Kla Tencor Corporation

Kla-tencor Technologies Corporation

Dieter Wilk

Jamie Michael Sullivan

Rex Runyon

Gary Janik

Robert M Danen

Grace Hsiu-Ling Chen

Qiang Q Zhang

Wenjian Cai

Eric Vella

Steve Yifeng Cui

Mikhail Haurylau

Meier Yitzhak Brender

Anlun Tang

Steve Short

Suwipin Martono

Shobhit Verma

Christian Wolters

Ralph T Johnson

Raymond Chu

Chuanyong Huang

Gordana Neskovic

Tim Mahatdejkul

The present disclosure is directed to a method for designing an aperture in a mask for inspecting a wafer. The method includes the steps of scanning a collection plane of the wafer at a plurality of points and collecting data for at least a part of the wafer. The method also includes the step of mapping the data. A further step of the method includes configuring the aperture based on the mapped data.

Haze and defect distribution and aperture configuration in surface metrology inspectors

An inspection system with selectable apodization includes a selectably configurable apodization device disposed along an optical pathway of an optical system. The apodization device includes one or more apodization elements operatively coupled to one or more actuation stages. The one or more actuation stages are configured to selectably actuate the one or more apodization elements along one or more directions. The inspection system includes a control system communicatively coupled to the one or more actuation stages. The control system is configured to selectably control an actuation state of at the one or more apodization elements so as to apply a selected apodization profile formed with the one or more apodization elements.

System and method for apodization in a semiconductor device inspection system

An inspection system with selectable apodization includes an illumination source configured to illuminate a surface of a sample, a detector configured to detect at least a portion of light emanating from the surface of the sample, the illumination source and the detector being optically coupled via an optical pathway of an optical system, a selectably configurable apodization device disposed along the optical pathway, wherein the apodization device includes one or more apodization elements operatively coupled to one or more actuation stages configured to selectably actuate the one or more apodization elements along one or more directions, and a control system communicatively coupled to the one or more actuation and configured to selectably control apodization of illumination transmitted along the optical pathway by controlling an actuation state of the one or more apodization elements.

Disclosed are mechanisms for selectively filtering spatial portions of light emanating from a sample under inspection within an optical system. In one embodiment, a programmable spatial filter (PSF) is constructed from materials that are compatible with light in a portion of the UV wavelength range. In a specific implementation, the PSF is constructed from a UV compatible material, such as a polymer stabilized liquid crystal material. In a further aspect, the PSF also includes a pair of plates that are formed from a UV grade glass. The PSF may also include a relatively thin first and second ITO layer that results in a sheet resistance between about 100 and about 300 &OHgr; per square. The PSF provides selective filtering in two directions. In other words, the PSF provides two dimensional filtering.

Two-dimensional UV compatible programmable spatial filter

Disclosed are mechanisms for selectively filtering spatial portions of light emanating from a sample under inspection within an optical system. In one embodiment, a programmable spatial filter (PSF) is constructed from materials that are compatible with light in a portion of the UV wavelength range. In a specific implementation, the PSF is constructed from a UV compatible material, such as a polymer stabilized liquid crystal material. In a further aspect, the PSF also includes a pair of plates that are formed from a UV grade glass. The PSF may also include a relatively thin first and second ITO layer that results in a sheet resistance between about 100 and about 300 &OHgr; per square.

UV compatible programmable spatial filter

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

Dieter Wilk