公开(公告)号：US10818504B2

公开(公告)日：2020-10-27

申请号：US16218749

申请日：2018-12-13

Applicant: IMEC VZW

Inventor： Waikin Li ,  Danilo De Simone ,  Sandip Halder ,  Frederic Lazzarino

IPC: H01L21/308 ,  G03F7/20 ,  G03F1/70

Abstract: A method for producing a pattern of features on a substrate may involve performing two exposure steps on a resist layer applied to the substrate, followed by a single etching step. In the two exposures, the same pattern of mask features is used, but with possibly differing dimensions and with the pattern applied in the second exposure being shifted in position relative to the pattern in the first exposure. The shift, lithographic parameters, and/or possibly differing dimensions are configured such that a number of resist areas exposed in the second exposure overlap one or more resist areas exposed in the first exposure. When the pattern of mask features is a regular 2-dimensional array, the method produces of an array of holes or pillars that is denser than the original array. Varying the mask patterns can produce different etched structure shapes, such as a zig-zag pattern.

公开(公告)号：US10732124B2

公开(公告)日：2020-08-04

申请号：US16125107

申请日：2018-09-07

Applicant: IMEC VZW

Inventor： Sandip Halder ,  Philippe Leray

IPC: G06T7/00 ,  G01N21/88 ,  G03F7/20 ,  G01N21/95 ,  G01N21/956

Abstract: Example embodiments relate to methods for detecting defects of a lithographic pattern. One example embodiment includes a method for detecting defects of a lithographic pattern on a semiconductor wafer that includes a plurality of die areas. Each of the die areas has a region of interest (ROI) that includes a plurality of features forming the lithographic pattern. The method includes acquiring an image of at least one of the ROIs. The method also includes removing features touching an edge of the image. Further, the method includes counting a number of remaining features in the image.

公开(公告)号：US20230343078A1

公开(公告)日：2023-10-26

申请号：US18304508

申请日：2023-04-21

Applicant: IMEC VZW

Inventor： Bappaditya Dey ,  Enrique Dehaerne ,  Sandip Halder

IPC: G06V10/776 ,  G06V10/77 ,  G06V10/70 ,  G06V10/82

CPC classification number: G06V10/776 ,  G06V10/7715 ,  G06V10/87 ,  G06V10/82

Abstract: The present disclosure related to a computer-implemented training and prediction method for defect detection, classification and segmentation in image data. The training method comprises providing an ensemble of learning structures, each learning structure comprising a feature extractor module, a region proposal module, a detection module, and a segmentation module. Each learning structure is trained individually and validated. Learning structures whose validation prediction score exceeds a predetermined threshold score are selected and their predictions combined, using a parametrized ensemble voting structure.

公开(公告)号：US10061209B2

公开(公告)日：2018-08-28

申请号：US15149905

申请日：2016-05-09

Applicant: IMEC VZW ,  Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, KU LEUVEN R&D

Inventor： Julien Mailfert ,  Philippe Leray ,  Sandip Halder

IPC: G06F17/50 ,  G03F7/20 ,  G03F1/70 ,  G06T7/00 ,  G03F1/36

CPC classification number: G03F7/705 ,  G03F1/36 ,  G03F1/70 ,  G03F1/84 ,  G03F7/70 ,  G06F17/5081 ,  G06F2217/12 ,  G06T7/001 ,  G06T2207/10061 ,  G06T2207/30148

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for verifying a printed pattern. In an example embodiment, the method includes defining sectors of at least a portion of the features in the reference pattern, determining a contour of the printed pattern, and superimposing the contour of the printed pattern on the reference pattern. The method also includes determining surface areas of sectors of the printed pattern that correspond to the sectors of the reference pattern and calculating one or more parameters as a function of at least one of the surface areas, the parameters being related to a single sector or to multiple sectors. The method additionally includes evaluating the parameters with respect to a reference value.

公开(公告)号：US20160313647A1

公开(公告)日：2016-10-27

申请号：US15134616

申请日：2016-04-21

Applicant: IMEC VZW

Inventor： Sandip Halder ,  Dieter Van Den Heuvel ,  Vincent Truffert ,  Philippe Leray

IPC: G03F7/20 ,  G01N21/88 ,  G01N21/956

CPC classification number: G03F7/7065 ,  G01N21/8851 ,  G01N21/95607 ,  G01N2021/8854 ,  G01N2021/95676 ,  G03F1/84 ,  G03F7/70441 ,  G03F7/70625 ,  G03F7/70641

Abstract: The present disclosure is related to a method for detecting and ranking hotspots in a lithographic mask used for printing a pattern on a substrate. According to example embodiments, the ranking is based on defect detection on a modulated focus wafer or a modulated dose wafer, where the actual de-focus or dose value at defect locations is taken into account, in addition to a de-focus or dose setting applied to a lithographic tool when a mask pattern is printed on the wafer. Additionally or alternatively, lithographic parameters other than the de-focus or dose can be used as a basis for the ranking method.

