Patents by Inventor Thomas Vavul
Thomas Vavul 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).
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Patent number: 10401305Abstract: An optical reticle inspection tool is used during a first inspection to obtain, for each set of one or more patch areas of the reticle, a reference average of multiple reference intensity values corresponding to light measured from sub-areas of each patch area. After using the reticle in photolithography processes, the optical reticle inspection tool is used during a second inspection to obtain, for each set of one or more patch areas, an average of multiple test intensity values corresponding to light measured from the sub-areas. The first and second inspections use the same tool setup recipe. A difference intensity map is generated, and such map comprises map values that each corresponds to a difference between each average of the test and reference intensity values for each set of one or more patches. The difference intensity map indicates whether the reticle has degraded over time more than a predefined level.Type: GrantFiled: February 1, 2013Date of Patent: September 3, 2019Assignee: KLA-Tencor CorporationInventors: Carl E. Hess, Rui-fang Shi, Thomas Vavul
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Publication number: 20090324054Abstract: A method and software program for determining printability of a defect on a reticle or photomask onto a substrate during processing. That is performed by creating a pixel grid image having a plurality of individual pixel images showing the defect. A gray scale value is assigned to each pixel image of the pixel grid image and a probable center pixel of the defect is selected. Then the polarity of the defect is determined, with a coarse center pixel of the defect optionally selected using the probable center defect and polarity of the defect. If a coarse center pixel is selected, then a fine center of the defect can optionally be selected from the coarse center pixel and polarity of the defect. From the center pixel the physical extent of the defect can be determined followed by the determination the transmissivity energy level of the physical extent of the defect.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 22, 2009Publication date: December 31, 2009Inventors: Anthony Vacca, Thomas Vavul, Donald J. Parker, Zain Saidin, Sterling G. Watson, James N. Wiley
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Publication number: 20080133160Abstract: A method and software program for determining printability of a defect on a reticle or photomask onto a substrate during processing. That is performed by creating a pixel grid image having a plurality of individual pixel images showing the defect. A gray scale value is assigned to each pixel image of the pixel grid image and a probable center pixel of the defect is selected. Then the polarity of the defect is determined, with a coarse center pixel of the defect optionally selected using the probable center defect and polarity of the defect. If a coarse center pixel is selected, then a fine center of the defect can optionally be selected from the coarse center pixel and polarity of the defect. From the center pixel the physical extent of the defect can be determined followed by the determination the transmissivity energy level of the physical extent of the defect.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 31, 2007Publication date: June 5, 2008Inventors: Anthony Vacca, Thomas Vavul, Donald J. Parker, Zain Saidin, Sterling G. Watson, James N. Wiley
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Publication number: 20070140548Abstract: A method and software program for determining printability of a defect on a reticle or photomask onto a substrate during processing. That is performed by creating a pixel grid image having a plurality of individual pixel images showing the defect. A gray scale value is assigned to each pixel image of the pixel grid image and a probable center pixel of the defect is selected. Then the polarity of the defect is determined, with a coarse center pixel of the defect optionally selected using the probable center defect and polarity of the defect. If a coarse center pixel is selected, then a fine center of the defect can optionally be selected from the coarse center pixel and polarity of the defect. From the center pixel the physical extent of the defect can be determined followed by the determination the transmissivity energy level of the physical extent of the defect.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 22, 2006Publication date: June 21, 2007Inventors: Anthony Vacca, Thomas Vavul, Donald Parker, Zain Saidin, Sterling Watson, James Wiley
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Publication number: 20050140970Abstract: A method and software program for determining printability of a defect on a reticle or photomask onto a substrate during processing. That is performed by creating a pixel grid image having a plurality of individual pixel images showing the defect. A gray scale value is assigned to each pixel image of the pixel grid image and a probable center pixel of the defect is selected. Then the polarity of the defect is determined, with a coarse center pixel of the defect optionally selected using the probable center defect and polarity of the defect. If a coarse center pixel is selected, then a fine center of the defect can optionally be selected from the coarse center pixel and polarity of the defect. From the center pixel the physical extent of the defect can be determined followed by the determination the transmissivity energy level of the physical extent of the defect.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 25, 2005Publication date: June 30, 2005Inventors: Anthony Vacca, Thomas Vavul, Donald Parker, Zain Saidin, Sterling Watson, James Wiley
