Asml Netherlands B.v.

Other

Hermes Microvision Inc.

Yixiang Wang

Jian Zhang

Zhiwen Kang

Ying Luo

Frank Nan Zhang

Shibing Liu

Zhongwei Chen

Jan-Gerard Cornelis Van Der Toorn

Ning Ye

Allard Eelco Kooiker

Bohang Zhu

Han Willem Hendrik Severt

Ying Crystal Shen

Chia-Yao Chen

Arno Maria Wellink

Chiyan Kuan

Ming Yu Lin

Jurgen Van Soest

Jun Jiang

Yifei Wang

Jeroen Gertruda Antonius Huinck

Michaël Johannes Christiaan Ronde

Jinmei Yang

Xinyang Lin

Hejun Wang

Xinyue Lin

Ruoyu Xu

Jizhou Yang

Weiming Ren

Yan E Wang

Jack Jau

Zhong-wei Chen

Feng Cao

Zhonghua Dong

Juying Dou

Ronald Van Der Wilk

Qing Chen

Wen H Huang

Jie Fang

Xiaodong He

Xiaoli Guo

Qiang Li

Michael Johannes Christiaan Ronde

Kuo-Feng Tseng

Guofan Ye

Shanhui Cao

Kangsheng Qiu

Yinglong Li

Yan Wang

Zhi Po Wang

Tianming Chen

Liang Tang

Fenghui Zhu

Haojie Zhang

Qirong Zhang

Yanqiu Wang

Disclosed is an object table for holding an object, comprising: an electrostatic clamp arranged to clamp the object on the object table; a neutralizer arranged to neutralize a residual charge of the electrostatic clamp; a control unit arranged to control the neutralizer, wherein the residual charge is an electrostatic charge present on the electrostatic clamp when no voltage is applied to the electrostatic clamp.

Object table comprising an electrostatic clamp

Systems and methods for implementing charged particle flooding in a charged particle beam apparatus are disclosed. According to certain embodiments, a charged particle beam system includes a charged particle source and a controller which controls the charged particle beam system to emit a charged particle beam in a first mode where the beam is defocused and a second mode where the beam is focused on a surface of a sample.

Systems and methods for charged particle flooding to enhance voltage contrast defect signal

An improved leveling sensor and method for adjusting a sample height in a charged-particle beam inspection system are disclosed. An improved leveling sensor comprises a light source configured to project a first pattern onto a sample and a detector configured to capture an image of a projected pattern after the first pattern is projected on the sample. The first pattern can comprise an irregularity to enable a determination of a vertical displacement of the sample.

Leveling sensor in multiple charged-particle beam inspection

An illumination unit comprising a first electromagnetic wave source including circuitry for outputting a first electromagnetic wave in a first direction to illuminate a first region of a sample; a second electromagnetic wave source including circuitry for outputting a second electromagnetic wave in a second direction substantially opposite to the first direction; and a reflector configured to reflect the second electromagnetic wave substantially in the first direction to illuminate a second region of the sample.

Multi-source illumination unit and method of operating the same

An electrostatic chuck control system configured to be utilized during an inspection process of a wafer, the electrostatic chuck control system comprising an electrostatic chuck of a stage configured to be undocked during the inspection process, wherein the electrostatic chuck comprises a plurality of components configured to influence an interaction between the wafer and the electrostatic chuck during the inspection process, a first sensor configured to generate measurement data between at least some of the plurality of components and the wafer, and a controller including circuitry configured to receive the measurement data to determine characteristics of the wafer relative to the electrostatic chuck and to generate adjustment data to enable adjusting, while the stage is undocked, at least some of the plurality of components based on the determined characteristics.

Method, apparatus, and system for dynamically controlling an electrostatic chuck during an inspection of wafer

A system and a method for manipulating a beam of an Advanced Charge Controller module in different planes in an e-beam system are provided. Some embodiments of the system include a lens system configured to manipulate a beam in the tangential plane and the sagittal plane such that the beam spot is projected onto the wafer with high luminous energy. Some embodiments of the system include a lens system comprising at least two cylindrical lens.

