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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7933016 | Apparatus and methods for detecting overlay errors using scatterometry Disclosed are techniques, apparatus, and targets for determining overlay error between two layers of a sample. A plurality of targets is provided. Each target includes a portion of the first and second structures and each is designed to have an offset between its fi... | 04/26/2011 |
| 7924892 | Fiber amplifier based light source for semiconductor inspection A laser illuminator for use in an inspection system, such as a semiconductor wafer inspection system or photomask inspection system is provided. The gain medium in the illuminator comprises optical fiber, and amplification, beam splitting, frequency and/or bandwidth... | 04/12/2011 |
| 7924408 | Temperature effects on overlay accuracy A method for reducing overlay error in a photolithographic process, by providing a substrate having a permanent layer with a first pattern disposed therein, coating the substrate with photoresist, exposing the photoresist to a second pattern, while measuring tempera... | 04/12/2011 |
| 7847937 | Optical measurment systems and methods An optical measurement system includes a rotating element ellipsometer comprising a radiant source and a rotating optical element coupled to the radian source, an optical system to provide a modulated pump beam, a detection system optically coupled to the ellipsomet... | 12/07/2010 |
| 7846266 | Environment friendly methods and systems for template cleaning and reclaiming in imprint lithography technology Cleaning and reclaiming nano-imprint templates using environment friendly methods and systems is disclosed. A template may be cleaned by a combination of exposure to activated gaseous species followed by rinsing with oxygenated or hydrogenated DI water and exposure ... | 12/07/2010 |
| 7879730 | Etch selectivity enhancement in electron beam activated chemical etch Etch selectivity enhancement during electron beam activated chemical etch (EBACE) is disclosed. A target or portion thereof may be exposed to a gas composition of a type that etches the target when the gas composition and/or target are exposed to an electron beam. B... | 02/01/2011 |
| 7879627 | Overlay marks and methods of manufacturing such marks An overlay mark for determining the relative shift between two or more successive layers of a substrate and methods for using such overlay mark are disclosed. In one embodiment, the overlay mark includes at least one test pattern for determining the relative shift b... | 02/01/2011 |
| 7876440 | Apparatus and methods for detecting overlay errors using scatterometry Disclosed are apparatus and methods for determining overlay between a plurality of first structures in a first layer of a sample and a plurality of second structures in a second layer of the sample. Targets A, B, C and D that each include a portion of the first and ... | 01/25/2011 |
| 7876438 | Apparatus and methods for determining overlay and uses of same Disclosed are techniques and apparatus are provided for determining overlay error or pattern placement error (PPE) across the field of a scanner which is used to pattern a sample, such as a semiconductor wafer or device. This determination is performed in-line on th... | 01/25/2011 |
| 7873585 | Apparatus and methods for predicting a semiconductor parameter across an area of a wafer Apparatus and methods are provided for predicting a plurality of unknown parameter values (e.g. overlay error or critical dimension) using a plurality of known parameter values. In one embodiment, the method involves training a neural network to predict the pluralit... | 01/18/2011 |
| 7869121 | Small ultra-high NA catadioptric objective using aspheric surfaces A relatively high NA objective employed for use in imaging a specimen is provided. The objective includes a lens group having at least one focusing lens configured to receive light energy and form an intermediate image, at least one field lens oriented to receive th... | 01/11/2011 |
| 7838833 | Apparatus and method for e-beam dark imaging with perspective control A method of imaging using an electron beam. An incident electron beam is focused onto the specimen surface, a scattered electron beam is extracted from the specimen surface, and a plurality of dark field signals are detected using a detection system. An interpolated... | 11/23/2010 |
| 7831083 | Image quality monitoring for substrate inspection A method for monitoring the stability of an inspection or processing of a substrate, a substrate inspection system and a processor readable medium are disclosed. One or more images of one or more portions of the substrate may be obtained from an inspection tool. Ima... | 11/09/2010 |