Abstract translation: 本公开涉及用于在用于在基板上印刷图案的光刻掩模中检测和排列热点的方法。 根据示例实施例，排序基于调制聚焦晶片或调制剂量晶片上的缺陷检测，其中除了去焦点或剂量设置之外还考虑了缺陷位置处的实际去焦点或剂量值 当将掩模图案印刷在晶片上时应用于光刻工具。 附加地或替代地，除去焦点或剂量之外的光刻参数可以用作排序方法的基础。

公开(公告)号：US20250076866A1

公开(公告)日：2025-03-06

申请号：US18462181

申请日：2023-09-06

Applicant: IMEC VZW ,  Katholieke Universiteit Leuven

Inventor： Bappaditya Dey ,  Enrique Dehaerne ,  Sandip Halder

IPC: G05B23/02 ,  G05B19/18

Abstract: A method for training a local machine learning model is provided. The method includes receiving a scanning electron microscope (SEM) image of semiconductor features. The method additionally includes determining a location and dimensions of a bounding box within the SEM image. The method yet further includes determining, whether a defect feature exists within the bounding box, based on an unsupervised object detection process. The method also includes, if the defect feature exists within the bounding box, receiving positive rewards. The method also includes, if the defect feature does not exist within the bounding box, receiving negative rewards.

公开(公告)号：US20220076383A1

公开(公告)日：2022-03-10

申请号：US17366350

申请日：2021-07-02

Applicant: IMEC VZW

Inventor： Bappaditya Dey ,  Sandip Halder ,  Gouri Sankar Kar ,  Victor M. Blanco ,  Senthil Srinivasan Shanmugam Vadakupudhu Palayam

IPC: G06T5/00

Abstract: The disclosure relates generally to image processing. For example, the invention relates to a method and a device for de-noising an electron microscope (EM) image. The method includes the act of selecting a patch of the EM image, wherein the patch comprises a plurality of pixels, wherein the following acts are performed on the patch: i) replacing the value of one pixel, for example of a center pixel, of the patch with the value of a different, for example randomly selected, pixel from the same EM image; ii) determining a de-noised value for the one pixel based on the values of the other pixels in the patch; and iii) replacing the value of the one pixel with the determined de-noised value.

公开(公告)号：US20170167992A1

公开(公告)日：2017-06-15

申请号：US15349363

申请日：2016-11-11

Applicant: IMEC VZW

Inventor： Sandip Halder ,  Philippe Leray

IPC: G01N23/225 ,  G01B15/04

CPC classification number: G01N23/2251 ,  G01B15/04 ,  G01N2223/6116 ,  G01N2223/646 ,  G03F7/70616 ,  G03F7/7065

Abstract: The present disclosure is related to a method for detection of defects in a printed pattern of geometrical features on a semiconductor die, the pattern comprising an array of features having a nominal pitch, the method comprising determining deviations from the nominal pitch in the printed pattern, and comparing the printed pattern with another version of the pattern, the other version having the same or similar pitch deviations as the printed pattern. According to various embodiments, the other version of the pattern may a printed pattern on a second die, or it may be a reference pattern, obtained by shifting features of the array in a version having no or minimal pitch deviations, so that the pitch deviations in the reference pattern are the same or similar to the pitch deviations in the printed pattern under inspection.

公开(公告)号：US20250076865A1

公开(公告)日：2025-03-06

申请号：US18462172

申请日：2023-09-06

Applicant: IMEC VZW ,  Katholieke Universiteit Leuven

Inventor： Bappaditya Dey ,  Enrique Dehaerne ,  Sandip Halder

IPC: G05B23/02 ,  G05B19/18

Abstract: A federated machine learning method is provided. The method includes providing, from a central model server, an initial trained machine learning (ML) model to a plurality of clients as a respective local ML model. The initial trained ML model is configured to identify defect features from scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images. The method additionally includes receiving, from at least one client by the central model server, information indicative of a respective updated local ML model. The method also includes determining, based on the information indicative of the respective updated local ML models, an updated global ML model.

公开(公告)号：US12243193B2

公开(公告)日：2025-03-04

申请号：US17366350

申请日：2021-07-02

Applicant: IMEC VZW

Inventor： Bappaditya Dey ,  Sandip Halder ,  Gouri Sankar Kar ,  Victor M. Blanco ,  Senthil Srinivasan Shanmugam Vadakupudhu Palayam

IPC: G06T5/70 ,  G06T5/50

Abstract: The disclosure relates generally to image processing. For example, the invention relates to a method and a device for de-noising an electron microscope (EM) image. The method includes the act of selecting a patch of the EM image, wherein the patch comprises a plurality of pixels, wherein the following acts are performed on the patch: i) replacing the value of one pixel, for example of a center pixel, of the patch with the value of a different, for example randomly selected, pixel from the same EM image; ii) determining a de-noised value for the one pixel based on the values of the other pixels in the patch; and iii) replacing the value of the one pixel with the determined de-noised value.