Kla-Tencor Technologies Corporation

Kla Tencor Corporation

Hitachi Zosen Corporation

Anne Testoni

Ying Wang

Brian Phillips

Mehran Nasser-Ghodsi

Steven Raymond Walther

Gerald M Friedman

Michael Lawrence Bufano

William Frederick Thomson

P Michael Fletcher

Peter F Hays

Arthur Wayne Sommerstein

Stephen Whittaker Into

Gabor D Toth

Yeishin Tung

Harrison Chin

R Chris Burns

Steve Oestreich

Improved electron beam sterilization apparatus and shielding techniques for use in are provided. A controller modulates an electron beam when sterilizing an interior to an object to ensure that adequate dose is received. Sterilization carousels are configured with input/discharge feeds to reduce the possibility of humans being exposed to dangerous levels of radiation. The system reduces the amount of shielding required to thereby lower cost of installation.

Electron beam sterilization apparatus

Disclosed are methods and apparatus for etching a sample, such as a semiconductor device or wafer. In general terms, embodiments of the present invention allow dry etching of a material on a sample, such as a copper material, at room temperature using a reactive substance, such as a chorine based gas. For example, the mechanisms of the present invention allow precise etching of a copper material to produce fine feature patterns without heating up the whole device or substrate to an elevated temperature such as 50&#xb0; C. and above. The etching is assisted by simultaneously scanning a charged particle beam, such as an electron beam, and a photon beam, such as a laser beam, over a same target area of the sample while the reactive substance is introduced near the same target area. The reactive substance, charged particle beam, and photon beam act in combination to etch the sample at the target area. For example, a copper layer may be etched using the mechanisms of the present invention.

Methods and apparatus for electron beam assisted etching at low temperatures

Disclosed are methods and apparatus for characterizing defects by using X-ray emission analysis techniques. The X-rays are emitted in response to an impinging beam, such as an electron beam, directed towards the sample surface where a defect resides. It may also be used to help determine where the void(s) are with respect to the interconnect structure. Methods disclosed are for spatially locating defects in or on integrated circuits. Also disclosed are methods for identifying the elemental composition of defects and spatially locating different elemental components of defects.

Rapid defect composition mapping using multiple X-ray emission perspective detection scheme

Disclosed are methods and apparatus for classifying defects based on X-ray spectrum obtained from the defects. In general terms, the present invention provides pattern recognition techniques for accurately and efficiently classifying a defect based on an X-ray spectrum obtained from such defect and its surrounding substrate and structures, no matter the complexity of such substrate and structures. A pattern recognition technique generally includes training a pattern recognition process to recognize particular types of X-ray spectrum obtained from specimens as belonging to a particular defect type or other specific characteristic of a specimen. Once a pattern recognition process is set up to recognize or classify particular X-ray spectrum, the pattern recognition process can then be utilized to automatically classify specimens as having a specific characteristic or defect type.

Automatic classification of defects using pattern recognition applied to X-ray spectra

Methods and apparatus for determining the material composition of a semiconductor device at an area of interest are described. An electron time-of-flight spectrometer is used within a semiconductor inspection system. The spectrometer is placed on the opposite side of an objective lens from the area of interest. In one embodiment, the electron time-of-flight spectrometer is an electron drift tube. A computing module produces an electron emission spectrum for the materials at the area of interest.

Time of flight electron detector

Techniques for determining certain parameters of semiconductor specimens using X-ray spectroscopy are described. The invention can be used to determine parameters such as composition, dimensions, and density of semiconductor specimens. Specifically, an X-ray spectrum simulation algorithm is used to iteratively generate a theoretical X-ray spectrum for a semiconductor specimen having certain parameters. The iterative generation of theoretical X-ray spectrums continues until one of the theoretical X-ray spectrum closely matches the actual X-ray spectrum measured off of the specimen. In an alternative embodiment, this technique of generating theoretical X-ray spectrums can be used in combination with a pre-existing library of X-ray spectral signatures for semiconductor specimens having various parameters.

Spectrum simulation for semiconductor feature inspection

Disclosed are methods and apparatus for characterizing a potential void or voids by analyzing the X-ray count of one or more emitted X-ray species as emitted from an interconnect structure under test in response to a impinging beam, such as an electron beam, directed towards the sample surface. For example, this analysis may be used to determine whether the structure (e.g., a contact, line or via) has one or more void(s). It may also he used to help determine where the void(s) are with respect to the interconnect structure. It may also be used to help determine other characteristics of the void(s) with respect to the interconnect structure such as the shape(s) and size(s) of the void(s). The analysis may also be used to help initially determine whether the structure under test is so out of specification that it cannot then be determined whether the structure has a defect of a particular type. This analysis can be used to evaluate the process variation of wafers.

Void characterization in metal interconnect structures using X-ray emission analyses

The present invention provides a system for characterizing voids in test samples. An x-ray emission inducer scans a target such as a via on a test sample. A metallization or thin film layer emits x-rays as a result of the scan. The x-ray emission intensity can be measured and compared against a control measurement. The information obtained can be used to characterize a void in the scan target.

Methods and apparatus for void characterization

Disclosed are apparatus and methods for characterizing a potential defect of a semiconductor structure. A charged particle beam is scanned over a structure which has a potential defect. X-rays are detected from the scanned structure. The X-rays are in response to the charged particle beam being scanned over the structure. The potential defect of the scanned structure is characterized based on the detected X-rays. For example, it may be determined whether a potentially defective via has a SiO plug defect by comparing an X-ray count ratio of oxygen over silicon of the defective via with an X-ray count ratio of a known defect-free reference via. If the defective via has a relatively high ratio (more oxygen than silicon) as compared to the reference via, then it may be determined that a SiO plug defect is present within the defective via. Otherwise, the via may be defmed as having a different type of defect (e.g., not a SiO plug defect) or defined resulting in a &ldquo;false&rdquo; defect. Accordingly, specific embodiments of the present invention may be utilized to filter &ldquo;false&rdquo; defects from a defect sample.

Non-destructive root cause analysis on blocked contact or via

Techniques for determining the composition of a specimen under inspection by measuring backscatter electron emissions and then estimating the atomic number of the specimen are described. Typically, this technique is useful for inspecting features, such as defects, upon very small specimens such as semiconductor wafers. Charged particle beams are typically required to cause backscatter electrons to emanate from a specimen. One embodiment of the present invention involves measuring the backscatter electron count or current of a reference sample for which the atomic number is known. Another embodiment involves the use of an atomic number lookup table that is organized by feature size parameters and normalized backscatter electron counts or currents.

Growing community of inventors

Bolton, MA, United States of America

Anne Testoni