Kla-tencor Technologies Corporation

Park Scientific Instruments

Siscan Systems, Inc.

Thermomicroscopes Corporation

Other

Kla Tencor Corporation

Datasonics, Inc.

Natural Imaging Corporation

Thermomicorosrescoper, Corp

Ian R Smith

Michael E Adel

Ady Levy

Walter Dean Mieher

Michael Friedmann

Sang-Il Park

Mark Ghinovker

Christopher F Bevis

Anatoly Fabrikant

Boris Golovanesky

John Fielden

Noah Bareket

Michael D Kirk

Frederick I Linker

James T Lindow

Simon D Bennett

Dan Wack

Piotr S Zalicki

Paola Dececco

Thaddeus Gerard Dziura

Kenneth P Gross

John D Alexander

Boris Golovanevsky

Marco Tortonese

Sung-il Park

Mehdi Vaez-Iravani

Guoheng Zhao

David Lewis Adler

Mehrdad Nikoonahad

Edward Herbert

Christian Wolters

Timothy G Slater

Luca Grella

Saibal Banerjee

Bradley W Scheer

Sung Ho Park

Yu Guan

Ellen R Laird

Dong Ho Choi

David R Bakker

Moshe Baruch

Ken Gross

Sean S Cahill

Don Brayton

Peter R Swift

Sano-Il Park

Gary A Melmon

Gian F Lorusso

Noam Knoll

A frayed cable scaling tool is made by fraying the end of a cable so that it forms a wire brush. A collar or other way of keeping the cable from unraveling too much is necessary. When powered by a pneumatic saw power tool, the scaling tool is very effective at removing scale, rust, carbon, or other debris. The flexibility of the cable allows the frayed end of the cable to move vigorously in a random motion, which is effective for scrubbing. For some applications, it is preferred to enclose the cable and/or the collar in a guide tube.

Frayed cable scaling tool

Disclosed are techniques, apparatus, and targets for determining overlay error between two layers of a sample. A plurality of targets is provided. Each target includes a portion of the first and second structures and each is designed to have an offset between its first and second structure portions. The targets are illuminated with electromagnetic radiation to thereby obtain spectra from each target at a &#x2212;1diffraction order and a +1diffraction order. It is determined whether there are any overlay error between the first structures and the second structures using a scatterometry technique based on the detected spectra by (i) for each target, determining a first differential intensity between the &#x2212;1diffraction order and a +1diffraction order, (ii) for a plurality of pairs of targets each having a first target and a second target, determining a second differential intensity between the first differential intensity of the first target and the first differential intensity of the second target, and (iii) determining any overlay error between the first structures and the second structures using a scatterometry technique based on the second differential intensities determined from each target pair.

Apparatus and methods for detecting overlay errors using scatterometry

Disclosed are apparatus and methods for determining overlay between a plurality of first structures in a first layer of a sample and a plurality of second structures in a second layer of the sample. Targets A, B, C and D that each include a portion of the first and second structures are provided. The target A is designed to have an offset Xa between its first and second structures portions; the target B is designed to have an offset Xb between its first and second structures portions; the target C is designed to have an offset Xc between its first and second structures portions; and the target D is designed to have an offset Xd between its first and second structures portions. Each of the offsets Xa, Xb, Xc and Xd is different from zero, and Xa is an opposite sign and differ from Xb.

Disclosed are techniques, apparatus, and targets for determining overlay error between two layers of a sample. Target A is designed to have an offset Xa between its first and second structures portions; target B is designed to have an offset Xb; target C is designed to have an offset Xc; and target D is designed to have an offset Xd. Each of the offsets Xa, Xb, Xc and Xd is preferably different from zero; Xa is an opposite sign and differ from Xb; and Xc is an opposite sign and differs from Xd. The targets A, B, C and D are illuminated with electromagnetic radiation to obtain spectra S, S, S, and Sfrom targets A, B, C, and D, respectively. Any overlay error between the first structures and the second structures is then determined using a linear approximation based on the obtained spectra S, S, S, and S.

An electrical test method and apparatus are disclosed. In the method one or more ring oscillators are formed in one or more layers prior to formation of a metal 1 layer of a semiconductor wafer. The one or more layers comprise the formulation of transistors and local interconnects. One or more test structures are formed in one or more interconnect layers at or after the metal 1 of the semiconductor wafer. Each test structure is coupled to a corresponding one or more ring oscillators. A voltage is applied to one or more non-precision contacts to cause the ring oscillators to oscillate. At-speed performance of one or more test structures is determined from one or more measured signals obtained from the test structures. The electrical test apparatus includes one or more ring oscillators formed in one or more layers prior to formation of a metal 1 comprising the formulation of transistors and local interconnects of a semiconductor wafer and one or more test structures formed in one or more interconnect layers at or after the metal 1 of the semiconductor wafer. Each test structure is coupled to one or more corresponding ring oscillators. A non-precision contact is coupled to the one or more ring oscillators for applying voltage to one or more non-precision contacts to cause the ring oscillators to oscillate.

