Patents by Inventor Saar Shabtay
Saar Shabtay has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
-
Patent number: 11940390Abstract: A system, method and computer readable medium for examining a specimen, the method comprising: obtaining defects of interest (DOIs) and false alarms (FAs) from a review subset selected from a group of potential defects received from an inspection tool, each potential defect is associated with attribute values defining a location of the potential defect in an attribute space; generating a representative subset of the group, comprising potential defects selected in accordance with a distribution of the potential defects within the attribute space, and indicating the potential defects in the representative subset as FA; and training a classifier using data informative of the attribute values of the DOIs, the potential defects of the representative subset, and respective indications thereof as DOIs or FAs, wherein the trained classifier is to be applied to at least some of the potential defects to obtain an estimation of a number of expected DOIs.Type: GrantFiled: June 1, 2022Date of Patent: March 26, 2024Assignee: Applied Materials Israel Ltd.Inventors: Yotam Sofer, Shaul Engler, Boaz Cohen, Saar Shabtay, Amir Bar, Marcelo Gabriel Bacher
-
Patent number: 11592400Abstract: Inspection data that corresponds to potential defects of an object may be received. A first set of locations of first potential defects can be identified. The first set of locations of the first potential defects can be imaged with a review tool to obtain a first set of review images. The first potential defects can be classified based on the first set of review images to obtain first classification results of the first potential defects. An instruction can be determined for the review tool based on the first classification results, the instruction being associated with detecting potential defects. Using the instruction, a second set of locations of second potential defects of the plurality of potential defects to be imaged with the review tool can be identified.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2020Date of Patent: February 28, 2023Assignee: Applied Materials Israel Ltd.Inventors: Saar Shabtay, Moshe Amzaleg, Zvi Goren
-
Publication number: 20220291138Abstract: A system, method and computer readable medium for examining a specimen, the method comprising: obtaining defects of interest (DOIs) and false alarms (FAs) from a review subset selected from a group of potential defects received from an inspection tool, each potential defect is associated with attribute values defining a location of the potential defect in an attribute space; generating a representative subset of the group, comprising potential defects selected in accordance with a distribution of the potential defects within the attribute space, and indicating the potential defects in the representative subset as FA; and training a classifier using data informative of the attribute values of the DOIs, the potential defects of the representative subset, and respective indications thereof as DOIs or FAs, wherein the trained classifier is to be applied to at least some of the potential defects to obtain an estimation of a number of expected DOIs.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 1, 2022Publication date: September 15, 2022Inventors: Yotam Sofer, Shaul Engler, Boaz Cohen, Saar Shabtay, Amir Bar, Marcelo Gabriel Bacher
-
Patent number: 11360030Abstract: Disclosed is a system, method and computer readable medium for selecting a coreset of potential defects for estimating expected defects of interest. An example method includes obtaining a plurality of defects of interest (DOIs) and false alarms (FAs) from a review subset selected from a group of potential defects received from an inspection tool. The method further includes generating a representative subset of the group of potential defects. The representative subset includes potential defects selected in accordance with a distribution of the group of potential defects within an attribute space. The method further includes, upon training a classifier using data informative of the attribute values of the DOIs, the potential defects of the representative subset, and respective indications thereof as DOIs or FAs, applying the classifier to at least some of the potential defects to obtain an estimation of a number of expected DOIs in the specimen.Type: GrantFiled: February 4, 2020Date of Patent: June 14, 2022Assignee: Applied Materials Isreal LTDInventors: Yotam Sofer, Shaul Engler, Boaz Cohen, Saar Shabtay, Amir Bar, Marcelo Gabriel Bacher
-
Publication number: 20210239623Abstract: A system, method and computer readable medium for examining a specimen, the method comprising: obtaining defects of interest (DOIs) and false alarms (FAs) from a review subset selected from a group of potential defects received from an inspection tool, each potential defect is associated with attribute values defining a location of the potential defect in an attribute space; generating a representative subset of the group, comprising potential defects selected in accordance with a distribution of the potential defects within the attribute space, and indicating the potential defects in the representative subset as FA; and upon training a classifier using data informative of the attribute values of the DOIs, the potential defects of the representative subset, and respective indications thereof as DOIs or FAs, applying the classifier to at least some of the potential defects to obtain an estimation of a number of expected DOIs in the specimen.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 4, 2020Publication date: August 5, 2021Inventors: Yotam SOFER, Shaul ENGLER, Boaz COHEN, Saar SHABTAY, Amir BAR, Marcelo Gabriel BACHER
-
