Patent SG-11202000114T-A (SG)
Title: Hybrid inspection system for efficient process window discovery
Inventor: DUFFY BRIAN
IPC: H01L21/66
Filed: 2018-07-24
Abstract: Title: HYBRID INSPECTION SYSTEM FOR EFFICIENT PROCESS WINDOW DISCOVERY 200 (57) : An inspection system includes a controller communicative- ly coupled to a physical inspection device (PID), a virtual inspection device (VID) configured to analyze stored PID data, and a defect verification device (DVD). The controller may receive a pattern layout of a sample including multiple patterns fabricated with selected lithography configurations defm- ing a process window, receive locations of PID-identified defects identified through analysis of the sample with the PID, wherein the PID-identified de- fects are verified by the DVD, remove one or more lithography configurations associated with the locations of the PID-identified defects from the process window, iteratively refine the process window by removing one or more lithography configurations associated with VID-identified defects identified through analysis of selected portions of stored PID data with the VID, and 206 provide, as an output, the process window when a selected end condition is met. 202- N RECEIVING A PAI I ERN LAYOUT OF A SAMPLE INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF PM] ERNS FABRICATED WITH SELECTED LITHOGRAPHY CONFIGURATIONS DEFINING A PROCESS WINDOW INSPECTING THE SAMPLE WITH A PHYSICAL INSPECTION DEVICE (PID) TO GENERATE PID-IDENTIFIED DEFECTS VERIFYING THE PID-IDENTIFIED DEFECTS WITH A DEFECT VERIFICATION DEVICE (DVD) REMOVING ONE OR MORE LITHOGRAPHY CONFIGURATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH LOCATIONS OF THE PID-IDENTIFIED DEFECTS FROM THE PROCESS WINDOW (12) INTERNATIONAL APPLICATION PUBLISHED UNDER THE PATENT COOPERATION TREATY (PCT) vitivio VIII oviolo 111111111111ml I0I Imo Hs (19) World Intellectual Property Organization International Bureau (10) International Publication Number WO 2019/023152 Al (43) International Publication Date 31 January 2019 (31.01.2019) WIPO I PCT (51) International Patent Classification: HO1L 21/66 (2006.01) (21) International Application Number: PCT/US2018/043351 (22) International Filing Date: DZ, EC, EE, EG, ES, FI, GB, GD, GE, GH, GM, GT, HN, HR, HU, ID, IL, IN, IR, IS, JO, JP, KE, KG, KH, KN, KP, KR, KW, KZ, LA, LC, LK, LR, LS, LU, LY, MA, MD, ME, MG, MK, MN, MW, MX, MY, MZ, NA, NG, NI, NO, NZ, OM, PA, PE, PG, PH, PL, PT, QA, RO, RS, RU, RW, SA, SC, SD, SE, SG, SK, SL, SM, ST, SV, SY, TH, TJ, TM, TN, TR, TT, TZ, UA, UG, US, UZ, VC, VN, ZA, ZM, ZW. (84) Designated States (unless otherwise indicated, for every kind of regional protection available): ARIPO (BW, GH, GM, KE, LR, LS, MW, MZ, NA, RW, SD, SL, ST, SZ, TZ, UG, ZM, ZW), Eurasian (AM, AZ, BY, KG, KZ, RU, TJ, TM), European (AL, AT, BE, BG, CH, CY, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HR, HU, IE, IS, IT, LT, LU, LV, MC, MK, MT, NL, NO, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SI, SK, SM, TR), OAPI (BF, BJ, CF, CG, CI, CM, GA, GN, GQ, GW, KM, ML, MR, NE, SN, TD, TG). Published: — with international search report (Art 21(3)) 24 July 2018 (24.07.2018) English English (25) Filing Language: (26) Publication Language: (30) Priority Data: 62/536,893 25 July 2017 (25.07.2017) US 15/727,212 06 October 2017 (06.10.2017) US (71) Applicant: KLA-TENCOR CORPORATION [US/US]; Legal Department, One Technology Drive, Milpitas, Cali- fornia 95035 (US). (72) Inventor: DUFFY, Brian; 1073 Crosswind Ct., San Jose, California 95120 (US). (74) Agent: MCANDREWS, Kevin et al.; KLA-Tencor Corp., Legal Department, One Technology Drive, Milpitas, Cali- fornia 95035 (US). (81) Designated States (unless otherwise indicated, for every kind of national protection available): AE, AG, AL, AM, AO, AT, AU, AZ, BA, BB, BG, BH, BN, BR, BW, BY, BZ, CA, CH, CL, CN, CO, CR, CU, CZ, DE, DJ, DK, DM, DO, in 2 , 1-1 o 212 O C ITERATIVELY REFINING THE PROCESS WINDOW PROVIDING THE PROCESS WINDOW WHEN A SELECTED END CONDITION IS MET FIG.2