Applied Materials Israel Limited

Elad Sommer

Roman Kris

Vadim Vereschagin

Grigory Klebanov

Rafael Bistritzer

Einat Frishman

Ilan Ben-Harush

Sharon Duvdevani-Bar

Assaf Shamir

Jannelle Anna Geva

Dhananjay Singh Rathore

Sahar Levin

Gal Daniel Gutterman

Daniel Alan Rogers

Arundeepth Thamarassery

Omer Kerem

Ido Friedler

Asaf Golov

Avi Aviad Ben Simhon

Meng Li Cecilia Lim

A system of examination of a semiconductor specimen, comprising a processor and memory circuitry (PMC) configured to:

Examination of a hole formed in a semiconductor specimen

There is provided a system and method of a method of detecting a local shape deviation of a structural element in a semiconductor specimen, comprising: obtaining an image comprising an image representation of the structural element; extracting, from the image, an actual contour of the image representation; estimating a reference contour of the image representation indicative of a standard shape of the structural element, wherein the reference contour is estimated based on a Fourier descriptor representative of the reference contour, the Fourier descriptor being estimated using an optimization method based on a loss function specifically selected to be insensitive to local shape deviation of the actual contour; and performing one or more measurements representative of one or more differences between the actual contour and the reference contour, the measurements indicative of whether a local shape deviation is present in the structural element.

Local shape deviation in a semiconductor specimen

A method, non-transitory computer readable medium and an evaluation system for evaluating an intermediate product related to a three dimensional NAND memory unit. The evaluation system may include an imager and a processing circuit. The imager may be configured to obtain, via an open gap, an electron image of a portion of a structural element that belongs to an intermediate product. The structural element may include a sequence of layers that include a top layer that is followed by alternating nonconductive layers and recessed conductive layers. The imager may include electron optics configured to scan the portion of the structural element with an electron beam that is oblique to a longitudinal axis of the open gap. The processing circuit is configured to evaluate the intermediate product based on the electron image. The open gap (a) exhibits a high aspect ratio, (b) has a width of nanometric scale, and (c) is formed between structural elements of the intermediate product.

Evaluating an intermediate product related to a three-dimensional NAND memory unit

An evaluation system that may include an imager; and a processing circuit. The imager may be configured to obtain an electron image of a hole that is formed by an etch process, the hole exposes at least one layer of a one or more sets of layers, each set of layers comprises layers that differ from each other by their electron yield and belong to an intermediate product. The processing circuit may be configured to evaluate, based on the electron image, whether the hole ended at a target layer of the intermediate product. The intermediate product is manufactured by one or more manufacturing stages of a manufacturing process of a three dimensional NAND memory unit. The hole may exhibit a high aspect ratio, and has a width of a nanometric scale.

Evaluating a hole formed in an intermediate product

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Nes-Harim, Israel

Elad Sommer