Applied Materials Israel Limited

Kla Corporation

Applied Materials, Inc.

Kla Instruments Corporation

Oramir Semiconductor Equipment Ltd.

Kla Tencor Corporation

Yozmot Gfanot Initiative Center

Yoram Uziel

Igor Krivts (Krayvitz)

Israel Avneri

Ron Naftali

Amnon Manassen

Natan Schlimoff

Vladimir Levinski

Nadav Gutman

Yuri Paskover

Ofer Adan

David Yogev

Yossi Simon

Michael Robert Rice

Andrew V Hill

Daria Negri

Benzion Sender

Shai Mark

Jacob Levin

Adi Pahima

Erez Admoni

Giampietro Bieli

Mor Azaria

Andrei V Shchegrov

Paul Benjamin Reuter

Haim Feldman

Juergen Frosien

Alon Litman

Liran Yerushalmi

Guy Eytan

Anna Golotsvan

Avi Abramov

Nir Ben-David Dodzin

Doron Korngut

Itay Gdor

Yonatan Vaknin

Nireekshan K Reddy

Yuri Belenky

Nir BenDavid

Itay Asulin

Amir Wachs

Ido Holcman

Lavy Shavit

Nachshon Rothman

Ofer Yuli

Ehud Poles

Dror Yaacov

Yehuda Elisha

Ron Bar-or

William (Ty) Weaver

Yochanan Madmon

Sasson Roger Somekh

Nir Merry

Isaac Mazor

Roie Volkovich

Ohad Bachar

Yuval Gronau

Joel L Seligson

Amir Widmann

Frank Laske

Travis Morey

Boris Golberg

Yuval Lubashevsky

Efim Vinnitsky

Zvi Goren

Aviv Balan

Gilad Laredo

Ulrich Pohlmann

Michael Faeyrman

Amir Moshe Sagiv

Moshe Langer

Yoram Hanfling

Gilad Schwartz

Eitan Pinhasi

Natalie Levinsohn

Rami Elichai

Ariel Hildesheim

Niranjan Ramchandra Khasgiwale

Yohanan Madmon

Etay Lavert

Ofer Shneyour

Ori Shoval

Igor Krayvitz (Krivts)

Itzak Yair

Alexander Volfman

Ram Peltinov

Yosi Basson

Ran Vered

Raphy Adout

Yoram De-Noor

Jonathan Baron

Lev Fris Man

Yitzhak Ofer

Ido Dolev

Shimon Kostianovsky

Isaac Katz

Richard S Scott

Franco A Filice

Noam Knoll

Albert Mariasin

Doron Aspir

A multi-column metrology tool may include two or more measurement columns distributed along a column direction, where the two or more measurement columns simultaneously probe two or more measurement regions on a sample including metrology targets. A measurement column may include an illumination sub-system to direct illumination to the sample, a collection sub-system including a collection lens to collect measurement signals from the sample and direct it to one or more detectors, and a column-positioning sub-system to adjust a position of the collection lens. A measurement region of a measurement column may be defined by a field of view of the collection lens and a range of the positioning system in the lateral plane. The tool may further include a sample-positioning sub-system to scan the sample along a scan path different than the column direction to position metrology targets within the measurement regions of the measurement columns for measurements.

Massive overlay metrology sampling with multiple measurement columns

A cleaning assembly is disclosed. The cleaning assembly includes a substrate. One or more patterns are formed on a bottom side of the substrate. One or more structures within the one or more patterns attract one or more particles from a chuck via at least one of electrostatic attraction or mechanical trapping when the substrate is positioned on the chuck.

In-situ process chamber chuck cleaning by cleaning substrate

A system and method for generating a quality parameter value of a semiconductor device wafer (SDW), during fabrication thereof, the method including designating a plurality of measurement site sets (MSSs) on the SDW, each of the MSSs including a first measurement-orientation site (FMS) and a second measurement-orientation site (SMS), the FMS and the SMS being different measurement sites on the SDW, generating a first measurement-orientation quality parameter dataset (FMQPD) by measuring features formed within each the FMS of at least one of the MSSs in a first measurement orientation, generating a second measurement-orientation quality parameter dataset (SMQPD) by measuring features formed within each the SMS of the at least one of the MSSs in a second measurement orientation and generating at least one tool-induced-shift (TIS)-ameliorated quality parameter value (TAQPV), at least partially based on the FMQPD and the SMQPD.

Systems and methods for improved metrology for semiconductor device wafers

A method includes generating a sequence of images of a semiconductor wafer from first and second detectors. The first detector images the wafer with first imaging parameters and the second detector images the wafer with second imaging parameters. The first or second imaging parameters are varied across the sequence of images to provide variation at sites across the wafer. The method includes providing a metric indicative of center-of-symmetry variations of first and second target features as a function of the varied imaging parameters based on the sequence of images. The method includes identifying a landscape of values of the varied image parameters for which the metric are below a predefined limit. The method includes generating a recipe for metrology measurements in which the varied imaging parameters are set to values within the landscape. The method includes generating metrology measurements from a production wafer based on the recipe.

