Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090299655 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DETERMINING TWO OR MORE CHARACTERISTICS OF A WAFER - Systems and methods for determining two or more characteristics of a wafer are provided. The two or more characteristics include a characteristic of the wafer that is spatially localized in at least one dimension and a characteristic of the wafer that is not spatially localized in two dimensions. | 12-03-2009 |
20100060888 | COMPUTER-IMPLEMENTED METHODS FOR INSPECTING AND/OR CLASSIFYING A WAFER - Computer-implemented methods for inspecting and/or classifying a wafer are provided. One computer-implemented includes detecting defects on a wafer using one or more defect detection parameters, which are determined based on a non-spatially localized characteristic of the wafer that is determined using output responsive to light scattered from the wafer generated by an inspection system. Another computer-implemented method includes classifying a wafer based on a combination of a non-spatially localized characteristic of the wafer determined using output responsive to light scattered from the wafer generated by an inspection system and a spatially localized characteristic of the wafer determined using the output. | 03-11-2010 |
20100208272 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MEASURING SHAPE OR THICKNESS INFORMATION OF A SUBSTRATE - An interferometer system and method may be used to measure substrate thickness or shape. The system may include two spaced apart reference flats having that form an optical cavity between two parallel reference surfaces. A substrate holder may be configured to place the substrate in the cavity with first and second substrate surfaces substantially parallel with corresponding first and second reference surfaces such that a space between the first or second substrate surface is three millimeters or less from a corresponding one of the reference surfaces or a damping surface. Interferometer devices may be located on diametrically opposite sides of the cavity and optically coupled thereto. The interferometers can map variations in spacing between the substrate surfaces and the reference surfaces, respectively, through interference of light optically coupled to and from to the cavity via the interferometer devices. | 08-19-2010 |
20110196639 | COMPUTER-IMPLEMENTED METHODS, COMPUTER-READABLE MEDIA, AND SYSTEMS FOR DETERMINING ONE OR MORE CHARACTERISTICS OF A WAFER - Computer-implemented methods, computer-readable media, and systems for determining one or more characteristics of a wafer are provided. | 08-11-2011 |
20130016346 | Wafer Inspection - Systems configured to inspect a wafer are provided. | 01-17-2013 |
20140071437 | Monitoring Incident Beam Position in a Wafer Inspection System - Methods, systems, and structures for monitoring incident beam position in a wafer inspection system are provided. One structure includes a feature formed in a chuck configured to support a wafer during inspection by the wafer inspection system. The chuck rotates the wafer in a theta direction and simultaneously translates the wafer in a radial direction during the inspection. An axis through the center of the feature is aligned with a radius of the chuck such that a position of the axis relative to an incident beam of the wafer inspection system indicates changes in the incident beam position in the theta direction. | 03-13-2014 |
20150369753 | Wafer Inspection - Systems configured to inspect a wafer are provided. One system includes an illumination subsystem configured to direct pulses of light to an area on a wafer; a scanning subsystem configured to scan the pulses of light across the wafer; a collection subsystem configured to image pulses of light scattered from the area on the wafer to a sensor, wherein the sensor is configured to integrate a number of the pulses of scattered light that is fewer than a number of the pulses of scattered light that can be imaged on the entire area of the sensor, and wherein the sensor is configured to generate output responsive to the integrated pulses of scattered light; and a computer subsystem configured to detect defects on the wafer using the output generated by the sensor. | 12-24-2015 |
20160097727 | TDI Sensor in a Darkfield System - A wafer scanning system includes imaging collection optics to reduce the effective spot size. Smaller spot size decreases the number of photons scattered by the surface proportionally to the area of the spot. Air scatter is also reduced. TDI is used to produce a wafer image based on a plurality of image signals integrated over the direction of linear motion of the wafer. An illumination system floods the wafer with light, and the task of creating the spot is allocated to the imaging collection optics. | 04-07-2016 |