The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.

The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.

Date of Patent:
Apr. 26, 2022

Filed:

May. 04, 2017
Applicant:

Kla-tencor Corporation, Milpitas, CA (US);

Inventors:

Stilian Ivanov Pandev, Santa Clara, CA (US);

Wei Lu, Fremont, CA (US);

Assignee:

KLA-Tencor Corporation, Milpitas, CA (US);

Attorneys:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
G01N 21/95 (2006.01); H01L 21/66 (2006.01); H01L 21/67 (2006.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
G01N 21/9501 (2013.01); H01L 21/67288 (2013.01); H01L 22/12 (2013.01);
Abstract

Methods and systems for estimating values of process parameters based on measurements of structures fabricated on a product wafer are presented herein. Exemplary process parameters include lithography dosage and exposure and lithography scanner aberrations. A measurement model is employed to estimate process parameter values from measurements of structures fabricated on a wafer by a particular fabrication process. The measurement model includes process parameters and geometric parameters of structures under measurement. In some embodiments, a model based regression of both a process model and a metrology model is employed to arrive at estimates of at least one process parameter value based on measurements of a fabricated structure. In some embodiments, a trained measurement model is employed to directly estimate process parameter values based on measurements of structures. The measurement model is trained based on simulated measurement signals associated with measurements of shape profiles generated by different sets of process parameter values.


Find Patent Forward Citations

Loading…