OPTIMIZATION OF A METROLOGY ALGORITHM FOR EXAMINATION OF SEMICONDUCTOR SPECIMENS

    公开(公告)号:US20240428395A1

    公开(公告)日:2024-12-26

    申请号:US18214231

    申请日:2023-06-26

    Abstract: There is provided a metrology system and method. The method includes obtaining a set of tool parameters selected from multiple tool parameters characterizing the examination tool, varying a value of each tool parameter from the set a number of times, giving rise to a plurality of tool settings corresponding to a plurality of combinations of varying values of the set of tool parameters, configuring an examination tool with each given tool setting of the plurality of tool settings; and in response to receiving, from the examination tool, a plurality of sets of images corresponding to the plurality of tool settings and representing expected tool variations over time in a single tool or between different tools, optimizing a metrology algorithm using the plurality of sets of images so as to meet at least one metrology metric including tool matching.

    LATERAL RECESS MEASUREMENT IN A SEMICONDUCTOR SPECIMEN

    公开(公告)号:US20230023363A1

    公开(公告)日:2023-01-26

    申请号:US17382280

    申请日:2021-07-21

    Abstract: There is provided a system and method of measuring a lateral recess in a semiconductor specimen, comprising: obtaining a first image acquired by collecting SEs emitted from the surface of the specimen, and a second image acquired by collecting BSEs scattered from an interior region of the specimen between the surface and a target second layer, the specimen scanned using an electron beam with a landing energy selected to penetrate to a depth corresponding to the target second layer; generating a first GL waveform based on the first image, and a second GL waveform based on the second image; estimating a first width of the first layers based on the first GL waveform, and a second width with respect to at least the target second layer based on the second GL; and measuring a lateral recess based on the first width and the second width.

    IDENTIFICATION OF AN ARRAY IN A SEMICONDUCTOR SPECIMEN

    公开(公告)号:US20230230349A1

    公开(公告)日:2023-07-20

    申请号:US18125695

    申请日:2023-03-23

    CPC classification number: G06V10/762 G06T7/001 G06F18/23 G06T2207/30148

    Abstract: There is provided a method and a system configured obtain an image of a semiconductor specimen including one or more arrays, each including repetitive structural elements, and one or more regions, each region at least partially surrounding a corresponding array and including features different from the repetitive structural elements, wherein the PMC is configured to, during run-time scanning of the semiconductor specimen, perform a correlation analysis between pixel intensity of the image and pixel intensity of a reference image informative of at least one of the repetitive structural elements, to obtain a correlation matrix, use the correlation matrix to distinguish between one or more first areas of the image corresponding to the one or more arrays and one or more second areas of the image corresponding the one or more regions, and output data informative of the one or more first areas of the image.

    THREE-DIMENSIONAL RECONSTRUCTION OF A SEMICONDUCTOR SPECIMEN

    公开(公告)号:US20220082376A1

    公开(公告)日:2022-03-17

    申请号:US17024578

    申请日:2020-09-17

    Abstract: There is provided a system and a method comprising obtaining a first (respectively second) image of an area of the semiconductor specimen acquired by an electron beam examination tool at a first (respectively second) illumination angle, determining a plurality of height values informative of a height profile of the specimen in the area, the determination comprising solving an optimization problem which comprises a plurality of functions, each function being representative of a difference between data informative of a grey level intensity at a first location in the first image and data informative of a grey level intensity at a second location in the second image, wherein, for each function, the second location is determined with respect to the first location, or conversely, when solving the optimization problem, wherein a distance between the first and the second locations depends on the height profile, and the first and second illumination angles.

    MACHINE LEARNING BASED METROLOGY FOR SEMICONDUCTOR SPECIMENS

    公开(公告)号:US20250004386A1

    公开(公告)日:2025-01-02

    申请号:US18215083

    申请日:2023-06-27

    Abstract: There is provided a system and method for examining a semiconductor specimen. The method includes obtaining a runtime image of a semiconductor specimen acquired by an examination tool; processing the runtime image to create one or more image strips each containing an edge, and for each image strip, extracting a sequence of topo points representative of a contour of the edge therein; providing the sequence of topo points for each image strip to a trained machine learning (ML) model to be processed, and obtaining, as an output of the ML model, a sequence of updated topo points; and obtaining measurement data on the runtime image using the sequence of updated topo points, wherein the measurement data has improved performance with respect to at least one metrology metric.

    STABILIZATION OF A MANUFACTURING PROCESS OF A SPECIMEN BY SHAPE ANALYSIS OF STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS OF THE SPECIMEN

    公开(公告)号:US20230230223A1

    公开(公告)日:2023-07-20

    申请号:US17580541

    申请日:2022-01-20

    CPC classification number: G06T7/0006 G06T2207/30148

    Abstract: There is provided a system and a method comprising obtaining data Dcontour informative of a contour of an element of a semiconductor specimen acquired by an examination tool, using the data Dcontour to generate a signal informative of a curvature of the contour of the element, determining at least one of data Dperiodicity informative of a periodicity of the signal, or data Ddiscontinuities informative of a number of discontinuities in the signal, wherein each discontinuity is informative of a transition between a convex portion of the contour and a concave portion of the contour, and using at least one of the data Dperiodicity or the data Ddiscontinuities to determine data informative of correct manufacturing of the element.

    IMAGE SEGMENTATION FOR EXAMINING A SEMICONDUCTOR SPECIMEN

    公开(公告)号:US20250045904A1

    公开(公告)日:2025-02-06

    申请号:US18230127

    申请日:2023-08-03

    Abstract: A system for examining a semiconductor specimen that includes a plurality of layers at respective different depths, and a plurality of holes. Each hole has a top portion at the surface of the specimen, and a bottom portion accommodated in one of the layers. The system includes a processing and memory circuitry (PMC) configured to provide an inspection image indicative of the holes, and process a hole image in the inspection image, without using a shape characterizing model. The processing includes segmenting the inspection image and determining data indicative of a contour of the top portion of the hole, and further segmenting the inspection image and determining data indicative of a contour of a shape enclosed within the contour of the top of the hole.

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