Abstract: Systems and methods for detecting defects on a wafer are provided. One method includes determining locations of all instances of a weak geometry in a design for a wafer. The locations include random, aperiodic locations. The weak geometry includes one or more features that are more prone to defects than other features in the design. The method also includes scanning the wafer with a wafer inspection system to thereby generate output for the wafer with one or more detectors of the wafer inspection system. In addition, the method includes detecting defects in at least one instance of the weak geometry based on the output generated at two or more instances of the weak geometry in a single die on the wafer.

Abstract: Methods and systems for determining inspection scenarios without input from a user are presented. Inspection scenarios include at least one acquisition mode, defect detection parameter values, and classification parameter values. In one example, a number of defect events are determined by a hot inspection of a wafer surface. The defect events are classified and attributes associated with each defect event are identified. The defect events are labeled with this information. Based on the identified attributes and classification, inspection scenarios are determined. The inspection scenarios are solutions in a mathematical space formed by the identified attributes. In some examples, a plurality of inspection scenarios are determined and a desired inspection scenario is selected from the plurality based on the number of defects of interest and the number of nuisance events captured by the selected inspection scenario.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for managing congestion in a data network. In a data network, various data flows are transmitted between source and destination nodes. One or more computing devices of the network may be configured to detecting congestion in a first path and provide an indication of the congestion, directly or indirectly, to a destination device. A switch associated with the path is designated for performing rebalancing of the flow based at least in part on a control message generated in response to an instruction received, either directly or indirectly, from a source device. Reassignment of the congested flow to a new path can help alleviate congestion and improve network performance.

Abstract: The present invention may include an illumination source; a TDI sensor having a plurality of rows of TDI pixels, wherein each of the TDI pixels have a 1:1 aspect ratio; a multicolor filter contacted to the surface of the TDI sensor, wherein the multicolor filter has alternating sections of a first color filter, a second color filter, and at least a third color, wherein adjacent rows of TDI pixels are grouped in order to form a plurality of rows of integrated multicolor pixels; an objective having a first end positioned proximate to the specimen; a second lens configured to focus light from the image path onto the TDI sensor; and an anamorphic optics element configured to magnify an image of the one or more specimens such that the image is magnified by a factor of three along a direction orthogonal to an integrating direction of the TDI sensor.

Abstract: Systems and methods for detecting defects on a wafer are provided. One method includes determining locations of all instances of a weak geometry in a design for a wafer. The locations include random, aperiodic locations. The weak geometry includes one or more features that are more prone to defects than other features in the design. The method also includes scanning the wafer with a wafer inspection system to thereby generate output for the wafer with one or more detectors of the wafer inspection system. In addition, the method includes detecting detects in at least one instance of the weak geometry based on the output generated at two or more instances of the weak geometry in a single die on the wafer.

Abstract: Methods and systems for determining inspection scenarios without input from a user are presented. Inspection scenarios include at least one acquisition mode, defect detection parameter values, and classification parameter values. In one example, a number of defect events are determined by a hot inspection of a wafer surface. The defect events are classified and attributes associated with each defect event are identified. The defect events are labeled with this information. Based on the identified attributes and classification, inspection scenarios are determined. The inspection scenarios are solutions in a mathematical space formed by the identified attributes. In some examples, a plurality of inspection scenarios are determined and a desired inspection scenario is selected from the plurality based on the number of defects of interest and the number of nuisance events captured by the selected inspection scenario.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A damper is provided which includes a primary damper and a secondary damper connected for series. The damper is utilized for damping torsional vibrations in a clutch assembly and is particularly useful for connecting reciprocating piston engines with a vehicle transmission.

Abstract: A bumper system includes an injection molded energy absorber of polymeric material having hollow longitudinally-spaced lobes configured to crush and absorb energy during a pedestrian impact, and straps interconnecting adjacent lobes. The lobes are particularly sized and dimensioned, including potentially external ribs and/or apertures in corners, to provide a relatively uniform impact energy absorption during an impact stroke during crush of the shear walls of the lobes, such as within +/?30% or more preferably within +/?20% of a desired amount regardless of a specific location of impact, along a selected center portion of the energy absorber. A reason for the uniformity is to promote pedestrian safety regardless of the specific location where a pedestrian's leg strikes the energy absorber.

