Abstract: The present invention includes searching imagery data in order to identify one or more patterned regions on a semiconductor wafer, generating one or more virtual Fourier filter (VFF) working areas, acquiring an initial set of imagery data from the VFF working areas, defining VFF training blocks within the identified patterned regions of the VFF working areas utilizing the initial set of imagery data, wherein each VFF training block is defined to encompass a portion of the identified patterned region displaying a selected repeating pattern, calculating an initial spectrum for each VFF training block utilizing the initial set of imagery data from the VFF training blocks, and generating a VFF for each training block by identifying frequencies of the initial spectrum having maxima in the frequency domain, wherein the VFF is configured to null the magnitude of the initial spectrum at the frequencies identified to display spectral maxima.

Abstract: Methods and systems for filtering scratches from wafer inspection results are provided. One method includes generating a defect candidate map that includes image data for potential defect candidates as a function of position on the wafer and removing noise from the defect candidate map to generate a filtered defect candidate map. The method also includes determining one or more characteristics of the potential defect candidates based on portions of the filtered defect candidate map corresponding to the potential defect candidates. In addition, the method includes determining if each of the potential defect candidates are scratches based on the one or more characteristics determined for each of the potential defect candidates and separating the potential defect candidates determined to be the scratches from other defects in inspection results for the wafer.

Abstract: Systems and methods for determining one or more parameters of a wafer inspection process are provided. One method includes aligning optical image(s) of an alignment target to their corresponding electron beam images generated by an electron beam defect review system. The method also includes determining different local coordinate transformations for different subsets of alignment targets based on results of the aligning. In addition, the method includes determining positions of defects in wafer inspection system coordinates based on coordinates of the defects determined by the electron beam defect review system and the different local coordinate transformations corresponding to different groups of the defects into which the defects have been separated. The method further includes determining one or more parameters for an inspection process for the wafer based on defect images acquired at the determined positions by a wafer inspection system.

Abstract: Methods and systems for detecting defects on a wafer using adaptive local thresholding and color filtering are provided. One method includes determining local statistics of pixels in output for a. wafer generated using an inspection system, determining which of the pixels are outliers based on the local statistics, and comparing the outliers to the pixels surrounding the outliers to identify the outliers that do not belong to a cluster of outliers as defect candidates. The method also includes determining a value for a difference in color between the pixels of the defect candidates and the pixels surrounding the defect candidates. The method further includes identifying the defect candidates that have a value for the difference in color greater than or equal to a predetermined value as nuisance defects and the defect candidates that have a value for the difference in color less than the predetermined value as real defects.

Abstract: In an optical inspection tool, an illumination aperture is opened at each of a plurality of aperture positions of an illumination pupil area one at a time across the illumination pupil area. For each aperture opening position, an incident beam is directed towards the illumination pupil area so as to selectively pass a corresponding ray bundle of the illumination beam at a corresponding set of one or more incident angles towards the sample and an output beam, which is emitted from the sample in response to the corresponding ray bundle of the incident beam impinging on the sample at the corresponding set of one or more incident angles, is detected. A defect detection characteristic for each aperture position is determined based on the output beam detected for each aperture position. An optimum aperture configuration is determined based on the determined defect detection characteristic for each aperture position.

Abstract: Methods and systems for detecting defects on a wafer are provided. One method includes determining characteristics of care areas for a wafer based on wafer patterns. Determining the characteristics includes determining locations of care areas, identifying at least one pattern of interest (POI) in the wafer patterns for each of the care areas, allowing any of the care areas to have a free-form shape, allowing the care areas to be larger than frame images and selecting two or more POIs for at least one of the care areas. The method also includes searching for POIs in images generated for the wafer using an inspection system. In addition, the method includes detecting defects on the wafer by determining positions of the care areas in the images and applying one or more defect detection methods to the images based on the positions of the care areas in the images.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and apparatus for optimizing a mode of an inspection tool. A first image or signal for each of a plurality of first apertures of the inspection tool is obtained, and each first image or signal pertains to a defect area. For each of a plurality of combinations of the first apertures and their first images or signals, a composite image or signal is obtained. Each composite image or signal is analyzed to determine an optimum one of the combinations of the first apertures based on a defect detection characteristic of each composite image.

Abstract: Methods and systems for design based sampling and binning for yield critical defects are provided. One method includes aligning each image patch in each inspection image frame generated for a wafer by an optical subsystem of an inspection system to design information for the wafer. The method also includes deriving multiple layer design attributes at locations of defects detected in the image patches. In addition, the method includes building a decision tree with the multiple layer design attributes. The decision tree is used to separate the defects into bins with different yield impacts on a device being formed on the wafer. The method also includes binning the defects with the decision tree.

