Kla Tencor Corporation

Kla Corporation

Kla-tencor Technologies Corporation

Kla-tenor Corp.

Kris Bhaskar

Jing Zhang

Brian Duffy

Laurent Karsenti

Ashok V Kulkarni

Scott Allen Young

Yujie Dong

Richard Wallingford

Grace Hsiu-Ling Chen

Mohan Mahadevan

Santosh Bhattacharyya

Mark J Roulo

Ardis Liang

Ady Levy

David Lewis Adler

Mark Armstrong McCord

Lisheng Gao

Christopher F Bevis

Lena Nicolaides

Allen Park

Eliezer Rosengaus

Eugene Shifrin

Michael D Kirk

Mark Wagner

Keith B Wells

Sankar Venkataraman

Songnian Rong

John Raymond Jordan, Iii

Chetana Bhaskar

Hubert Altendorfer

Ping Gu

Kais Maayah

Mehdi Vaez-Iravani

Guoheng Zhao

Michael E Adel

Yang Li

Bjorn Brauer

Ellis Chang

Wayne McMillan

Amir Widmann

Saibal Banerjee

Chien-Huei (Adam) Chen

Michael John Van Riet

Li He

Chris Maher

Aneesh Khullar

Cecelia Anne Campochiaro

Vijayakumar Ramachandran

Huajun Ying

Zhuoning Yuan

Graham Michael Lynch

Yair Carmon

Lalita A Balasubramanian

Rajkumar Theagarajan

Graham Jensen

Atiqur Rahman Chowdhury

Brad Ries

Richard (Seng Wee) Yeoh

Stephen Hiebert

Chwen-Jiann Fang

Vishank Bhatia

Alpa Kohli

Hung Nien

Ravi Chandra Donapati

Ashok Mathew

Michael Daino

Nan Bai

Patrick McBride

Lalita Balasubramanian

Methods and systems for determining information for a specimen are provided. One system includes a computer subsystem and one or more components executed by the computer subsystem that include a setup deep learning (DL) model configured for separately performing defect detection for a specimen based on output generated for the specimen by each of two or more modes of an inspection system, respectively, and separately re-performing defect detection for the specimen based on masked output generated for each of the modes, respectively. The computer subsystem determines a difference between results of separately performing and separately re-performing the defect detections for each of the modes, respectively, and identifies a subset of the modes for which the difference is larger than other modes as candidate mode(s) for inspection of the specimen.

Deep learning based mode selection for inspection

A system may be configured for joint defect discovery and optical mode selection. Defects are detected during a defect discovery step. The discovered defects are accumulated into a mode selection dataset. The mode selection dataset is used to perform mode selection to determine a mode combination. The mode combination may then be used to train the defect detection model. Additional defects may then be detected by the defect detection model. The additional defects may then be provided to the mode selection dataset, for further performing mode selection and training the defect detection model. One or more run-time modes may then be determined. The system may be configured for mode selection and defect detection at an image pixel level.

Mode selection and defect detection training

Methods and systems for determining information for a specimen are provided. Certain embodiments relate to bump height 3D inspection and metrology using deep learning artificial intelligence. For example, one embodiment includes a deep learning (DL) model configured for predicting height of one or more 3D structures formed on a specimen based on one or more images of the specimen generated by an imaging subsystem. One or more computer systems are configured for determining information for the specimen based on the predicted height. Determining the information may include, for example, determining if any of the 3D structures are defective based on the predicted height. In another example, the information determined for the specimen may include an average height metric for the one or more 3D structures.

3D structure inspection or metrology using deep learning

Methods and systems for accelerated training of a machine learning based model for semiconductor applications are provided. One method for training a machine learning based model includes acquiring information for non-nominal instances of specimen(s) on which a process is performed. The machine learning based model is configured for performing simulation(s) for the specimens. The machine learning based model is trained with only information for nominal instances of additional specimen(s). The method also includes re-training the machine learning based model with the information for the non-nominal instances of the specimen(s) thereby performing transfer learning of the information for the non-nominal instances of the specimen(s) to the machine learning based model.

Accelerated training of a machine learning based model for semiconductor applications

Methods and systems for performing diagnostic functions for a deep learning model are provided. One system includes one or more components executed by one or more computer subsystems. The one or more components include a deep learning model configured for determining information from an image generated for a specimen by an imaging tool. The one or more components also include a diagnostic component configured for determining one or more causal portions of the image that resulted in the information being determined and for performing one or more functions based on the determined one or more causal portions of the image.

Diagnostic systems and methods for deep learning models configured for semiconductor applications

Methods and systems for learnable defect detection for semiconductor applications are provided. One system includes a deep metric learning defect detection model configured for projecting a test image for a specimen and a corresponding reference image into latent space, determining a distance in the latent space between one or more different portions of the test image and corresponding portion(s) of the corresponding reference image, and detecting defects in the one or more different portions of the test image based on the determined distances. Another system includes a learnable low-rank reference image generator configured for removing noise from one or more test images for a specimen thereby generating one or more reference images corresponding to the one or more test images.

