Kla-tencor Technologies Corporation

Kla Tencor Corporation

Nova Measuring Instruments Ltd.

Tencor Instruments

Scanit Technologies, Inc.

Christopher F Bevis

Ian R Smith

David W Shortt

Michael E Adel

Mark Ghinovker

Charles L Chen

Haiguang Chen

Kurt Lehman

Anantha R Sethuraman

Ching Ling Meng

Ronald L Allen

Robert Shinagawa

Thanassis Trikas

Ady Levy

Walter Dean Mieher

Michael Friedmann

George J Kren

Paul J Sullivan

John Fielden

Anatoly Fabrikant

Boris Golovanesky

Noah Bareket

Daniel Ivanov Kavaldjiev

Rodney C Smedt

Hans J Hansen

Dan Wack

Kenneth P Gross

Piotr S Zalicki

Paola Dececco

David Lewis Adler

Thaddeus Gerard Dziura

Kris Bhaskar

Michael D Kirk

David Allen Reed

Boris Golovanevsky

Eli Cheifetz

Amit Weingarten

Grace Jing Chen

Evan R Mapoles

Alexander Kadyshevitch

Michael Weber-Grabau

Paola deCecco

Yungman Alan Liu

Joel Christopher Kent

Mehdi Vaez-Iravani

Armand P Neukermans

Stanley E Stokowski

Kevin M Monahan

Moshe E Preil

Ralph C Wolf

William M Tong

Luca Grella

Guorong Vera Zhuang

Amir Azordegan

Marco Tortonese

David R Bakker

Moshe Baruch

Joseph Maurino

Michael Young

Ben Tsai

Ken Gross

Mike D Kirk

Shinichi Kojima

Matthew B Lutzker

Geroge Kren

Michael Faeyrman

Ofir Zamir

Gian F Lorusso

Gary Dickerson

Noam Knoll

David E Clapper

Bharat Marathe

Ian Smith

Baruch Moshe

An ion detector for secondary ion mass spectrometer, the detector having an electron emission plate coupled to a first electrical potential and configured to emit electrons upon incidence on ions; a scintillator coupled to a second electrical potential, different from the first electrical potential, the scintillator having a front side facing the electron emission plate and a backside, the scintillator configured to emit photons from the backside upon incidence of electrons on the front side; a lightguide coupled to the backside of the scintillator and confining flow of photons emitted from the backside of the scintillator; and a solid-state photomultiplier coupled to the light guide and having an output configured to output electrical signal corresponding to incidence of photons from the lightguide. A SIMS system includes a plurality of such detectors movable arranged over the focal plane of a mass analyzer.

Mass spectrometer detector and system and method using the same

A particle monitoring device includes a camera sensor for imaging particles, a set of light sources, and an optical component. A first light source provides light of a first color component. A second light source provides light of a second color component. The optical component receives light of the first color component in a first direction from the first light source, and redirects the light of the first color component in an output direction towards the particles to illuminate the particles using light of the first color component. The optical component receives light of a second color component in a second direction, different from the first direction, from the second light source, and redirects the light of the second color component in the output direction towards the particles to illuminate the particles using light of the second color component.

Hyper-spectral imaging of airborne biological particles

One embodiment relates to an apparatus for aberration correction in an electron beam lithography system. An inner electrode surrounds a pattern generating device, and there is at least one outer electrode around the inner electrode. Each of the inner and outer electrodes has a planar surface in a plane of the pattern generating device. Circuitry is configured to apply an inner voltage level to the inner electrode and at least one outer voltage level to the at least one outer electrode. The voltage levels may be set to correct a curvature of field in the electron beam lithography system. Another embodiment relates to an apparatus for aberration correction used in an electron based system, such as an electron beam inspection, or review, or metrology system. Other embodiments, aspects and features are also disclosed.

Apparatus and methods for aberration correction in electron beam based system

Methods and systems for monitoring a parameter of a measurement device during polishing, damage to a specimen during polishing, a characteristic of a polishing pad, or a characteristic of a polishing tool are provided. One method includes scanning a specimen with a measurement device during polishing of a specimen to generate output signals at measurement spots on the specimen. The method also includes determining if the output signals are outside of a range of output signals. Output signals outside of the range may indicate that a parameter of the measurement device is out of control limits. In a different embodiment, output signals outside of the range may indicate damage to the specimen. Another method includes scanning a polishing pad with a measurement device to generate output signals at measurement spots on the polishing pad. The method also includes determining a characteristic of the polishing pad from the output signals.

