Kla Tencor Corporation

Kla-tencor Technologies Corporation

Xing Chu

Jason Z Lin

Kenong Wu

Jan A Lauber

Sharon McCauley

J Rex Runyon

Various embodiments for detecting defects on a wafer are provided. Some embodiments include matching a template image, in which at least some pixels are associated with regions in the device having different characteristics, to output of an electron beam inspection system and applying defect detection parameters to pixels in the output based on the regions that the pixels in the output are located within to thereby detect defects on the wafer.

Detecting defects on a wafer using template image matching

A method of inspecting an array having memory blocks and page breaks. The array is imaged, and the image is divided into sections. Sections that include the memory blocks are selected into a candidate image. Pixels within a boundary horizontal line of pixels are inspected to determine horizontal edges of the memory blocks. Pixels within a boundary vertical line of pixels are inspected to determine vertical edges of the memory blocks. An image of a first memory block is compared to an image of a second memory block to determine differences. The differences are flagged as potential memory block defects. Images of the page breaks are compared to determine differences, and the differences are flagged as potential page break defects.

Memory cell and page break inspection

Methods and systems for binning defects detected on a specimen are provided. One method includes comparing a test image to reference images. The test image includes an image of one or more patterned features formed on the specimen proximate to a defect detected on the specimen. The reference images include images of one or more patterned features associated with different regions of interest within a device being formed on the specimen. If the one or more patterned features of the test image match the one or more patterned features of one of the reference images, the method includes assigning the defect to a bin corresponding to the region of interest associated with the reference image.

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Fremont, CA, United States of America

Xing Chu