Onvector Technology LLC

Kla-tencor Technologies Corporation

Therma-wave, Inc.

Sensys Instruments Corporation

Onvector Technologies LLC

Biogents Ag

Michael Weber-Grabau

Adam Eales Norton

Fred E Stanke

Edric Tong

Clinton Carlisle

Christopher F Bevis

Yuval Ben-Dov

Elliot Burke

James M Cahill

Hung V Pham

Martin Geier

Douglas E Ruth

Michael Faeyrman

Ofir Zamir

Badru D Hyatt

Ivelin A Anguelov

Object detection systems are provided herein. An example system includes an enclosure formed by a sidewall to define an interaction volume, at least one light source for illuminating the interaction volume with a light, at least one light sensor that senses disturbances in light intensity due to scattering, reflection, or absorption of the light by objects within the interaction volume, and a controller that is configured to detect an object or object behavior within interaction volume based on the disturbances in the light intensity. The objection detection system may also include a trigger volume and/or a sorting volume.

Object detection systems

Object detection systems are provided herein. An example system includes an enclosure formed by a sidewall to define an interaction volume, at least one light source for illuminating the interaction volume with a light, at least one light sensor that senses disturbances in light intensity due to scattering, reflection, or absorption of the light by objects within the interaction volume, and a controller that is configured to detect an object or object behavior within interaction volume based on the disturbances in the light intensity.

A system that includes an optical subsystem and an atomic force microscope probe is provided. The optical subsystem is configured to generate positional information about a location on a surface of the specimen. The system is configured to position the probe proximate the location based on the positional information. One method includes generating positional information about a location on a surface of a specimen with an optical subsystem. The method also includes positioning an atomic force microscopy probe proximate the location based on the positional information. Another system includes an optical subsystem configured to measure overlay of a wafer using scatterometry. The system also includes an atomic force microscope configured to measure a characteristic of a feature on the wafer. An additional method includes measuring overlay of a wafer using scatterometry. The method also includes measuring a characteristic of a feature on the wafer using atomic force microscopy.

Methods and systems for analyzing a specimen using atomic force microscopy profiling in combination with an optical technique

A surface analysis apparatus and a method for compensating for mechanical vibrations and drifts in a surface analysis instrument are disclosed. A probe that is sensitive to the distance between the probe and a sample surface provides a probe signal. The probe signal contains information about the surface properties and noise due to changes in the probe-surface distance. A sensor measures a displacement between a probe and the sample surface. The sensor is substantially insensitive to the surface properties measured by the probe. The displacement measurement can be used to compensate for the noise in the probe signal.

Direct relative motion measurement for vibration induced noise and drift cancellation

This invention is an apparatus for imaging metrology, which in particular embodiments may be integrated with a processor station such that a metrology station is apart from but coupled to a process station. The metrology station is provided with a first imaging camera with a first field of view containing the measurement region. Alternate embodiments include a second imaging camera with a second field of view. Preferred embodiments comprise a broadband ultraviolet light source, although other embodiments may have a visible or near infrared light source of broad or narrow optical bandwidth. Embodiments including a broad bandwidth source typically include a spectrograph, or an imaging spectrograph. Particular embodiments may include curved, reflective optics or a measurement region wetted by a liquid. In a typical embodiment, the metrology station and the measurement region are configured to have 4 degrees of freedom of movement relative to each other.

Wafer metrology apparatus and method

A wafer measurement apparatus ( ) and method for measuring a film thickness property of a wafer ( ) that does not require a water bath or complicated wafer handling apparatus. The apparatus includes a chuck ( ) having an upper surface ( ) for supporting the wafer, and a perimeter ( ). Also included is a metrology module ( ) for measuring one or more film thickness properties. The metrology module is arranged adjacent the chuck upper surface and has a measurement window ( ) with a lower surface ( ) arranged substantially parallel to the chuck upper surface, thereby defining an open volume ( ). The apparatus includes a water supply system in fluid communication with the open volume via nozzles ( ) for flowing water through and back-filling the volume in a manner that does not produce bubbles within the volume. A catchment ( ) surrounding the chuck may be used to catch water flowing out of the volume. Methods of performing measurements of one or more wafer film properties are also described.

Bathless wafer measurement apparatus and method

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Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

Michael Weber-Grabau