Did You Know...
...that Thomas Edison's patent application on his phonograph was approved by the Patent Office in just seven weeks? In contrast, it took Gordon Gould, the inventor of the laser, 30 years to obtain his patent -- finally awarded in 1988!
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8189185 | Optical inspection method and optical inspection system An optical semiconductor wafer inspection system and a method thereof are provided for voids and particles produced in a flattening process by classifying and inspecting defects such as scratches, a polishing or grinding technique used for semiconductor manufacturin... | 05/29/2012 |
| 8154719 | Mask inspection apparatus A lightweight and inexpensive mask inspection apparatus having highly efficient environmental radiation resistance is provided. The mask inspection apparatus is a mask inspection apparatus for inspecting for mask defects and includes a light source, an illuminating ... | 04/10/2012 |
| 8154718 | Apparatus and method for inspecting micro-structured devices on a semiconductor substrate Previously used examination devices and methods mostly operate with reflected visible or UV light to analyze microstructured samples of a wafer (38), for example. The aim of the invention is to increase the possible uses of said devices, i.e. particularly in ... | 04/10/2012 |
| 8120767 | Mask making decision for manufacturing (DFM) on mask quality control The present disclosure provide a method for making a mask. The method includes assigning a plurality of pattern features to different data types; writing the plurality of pattern features on a mask; inspecting the plurality of pattern features with different inspect... | 02/21/2012 |
| 8115916 | Surface inspecting method and surface inspecting apparatus Provided is a surface inspecting method for inspecting a surface of a semiconductor substrate having linear line patterns repeatedly arranged and hole-shaped hole patterns formed on the line patterns. The surface inspecting method includes setting inspecting conditi... | 02/14/2012 |
| 8089622 | Device and method for evaluating defects in the edge area of a wafer and use of the device in inspection system for wafers A device for evaluating defects in the edge area of a wafer (6) is disclosed. The evaluation may also be performed automatically. In particular, the device includes three cameras (25, 26, 27), each provided with an objective (30), wherein a firs... | 01/03/2012 |
| 8072592 | Reticle defect inspection apparatus and reticle defect inspection method A reticle defect inspection apparatus that can carry out a defect inspection with high detection sensitivity are provided. The apparatus includes an optical system of transmitted illumination for irradiating one surface of a sample with a first inspection light, an ... | 12/06/2011 |
| 8045150 | Semiconductor wafer inspection method A semiconductor wafer inspection method includes: an imaging step in which a first image being an image of the chamfered surface seen from the main surface side and a second image being an image of the chamfered surface seen from the back surface side are taken; a c... | 10/25/2011 |
| 8035808 | Surface defect inspection method and apparatus A surface defect inspection apparatus and method for irradiating a beam multiple times to a same region on a surface of an inspection sample, detecting each scattered light from the same region by detection optical systems individually to produce plural signals, and... | 10/11/2011 |
| 8023111 | Surface inspection apparatus A semiconductor wafer inspection apparatus for inspecting an outer circumference edge part of a semiconductor wafer. The apparatus has a camera lens arranged facing an outer circumference edge part of a semiconductor wafer, an imaging surface arranged facing an oute... | 09/20/2011 |
| 7995199 | Method for detection of oversized sub-resolution assist features Disclosed are methods and apparatus for inspecting a sub-resolution assist features (SRAF) on a reticle. A test flux measurement for a boundary area that encompasses a width and a length portion of a test SRAF is determined, and at least one reference flux measureme... | 08/09/2011 |
| 7965387 | Image plane measurement method, exposure method, device manufacturing method, and exposure apparatus A main controller moves a reticle stage in a scanning direction, illuminates an area on a reticle including a mark area in which predetermined marks are formed with illumination light, forms an aerial image of at least one mark existing in the mark area via a projec... | 06/21/2011 |
| 7940385 | Defect inspection apparatus and its method In a defect inspection apparatus for performing an inspection with an optical system, the dimension of a defect is measured substantially concurrently with detection of the defect. In order to promote the accuracy of measurement of the defect dimension, a correction... | 05/10/2011 |