Learnable defect detection for semiconductor applications

An inspection system is disclosed. The inspection system includes a shared memory configured to receive image data from a defect inspection tool and a controller communicatively coupled to the shared memory. The controller includes a host image module configured to apply one or more general-purpose defect-inspection algorithms to the image data using central-processing unit (CPU) architectures, a results module configured to generate inspection data for defects identified by the host image module, and secondary image module(s) configured to apply one or more targeted defect-inspection algorithms to the image data. The secondary image module(s) employ flexible sampling of the image data to match a data processing rate of the host image module within a selected tolerance. The flexible sampling of the image data is adjusted responsive to the inspection data generated by the results module and the host image module.

Multi-controller inspection system

Methods and systems for performing active learning for defect classifiers are provided. One system includes one or more computer subsystems configured for performing active learning for training a defect classifier. The active learning includes applying an acquisition function to data points for the specimen. The acquisition function selects one or more of the data points based on uncertainty estimations associated with the data points. The active learning also includes acquiring labels for the selected one or more data points and generating a set of labeled data that includes the selected one or more data points and the acquired labels. The computer subsystem(s) are also configured for training the defect classifier using the set of labeled data. The defect classifier is configured for classifying defects detected on the specimen using the images generated by the imaging subsystem.

Active learning for defect classifier training

Methods and systems for generating a high resolution image for a specimen from one or more low resolution images of the specimen are provided. One system includes one or more computer subsystems configured for acquiring one or more low resolution images of a specimen. The system also includes one or more components executed by the one or more computer subsystems. The one or more components include a model that includes one or more first layers configured for generating a representation of the one or more low resolution images. The model also includes one or more second layers configured for generating a high resolution image of the specimen from the representation of the one or more low resolution images.

Generating high resolution images from low resolution images for semiconductor applications

Methods and systems for training a neural network for defect detection in low resolution images are provided. One system includes an inspection tool that includes high and low resolution imaging subsystems and one or more components that include a high resolution neural network and a low resolution neural network. Computer subsystem(s) of the system are configured for generating a training set of defect images. At least one of the defect images is generated synthetically by the high resolution neural network using an image generated by the high resolution imaging subsystem. The computer subsystem(s) are also configured for training the low resolution neural network using the training set of defect images as input. In addition, the computer subsystem(s) are configured for detecting defects on another specimen by inputting the images generated for the other specimen by the low resolution imaging subsystem into the trained low resolution neural network.

Training a neural network for defect detection in low resolution images

Methods and systems for detecting defects on a specimen are provided. One system includes a storage medium configured for storing images for a physical version of a specimen generated by an inspection system. At least two dies are formed on the specimen with different values of one or more parameters of a fabrication process performed on the specimen. The system also includes computer subsystem(s) configured for comparing portions of the stored images generated at locations on the specimen at which patterns having the same as-designed characteristics are formed with at least two of the different values. The portions of the stored images that are compared are not constrained by locations of the dies on the specimen, locations of the patterns within the dies, or locations of the patterns on the specimen. The computer subsystem(s) are also configured for detecting defects at the locations based on results of the comparing.

Virtual inspection systems for process window characterization

Methods and systems for generating a simulated image from an input image are provided. One system includes one or more computer subsystems and one or more components executed by the one or more computer subsystems. The one or more components include a neural network that includes two or more encoder layers configured for determining features of an image for a specimen. The neural network also includes two or more decoder layers configured for generating one or more simulated images from the determined features. The neural network does not include a fully connected layer thereby eliminating constraints on size of the image input to the two or more encoder layers.

Generating simulated images from input images for semiconductor applications

Methods and systems for performing one or more functions for a specimen using output simulated for the specimen are provided. One system includes one or more computer subsystems configured for acquiring output generated for a specimen by one or more detectors included in a tool configured to perform a process on the specimen. The system also includes one or more components executed by the one or more computer subsystems. The one or more components include a learning based model configured for performing one or more first functions using the acquired output as input to thereby generate simulated output for the specimen. The one or more computer subsystems are also configured for performing one or more second functions for the specimen using the simulated output.

Accelerating semiconductor-related computations using learning based models

Methods and systems for training a neural network are provided. One system includes one or more components executed by one or more computer subsystems. The one or more components include a neural network configured for determining inverted features of input images in a training set for a specimen input to the neural network, a forward physical model configured for reconstructing the input images from the inverted features thereby generating a set of output images corresponding to the input images in the training set, and a residue layer configured for determining differences between the input images in the training set and their corresponding output images in the set. The one or more computer subsystems are configured for altering one or more parameters of the neural network based on the determined differences thereby training the neural network.

Systems and methods incorporating a neural network and a forward physical model for semiconductor applications

Methods and systems for detecting defects on a specimen are provided. One system includes a generative model. The generative model includes a non-linear network configured for mapping blocks of pixels of an input feature map volume into labels. The labels are indicative of one or more defect-related characteristics of the blocks. The system inputs a single test image into the generative model, which determines features of blocks of pixels in the single test image and determines labels for the blocks based on the mapping. The system detects defects on the specimen based on the determined labels.

Single image detection

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Kris Bhaskar