Kla Corporation

Kla Tencor Corporation

Zefram Marks

Gildardo Rios Delgado

Rudy Flores Garcia

Frances Hill

Katerina Ioakeimidi

Gary V Lopez Lopez

Michael Romero

Daniel C Wack

Rui-Fang Shi

Joseph Walsh

Larissa Juschkin

Zhengcheng Lin

Dmitry Skvortsov

Zhengyu Guo

Matthew Hoffman

Nicolas Steven Juliano

Mike Romero

Shannon B Hill

A photomask-inspection system includes a vacuum chamber and a stage, disposed in the vacuum chamber, to support a photomask and to translate the photomask horizontally and vertically. The system also includes an EUV objective, disposed in the vacuum chamber, to collect EUV light from the photomask to inspect the photomask for defects and an optical height sensor, at least partially disposed in the vacuum chamber, to measure heights on a surface of the photomask. The system further includes a stage controller to translate the stage horizontally and vertically in accordance with a focal map for the photomask produced using the measured heights on the surface of the photomask.

Integration of an optical height sensor in mask inspection tools

An optical characterization system is disclosed. The optical characterization system may comprise a synchrotron source, an optical characterization sub-system, and a sensor configured to receive a projected image from a set of imaging optics. The optical characterization sub-system may include at least the set of illumination optics, a set of imaging optics, and a diffractive optical element, a temporal modulator or an optical waveguide configured to match an etendue of a light beam output by the synchrotron source to the set of illumination optics. A method of matching the etendue of a light beam is also disclosed.

Optical etendue matching methods for extreme ultraviolet metrology

Disclosed herein are optical elements and methods for making the same. Such optical elements may comprise a first layer disposed on a substrate, a second layer disposed on the first layer, a terminal layer disposed on the second layer, and a cap layer disposed on the terminal layer. The cap layer may comprise boron, boron nitride, or boron carbide. Such optical elements may be made using a method comprising depositing a first layer using vapor deposition such that the first layer is disposed on a substrate, depositing a second layer using vapor deposition such that the second layer is disposed on the first layer, depositing a terminal layer using vapor deposition such that the terminal layer is disposed on the second layer, and depositing a cap layer comprising boron, boron nitride, or boron carbide using vapor deposition such that the cap layer is disposed on the terminal layer.

Boron-based capping layers for EUV optics

An actuator for an optic mount in a vacuum environment includes a bellows around an actuator compartment. The bellows provides a seal around the actuator. A filter assembly is positioned between the actuator compartment and an interior of a vacuum chamber. The filter assembly includes a first particle filter, a second particle filter, and a purifier medium between the first particle filter and the second particle filter. Vacuum conditions in the actuator compartment can be achieved with a pump for the vacuum chamber, but particles and contaminants from the actuator or actuator compartment are captured by the filter assembly.

Vacuum actuator containment for molecular contaminant and particle mitigation

A high-brightness electron beam source is disclosed. The electron beam source may include a broadband illumination source configured to generate broadband illumination. A tunable spectral filter may be configured to filter the broadband illumination to provide filtered illumination having an excitation spectrum. The electron beam source may further include a photocathode configured to emit one or more electron beams in response to the filtered illumination, wherein emission from the photocathode is adjustable based on the excitation spectrum of the filtered illumination from the tunable spectral filter.

System and method for photocathode illumination inspection

The system includes a photocathode electron source, diffractive optical element, and a microlens array to focus the beamlets. A source directs a radiation beam to the diffractive optical element, which produces a beamlet array to be used in combination with a photocathode surface to generate an array of electron beams from the beamlets.

Photocathode emitter system that generates multiple electron beams

An emitter with a diameter of 100 nm or less is used with a protective cap layer and a diffusion barrier between the emitter and the protective cap layer. The protective cap layer is disposed on the exterior surface of the emitter. The protective cap layer includes molybdenum or iridium. The emitter can generate an electron beam. The emitter can be pulsed.

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Fremont, CA, United States of America

Zefram Marks