Enhancing performance of overlay metrology

A product includes a semiconductor substrate, with at least first and second thin-film layers disposed on the substrate and patterned to define a matrix of dies, which are separated by scribe lines and contain active areas circumscribed by the scribe lines. A plurality of overlay targets are formed in the first and second thin-film layers within each of the active areas, each overlay target having dimensions no greater than 10 μm×10 μm in a plane parallel to the substrate. The plurality of overlay targets include a first linear grating formed in the first thin-film layer and having a first grating vector, and a second linear grating formed in the second thin-film layer, in proximity to the first linear grating, and having a second grating vector parallel to the first grating vector.

On-product overlay targets

An interferometric overlay tool may include an interferometer and a controller. The interferometer may include one or more beamsplitters to split illumination including one or more wavelengths into a probe beam along a probe path and a reference beam along a reference path, one or more illumination optics to illuminate a grating-over-grating structure with the probe beam, one or more collection optics to collect a measurement beam from the grating-over-grating structure, one or more beam combiners to combine the measurement beam and the reference beam as an interference beam, and a variable phase delay configured to vary an optical path difference (OPD) in the interferometer. The controller may receive one or more interference signals representative of interferometric phase data associated with a plurality of OPD values and the one or more wavelengths from a detector and determine an overlay error of the grating-over-grating structure based on the interferometric phase data.

Overlay metrology using spectroscopic phase

A method for optical inspection includes illuminating a patterned polymer layer on a semiconductor wafer with optical radiation over a range of infrared wavelengths, measuring spectral properties of the optical radiation reflected from multiple points on the patterned polymer layer over the range of infrared wavelengths, and based on the measured spectral properties, computing a complex refractive index of the patterned polymer layer.

Measurement of properties of patterned photoresist

In situ process chamber chuck cleaning by cleaning substrate

A first x-y translation stage, a second x-y translation stage, and a chuck are disposed in a chamber. The chuck is situated above and coupled to the second x-y translation stage, which is situated above and coupled to the first x-y translation stage. The chuck is configured to support a substrate and to be translated by the first and second x-y stages in x- and y-directions, which are substantially parallel to a surface of the chuck on which the substrate is to be mounted. A first barrier and a second barrier are also disposed in the chamber. The first barrier is coupled to the first x-y translation stage to separate a first zone of the chamber from a second zone of the chamber. The second barrier is coupled to the second x-y translation stage to separate the first zone of the chamber from a third zone of the chamber.

Multi-stage, multi-zone substrate positioning systems

A cleaning assembly may include a chuck. The cleaning assembly may include a plurality of lift pins positioned proximate to the chuck. The plurality of lift pins may be configured to engage a cleaning substrate and translate the cleaning substrate to allow the cleaning substrate to capture one or more particles from the surface of the chuck via at least one of electrostatic attraction or mechanical trapping when the cleaning substrate is positioned in the second position. The cleaning assembly may include a replaceable top skin coupled to the chuck and configured to capture the one or more particles.

Systems and methods for chuck cleaning

A method for metrology includes directing at least one illumination beam to illuminate a semiconductor wafer on which at least first and second patterned layers have been deposited in succession, including a first target feature in the first patterned layer and a second target feature in the second patterned layer, overlaid on the first target feature. A sequence of images of the first and second target features is captured while varying one or more imaging parameters over the sequence. The images in the sequence are processed in order to identify respective centers of symmetry of the first and second target features in the images and measure variations in the centers of symmetry as a function of the varying image parameters. The measured variations are applied in measuring an overlay error between the first and second patterned layers.

A target for use in the measurement of misregistration between layers formed on a wafer in the manufacture of semiconductor devices, the target including a first pair of periodic structures (FPPS) and a second pair of periodic structures (SPPS), each of the FPPS and the SPPS including a first edge, a second edge, a plurality of first periodic structures formed in a first area as part of a first layer and having a first pitch along a first pitch axis, the first pitch axis not being parallel to either of the first edge or second edge, and a plurality of second periodic structures formed in a second area as part of a second layer and having the first pitch along a second pitch axis, the second pitch axis being generally parallel to the first pitch axis.

Non-orthogonal target and method for using the same in measuring misregistration of semiconductor devices

A metrology target is disclosed, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. The metrology target includes a first set of pattern elements having a first pitch, where the first set of pattern elements includes segmented pattern elements. The metrology target includes a second set of pattern elements having a second pitch, where the second set of pattern elements includes segmented pattern elements. The metrology target includes a third set of pattern elements having a third pitch, where the third set of pattern elements includes segmented pattern elements.

On-the-fly scatterometry overlay metrology target

A method and an integrated system. The integrated system can include an optical inspection unit, a charged particle device, an interface unit, and at least one controller.

Integrated system and method

A charged particle beam source that may include an emitter that has a tip for emitting charged particles; a socket; electrodes; a filament that is connected to the electrodes and to the emitter; electrodes for providing electrical signals to the filament; a support element that is connected to the emitter; and a support structure that comprises one or more interfaces for contacting only a part of the support element while supporting the support element.

Charged particle beam source and a method for assembling a charged particle beam source

Growing community of inventors

Misgav, Israel

Yoram Uziel