Abstract: Methods and systems for detecting defects on a wafer using defect-specific and multi-channel information are provided. One method includes acquiring information for a target on a wafer. The target includes a pattern of interest (POI) formed on the wafer and a known defect of interest (DOI) occurring proximate to or in the POI. The method also includes detecting the known DOI in target candidates by identifying potential DOI locations based on images of the target candidates acquired by a first channel of an inspection system and applying one or more detection parameters to images of the potential DOI locations acquired by a second channel of the inspection system. Therefore, the image(s) used for locating potential DOI locations and the image(s) used for detecting defects can be different.

Abstract: Methods and systems for detecting defects on a wafer are provided.

Abstract: Systems and methods for detecting defects on a wafer are provided. One method includes generating output for a wafer by scanning the wafer with an inspection system using first and second optical states of the inspection system. The first and second optical states are defined by different values for at least one optical parameter of the inspection system. The method also includes generating first image data for the wafer using the output generated using the first optical state and second image data for the wafer using the output generated using the second optical state. In addition, the method includes combining the first image data and the second image data corresponding to substantially the same locations on the wafer thereby creating additional image data for the wafer. The method further includes detecting defects on the wafer using the additional image data.

Abstract: Various computer-implemented methods for classifying defects on a specimen are provided. One method includes assigning individual defects detected on the specimen to defect groups based on one or more characteristics of the individual defects. The method also includes displaying information about the defect groups to a user. In addition, the method includes allowing the user to assign a classification to each of the defect groups. Systems configured to classify defects on a specimen are also provided. One system includes program instructions executable on a processor for assigning individual defects detected on the specimen to defect groups based on one or more characteristics of the individual defects. The system also includes a user interface configured for displaying information about the defect groups to a user and allowing the user to assign a classification to each of the defect groups.

Abstract: Systems and methods for detecting defects on a wafer are provided. One method includes generating output for a wafer by scanning the wafer with an inspection system using first and second optical states of the inspection system. The first and second optical states are defined by different values for at least one optical parameter of the inspection system. The method also includes generating first image data for the wafer using the output generated using the first optical state and second image data for the wafer using the output generated using the second optical state. In addition, the method includes combining the first image data and the second image data corresponding to substantially the same locations on the wafer thereby creating additional image data for the wafer. The method further includes detecting defects on the wafer using the additional image data.

Abstract: Methods and systems for detecting defects on a wafer are provided.

Abstract: Systems and methods for detecting defects on a wafer are provided. One method includes generating output for a wafer by scanning the wafer with an inspection system using first and second optical states of the inspection system. The first and second optical states are defined by different values for at least one optical parameter of the inspection system. The method also includes generating first image data for the wafer using the output generated using the first optical state and second image data for the wafer using the output generated using the second optical state. In addition, the method includes combining the first image data and the second image data corresponding to substantially the same locations on the wafer thereby creating additional image data for the wafer. The method further includes detecting defects on the wafer using the additional image data.

Abstract: Systems and methods for detecting defects on a wafer are provided. One method includes generating output for a wafer by scanning the wafer with an inspection system using first and second optical states of the inspection system. The first and second optical states are defined by different values for at least one optical parameter of the inspection system. The method also includes generating first image data for the wafer using the output generated using the first optical state and second image data for the wafer using the output generated using the second optical state. In addition, the method includes combining the first image data and the second image data corresponding to substantially the same locations on the wafer thereby creating additional image data for the wafer. The method further includes detecting defects on the wafer using the additional image data.

Abstract: The present invention includes searching imagery data in order to identify one or more patterned regions on a semiconductor wafer, generating one or more virtual Fourier filter (VFF) working areas, acquiring an initial set of imagery data from the VFF working areas, defining VFF training blocks within the identified patterned regions of the VFF working areas utilizing the initial set of imagery data, wherein each VFF training block is defined to encompass a portion of the identified patterned region displaying a selected repeating pattern, calculating an initial spectrum for each VFF training block utilizing the initial set of imagery data from the VFF training blocks, and generating a VFF for each training block by identifying frequencies of the initial spectrum having maxima in the frequency domain, wherein the VFF is configured to null the magnitude of the initial spectrum at the frequencies identified to display spectral maxima.

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: Computer-implemented methods, computer-readable media, and systems for selecting one or more parameters for inspection of a wafer are provided.

Abstract: A processor-based method for detecting defects in an integrated circuit, by creating an image of at least a portion of the integrated circuit with a sensor, grouping pixels of the image into bins based at least in part on a common characteristic of the pixels that are grouped within a given bin, creating a histogram of the pixels in each of the bins, calculating a mean value of the histogram for each of the bins, comparing the mean value for each of the bins to a threshold value, flagging as defect candidates those bins where the mean value of the bin varies from the threshold value by more than a predetermined amount, and performing signature detection on the bins that are flagged as defect candidates, where the image of the integrated circuit is not directly compared to any other image of an integrated circuit.