公开(公告)号：US11410830B1

公开(公告)日：2022-08-09

申请号：US16421004

申请日：2019-05-23

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Hong Xiao ,  Lawrence Muray ,  Nick Petrone ,  John Gerling ,  Abdurrahman Sezginer ,  Alan D. Brodie ,  Kuljit Virk ,  Qiang Q. Zhang ,  Grace Hsiu-Ling Chen

IPC: H01J37/244 ,  H01J37/22 ,  H01J37/28

Abstract: A system is disclosed. In one embodiment, the system includes a scanning electron microscopy sub-system including an electron source configured to generate an electron beam and an electron-optical assembly including one or more electron-optical elements configured to direct the electron beam to the specimen. In another embodiment, the system includes one or more grounding paths coupled to the specimen, the one or more grounding paths configured to generate one or more transmission signals based on one or more received electron beam-induced transmission currents. In another embodiment, the system includes a controller configured to: generate control signals configured to cause the scanning electron microscopy sub-system to scan the portion of the electron beam across a portion of the specimen; receive the transmission signals via the one or more grounding paths; and generate transmission current images based on the transmission signals.

公开(公告)号：US10545099B1

公开(公告)日：2020-01-28

申请号：US16272905

申请日：2019-02-11

Applicant: KLA-TENCOR CORPORATION

Inventor： Grace Chen ,  Lawrence Muray

IPC: G01N21/956 ,  G01N21/95 ,  G03F7/20 ,  H01J37/20 ,  H01J37/28

Abstract: Disclosed are apparatus and methods for detecting defects on a semiconductor sample. An optical inspector is first used to inspect a semiconductor sample with an aggressively predefined threshold selected to detect candidate defect and nuisance sites at corresponding locations across the sample. A high-resolution distributed probe inspector includes an array of miniature probes that are moved relative to the sample to scan and obtain a high-resolution image of each site to detect and separate the candidate defect sites from the nuisance sites. A higher-resolution probe is then used to obtain a higher-resolution image of each candidate site to obtain a high-resolution image of each site to separate real defects that adversely impact operation of any devices on the sample from the candidate defects.

公开(公告)号：US10438769B1

公开(公告)日：2019-10-08

申请号：US15969555

申请日：2018-05-02

Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation

Inventor： Alex Lipkind ,  Alon Rosenthal ,  Frank Chilese ,  John Gerling ,  Lawrence Muray ,  Robert Haynes

IPC: H01J37/28 ,  G21K5/04 ,  H01J37/147 ,  H01J37/153 ,  H01J37/244

Abstract: A scanning electron microscopy (SEM) system includes a plurality of electron beam sources configured to generate a primary electron beam. The SEM system includes an electron-optical column array with a plurality of electron-optical columns. An electron-optical column includes a plurality of electron-optical elements. The plurality of electron-optical elements includes a deflector layer configured to be driven via a common controller shared by at least some of the plurality of electron-optical columns and includes a trim deflector layer configured to be driven by an individual controller. The plurality of electron-optical elements is arranged to form an electron beam channel configured to direct the primary electron beam to a sample secured on a stage, which emits an electron beam in response to the primary electron beam. The electron-optical column includes an electron detector. The electron beam channel is configured to direct the electron beam to the electron detector.