Applied Materials Israel Limited

Shmuel Mangan

Amir Moshe Sagiv

Boris Goldberg

Mariano Abramson

On Haran

Lev Faivishevsky

Ishai Schwarzband

Sergey Khristo

Chaim Braude

Michael Ben-Yishai

Michael Ben-Yishay

Lior Shoval

Roman Vander

Methods and systems for designing a binary spatial filter based on data indicative of a desired exposure condition to be emulated by an inspection system, and for implementing the binary spatial filter in an optical path of the inspection system, thereby enabling emulation of the desired exposure condition by interacting a light beam of the inspection system with the binary spatial filter. The present method and systems enable on-the-fly and on-demand design and implementation/generation of spatial filters for use in inspection systems.

Method and system for use of binary spatial filters

An optical system having coherence reduction capabilities includes a light source for generating a first light pulse; an asymmetrical pulse stretcher arranged to receive the first light pulse and to generate multiple light pulses, during a pulse sequence generation period, wherein the asymmetrical pulse stretcher includes multiple optical components which define a loop and a condenser lens is located between the asymmetrical pulse stretcher and an object, for directing the multiple pulses toward an area on the object At least two optical components of the multiple optical components are positioned in an almost symmetrical manner in relation to each other and introduce a coherence-related difference between at least two pulses of the multiple pulses. The pulse sequence generation period does not exceed a response period of a detector.

Method and system for coherence reduction

Method and system for creation of binary spatial filters

Evaluating error sources associated with a mask involves: (i) receiving data representative of multiple images of the mask that were obtained at different exposure conditions; (ii) calculating, for multiple sub-frames of each image of the mask, values of a function of intensities of pixels of each sub-frame to provide multiple calculated values; and (iii) detecting error sources in response to calculated values and in response to sensitivities of the function to each error source.

System and method for evaluating error sources associated with a mask

A method and system for evaluating an object that has a repetitive pattern. Illumination optics of an optical unit are adapted to scan a spot of radiation over a repetitive pattern that includes multiple regularly repeating structural elements that are optically distinguishable from their background, generating a diffraction pattern that includes multiple diffraction lobes. Collection optics are adapted to focus radiation from the repetitive pattern onto a detector. The focused radiation includes a single diffraction lobe while not including other diffraction lobes. A grey field detector generates detection signals, responsive to the focused collected radiation. The optical unit is adapted to maintain, at a detection surface of the grew field detector, a radiation pattern that includes a first radiation pattern component resulting from the repetitive pattern and a second radiation pattern component resulting from a defect; wherein the first radiation pattern component is stronger than the second radiation component.

Method and system for evaluating an object that has a repetitive pattern

A system, method and computer readable medium for reticle evaluation, the method includes: (i) obtaining, during an imaging process, multiple images of the reticle under different polarization and optionally interferometric conditions; and (ii) generating an output aerial image in response to (i) the multiple images and (ii) differences between the imaging process and an exposure process; wherein during the exposure process an image of the reticle is projected onto a wafer.

Method and system for aerial imaging of a reticle

A method for evaluating placement errors within a lithographic mask, the method includes: providing or receiving a reference result that represents a distance between a reference pair of points of a reference element; measuring, for each pair of points out of multiple pairs of points that are associated with multiple spaced apart elements of the lithographic mask, the distance between the pair of points to provide multiple measurement results; wherein differences between a measurement result and the reference result are indicative of relative placement errors; and determining relative placement errors in response to relationships between the reference result and each of the measurement results.

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Rehovot, Israel

Shmuel Mangan