Brightway Vision Ltd.

Kla Corporation

Yoav Grauer

Eyal Yaakob Levi

Ofer Bruce David

Haim Garten

Alon Krelboim

Sharon Lifshits

Oren Sheich

Ya'ara David

David Ofer

Amnon Manassen

Eitan Hajaj

Ezri Sonn

Roie Volkovich

Liran Yerushalmi

Anna Golotsvan

Roel Gronheid

Avner Safrani

David Izraeli

Renan Milo

Amit Oved

Stephen Hiebert

Eugene Maslovsky

Shlomo Eisenbach

Alexander Dranovsky

Amit Haramati

Yan Katz

Eyal Levi

A method for process control in the manufacture of semiconductor devices including performing metrology on at least one semiconductor wafer included in a given lot of semiconductor wafers, following processing of the at least one semiconductor wafer by a first processing step, generating, based on the metrology, at least one correctable to a second processing step subsequent to the processing step and adjusting, based on the correctable, performance of the second processing step on at least some semiconductor waters of the given lot of semiconductor wafers.

Inter-step feedforward process control in the manufacture of semiconductor devices

Systems and methods for generating volumetric data are disclosed. Such systems and methods may include scanning a sample at a plurality of focal planes located along a depth direction of the sample. Such systems and methods may include generating, via a detector of a metrology sub-system, a plurality of images of a volumetric field of view of the sample at the plurality of focal planes. Such systems and methods may include aggregating the plurality of images to generate volumetric data of the volumetric field of view of the sample. The metrology sub-system may include a Linnik interferometer.

3D profilometry with a Linnik interferometer

A method for depth mapping of objects in a scene by a system of a moving/movable platform is disclosed. According to some embodiments, the method includes actively illuminating the scene with pulsed light that is generated by at least one pulsed light illuminator and receiving, responsive to illuminating the scene, reflections on at least one image sensor that comprises a plurality of pixel elements. The method may further include gating at least one of the plurality of pixel elements of the at least one image sensor for converting the reflections into pixel values for generating reflection-based images that have at least two depth-of-field ranges and an overlapping DOF region. In addition, the method may include determining, based on at least one first pixel value of a first DOF in the overlapping DOF region, and based on at least one second pixel value of a second DOF in the overlapping DOF region, depth information of one or more objects located in the overlapping DOF region of the scene.

Gated imaging apparatus, system and method

A product includes at least one semiconductor substrate, multiple thin-film layers disposed on the at least one substrate, and an overlay target formed in at least one of the thin-film layers. The overlay target includes a first sub-target having a first center of symmetry and including first target features having a first linewidth, and a second sub-target having a second center of symmetry coincident with the first center of symmetry and including second target features, which have a second linewidth, greater than the first linewidth, and are adjacent to but non-overlapping with the first target features.

Multi-resolution overlay metrology targets

A metrology target for use in measuring misregistration between layers of a semiconductor device including a first target structure placed on a first layer of a semiconductor device, the first target structure including a first plurality of unitary elements respectively located in at least four regions of the first target structure, the first plurality of elements being rotationally symmetric with respect to a first center of symmetry and at least a second target structure placed on at least a second layer of the semiconductor device, the second target structure including a second plurality of elements respectively located in at least four regions of the second target structure, the second plurality of elements being rotationally symmetric with respect to a second center of symmetry, the second center of symmetry being designed to be axially aligned with the first center of symmetry and corresponding ones of the second plurality of elements being located adjacent corresponding ones of the first plurality of elements in the at least four regions in a non-surrounding arrangement, when the first and second layers are placed one on top of another.

Metrology targets for high topography semiconductor stacks

Active-gated imaging system and method for imaging environment with at least one high-intensity source. A light source emits light pulses toward the environment, and an image sensor with a pixelated sensor array receives reflected pulses from a selected depth of field and generates a main image. The image sensor exposure mechanism includes a pixelated transfer gate synchronized with the emitted pulses. An image processor identifies oversaturated image portions of the main image resulting from a respective high-intensity source, and interprets the oversaturated image portions using supplementary image information acquired by image sensor. The supplementary information may be obtained from: a low-illumination secondary image having substantially fewer gating cycles than the main image; by accumulating reflected pulses from the high-intensity source after the reflected pulses undergo internal reflections between optical elements of the camera; or a low-illumination secondary image acquired by residual photon accumulation during a non-exposure state of image sensor.

High dynamic range imaging of environment with a high intensity reflecting/transmitting source

A system for improving capturing of images of a scene, and data derived from them is provided herein. The system includes a light source configured to illuminate the scene with pulsed light at a specified direction based on predefined gating parameters; two or more capturing devices configured to capture images of the scene, each one of the capturing devices from at different spatial locations, wherein at least one of the capturing is synchronized with the pulsed light, so as to result in stereoscopic fused images of the scene for the synchronized capturing; and a computer processor configured to improve the capturing by using data derived from the gated images and the gating parameters. In another embodiment, the light source is not present and at least one of the sensors' is configured to apply multiple exposures for a single readout, to yield enhanced images that are used to improve the capturing.

