Kla Tencor Corporation

Kla-tencor Technologies Corporation

Other

Kla Corporation

Haiguang Chen

Jaydeep K Sinha

Christopher F Bevis

Charles L Chen

Kurt Lehman

Anantha R Sethuraman

Ronald L Allen

Ching Ling Meng

Robert Shinagawa

Thanassis Trikas

Sergey Kamensky

Pradeep Vukkadala

Sathish Veeraraghavan

Michael D Kirk

Shouhong Tang

Stephen Biellak

Sean X Wu

Enrique Chavez

Shing Lee

George J Kren

Daniel Ivanov Kavaldjiev

Andrew Zeng

Louis Vintro

John Hager

Mark Plemmons

Systems and methods for prediction and measurement of overlay errors are disclosed. Process-induced overlay errors may be predicted or measured utilizing film force based computational mechanics models. More specifically, information with respect to the distribution of film force is provided to a finite element (FE) model to provide more accurate point-by-point predictions in cases where complex stress patterns are present. Enhanced prediction and measurement of wafer geometry induced overlay errors are also disclosed.

Process-induced distortion prediction and feedforward and feedback correction of overlay errors

Systems and methods for improving results of wafer higher order shape (HOS) characterization and wafer classification are disclosed. The systems and methods in accordance with the present disclosure are based on localized shapes. A wafer map is partitioned into a plurality of measurement sites to improve the completeness of wafer shape representation. Various site based HOS metric values may be calculated for wafer characterization and/or classification purposes, and may also be utilized as control input for a downstream application. In addition, polar grid partitioning schemes are provided. Such polar grid partitioning schemes may be utilized to partition a wafer surface into measurement sites having uniform site areas while providing good wafer edge region coverage.

Systems, methods and metrics for wafer high order shape characterization and wafer classification using wafer dimensional geometry tool

Systems and methods for processing phase maps acquired using interferometer wafer geometry tools are disclosed. More specifically, instead of performing phase unwrapping first and then analyze the unwrapped data in a height domain, systems and methods in accordance with the present disclosure operate in a curvature domain without having to perform any phase unwrapping.

Systems and methods for wafer structure uniformity monitoring using interferometry wafer geometry tool

Systems and methods for providing micro defect inspection capabilities for optical systems such as wafer metrology tools and interferometer systems are disclosed. The systems and methods in accordance with the present disclosure may detect, classify and quantify wafer surface features, wherein the detected defects are classified and the important defect metrology information of height/depth, area and volume is reported. The systems and methods in accordance with the present disclosure therefore provide more values for quantifying the negative effect of these defects on the wafer quality.

Systems and methods for wafer surface feature detection, classification and quantification with wafer geometry metrology tools

Systems and methods for prediction of in-plane distortions (IPD) due to wafer shape in semiconductor wafer chucking process is disclosed. A series of Zernike basis wafer shapes process to emulate the non-linear finite element (FE) contact mechanics model based IPD prediction is utilized in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure. The emulated FE model based prediction process is substantially more efficient and provides accuracy comparable to the FE model based IPD prediction that utilizes full-scale 3-D wafer and chuck geometry information and requires computation intensive simulations. Furthermore, an enhanced HOS IPD/OPD prediction process based on a series of Zernike basis wafer shape images is also disclosed.

System and method to emulate finite element model based prediction of in-plane distortions due to semiconductor wafer chucking

Systems and methods for providing improved wafer geometry measurements are disclosed. A wafer geometry measurement system may utilize techniques that enable the wafer geometry measurement system to identify and reduce wafer surface errors caused by structures such as patterns on the wafers being measured. The wafer geometry measurement system may also utilize techniques that enable the wafer geometry measurement system to accurately reconstruct patterned wafer surfaces.

Systems and methods for effective pattern wafer surface measurement and analysis using interferometry tool

Interferometer systems and methods for providing improved defect detection and quantification are disclosed. The systems and methods in accordance with the present disclosure may detect surface defects on patterned or bare wafer surfaces and subsequently quantify them. In certain embodiments in accordance with the present disclosure, amplitude maps of the wafer surfaces are obtained and are utilized in addition/alternative to phase maps for wafer surface feature detection. Furthermore, local one-dimensional and/or two-dimensional unwrapping techniques are also disclosed and are utilized in certain embodiments in accordance with the present disclosure to provide height and depth information of the detected defects, further improving the detection capabilities of the measurement systems.

Systems and methods for wafer surface feature detection and quantification

Methods and systems for detection of selected defects in relatively noisy inspection data are provided. One method includes applying a spatial filter algorithm to inspection data acquired across an area on a substrate to determine a first portion of the inspection data that has a higher probability of being a selected type of defect than a second portion of the inspection data. The selected type of defect includes a non-point defect. The inspection data is generated by combining two or more raw inspection data corresponding to substantially the same locations on the substrate. The method also includes generating a two-dimensional map illustrating the first portion of the inspection data. The method further includes searching the two-dimensional map for an event that has spatial characteristics that approximately match spatial characteristics of the selected type of defect and determining if the event corresponds to a defect having the selected type.

Detection of selected defects in relatively noisy inspection data

Systems and methods for unwrapping phase signals obtained from interferometry measurements of patterned wafer surfaces are disclosed. A phase unwrapping method in accordance with the present disclosure may calculate a front surface phase map and a back surface phase map of a wafer, subtract the back surface phase map from the front surface phase map to obtain a phase difference map, unwrap the phase difference map to obtain a wafer thickness variation map, unwrap the back surface phase map to obtain a back surface map representing the back surface of the wafer; and add the wafer thickness variation map to the back surface phase map to calculate a front surface map representing the front surface of the wafer.

Hybrid phase unwrapping systems and methods for patterned wafer measurement

Systems and methods for prediction of in-plane distortions (IPD) due to wafer shape in semiconductor wafer chucking process is disclosed. A process to emulate the non-linear finite element (FE) contact mechanics model based IPD prediction is utilized in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure. The emulated FE model based prediction process is substantially more efficient and provides accuracy comparable to the FE model based IPD prediction that utilizes full-scale 3-D wafer and chuck geometry information and requires computation intensive simulations. Furthermore, an enhanced HOS IPD/OPD prediction process based on a series of Zernike basis wafer shape images is also disclosed.

Systems and methods for providing micro defect inspection capabilities for optical systems are disclosed. Each given wafer image is filtered, treated and normalized prior to performing surface feature detection and quantification. A partitioning scheme is utilized to partition the wafer image into a plurality of measurement sites and metric values are calculated for each of the plurality of measurement sites. Furthermore, transformation steps may also be utilized to extract additional process relevant metric values for analysis purposes.

Systems and methods of advanced site-based nanotopography for wafer surface metrology

A system and method for enhanced and expanded localized geometry characterization. Objects of interest are enhanced, detected, and classified according to user-defined parameters, and this enables enhanced contrast and more accurate feature detection, as well as more accurately defined feature object regions for feature geometry measurement and characterization.

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Mountain View, CA, United States of America

Haiguang Chen