| 7826072 | Method for optimizing the configuration of a scatterometry measurement system The present application discloses a method of model-based measurement of semiconductor device features using a scatterometer system. The method includes at least the following steps. A cost function is defined depending upon a plurality of variable parameters of the... | 11/02/2010 |
| 7817260 | Beam delivery system for laser dark-field illumination in a catadioptric optical system A method and apparatus for inspecting a specimen are provided. The apparatus comprises a primary illumination source, a catadioptric objective exhibiting central obscuration that directs light energy received from the primary illumination source at a substantially n... | 10/19/2010 |
| 7816655 | Reflective electron patterning device and method of using same One embodiment disclosed relates to a reflective electron patterning device. The device includes a pattern on a surface. There is an electron reflective portion of the pattern and an electron non-reflective portion of the pattern. Another embodiment disclosed relate... | 10/19/2010 |
| 7804994 | Overlay metrology and control method An overlay method for determining the overlay error of a device structure formed during semiconductor processing is disclosed. The overlay method includes producing calibration data that contains overlay information relating the overlay error of a first target at a ... | 09/28/2010 |
| 7804248 | Lamp with shaped wall thickness, method of making same and optical apparatus A lamp, a method of making a bulb for a lamp and an optical apparatus are disclosed. The lamp may include an anode and cathode disposed within a bulb. The bulb may include an optically refractive wall that is rotationally symmetric about an axis. A thickness of the ... | 09/28/2010 |
| 7800735 | Z-stage with dynamically driven stage mirror and chuck assembly Substrate support apparatus and methods are described. Motion of a substrate chuck relative to a stage mirror may be dynamically compensated by sensing a displacement of the substrate chuck relative to the stage mirror and coupling a signal proportional to the displ... | 09/21/2010 |
| 7792351 | Defect review using image segmentation One embodiment pertains to a method for reviewing a potential defect on a substrate from one electron image. An image of an area containing the potential defect is obtained using a charged-particle apparatus. At least three image segments within the image are determ... | 09/07/2010 |
| 7755061 | Dynamic pattern generator with cup-shaped structure One embodiment relates to a dynamic pattern generator for reflection electron beam lithography which includes conductive pixel pads, an insulative border surrounding each conductive pixel pad so as to electrically isolate the conductive pixel pads from each other, a... | 07/13/2010 |
| 7755043 | Bright-field/dark-field detector with integrated electron energy spectrometer One embodiment relates to an electron beam apparatus including an electron beam column, an immersion objective lens, a Wien filter, a bright-field/dark-field detector, and an electron energy spectrometer. The bright-field/dark-field detector comprising an opening co... | 07/13/2010 |
| 7746462 | Inspection systems and methods for extending the detection range of an inspection system by forcing the photodetector into the non-linear range An inspection system and method is provided herein for increasing the detection range of the inspection system. According to one embodiment, the inspection system may include a photodetector having a plurality of stages, which are adapted to convert light scattered ... | 06/29/2010 |
| 7728968 | Excimer laser inspection system A system and method for inspecting a specimen, such as a semiconductor wafer, including illuminating at least a portion of the specimen using an excimer source using at least one relatively intense wavelength from the source, detecting radiation received from the il... | 06/01/2010 |
| 7716003 | Model-based measurement of semiconductor device features with feed forward use of data for dimensionality reduction The present application discloses a new technique which reduces the dimensionality of a feature model by re-use of data that has been obtained by a prior measurement. The data re-used from the prior measurement may range from parameters, such as geometrical dimensio... | 05/11/2010 |
| 7714300 | High-speed high-efficiency solid-state electron detector One embodiment relates to a solid-state charged-particle detector. The detector includes a PIN diode and a conductive coating on the front-side of the PIN diode, wherein the front-side receives incident charged particles to be detected. In addition, the detector inc... | 05/11/2010 |