Beam manipulation of advanced charge controller module in a charged particle system

A sensor may be used to measure a degree of tilt of a sample. The sensor may include an apparatus having a light source, first, second, and third optical elements, a lens, and an aperture. The first optical element may supply light from the light source toward the sample, and may supply light input into the first optical element from the sample toward the second optical element. The second optical element may supply light toward first and second sensing elements. An aperture may be arranged on a focal plane of the lens. A light beam incident on the first sensing element may be a reference beam.

Self-differential confocal tilt sensor for measuring level variation in charged particle beam system

A system for grounding a mask using a grounding component are provided. Some embodiments of the system include a grounding component comprising a base and an extension protruding from the base and comprising a conductive prong configured to contact a conductive layer of the mask. Some embodiments of the system include a plurality of conductive prongs configured to contact multiple positions of a conductive layer of the mask. Some other embodiments of the system include an extension comprising various shapes.

System for inspecting and grounding a mask in a charged particle system

Apparatuses, systems, and methods for providing beams for controlling charges on a sample surface of charged particle beam system. In some embodiments, a module comprising a laser source configured to emit a beam. The beam may illuminate an area adjacent to a pixel on a wafer to indirectly heat the pixel to mitigate a cause of a direct photon-induced effect at the pixel. An electron beam tool configured to detect a defect in the pixel, wherein the defect is induced by the indirect heating of the pixel.

Thermal-aided inspection by advanced charge controller module in a charged particle system

Disclosed herein is a method comprising depositing a first amount of electric charges into a region of a sample, during a first time period; depositing a second amount of electric charges into the region, during a second time period; while scanning a probe spot generated on the sample by a beam of charged particles, recording from the probe spot signals representing interactions of the beam of charged particles and the sample; wherein an average rale of deposition during the first time period, and an average rate of deposition during the second time period are different.

Image contrast enhancement in sample inspection

An inspection apparatus for adjusting a working height for a substrate for multiple target heights is disclosed. The inspection apparatus includes a radiation source configured to provide a radiation beam and a beam splitter configured to split the radiation beam into multiple beamlets that each reflect off a substrate. Each beamlet contains light of multiple wavelengths. The inspection apparatus includes multiple light reflecting components, wherein each light reflecting component is associated with one of the beamlets reflecting off the substrate and is configured to support a different target height for the substrate by detecting a height or a levelness of the substrate based on the beamlet reflecting off the substrate.

Inspection apparatus and method

Systems and methods for wafer grounding and wafer grounding location adjustment are disclosed. A first method may include receiving a first value of an electric characteristic associated with the wafer being grounded by an electric signal; determining a first control parameter using at least the first value; and controlling a characteristic of the electric signal using the first control parameter and the first value. A second method for adjusting a grounding location for a wafer may include terminating an electric connection between the wafer and at least one grounding pin in contact the wafer; adjusting a relative position between the wafer and the grounding pin; and restoring the electric connection between the grounding pin and the wafer. A third method may include causing a grounding pin to penetrate through a coating on the wafer by impact; and establishing an electrical connection between the grounding pin and the wafer.

Method, apparatus, and system for wafer grounding

Disclosed herein is an apparatus comprising: a source configured to emit charged particles, an optical system and a stage; wherein the stage is configured to support a sample thereon and configured to move the sample by a first distance in a first direction; wherein the optical system is configured to form probe spots on the sample with the charged particles; wherein the optical system is configured to move the probe spots by the first distance in the first direction and by a second distance in a second direction, simultaneously, while the stage moves the sample by the first distance in the first direction; wherein the optical system is configured to move the probe spots by the first distance less a width of one of the probe spots in an opposite direction of the first direction, after the stage moves the sample by the first distance in the first direction.

Methods of inspecting samples with multiple beams of charged particles

Growing community of inventors

Fremont, CA, United States of America

Yixiang Wang