Kla Tencor Corporation

Onto Innovation Inc.

Graham Michael Lynch

Ashok V Kulkarni

Kris Bhaskar

Eugene Shifrin

John Raymond Jordan, Iii

Chwen-Jiann Fang

A surface topography of a sample with a transparent surface layer is measured using surface topographies of a reference sample. The surface topographies of the reference sample are measured before and after the deposition of an opaque film over the surface layer. A surface topography of the sample is measured at the same relative positions as the surface topography measurements of the reference sample. A height difference at multiple corresponding positions on the sample and the pre-opaque film reference sample is determined. The actual surface height of the reference sample at each position is known from the surface topography of the post-opaque reference sample. The actual surface topography of the sample is determined by combining the actual surface heights of the reference sample with the determined height differences. The resulting surface topography of the sample may be used to characterize the sample, such as detecting defects on the sample.

Surface height determination of transparent film

Systems and methods for detecting defects on a wafer are provided. One method includes determining locations of all instances of a weak geometry in a design for a wafer. The locations include random, aperiodic locations. The weak geometry includes one or more features that are more prone to defects than other features in the design. The method also includes scanning the wafer with a wafer inspection system to thereby generate output for the wafer with one or more detectors of the wafer inspection system. In addition, the method includes detecting defects in at least one instance of the weak geometry based on the output generated at two or more instances of the weak geometry in a single die on the wafer.

Detecting defects on a wafer

Methods and systems for setting up a wafer inspection process using programmed defects are provided. One method includes altering a design for a dummy area of a production chip such that printing of the dummy area on a wafer results in printing of a variety of defects. Two or more of the defects have different types, one or more different characteristics, different contexts in the design, or a combination thereof. The dummy area printed on a wafer may then be scanned with two or more optical modes of an inspection system to determine which of the optical mode(s) are better for defect detection. Additional areas of the wafer may then be scanned with the optical mode(s) that are better for defect detection to determine noise information. The noise information may then be used to select one or more of the optical modes for use in a wafer inspection process.

Growing community of inventors

Singapore, Singapore

Graham Michael Lynch