| 7709792 | Three-dimensional imaging using electron beam activated chemical etch Methods and apparatus for imaging a structure and a related processor-readable medium are disclosed. A surface of a substrate (or a portion thereof) is exposed to a gas composition. The gas composition includes one or more components that etch the substrate upon act... | 05/04/2010 |
| 7696498 | Electron beam lithography method and apparatus using a dynamically controlled photocathode Embodiments of the invention include an electron beam lithography device using a dynamically controllable photocathode capable of producing a patterned electron beam. One such implementation includes a dynamic pattern generator configurable to produce an electron be... | 04/13/2010 |
| 7692167 | High-fidelity reflection electron beam lithography One embodiment pertains to an apparatus for reflection electron beam lithography, including at least illumination electron-optics, an electron-reflective pattern generator, projection electron-optics, a moving stage holding a target substrate, control circuitry, and... | 04/06/2010 |
| 7691549 | Multiple exposure lithography technique and method A method for forming high resolution patterns on a substrate surface is disclosed. A photolithographic patterning tool is loaded with a substrate having a photoimagable layer. Multiple exposures to using interference patterns and developments are performed on the ph... | 04/06/2010 |
| 7684609 | Defect review using image segmentation One embodiment pertains to a method for reviewing a potential defect on a substrate from one electron image. An image of an area containing the potential defect is obtained using a charged-particle apparatus. At least three image segments within the image are determ... | 03/23/2010 |
| 7684039 | Overlay metrology using the near infra-red spectral range A method and tool for conducting NIR overlay metrology is disclosed. Such methods involve generating a filtered illumination beam including NIR radiation and directing that illumination beam onto an overlay target to produce an optical signal that is detected and us... | 03/23/2010 |
| 7679842 | High performance catadioptric imaging system A reduced size catadioptric objective and system is disclosed. The objective may be employed with light energy having a wavelength in the range of approximately 190 nanometers through the infrared light range. Elements are less than 100 mm in diameter. The objective... | 03/16/2010 |
| 7679069 | Method and system for optimizing alignment performance in a fleet of exposure tools A method for optimizing alignment performance in a fleet of exposure systems involves characterizing each exposure system in a fleet of exposure systems to generate a set of distinctive distortion profiles associated with each exposure system. The set of distinctive... | 03/16/2010 |
| 7672043 | Catadioptric imaging system exhibiting enhanced deep ultraviolet spectral bandwidth A relatively high spectral bandwidth objective employed for use in imaging a specimen and method for imaging a specimen is provided. The objective includes a lens group having at least one focusing lens configured to receive light energy and form an intermediate ima... | 03/02/2010 |
| 7671990 | Cross hatched metrology marks and associated method of use The present invention is directed to novel metrology marks and methods for their use. The marks comprise cross hashed overlay metrology marks formed on a substrate including a plurality of target regions. The mark including a first grating structure formed in one la... | 03/02/2010 |
| 7663753 | Apparatus and methods for detecting overlay errors using scatterometry Disclosed are techniques, apparatus, and targets for determining overlay error between two layers of a sample. Target A is designed to have an offset Xa between its first and second structures portions; target B is designed to have an offset Xb; target C is designed... | 02/16/2010 |
| 7659126 | Electrical test method and apparatus An electrical test method and apparatus are disclosed. In the method one or more ring oscillators are formed in one or more layers prior to formation of a metal 1 layer of a semiconductor wafer. The one or more layers comprise the formulation of transistors and loca... | 02/09/2010 |
| 7656512 | Method for determining lithographic focus and exposure A method for determining one or more process parameter settings of a photolithographic system is disclosed. ... | 02/02/2010 |
| 7656170 | Multiple directional scans of test structures on semiconductor integrated circuits Disclosed is a method of inspecting a sample. The sample is scanned in a first direction with at least one particle beam. The sample is scanned in a second direction with at least one particle beam. The second direction is at an angle to the first direction. The num... | 02/02/2010 |