Publication number: 20210109029Abstract: Inspection data that corresponds to potential defects of an object may be received. A first set of locations of first potential defects can be identified. The first set of locations of the first potential defects can be imaged with a review tool to obtain a first set of review images. The first potential defects can be classified based on the first set of review images to obtain first classification results of the first potential defects. An instruction can be determined for the review tool based on the first classification results, the instruction being associated with detecting potential defects. Using the instruction, a second set of locations of second potential defects of the plurality of potential defects to be imaged with the review tool can be identified.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 21, 2020Publication date: April 15, 2021Inventors: Saar Shabtay, Moshe Amzaleg, Zvi Goren
-
Patent number: 10871451Abstract: Inspection data that corresponds to potential defects of an object may be received. A first set of locations of first potential defects can be identified. The first set of locations of the first potential defects can be imaged with a review tool to obtain a first set of review images. The first potential defects can be classified based on the first set of review images to obtain first classification results of the first potential defects. A determination can be made as to whether an examination stopping criteria has been satisfied. In response to determining that the examination stopping criteria has not been satisfied, a second set of locations of second potential defects can be identified to be imaged with the review tool to obtain a second set of review images. The second set of locations can be different than the first set of locations.Type: GrantFiled: August 28, 2019Date of Patent: December 22, 2020Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS ISRAEL LTD.Inventors: Saar Shabtay, Moshe Amzaleg, Zvi Goren
-
Patent number: 10818000Abstract: Data indicative of a group of defect candidates may be obtained. The data may be indicative of a group of defect candidates and may include values of attributes for each defect candidate of the group of defect candidates. Sub-groups of defect candidates may be iteratively selected for review using a review recipe to classify the defect candidates in each selected sub-group based on the values of attributes of respective defect candidates and classification results of previously reviewed defect candidates. The sub-groups may be selected until a sampling stop condition is fulfilled to obtain a classification output for the wafer. Instructions specifying at least one of the sampling stop condition, the inspection recipe, or the review recipe may be altered and additional defect candidates in a next wafer may be classified by using the altered instructions.Type: GrantFiled: August 13, 2018Date of Patent: October 27, 2020Assignee: Applied Materials Israel Ltd.Inventors: Saar Shabtay, Idan Kaizerman, Amir Watchs
-
Patent number: 10605745Abstract: A candidate defect may be identified at a semiconductor wafer. A determination may be made as to whether the candidate defect at the semiconductor wafer corresponds to a systematic defect or a random defect. In response to determining that the candidate defect at the semiconductor wafer corresponds to a systematic detect, the candidate defect at the semiconductor wafer may be provided to a defect review tool for review by the defect review tool.Type: GrantFiled: June 28, 2018Date of Patent: March 31, 2020Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS ISRAEL LTD.Inventors: Yotam Sofer, Boaz Cohen, Saar Shabtay, Eli Buchman
-
Publication number: 20200003700Abstract: A candidate defect may be identified at a semiconductor wafer. A determination may be made as to whether the candidate defect at the semiconductor wafer corresponds to a systematic defect or a random defect. In response to determining that the candidate defect at the semiconductor wafer corresponds to a systematic detect, the candidate defect at the semiconductor wafer may be provided to a defect review tool for review by the defect review tool.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 28, 2018Publication date: January 2, 2020Inventors: Yotam Sofer, Boaz Cohen, Saar Shabtay, Eli Buchman
-
Publication number: 20190391085Abstract: Inspection data that corresponds to potential defects of an object may be received. A first set of locations of first potential defects can be identified. The first set of locations of the first potential defects can be imaged with a review tool to obtain a first set of review images. The first potential defects can be classified based on the first set of review images to obtain first classification results of the first potential defects. A determination can be made as to whether an examination stopping criteria has been satisfied. In response to determining that the examination stopping criteria has not been satisfied, a second set of locations of second potential defects can be identified to be imaged with the review tool to obtain a second set of review images. The second set of locations can be different than the first set of locations.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 28, 2019Publication date: December 26, 2019Inventors: Saar SHABTAY, Moshe AMZALEG, Zvi GOREN
-
Patent number: 10408764Abstract: Examination system, method and computer-readable medium, the method comprising: processing by a processor using a first recipe at least one image comprised in images and metadata generated by an inspection tool and stored, to detect a first location set of first potential defects and attributes thereof; selecting and imaging part of the first location set with a review tool to obtain an image set; obtaining classification results of said first potential defects and determining a further recipe based thereon; processing the image using the further recipe for detecting a further location set of further defects; selecting part of the further location set; imaging the part with the review tool to obtain a further image set, and obtaining further classification results; and repeating determining the further recipe, processing the image, selecting and imaging part of the further location set, and obtaining further classification results, until a stopping criteria is met.Type: GrantFiled: September 13, 2017Date of Patent: September 10, 2019Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS ISRAEL LTD.Inventors: Saar Shabtay, Moshe Amzaleg, Zvi Goren
