Kla Tencor Corporation

Kla Corporation

Qiang Q Zhang

Abdurrahman Sezginer

Grace Hsiu-Ling Chen

Gary Janik

Robert M Danen

Jamie Michael Sullivan

Grace H Chen

Wenjian Cai

Rex Runyon

Steve Yifeng Cui

Mikhail Haurylau

Dieter Wilk

Meier Yitzhak Brender

Steve Short

Suwipin Martono

Shobhit Verma

Hong Xiao

Alan D Brodie

Rui-Fang Shi

Lu Chen

Lawrence Muray

John Gerling

Xiumei Liu

Layton Hale

Yanwei Liu

Francis Chilese

Kuljit Virk

Brooke Bruguier

Nick Petrone

Stephen Taylor

A system is disclosed. In one embodiment, the system includes a scanning electron microscopy sub-system including an electron source configured to generate an electron beam and an electron-optical assembly including one or more electron-optical elements configured to direct the electron beam to the specimen. In another embodiment, the system includes one or more grounding paths coupled to the specimen, the one or more grounding paths configured to generate one or more transmission signals based on one or more received electron beam-induced transmission currents. In another embodiment, the system includes a controller configured to: generate control signals configured to cause the scanning electron microscopy sub-system to scan the portion of the electron beam across a portion of the specimen; receive the transmission signals via the one or more grounding paths; and generate transmission current images based on the transmission signals.

Defect inspection and review using transmissive current image of charged particle beam system

A system for automated focus tracking of a sample is disclosed. The system comprises an illumination source, a set of illumination optics in an illumination path, a set of collection optics in a collection path, a first slit device in the illumination path, a second slit device in the collection path, at least one detector configured to generate an image of the sample, and a controller configured to receive through-focus information from the image, and provide corrective motion to a stage holding the sample to maintain a position of the sample at a selected focus. A method for automated focus tracking of a sample is also disclosed.

Tilted slit confocal system configured for automated focus detection and tracking

Disclosed are apparatus and methods for inspecting a sample. Locations corresponding to candidate defect events on a sample are provided from an inspector operable to acquire optical images from which such candidate defect events are detected at their corresponding locations across the sample. High-resolution images are acquired from a high-resolution inspector of the candidate defect events at their corresponding locations on the sample. Each of a set of modelled optical images, which have been modeled from a set of the acquired high-resolution images, is correlated with corresponding ones of a set of the acquired optical images, to identify surface noise events, as shown in the set of high-resolution images, as sources for the corresponding candidate events in the set of acquired optical images. Otherwise, a subsurface event is identified as a likely source for a corresponding candidate defect event.

Correlating SEM and optical images for wafer noise nuisance identification

Disclosed is a system that includes a light source for generating an illumination beam and an illumination lens system for directing the illumination beam towards a sample. The system further includes a collection lens system for directing towards a detector output light from the sample in response to the illumination beam and a detector for receiving the output light from the sample. The collection lens system includes a fixed-design compensator plate having individually selectable filters with different configurations for correcting system aberration of the system under different operating conditions. The system also includes a controller operable for: (i) generating and directing the illumination beam towards the sample, (ii) selecting operating conditions and a filter for correcting the system aberration under such selected operating conditions, (iii) generating an image based on the output light, and (iv) determining whether the sample passes inspection or characterizing such sample based on the image.

Arbitrary wavefront compensator for deep ultraviolet (DUV) optical imaging system

Disclosed are apparatus and methods for inspecting a semiconductor sample. Locations corresponding to candidate defect events on a semiconductor sample are provided from an optical inspector operable to acquire optical images from which such candidate defect events are detected at their corresponding locations across the sample. High-resolution images are acquired from a high-resolution inspector of the candidate defect events at their corresponding locations on the sample. Each of a set of modelled optical images, which have been modeled from a set of the acquired high-resolution images, is correlated with corresponding ones of a set of the acquired optical images, to identify surface noise events, as shown in the set of high-resolution images, as sources for the corresponding candidate events in the set of acquired optical images. Otherwise, a subsurface event is identified as a likely source for a corresponding candidate defect event.

Disclosed are methods and apparatus for inspecting an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) reticle using an optical inspection tool. An inspection tool having a pupil filter positioned at an imaging pupil is used to obtain a test image or signal from an output beam that is reflected and scattered from a test portion of an EUV test reticle. The pupil filter is configured to provide phase contrast in the output beam. A reference image or signal is obtained for a reference reticle portion that is designed to be identical to the test reticle portion. The test and reference images or signals are compared and it is determined whether the test reticle portion has any candidate defects based on such comparison. For each of a plurality of test reticle portions of the reticle, the operations for using the inspection tool, obtaining a reference image or signal, comparing, and determining are repeated. A defect report is generated based on any candidate defects that have been determined to be present.

Phase contrast monitoring for extreme ultra-violet (EUV) masks defect inspection

An inspection system with selectable apodization includes a selectably configurable apodization device disposed along an optical pathway of an optical system. The apodization device includes one or more apodization elements operatively coupled to one or more actuation stages. The one or more actuation stages are configured to selectably actuate the one or more apodization elements along one or more directions. The inspection system includes a control system communicatively coupled to the one or more actuation stages. The control system is configured to selectably control an actuation state of at the one or more apodization elements so as to apply a selected apodization profile formed with the one or more apodization elements.

System and method for apodization in a semiconductor device inspection system

Disclosed is test structure for measuring wave-front aberration of an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) inspection system. The test structure includes a substrate formed from a material having substantially no reflectivity for EUV light and a multilayer (ML) stack portion, such as a pillar, formed on the substrate and comprising a plurality of alternating pairs of layers having different refractive indexes so as to reflect EUV light. The pairs have a count equal to or less than 15.

Wave front aberration metrology of optics of EUV mask inspection system

An inspection system with selectable apodization includes an illumination source configured to illuminate a surface of a sample, a detector configured to detect at least a portion of light emanating from the surface of the sample, the illumination source and the detector being optically coupled via an optical pathway of an optical system, a selectably configurable apodization device disposed along the optical pathway, wherein the apodization device includes one or more apodization elements operatively coupled to one or more actuation stages configured to selectably actuate the one or more apodization elements along one or more directions, and a control system communicatively coupled to the one or more actuation and configured to selectably control apodization of illumination transmitted along the optical pathway by controlling an actuation state of the one or more apodization elements.

The generation of EUV light includes rotating a cylinder at least partially coated with a plasma-forming target material, directing pulsed illumination to a first set of helically-arranged spots traversing a material-coated portion of the rotating cylinder in a first direction and directing pulsed illumination to a second set of helically-arranged spots traversing the material-coated portion of the rotating cylinder in a second direction, the pulsed illumination being suitable for exciting the plasma-forming target material.

Continuous generation of extreme ultraviolet light

Systems and methods for detecting defects on a wafer are provided. One method includes combining first image data and second image data, generated using different output generated using different values for focus of an inspection system, corresponding to substantially the same locations on the wafer thereby creating additional image data for the wafer and detecting defects on the wafer using the additional image data.

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Qiang Q Zhang