Methods and systems for monitoring a parameter of a measurement device during polishing, damage to a specimen during polishing, or a characteristic of a polishing pad or tool

One embodiment disclosed relates a method of detecting a patterned electron beam. The patterned electron beam is focused onto a grating with a pattern that has a same pitch as the patterned electron beam. Electrons of the patterned electron beam that pass through the grating un-scattered are detected. Another embodiment relates to focusing the patterned electron beam onto a grating with a pattern that has a second pitch that is different than a first pitch of the patterned electron beam. Electrons of the patterned electron beam that pass through the grating form a Moir&#xe9; pattern that is detected using a position-sensitive detector. Other embodiments, aspects and features are also disclosed.

Apparatus and methods for electron beam detection

Methods and systems for determining a characteristic of a wafer are provided. One method includes generating output responsive to light from the wafer using an inspection system. The output includes first output corresponding to defects on the wafer and second output that does not correspond to the defects. The method also includes determining the characteristic of the wafer using the second output. One system includes an inspection subsystem configured to illuminate the wafer and to generate output responsive to light from the wafer. The output includes first output corresponding to defects on the wafer and second output that does not correspond to the defects. The system also includes a processor configured to determine the characteristic of the wafer using the second output.

Methods and systems for determining a characteristic of a wafer

Embodiments of the invention include a target having a lattice of many periodically spaced and uniformly configured metrology features arranged in an array pattern over a target region. The lattice includes at least one defect region in the lattice, the defect region includes at least one intentionally introduced defect metrology feature. The defect feature configured to enable increased sensitivity of the target to a selected parameter of interest. The invention further encompassing associated methods of implementing the target and evaluating the parameter of interest.

Scatterometry target employing non-periodic defect features to enhance or optimize target sensitivity to a parameter of interest

Disclosed are techniques, apparatus, and targets for determining overlay error between two layers of a sample. A plurality of targets is provided. Each target includes a portion of the first and second structures and each is designed to have an offset between its first and second structure portions. The targets are illuminated with electromagnetic radiation to thereby obtain spectra from each target at a &#x2212;1diffraction order and a +1diffraction order. It is determined whether there are any overlay error between the first structures and the second structures using a scatterometry technique based on the detected spectra by (i) for each target, determining a first differential intensity between the &#x2212;1diffraction order and a +1diffraction order, (ii) for a plurality of pairs of targets each having a first target and a second target, determining a second differential intensity between the first differential intensity of the first target and the first differential intensity of the second target, and (iii) determining any overlay error between the first structures and the second structures using a scatterometry technique based on the second differential intensities determined from each target pair.

Apparatus and methods for detecting overlay errors using scatterometry

Computer-implemented methods, carrier media, and systems for creating a metrology target structure design for a reticle layout are provided. One computer-implemented method for creating a metrology target structure design for a reticle layout includes simulating how one or more initial metrology target structures will be formed on a wafer at different values of one or more parameters of one or more fabrication processes that will be used to form a metrology target structure on the wafer based on the one or more fabrication processes, one or more parameters of the wafer, and one or more initial metrology target structure designs. The method also includes simulating one or more spectra that will be produced by a predetermined metrology system configuration for each of the simulated one or more initial metrology target structures. In addition, the method includes creating the metrology target structure design based on the one or more spectra.

Computer-implemented methods, carrier media, and systems for creating a metrology target structure design for a reticle layout

An optical measurement system includes a rotating element ellipsometer comprising a radiant source and a rotating optical element coupled to the radian source, an optical system to provide a modulated pump beam, a detection system optically coupled to the ellipsometer and a signal analyzer. The rotating element ellipsometer is configured to deliver a probe beam to a measurement spot on a sample and to measure one or more ellipsometric parameters of the sample at one or more discrete wavelengths or wavelength ranges, or a plurality of wavelengths across a wavelength range. Methods for determining sample characteristics from radiation scattered, reflected, diffracted or otherwise emitted from a sample surface using the optical measurement systems are also disclosed.

Optical measurment systems and methods

Embodiments of the invention include a SCOL targeting groups configured to increase target to target separation and thereby increase target utility to simultaneous exposures to multiple illumination dots and associated inspection methodologies. The embodiments of the invention further relate to apparatus for projection simultaneous illumination dots onto different targets of the same targeting group on a wafer to conduct multiple simultaneous target inspections. Embodiments of the invention further relate to methods used to inspect SCOL targets using simultaneous illumination dots directed onto different targets of the same targeting group to conduct multiple simultaneous target inspections.

Scatterometry target and method

Growing community of inventors

Los Gatos, CA, United States of America

Christopher F Bevis