-
Publication number: 20190079022Abstract: Examination system, method and computer-readable medium, the method comprising: processing by a processor using a first recipe at least one image comprised in images and metadata generated by an inspection tool and stored, to detect a first location set of first potential defects and attributes thereof; selecting and imaging part of the first location set with a review tool to obtain an image set; obtaining classification results of said first potential defects and determining a further recipe based thereon; processing the image using the further recipe for detecting a further location set of further defects; selecting part of the further location set; imaging the part with the review tool to obtain a further image set, and obtaining further classification results; and repeating determining the further recipe, processing the image, selecting and imaging part of the further location set, and obtaining further classification results, until a stopping criteria is met.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 13, 2017Publication date: March 14, 2019Inventors: Saar SHABTAY, Moshe AMZALEG, Zvi GOREN
-
Publication number: 20190012781Abstract: Data indicative of a group of defect candidates may be obtained. The data may be indicative of a group of defect candidates and may include values of attributes for each defect candidate of the group of defect candidates. Sub-groups of defect candidates may be iteratively selected for review using a review recipe to classify the defect candidates in each selected sub-group based on the values of attributes of respective defect candidates and classification results of previously reviewed defect candidates. The sub-groups may be selected until a sampling stop condition is fulfilled to obtain a classification output for the wafer. Instructions specifying at least one of the sampling stop condition, the inspection recipe, or the review recipe may be altered and additional defect candidates in a next wafer may be classified by using the altered instructions.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 13, 2018Publication date: January 10, 2019Inventors: Saar Shabtay, Idan Kaizerman, Amir Watchs
-
Patent number: 10049441Abstract: A method for classifying defects of a wafer, the method is executed by a computerized system, the method may include obtaining defect candidate information about a group of defect candidates, wherein the defect candidate information comprises values of attributes per each defect candidate of the group; selecting, by a processor of the computerized system, a selected sub-group of defect candidates in response to values of attributes of defect candidates that belong to at least the selected sub-group; classifying defect candidates of the selected sub-group to provide selected sub-group classification results; repeating, until fulfilling a stop condition: selecting an additional selected sub-group of defect candidates in response to (a) values of attributes of defect candidates that belong to at least the additional selected sub-group; and (b) classification results obtained from classifying at least one other selected sub-group; and classifying defect candidates of the additional selected sub-group to provide aType: GrantFiled: February 9, 2016Date of Patent: August 14, 2018Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS ISRAEL LTD.Inventors: Saar Shabtay, Idan Kaizerman, Amir Wachs
-
Publication number: 20160163038Abstract: A method for classifying defects of a wafer, the method is executed by a computerized system, the method may include obtaining defect candidate information about a group of defect candidates, wherein the defect candidate information comprises values of attributes per each defect candidate of the group; selecting, by a processor of the computerized system, a selected sub-group of defect candidates in response to values of attributes of defect candidates that belong to at least the selected sub-group; classifying defect candidates of the selected sub-group to provide selected sub-group classification results; repeating, until fulfilling a stop condition: selecting an additional selected sub-group of defect candidates in response to (a) values of attributes of defect candidates that belong to at least the additional selected sub-group; and (b) classification results obtained from classifying at least one other selected sub-group; and classifying defect candidates of the additional selected sub-group to provide aType: ApplicationFiled: February 9, 2016Publication date: June 9, 2016Inventors: Saar Shabtay, Idan Kaizerman, Amir Wachs
-
Patent number: 9286675Abstract: A method for classifying defects of a wafer, the method is executed by a computerized system, the method may include obtaining defect candidate information about a group of defect candidates, wherein the defect candidate information comprises values of attributes per each defect candidate of the group; selecting, by a processor of the computerized system, a selected sub-group of defect candidates in response to values of attributes of defect candidates that belong to at least the selected sub-group; classifying defect candidates of the selected sub-group to provide selected sub-group classification results; repeating, until fulfilling a stop condition: selecting an additional selected sub-group of defect candidates in response to (a) values of attributes of defect candidates that belong to at least the additional selected sub-group; and (b) classification results obtained from classifying at least one other selected sub-group; and classifying defect candidates of the additional selected sub-group to provide aType: GrantFiled: October 23, 2014Date of Patent: March 15, 2016Assignee: Applied Materials Israel Ltd.Inventors: Saar Shabtay, Idan Kaizerman, Amir Wachs