Carl Zeiss Smt Gmbh

Eugen Foca

Thomas Korb

Amir Avishai

Jens Timo Neumann

Dmitry Klochkov

Keumsil Lee

Alex Buxbaum

Matthias Roos

Daniel Fischer

Christian Wojek

Abhilash Srikantha

Ramani Pichumani

Hans Michael Stiepan

Joaquin Correa

Uwe Hempelmann

Frank Schleicher

Frank Schadt

The present invention relates to a charged particle beam system comprising a deflection subsystem configured to deflect a charged particle beam in a deflection direction based on a sum of analog signals generated by separate digital to analog conversion of a first digital signal and a second digital signal. The present invention further relates to a method of configuring the charged particle beam system so that each of a plurality of regions of interest can be scanned by varying only the first digital signal while the second digital signal is held constant at a value associated with the respective region of interest. The present invention further relates to a method of recording a plurality of images of the regions of interest at the premise of reduced interference due to charge accumulation.

Charged particle beam system, method of operating a charged particle beam system, method of recording a plurality of images and computer programs for executing the methods

A 3D tomographic inspection method for the inspection of semiconductor features in an inspection volume of a semiconductor wafer includes obtaining a 3D tomographic image, and selecting a plurality of 2D cross section images. The method also includes identifying contours of HAR structures, and extracting deviation parameters. The deviation parameters describe fabrication errors such as displacement, deviation in radius or diameter, area or shape.

FIB-SEM 3D tomography for measuring shape deviations of HAR structures

Semiconductor structures can be investigated, e.g., in an in-line quality check. An x-ray scattering measurement, e.g., CD-SAXS, can be used for wafer metrology. The x-ray scattering measurement can be configured based on a slice-and-imaging tomographic measurement using a dual-beam device, e.g., including a focused ion beam device and a scanning electron microscope.

Parameterizing x-ray scattering measurement using slice-and-image tomographic imaging of semiconductor structures

A method of determining a size of a contact area between a first 3D structure and a second 3D structure in an integrated semiconductor sample, includes the following steps: obtaining at least a first cross section image and a second cross section image parallel to the first cross section image, wherein obtaining the first and second cross section images includes subsequently removing a cross section surface layer of the integrated semiconductor sample using a focused ion beam to make a new cross section accessible for imaging, and imaging the new cross section of the integrated semiconductor sample with an imaging device; performing image registration of the obtained cross section images and obtaining a 3D data set; determining a 3D model representing the first 3D structure and the second 3D structure in the 3D data set; and determining a relative overlap of the first 3D structure with the second 3D structure based on the 3D model.

Contact area size determination between 3D structures in an integrated semiconductor sample

A method includes obtaining at least one 2-D image dataset of semiconductor structures formed on a wafer including one or more defects during a wafer run of a wafer using a predefined fabrication process. The method also includes determining, based on at least one machine-learning algorithm trained on prior knowledge of the fabrication process and based on the at least one 2-D image dataset, one or more process deviations of the wafer run from the predefined fabrication process as a root cause of the one or more defects. A 3-D image dataset may be determined as a hidden variable.

Automated root cause analysis for defect detection during fabrication processes of semiconductor structures

The present invention relates to a method for measuring a sample with a microscope, the method comprising the steps of: measuring a tilt of the sample, correcting an orientation of the sample based on the tilt, and scanning the sample.

Method for measuring a sample and microscope implementing the method

Methods for determining metrology sites for products includes detecting corresponding objects in measurement data of one or more product samples, and aligning the detected objects are aligned. The methods also include analyzing the aligned objects, and determining metrology sites based on the analysis. Devices use such methods to determine metrology sites for products.

Method and devices for determining metrology sites

A vacuum system, in particular an EUV lithography system, includes: a vacuum housing (), in which a vacuum environment () is formed. A surface () of the vacuum housing is subjected to contaminating particles () in the vacuum environment. A surface structure () at the surface reduces adhesion of the contaminating particles and has pore-shaped depressions () separated from one another by webs ().

Vacuum system, in particular EUV lithography system, and optical element

Microlithographic projection exposure apparatus () has a projection lens () configured to image an object plane () onto an image plane (), wherein an immersion liquid is at least temporarily provided during operation of the projection exposure apparatus between the projection lens and the image plane, wherein a measurement structure () is arranged in the immersion liquid, and wherein the measurement structure is configured to generate a measurement pattern. The projection exposure apparatus also has a measurement device () configured to measure the measurement pattern. The measurement structure has an absorption layer () including silicon oxide and/or silicon oxynitride and/or nitride.

Projection exposure apparatus and method for measuring a projection lens

A vacuum system, in particular an EUV lithography system, includes: a vacuum housing, in which a vacuum environment is formed, and also at least one component (), e.g., an optical element, having a surface () which is subjected to contaminating particles in the vacuum environment. A surface structure () is formed at the surface in order to reduce adhesion of the contaminating particles, said surface structure having pore-shaped depressions () separated from one another by webs (). The optical element has a substrate (), and a multilayer coating () applied to the substrate and configured to reflect EUV radiation (). The surface structure formed at the surface () of the multilayer coating () reduces adhesion of contaminating particles () via pore-shaped depressions () separated from one another by webs ().

A vacuum linear feed-through (), e.g., for an EUV lithography system, includes: a vacuum diaphragm bellows (), which has a first end () attaching a component and a second end (), opposite the first end, attaching to a vacuum housing, and an actuator device () generating a linear reciprocating motion of the bellows. The feed-through has at least one first shield (), connected to the bellows at the first end, and at least one second shield (), connected to the bellows at the second end. The first and second shield annularly surround the bellows, and the first and second shield overlap in the longitudinal direction of the bellows (). At least one first shield and at least one second shield are formed of a permanently magnetic material, and/or the feed-through has a voltage-generating device () generating an electric field (E) between the first shield and the second shield.

Growing community of inventors

Lauchheim, Germany

Eugen Foca