Kla Tencor Corporation

Kla Corporation

Tao Luo

Lisheng Gao

Richard Wallingford

Yong Zhang

Jason Kirkwood

Lu Chen

Mohan Mahadevan

James A Smith

Stephanie Chen

Junqing (Jenny) Huang

Kenong Wu

Xiaochun Li

Keith B Wells

Brian Duffy

Eugene Shifrin

Junqing Huang

Michael John Van Riet

Markus B Huber

Tommaso Torelli

Chris W Lee

Premchandra M Shankar

Chaohong Wu

Aravindh Balaji

Jie Gong

Methods and systems for detecting defects on a specimen are provided. One system includes an inspection subsystem configured to generate images of a specimen and one or more computer subsystems configured for detecting defect candidates on the specimen. Detecting the defect candidates includes identifying a patterned feature in a test image included in the images generated of the specimen. Detecting the defect candidates also includes, for at least one pixel in the test image located within the patterned feature, determining a difference between a characteristic of the at least one pixel and the characteristic of other pixels in the test image located within a predetermined window of the at least one pixel. In addition, detecting the defect candidates includes detecting a defect candidate at the at least one pixel based on the determined difference.

Inspection of noisy patterned features

A system for defining flexible regions on a sample is disclosed. The system includes an inspection system configured to acquire one or more swath images. The system includes a controller communicatively coupled to the inspection system, the controller configured to: generate one or more median reference die (MRD) images based on the one or more swath images; generate one or more flexible region masks based on the one or more MRD images; identify a set of alignment sites on the one or more flexible region masks based on one or more coordinates of the one or more MRD images; perform patch-to-mask alignment between the one or more flexible region masks and one or more scan images by aligning the scan images and the one or more MRD images at the identified set of alignment sites; and position the one or more flexible region masks on the scan images.

System and method for defining flexible regions on a sample during inspection

Systems and methods for detecting defects on a wafer are provided. One method includes generating output for a wafer by scanning the wafer with an inspection system using first and second optical states of the inspection system. The first and second optical states are defined by different values for at least one optical parameter of the inspection system. The method also includes generating first image data for the wafer using the output generated using the first optical state and second image data for the wafer using the output generated using the second optical state. In addition, the method includes combining the first image data and the second image data corresponding to substantially the same locations on the wafer thereby creating additional image data for the wafer. The method further includes detecting defects on the wafer using the additional image data.

Systems and methods for detecting defects on a wafer

Methods and systems for detecting defects on a wafer are provided. One system includes one or more computer subsystems configured for generating a rendered image based on information for a design printed on the wafer. The rendered image is a simulation of an image generated by the optical inspection subsystem for the design printed on the wafer. The computer subsystem(s) are also configured for comparing the rendered image to an optical image of the wafer generated by the optical inspection subsystem. The design is printed on the wafer using a reticle. In addition, the computer subsystem(s) are configured for detecting defects on the wafer based on results of the comparing.

Optical die to database inspection

Methods and systems for detecting defects on a wafer are provided. One system includes one or more computer subsystems configured for generating a rendered image based on information for a design printed on the wafer. The rendered image is a simulation of an image generated by an optical inspection subsystem for the design printed on the wafer. Generating the rendered image includes one or more steps, and the computer subsystem(s) are configured for performing at least one of the one or more steps by executing a generative model. The computer subsystem(s)) are also configured for comparing the rendered image to an optical image of the wafer generated by the optical inspection subsystem. The design is printed on the wafer using a reticle. In addition, the computer subsystem(s) are configured for detecting defects on the wafer based on results of the comparing.

Methods and systems for detecting defects on a wafer are provided. One method includes altering one or more design clips based on how the one or more design clips will appear in output generated by a wafer inspection process for a wafer. The method also includes aligning the one or more altered design clips to the output generated for the wafer during the wafer inspection process. In addition, the method includes detecting defects on the wafer based on the output aligned to the one or more altered design clips.

Context-based inspection for dark field inspection

Computer-implemented methods, computer-readable media, and systems for selecting one or more parameters for inspection of a wafer are provided.

Selecting one or more parameters for inspection of a wafer

Methods and systems for detecting defects on a wafer are provided. One method includes determining characteristics of care areas for a wafer based on wafer patterns. Determining the characteristics includes determining locations of care areas, identifying at least one pattern of interest (POI) in the wafer patterns for each of the care areas, allowing any of the care areas to have a free-form shape, allowing the care areas to be larger than frame images and selecting two or more POIs for at least one of the care areas. The method also includes searching for POIs in images generated for the wafer using an inspection system. In addition, the method includes detecting defects on the wafer by determining positions of the care areas in the images and applying one or more defect detection methods to the images based on the positions of the care areas in the images.

Wafer inspection using free-form care areas

Methods and systems for segmenting pixels for wafer inspection are provided. One method includes determining a statistic for individual pixels based on a characteristic of the individual pixels in an image acquired for a wafer by an inspection system. The method also includes assigning the individual pixels to first segments based on the statistic. In addition, the method includes detecting one or more edges between the first segments in an image of the first segments and generating an edge map by projecting the one or more edges across an area corresponding to the image for the wafer. The method further includes assigning the individual pixels to second segments by applying the first segments and the edge map to the image for the wafer thereby segmenting the image. Defect detection is performed based on the second segments to which the individual pixels are assigned.

Segmentation for wafer inspection

Methods and systems for detecting defects on a wafer are provided.

Detecting defects on a wafer

Computer-implemented methods, carrier media, and systems for selecting polarization settings for an inspection system for inspection of a layer of a wafer are provided. One method includes detecting a population of defects on the layer of the wafer using results of each of two or more scans of the wafer performed with different combinations of polarization settings of the inspection system for illumination and collection of light scattered from the wafer. The method also includes identifying a subpopulation of the defects for each of the different combinations, each of which includes the defects that are common to at least two of the different combinations, and determining a characteristic of a measure of signal-to-noise for each of the subpopulations. The method further includes selecting the polarization settings for the illumination and the collection to be used for the inspection corresponding to the subpopulation having the best value for the characteristic.

Growing community of inventors

Fremont, CA, United States of America

Tao Luo