| 7924420 | Optical inspection including partial scanning of wafers Inspection of objects, such as semiconductor wafers, can be performed using a diluted scan wherein not all of an inspected area is actually imaged. Instead, a dilution plan can be devised based on the desired amount of area to be skipped and the particular parameter... | 04/12/2011 |
| 7911601 | Apparatus and method for inspecting pattern A method and apparatus for inspecting defects includes emitting an ultraviolet light from an ultraviolet light source, illuminating a specimen with the ultraviolet light in which a polarization condition of the ultraviolet light is controlled, controlling a polariza... | 03/22/2011 |
| 7911600 | Apparatus and a method for inspection of a mask blank, a method for manufacturing a reflective exposure mask, a method for reflective exposure, and a method for manufacturing semiconductor integrated circuits The mask blank inspection apparatus is constituted of a stage for mounting a reflective mask blank thereon, a light source for generating inspection light, a mirror serving as an illuminating optics, an imaging optical system, a beam splitter, two two-dimensional ar... | 03/22/2011 |
| 7911599 | Reticle defect inspection apparatus and reticle defect inspection method A reticle defect inspection apparatus that can carry out a defect inspection with high detection sensitivity are provided. The apparatus includes an optical system of transmitted illumination for irradiating one surface of a sample with a first inspection light, an ... | 03/22/2011 |
| 7876432 | Method for detecting position of defect on semiconductor wafer A method of this invention involves: detecting a shape of an outer periphery of a semiconductor wafer with a first detecting device; determining a center position of the semiconductor wafer based on a detected result by the first detecting device; receiving a light ... | 01/25/2011 |
| 7872745 | Pattern inspection apparatus and pattern inspection method A pattern inspection apparatus includes a light source configured to emit a pulsed light, a stage on which an inspection target workpiece is placed, a sensor, including a plurality of light receiving elements two-dimensionally arrayed, configured to capture a patter... | 01/18/2011 |
| 7872744 | Visual inspection apparatus for flexible printed circuit boards An exemplary visual inspection apparatus for a flexible printed circuit board includes a frame, an inspection station, a control system, a roller system and a power system. The inspection station is disposed on the frame. The inspection station has an inspection sur... | 01/18/2011 |
| 7869025 | Optical inspection method and optical inspection system An optical semiconductor wafer inspection system and a method thereof are provided for classifying and inspecting defects such as scratches, voids and particles produced in a flattening process by a polishing or grinding technique used for semiconductor manufacturin... | 01/11/2011 |
| 7855784 | Substrate processing method, substrate processing system, program, and recording medium A wafer measurement/inspection instrument receives information on at least one of a processing result and an operating state of at least one of a coater/developer that performs film forming/resist processing to a wafer and an exposure apparatus that performs liquid ... | 12/21/2010 |
| 7847929 | Methods and apparatus for inspecting a plurality of dies A method for inspecting a plurality of dies, that are typically disposed on a surface of a semiconducting wafer. Each of the dies includes respective functional features within the die. The method consists of identifying within a first die a first multiplicity of th... | 12/07/2010 |
| 7830502 | Substrate inspection device and substrate inspection method A substrate inspection method includes the following steps. Substrates are sequentially moved while an optical system including a light-projecting system and a light-receiving system are moved in a direction orthogonal to the moving direction of each substrate, so a... | 11/09/2010 |
| 7826049 | Inspection tools supporting multiple operating states for multiple detector arrangements An inspection system can support operation in multiple states. For instance, when inspecting an article, such as a semiconductor wafer, the tool can switch between imaging multiple locations using respective detectors to another operating state wherein multiple dete... | 11/02/2010 |
| 7821628 | Mask defect inspection computer program product A mask defect inspecting method comprises preparing detection sensitivities of defects on a plurality of portions of a mask pattern on a photomask, the detection sensitivities being determined according to influences of the defects upon a wafer, and inspecting defec... | 10/26/2010 |