Stereo gated imaging system and method

Pulsed light illuminator for generating at least one light pulse having a predefined rise time and fall time, including a semiconductor light source, an electronic driver coupled with the light source and a synchronization controller coupled with the electronic driver, the electronic driver including an active switch coupled with the light source, a switch driver coupled with the active switch and the controller, a high voltage power supply, a fast voltage provider, a low voltage power supply, a first switch coupled with the low voltage power supply and the light source, a second switch coupled with the high voltage power supply and the light source and an energy discharger coupled with the light source, the light source for generating and emitting the light pulse, the electronic driver for providing a drive current to the light source and the controller for synchronizing a timing of the active switch via a synchronization signal.

Pulsed light illuminator for various uses

Systems and methods are provided, having sensing unit(s) configured to capture images of a surrounding of a vehicle, and a processing unit connected to a database which is configured to store imaging data relating to the surrounding of the vehicle together with metadata relating to capturing parameters of the stored imaging data. The processing unit enhances the captured images with stored imaging data according to a correspondence of metadata with vehicle situations, for example, according to a relation between capturing parameters of different sensing units. Sensing unit(s) may be gated infrared to indicate specified reflectivity parameters of regions in the captured images. Sensing unit(s) may comprise a controller applying changing patterned filters to the pixel array to enhance visibility and other image features. Multiple sensing units with gateable infrared sensors may communicate using modulated illumination spots.

Image enhancements for vehicle imaging systems

An apparatus for regulating air pressure level in a tire is provided. The apparatus includes a housing attached to the tire; a piston located inside the housing, coupled to the housing via a spring; a one-way valve; and locking elements located at a specified location along the housing, wherein the piston is configured to move towards a first end of the housing responsive to an imbalance between centrifugal force applied to the piston due to angular speed of the tire and force applied to it by the spring, wherein the locking elements are configured to lock the piston at the specified location whenever the tire reaches a predefined angular speed, and release the piston once the angular speed of the tire crosses a predefined threshold, so that the piston moves towards a second end of the sleeve producing an air pulse, conveyed by the one-way valve into the tire.

Self-pressure regulator tire mechanism

Imaging system and method, the system including a main detection unit, an auxiliary detection unit, an image processor, and a controller. The main detection unit includes a light source that emits light pulses and a gated image sensor that receives reflections of the light pulses reflected from a selected depth of field in the environment and converts the reflections into a reflection-based image. The auxiliary detection unit includes a thermal sensor that detects infrared radiation emitted from the environment and generates an emission-based image. The image processor processes and detects at least one region of interest in the acquired reflection-based image and/or acquired emission-based image. The controller adaptively controls at least one detection characteristic of a detection unit based on information obtained from the other detection unit. The image processor detects at least one object of interest in the acquired reflection-based image and/or acquired emission-based image.

Object detection enhancement of reflection-based imaging unit

A method for gated imaging using an adaptive depth of field is provided herein. The method includes obtaining boundary conditions associated with a preliminary depth of field (DOF) parameters in a scene; illuminating the scene, using a light source, with a pulsed light beam, based on the specified boundary conditions; controlling sensor array parameters based on the boundary conditions; capturing, using the sensor array, one or more images of the scene, wherein the capturing is based on one or more exposures synchronized with the pulsed light beam, to achieve gated images of the scene in accordance with the boundary conditions associated with the DOF parameters; analyzing at least one of the captured images, using data processing algorithms, to yield updated DOF parameters; and repeating the above stages with updated sensor array parameters and updated light source parameters, based on the updated DOF parameters and updated boundary conditions.

Gated imaging using an adaptive depth of field

Active or passive gated-sensor imaging system characterized by a minimized time period between successive sensor exposures. In the active imaging system, a light source emits light pulses toward a region of interest, and an image sensor receives reflections of the pulses reflected from objects located in a DOF to be imaged and converts the reflections into an image. Each frame of the image includes a plurality of gating cycles. Each gating cycle includes the emission of a respective light pulse and the reception of reflections of the respective pulse. A delay-time (T) is defined as the duration between the sensor exposure periods of successive gating cycles. A controller controls the operation of the light source and the image sensor, to minimize the delay-time for at least one gating cycle of an image frame, where the delay-time is adaptively determined in accordance with at least one system parameter or environmental condition.

Gated sensor based imaging system with minimized delay time between sensor exposures

A single pixel sensor is provided, comprising a photo sensor configured to convert light into proportional signals; a charge storage configured to accumulate, repeatedly, a plurality of the signals converted by the photosensor; a first transistor coupled between a pixel voltage terminal and the photosensor; a second transistor coupled between the photosensor and the charge storage; and a readout circuit coupled between the charge storage and an output channel, wherein: the single pixel sensor is configured to carry out the repeated accumulations of signals multiple times per each readout by the readout circuit to synchronously convert reflections of light emitted by the illuminator, and to carry out at least one of the repeated accumulations of signals in at least partial overlap with at least one light pulse generated by the pulsed illuminator.

Controllable gated sensor

A system and a method for object selective camera flash are provided herein. The steps of the method may include: capturing a raw image of a scene using a capturing device, wherein a scene comprises background and objects viewed by the capturing device; indicating at least one location on the captured raw image, wherein the location on the captured image corresponds with a location in the scene; calculating a volume portion within the scene based on the indicated at least one location on the captured raw image; generating a flash pulse having specified parameters directed at the scene; synchronizing an exposure of the capturing device to be carried out when reflections of the flash pulse from the calculated volume portion reaches the capturing device; and accumulating the reflections to yield an enhanced image.

Growing community of inventors

Haifa, Israel

Yoav Grauer