the feature at the identified location with a SEM tool, acquiring an optical image portion at the location identified by the additional source, the image portions including a reference structure, correlating the image portion and the SEM image based on the presence of the feature-of-interest and the reference structure in both the image portions and the SEM image, and transferring a location of the feature-of-interest in the SEM image into the coordinate system of the image portion of the full optical image to form a corrected optical image.

公开(公告)号：US20190318949A1

公开(公告)日：2019-10-17

申请号：US16375851

申请日：2019-04-04

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Saibal Banerjee ,  Jagdish Chandra Saraswatula

IPC: H01L21/67 ,  G01N21/95 ,  G01N21/956 ,  G06F17/50 ,  H01J37/22

Abstract: Methods and systems for shape metric based scoring of wafer locations are provided. One method includes selecting shape based grouping (SBG) rules for at least two locations on a wafer. For one of the wafer locations, the selecting step includes modifying distances between geometric primitives in a design for the wafer with metrology data for the one location and determining metrical complexity (MC) scores for SBG rules associated with the geometric primitives in a field of view centered on the one location based on the distances. The selecting step also includes selecting one of the SBG rules for the one location based on the MC scores. The method also includes sorting the at least two locations on the wafer based on the SBG rule selected for the at least two locations.

公开(公告)号：US10446696B2

公开(公告)日：2019-10-15

申请号：US16151225

申请日：2018-10-03

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Jehn-Huar Chern ,  Ali R. Ehsani ,  Gildardo Delgado ,  David L. Brown ,  Yung-Ho Alex Chuang ,  John Fielden

IPC: G01N21/88 ,  G01N21/95 ,  H01L31/0216 ,  G01N21/956 ,  H01L27/146 ,  H01L27/148

Abstract: An inspection system including an optical system (optics) to direct light from an illumination source to a sample, and to direct light reflected/scattered from the sample to one or more image sensors. At least one image sensor of the system is formed on a semiconductor membrane including an epitaxial layer having opposing surfaces, with circuit elements formed on one surface of the epitaxial layer, and a pure boron layer and a doped layer on the other surface of the epitaxial layer. The image sensor may be fabricated using CCD (charge coupled device) or CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) technology. The image sensor may be a two-dimensional area sensor, or a one-dimensional array sensor. The image sensor can be included in an electron-bombarded image sensor and/or in an inspection system.

公开(公告)号：US10444161B2

公开(公告)日：2019-10-15

申请号：US15608766

申请日：2017-05-30

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Amnon Manassen ,  Daria Negri ,  Andrew V. Hill ,  Ohad Bachar ,  Vladimir Levinski ,  Yuri Paskover

IPC: G01N21/88 ,  G01B11/27 ,  G01N21/33 ,  G01N21/3563 ,  G01N21/95 ,  G01N21/84 ,  G03F7/20 ,  G01B11/06

Abstract: A metrology system includes an image device and a controller. The image device includes a spectrally-tunable illumination device and a detector to generate images of a sample having metrology target elements on two or more sample layers based on radiation emanating from the sample in response to illumination from the spectrally-tunable illumination device. The controller determines layer-specific imaging configurations of the imaging device to image the metrology target elements on the two or more sample layers within a selected image quality tolerance in which each layer-specific imaging configuration includes an illumination spectrum from the spectrally-tunable illumination device. The controller further receives one or more images of the metrology target elements on the two or more sample layers generated using the layer-specific imaging configurations. The controller further provides a metrology measurement based on the one or more images of the metrology target elements on the two or more sample layers.

公开(公告)号：US10439355B2

公开(公告)日：2019-10-08

申请号：US15901388

申请日：2018-02-21

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Yung-Ho Chuang ,  J. Joseph Armstrong ,  Yujun Deng ,  Justin Dianhuan Liou ,  Vladimir Dribinski ,  John Fielden

IPC: G01N21/95 ,  G02B17/08 ,  H01S3/23 ,  H01S3/00 ,  H01S3/30 ,  H01S3/10 ,  H01S3/067 ,  H01S3/16 ,  H01S3/11 ,  G02F1/35 ,  G02F1/39

Abstract: An optical inspection system that utilizes sub-200 nm incident light beam to inspect a surface of an object for defects is described. The sub-200 nm incident light beam is generated by combining first light having a wavelength of about 1109 nm with second light having a wavelength of approximately 234 nm. An optical system includes optical components configured to direct the incident light beam to a surface of the object, and image relay optics are configured to collect and relay at least two channels of light to a sensor, where at least one channel includes light reflected from the object, and at least one channel includes light transmitted through the object. The sensor is configured to simultaneously detect both the reflected and transmitted light. A laser for generating the sub-200 nm incident light beam includes a fundamental laser, two or more harmonic generators, a frequency doubler and a two frequency mixing stages.

公开(公告)号：US10438825B2

公开(公告)日：2019-10-08

申请号：US15688751

申请日：2017-08-28

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Prateek Jain ,  Daniel Wack ,  Kevin A. Peterlinz ,  Andrei V. Shchegrov ,  Shankar Krishnan

IPC: H01L21/67 ,  H01L21/66

Abstract: Methods and systems for performing in-situ, selective spectral reflectometry (SSR) measurements of semiconductor structures disposed on a wafer are presented herein. Illumination light reflected from a wafer surface is spatially imaged. Signals from selected regions of the image are collected and spectrally analyzed, while other portions of the image are discarded. In some embodiments, a SSR includes a dynamic mirror array (DMA) disposed in the optical path at or near a field plane conjugate to the surface of the semiconductor wafer under measurement. The DMA selectively blocks the undesired portion of wafer image. In other embodiments, a SSR includes a hyperspectral imaging system including a plurality of spectrometers each configured to collect light from a spatially distinct area of a field image conjugate to the wafer surface. Selected spectral signals associated with desired regions of the wafer image are selected for analysis.