Vistec Semiconductor Systems Gmbh

Kla Tencor Corporation

Leica Microsystems Wetzlar Gmbh

Leica Microsystems Semiconductor Gmbh

Kla-Tencor Mie Gmbh

Muetec Automatisierta Mikroskopie Und Messtechnik Gmbh

Wolfgang Vollrath

Lambert Danner

Guoheng Zhao

Stanley E Stokowski

Lena Nicolaides

Isabella Talley Lewis

Mohan Mahadevan

Youxian Wen

Albert Kreh

Andreas Birkner

Prashant Aji

Henning Backhauss

Paul Horn

Martin Osterfeld

Michael Veith

Roland Hedrich

Gerhard Hoppen

Ben-Ming Benjamin Tsai

Christof Krampe-Zadler

Kurt Hahn

Michael Hofmann

Thomas Krieg

Gerd Scheuring

Frank Eisenkr&auml;mer

Alexander Büttner

Hermann Bittner

Frank Hillmann

Hans-Jürgen Brueck

Michael Gasvoda

Prashant A Aji

Disclosed are methods and apparatus for inspecting and processing semiconductor wafers. The system includes an edge detection system for receiving each wafer that is to undergo a photolithography process. The edge detection system comprises an illumination channel for directing one or more illumination beams towards a side, top, and bottom edge portion that are within a border region of the wafer. The edge detection system also includes a collection module for collecting and sensing output radiation that is scattered or reflected from the edge portion of the wafer and an analyzer module for locating defects in the edge portion and determining whether each wafer is within specification based on the sensed output radiation for such wafer. The photolithography system is configured for receiving from the edge detection system each wafer that has been found to be within specification. The edge detection system is coupled in-line with the photolithography system.

In-line wafer edge inspection, wafer pre-alignment, and wafer cleaning

An apparatus () for the optical inspection of wafers is disclosed, which comprises an assembly unit () which carries optical elements () of at least one illumination path () for a bright field illumination and optical elements () of at least one illumination path () for a dark field illumination. The assembly unit () furthermore carries plural optical elements () of at least one detection path (). An imaging optical element () of the at least one illumination path () for the bright field illumination (), imaging optical elements () of the at least one illumination path for the dark field illumination, and imaging optical elements () of the at least one detection path () are designed in such a way that all illumination paths () and all detection paths () are telecentric.

Apparatus for the optical inspection of wafers

A device for evaluating defects in the edge area of a wafer () is disclosed. The evaluation may also be performed automatically. In particular, the device includes three cameras (), each provided with an objective (), wherein a first camera () is arranged such that the first camera () is opposite to an edge area on the upper surface () of the wafer (), wherein a second camera () is arranged such that the second camera () is opposite to a front surface () of the wafer (), and wherein a third camera () is arranged such that the third camera () is opposite to an edge area on the lower surface () of the wafer ().

Device and method for evaluating defects in the edge area of a wafer and use of the device in inspection system for wafers

An apparatus for measuring feature widths on masksfor the semiconductor industry is disclosed. The apparatus encompasses a carrier platethat is retained in vibrationally decoupled fashion in a base frame; a scanning stage, arranged on the carrier plate, that carries a maskto be measured, the maskdefining a surface; and an objectivearranged opposite the mask. A liquidis provided between the objectiveand the surfaceof the mask

Apparatus for measuring feature widths on masks for the semiconductor industry

Examination devices and methods operating with incident light have hitherto been used for the examination of wafers. To allow these devices also to be used with the transmitted-light method, it is proposed to configure the substrate holder () so that an illumination device () is integrated into the substrate holder () in such a way that transmitted-light illumination of the wafer () is possible.

Apparatus and method for inspecting a semiconductor component

An illumination device for a DUV microscope has an illumination beam path, proceeding from a DUV light source in which are arranged a condenser and a reflection filter system which generates a DUV wavelength band and comprises four reflection filters. At these, the illumination beam is reflected in each case at the same reflection angle &agr;, the illumination beam path extending coaxially in front of and behind the reflection filter system. According to the present invention, the reflection angle &agr;&equals;30&deg; and the DUV wavelength band &lgr; &plus;&Dgr;&lgr; has a half-value width of max. 20 nm and a peak with a maximum value S of more than 90% of the incoming light intensity. The resulting very narrow half-value width of the DUV wavelength band makes it possible for the DUV objectives of the DUV microscope to be very well-corrected.

Illumination device for a DUV microscope and DUV microscope

Growing community of inventors

Burbach, Germany

Wolfgang Vollrath