Kla Tencor Corporation

Jijen Vazhaeparambil

Guoheng Zhao

Christian Wolters

Stephen Biellak

Bret Whiteside

Anatoly Romanovsky

Yung-Ho Alex Chuang

Mehdi Vaez-Iravani

David W Shortt

Daniel Ivanov Kavaldjiev

Zhiwei Xu

Ivan Maleev

Donald Pettibone

Juergen Reich

Dirk Woll

Sam Shamouilian

A wafer scanning system includes imaging collection optics to reduce the effective spot size. Smaller spot size decreases the number of photons scattered by the surface proportionally to the area of the spot. Air scatter is also reduced. TDI is used to produce a wafer image based on a plurality of image signals integrated over the direction of linear motion of the wafer. An illumination system floods the wafer with light, and the task of creating the spot is allocated to the imaging collection optics.

TDI sensor in a darkfield system

A method and system for providing illumination is disclosed. The method may include providing a laser having a predetermined wavelength; performing at least one of: beam splitting or beam scanning prior to a frequency conversion; converting a frequency of each output beam of the at least one of: beam splitting or beam scanning; and providing the frequency converted output beam for illumination.

Laser with integrated multi line or scanning beam capability

The disclosure is directed to a system and method for inspecting a spinning sample by substantially simultaneously scanning multiple spots on a surface of the sample utilizing a plurality of illumination beams. Portions of illumination reflected, scattered, or radiated from respective spots on the surface of the sample are collected by at least one detector array. Information associated with at least one defect of the sample is determined by at least one computing system in communication with the detector array. According to various embodiments, at least one of scan pitch, spot size, spot separation, and spin rate is controlled to compensate pitch error due to tangential spot separation.

Multi-spot defect inspection system

Growing community of inventors

Saratoga, CA, United States of America

Jijen Vazhaeparambil