| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20080250384 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CREATING INSPECTION RECIPES - Systems and methods for creating inspection recipes are provided. One computer-implemented method for creating an inspection recipe includes acquiring a first design and one or more characteristics of output of an inspection system for a wafer on which the first design is printed using a manufacturing process. The method also includes creating an inspection recipe for a second design using the first design and the one or more characteristics of the output acquired for the wafer on which the first design is printed. The first and second designs are different. The inspection recipe will be used for inspecting wafers after the second design is printed on the wafers using the manufacturing process. | 10-09-2008 |
| 20090037134 | SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE PROPERTY EXTRACTION, GENERATION, VISUALIZATION, AND MONITORING METHODS - Various methods, carrier media, and systems for monitoring a characteristic of a specimen are provided. One computer-implemented method for monitoring a characteristic of a specimen includes determining a property of individual pixels on the specimen using output generated by inspecting the specimen with an inspection system. The method also includes determining a characteristic of individual regions on the specimen using the properties of the individual pixels in the individual regions. The method further includes monitoring the characteristic of the specimen based on the characteristics of the individual regions. | 02-05-2009 |
| 20090080759 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CREATING PERSISTENT DATA FOR A WAFER AND FOR USING PERSISTENT DATA FOR INSPECTION-RELATED FUNCTIONS - Various systems and methods for creating persistent data for a wafer and using persistent data for inspection-related functions are provided. One system includes a set of processor nodes coupled to a detector of an inspection system. Each of the processor nodes is configured to receive a portion of image data generated by the detector during scanning of a wafer. The system also includes an array of storage media separately coupled to each of the processor nodes. The processor nodes are configured to send all of the image data or a selected portion of the image data received by the processor nodes to the arrays of storage media such that all of the image data or the selected portion of the image data generated by the detector during the scanning of the wafer is stored in the arrays of the storage media. | 03-26-2009 |
| 20100119144 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR UTILIZING DESIGN DATA IN COMBINATION WITH INSPECTION DATA - Various methods and systems for utilizing design data in combination with inspection data are provided. One computer-implemented method for binning defects detected on a wafer includes comparing portions of design data proximate positions of the defects in design data space. The method also includes determining if the design data in the portions is at least similar based on results of the comparing step. In addition, the method includes binning the defects in groups such that the portions of the design data proximate the positions of the defects in each of the groups are at least similar. The method further includes storing results of the binning step in a storage medium. | 05-13-2010 |
| 20100142800 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR DETECTING DEFECTS ON A RETICLE - Methods and systems for detecting defects on a reticle are provided. One method includes printing a single die reticle in first areas of a wafer using different values of a parameter of a lithography process and at least one second area using a nominal value of the parameter. The method also includes acquiring first images of the first areas and second image(s) of the at least one second area. In addition, the method includes separately comparing the first images acquired for different first areas to at least one of the second image(s). The method further includes detecting defects on the reticle based on first portions of the first images in which variations in the first images compared to the at least one second image are greater than second portions of the first images and the first portions that are common to two or more of the first images. | 06-10-2010 |
| 20110224932 | MONITORING OF TIME-VARYING DEFECT CLASSIFICATION PERFORMANCE - Systems and methods for monitoring time-varying classification performance are disclosed. A method may include, but is not limited to: receiving one or more signals indicative of one or more properties of one or more samples from one or more scanning inspection tools; determining populations of one or more defect types for the one or more samples according an application of one or more classification rules to the one or more signals received from the one or more scanning inspection tools; determining populations of the one or more defect types for the one or more samples using one or more high-resolution inspection tools; and computing one or more correlations between populations of one or more defect types for one or more samples determined from application of one or more classification rules applied to one or more signals received from the one or more scanning inspection tools and populations of the one or more defect types for the one or more samples determined using the one or more high-resolution inspection tools. | 09-15-2011 |
| 20110286656 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR UTILIZING DESIGN DATA IN COMBINATION WITH INSPECTION DATA - Various methods and systems for utilizing design data in combination with inspection data are provided. One computer-implemented method for binning defects detected on a wafer includes comparing portions of design data proximate positions of the defects in design data space. The method also includes determining if the design data in the portions is at least similar based on results of the comparing step. In addition, the method includes binning the defects in groups such that the portions of the design data proximate the positions of the defects in each of the groups are at least to similar. The method further includes storing results of the binning step in a storage medium. | 11-24-2011 |
| 20110320149 | Selecting One or More Parameters for Inspection of a Wafer - Computer-implemented methods, computer-readable media, and systems for selecting one or more parameters for inspection of a wafer are provided. | 12-29-2011 |