| 7817265 | Alignment mark and defect inspection method A defect inspection method is disclosed. A first type defect inspection system is used to perform a first defect inspection by aligning to an alignment mark on a wafer as a reference point for the first defect inspection. A fabrication process is performed on the wa... | 10/19/2010 |
| 7812943 | Zeroeth order imaging A method of imaging critical dimensions by measuring the zeroeth order of diffracted light. The method involves providing a target, directing light onto the target so as to cause the target to diffract the light. The zeroeth order of the diffracted light is collecte... | 10/12/2010 |
| 7808629 | Methods, assemblies and systems for inspecting a photomask A method of inspecting a photomask, the method comprising, inspecting at least a portion of the photomask to provide a location of defects having with a first resolution, determining at least one defect region in the location of the defects, the defect region having... | 10/05/2010 |
| 7768637 | Method for acquiring high-resolution images of defects on the upper surface of the wafer edge A method for acquiring high-resolution images of defects on the upper surface of the wafer edge is disclosed. For this purpose, first the position of at least one defect on the upper surface of the wafer edge is determined. The thus determined position of the defect... | 08/03/2010 |
| 7764369 | Method of producing spatial fine structures A method of producing spatial fine structures comprises the steps of: selecting a luminophore from the group of luminophores displaying two different states, one of the two states being an active state in which luminescence light is obtainable from the luminophore, ... | 07/27/2010 |
| 7760349 | Mask-defect inspecting apparatus with movable focusing lens A mask-defect inspection apparatus including a plurality of illumination optical systems (2) for illuminating different areas (14a, 14b) on a mask (4) on which a pattern (6) is formed, an objective lens (OL) disposed ... | 07/20/2010 |
| 7742163 | Field replaceable units (FRUs) optimized for integrated metrology (IM) An Integrated Metrology Sensor (IMS) including a plurality of Field Replaceable Units (FRUs) for measuring a target on a wafer. The FRU configurations can be optimized to include the appropriate elements, so that each FRU can be pre-aligned and calibrated in the fac... | 06/22/2010 |
| 7738092 | System and method for reducing speckle noise in die-to-die inspection systems Systems and methods are provided herein for eliminating speckle noise in die-to-die inspection systems. In one embodiment, an illumination system in accordance with the present invention may include a coherent light source, a diffuser, a first detector, a second det... | 06/15/2010 |
| 7738093 | Methods for detecting and classifying defects on a reticle Methods for detecting and classifying defects on a reticle are provided. One method includes acquiring images of the reticle at first and second conditions during inspection of the reticle. The first condition is different than the second condition. The method also ... | 06/15/2010 |
| 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 |
| 7728969 | Methods and systems for identifying defect types on a wafer Various methods and systems for identifying defect types on a wafer are provided. One computer-implemented method for identifying defect types on a wafer includes acquiring output of an inspection system for defects detected on a wafer. The output is acquired by dif... | 06/01/2010 |
| 7710557 | Surface defect inspection method and apparatus A surface defect inspection apparatus is structured to add detection signals of multi-directionally detected scattered lights to detect a tiny defect and to individually process the respective detection signals to prevent an error failing to detect an anisotropic de... | 05/04/2010 |
| 7697130 | Apparatus and method for inspecting a surface of a wafer A surface inspection apparatus and method increase wafer productivity, wherein to increase an efficiency of the surface inspection apparatus to detect defects during a scanning of the wafer surface, a scanning speed for a subsequent defect detection is varied accord... | 04/13/2010 |
| 7697128 | Method of imaging radiation from an object on a detection device and an inspection device for inspecting an object A method of imaging radiation from an object on a detection device. The method includes directing a beam of coherent radiation to the object, scanning the beam of radiation over an angle in or out of a plane of incidence relative to the object, and imaging scattered... | 04/13/2010 |