Abstract: Various embodiments for determining parameters for wafer inspection and/or metrology are provided.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A bumper system includes an injection molded energy absorber of polymeric material having hollow longitudinally-spaced lobes configured to crush and absorb energy during a pedestrian impact, and straps interconnecting adjacent lobes. The lobes are particularly sized and dimensioned, including potentially external ribs and/or apertures in corners, to provide a relatively uniform impact energy absorption during an impact stroke during crush of the shear walls of the lobes, such as within +/?30% or more preferably within +/?20% of a desired amount regardless of a specific location of impact, along a selected center portion of the energy absorber. A reason for the uniformity is to promote pedestrian safety regardless of the specific location where a pedestrian's leg strikes the energy absorber.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: Various computer-implemented methods are provided. One method for sorting defects in a design pattern of a reticle includes searching for defects of interest in inspection data using priority information associated with individual defects in combination with one or more characteristics of a region proximate the individual defects. The priority information corresponds to modulation levels associated with the individual defects. The inspection data is generated by comparing images of the reticle generated for different values of a lithographic variable. The images include at least one reference image and at least one modulated image. A composite reference image can be generated from two or more reference images. The method also includes assigning one or more identifiers to the defects of interest. The identifier(s) may include, for example, a defect classification and/or an indicator identifying if the defects of interest are to be used for further processing.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: Various methods and systems for determining a position of inspection data in design data space are provided. One computer-implemented method includes determining a centroid of an alignment target formed on a wafer using an image of the alignment target acquired by imaging the wafer. The method also includes aligning the centroid to a centroid of a geometrical shape describing the alignment target. In addition, the method includes assigning a design data space position of the centroid of the alignment target as a position of the centroid of the geometrical shape in the design data space. The method further includes determining a position of inspection data acquired for the wafer in the design data space based on the design data space position of the centroid of the alignment target.

Abstract: A bumper system includes an injection molded energy absorber of polymeric material having hollow longitudinally-spaced lobes configured to crush and absorb energy during a pedestrian impact, and straps interconnecting adjacent lobes. The lobes are particularly sized and dimensioned, including potentially external ribs and/or apertures in corners, to provide a relatively uniform impact energy absorption during an impact stroke during crush of the shear walls of the lobes, such as within +/?30% or more preferably within +/?20% of a desired amount regardless of a specific location of impact, along a selected center portion of the energy absorber. A reason for the uniformity is to promote pedestrian safety regardless of the specific location where a pedestrian's leg strikes the energy absorber.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: Systems and methods for detecting defects on a wafer and generating inspection results for the wafer are provided. One method includes detecting defects on a wafer by comparing output generated by scanning of the wafer performed by an inspection system to one or more defect detection thresholds. The method also includes sampling outliers in the output by selecting the output having the highest values from bins defined based on one or more predetermined criteria. In addition, the method includes selecting a portion of the sampled outliers based on wafer-level analysis of the sampled outliers. The method further includes generating inspection results for the wafer by combining information about the selected portion of the sampled outliers with information about the defects detected using the one or more defect detection thresholds.

Abstract: Various computer-implemented methods are provided. One method for sorting defects in a design pattern of a reticle includes searching for defects of interest in inspection data using priority information associated with individual defects in combination with one or more characteristics of a region proximate the individual defects. The priority information corresponds to modulation levels associated with the individual defects. The inspection data is generated by comparing images of the reticle generated for different values of a lithographic variable. The images include at least one reference image and at least one modulated image. A composite reference image can be generated from two or more reference images. The method also includes assigning one or more identifiers to the defects of interest. The identifier(s) may include, for example, a defect classification and/or an indicator identifying if the defects of interest are to be used for further processing.