Electrical test method and apparatus

Disclosed is a combined scatterometry mark comprising a scatterometry critical dimension (CD) or profile target capable of being measured to determine CD or profile information and a scatterometry overlay target disposed over the scatterometry CD or profile target, the scatterometry overlay target cooperating with the scatterometry CD or profile target to form a scatterometry mark capable of being measured to determine overlay.

Disclosed is a method for determining an overlay error between at least two layers in a multiple layer sample. An imaging optical system is used to measure a plurality of measured optical signals from a plurality of periodic targets on the sample. The targets each have a first structure in a first layer and a second structure in a second layer. There are predefined offsets between the first and second structures. A scatterometry overlay technique is then used to analyze the measured optical signals of the periodic targets and the predefined offsets of the first and second structures of the periodic targets to thereby determine an overlay error between the first and second structures of the periodic targets.

Disclosed is a method of determining an overlay error between two layers of a multiple layer sample. For a plurality of periodic targets that each have a first structure formed from a first layer and a second structure formed from a second layer of the sample, an optical system is employed to thereby measure an optical signal from each of the periodic targets. There are predefined offsets between the first and second structures. An overlay error is determined between the first and second structures by analyzing the measured optical signals from the periodic targets using a scatterometry overlay technique based on the predefined offsets.

Parameters of a metrology tool may be determined by measuring a dimension of a feature on a calibration standard with the tool and using the measured dimension and a known traceable value of the dimension to determine a value for the parameter. If the dimension of the feature on the standard has a known traceable value, different standards may be used to calibrate different tools.

Calibration standards and methods

Disclosed are techniques, apparatus, and targets for determining overlay error between two layers of a sample. In one embodiment, a method for determining overlay between a plurality of first structures in a first layer of a sample and a plurality of second structures in a second layer of the sample is disclosed. Targets A, B, C and D that each include a portion of the first and second structures are provided. Target A is designed to have an offset Xa between its first and second structures portions; target B is designed to have an offset Xb between its first and second structures portions; target C is designed to have an offset Xc between its first and second structures portions; and target D is designed to have an offset Xd between its first and second structures portions. Each of the offsets Xa, Xb, Xc and Xd is preferably different from zero; Xa is an opposite sign and differ from Xb; and Xc is an opposite sign and differs from Xd. The targets A, B, C and D are illuminated with electromagnetic radiation to obtain spectra S, S, S, and Sfrom targets A, B, C, and D, respectively. Any overlay error between the first structures and the second structures is then determined using a linear approximation based on the obtained spectra S, S, S, and S.

Disclosed is a method of determining an overlay error between two layers of a multiple layer sample. For a plurality of periodic targets that each have a first structure formed from a first layer and a second structure formed from a second layer of the sample, an interferometer is employed to modulate substantially a plurality of wavelengths of a broadband source and then acquiring one or more images of the periodic targets. There are predefined offsets between the first and second structures. An overlay error between the first and second structures is then determined by analyzing the one or more acquired images from the periodic targets using a scatterometry overlay technique based on the predefined offsets.

Disclosed is a method of determining an overlay error between two layers of a multiple layer sample. For each of a plurality of periodic targets target that each have a first structure formed from a first layer and a second structure formed from a second layer of the sample, a plurality of optical signals are measured at a plurality of incident angles, wherein there are predefined offsets between the first and second structures. An overlay error is then determined between the first and second structures by analyzing the measured optical signals at the plurality of incident angles from the periodic targets using a scatterometry overlay technique based on the predefined offsets without using a calibration operation.

Disclose is a combined scatterometry mark comprising a scatterometry critical dimension (CD) or profile target capable of being measured to determine CD or profile information and a scatterometry overlay target disposed over the scatterometry CD or profile target, the scatterometry overlay target cooperating with the scatterometry CD or profile target to form a scatterometry mark capable of being measured to determine overlay.

Disclosed is a method of determining an overlay error between two layers of a multiple layer sample. For each of a plurality of periodic targets that each have a first structure formed from a first layer and a second structure formed from a second layer of the sample, a first optical signal is measured using a first ellipsometer or a first reflectometer and a second optical signal is measured using a second ellipsometer or a second reflectometer. There are predefined offsets between the first and second structures. An overlay error is determined between the first and second structures by analyzing the measured first and second optical signals from the periodic targets using a scatterometry overlay technique based on the predefined offsets.

Growing community of inventors

Los Gatos, CA, United States of America

Ian R Smith