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Publication number: 20040096094Abstract: A method and software program for determining printability of a defect on a reticle or photomask onto a substrate during processing. That is performed by creating a pixel grid image having a plurality of individual pixel images showing the defect. A gray scale value is assigned to each pixel image of the pixel grid image and a probable center pixel of the defect is selected. Then the polarity of the defect is determined, with a coarse center pixel of the defect optionally selected using the probable center defect and polarity of the defect. If a coarse center pixel is selected, then a fine center of the defect can optionally be selected from the coarse center pixel and polarity of the defect. From the center pixel the physical extent of the defect can be determined followed by the determination the transmissivity energy level of the physical extent of the defect.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 13, 2003Publication date: May 20, 2004Applicant: KLA-TENCOR CORPORATIONInventors: Anthony Vacca, Thomas Vavul, Donald J. Parker, Zain Saidin, Sterling G. Watson, James N. Wiley
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Patent number: 6731787Abstract: A method and software program for determining printability of a defect on a reticle or photomask onto a substrate during processing. That is performed by creating a pixel grid image having a plurality of individual pixel images showing the defect. A gray scale value is assigned to each pixel image of the pixel grid image and a probable center pixel of the defect is selected. Then the polarity of the defect is determined, with a coarse center pixel of the defect optionally selected using the probable center defect and polarity of the defect. If a coarse center pixel is selected, then a fine center of the defect can optionally be selected from the coarse center pixel and polarity of the defect. From the center pixel the physical extent of the defect can be determined followed by the determination the transmissivity energy level of the physical extent of the defect.Type: GrantFiled: April 30, 2002Date of Patent: May 4, 2004Assignee: KLA-Tencor CorporationInventors: Anthony Vacca, Thomas Vavul, Donald J. Parker, Zain Saidin, Sterling G. Watson, James N. Wiley
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Publication number: 20030138138Abstract: A method and software program for determining printability of a defect on a reticle or photomask onto a substrate during processing. That is performed by creating a pixel grid image having a plurality of individual pixel images showing the defect. A gray scale value is assigned to each pixel image of the pixel grid image and a probable center pixel of the defect is selected. Then the polarity of the defect is determined, with a coarse center pixel of the defect optionally selected using the probable center defect and polarity of the defect. If a coarse center pixel is selected, then a fine center of the defect can optionally be selected from the coarse center pixel and polarity of the defect. From the center pixel the physical extent of the defect can be determined followed by the determination the transmissivity energy level of the physical extent of the defect.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 13, 2003Publication date: July 24, 2003Applicant: KLA-TENCOR CORPORATIONInventors: Anthony Vacca, Thomas Vavul, Donald J. Parker, Zain Saidin, Sterling G. Watson, James N. Wiley
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Publication number: 20020126888Abstract: A method and software program for determining printability of a defect on a reticle or photomask onto a substrate during processing. That is performed by creating a pixel grid image having a plurality of individual pixel images showing the defect. A gray scale value is assigned to each pixel image of the pixel grid image and a probable center pixel of the defect is selected. Then the polarity of the defect is determined, with a coarse center pixel of the defect optionally selected using the probable center defect and polarity of the defect. If a coarse center pixel is selected, then a fine center of the defect can optionally be selected from the coarse center pixel and polarity of the defect. From the center pixel the physical extent of the defect can be determined followed by the determination the transmissivity energy level of the physical extent of the defect.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 11, 2002Publication date: September 12, 2002Applicant: KLA-TENCOR CORPORATIONInventors: Anthony Vacca, Thomas Vavul, Donald J. Parker, Zain Saidin, Sterling G. Watson, James N. Wiley
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Patent number: 6381358Abstract: A method and software program for determining printability of a defect on a reticle or photomask onto a substrate during processing. That is performed by creating a pixel grid image having a plurality of individual pixel images showing the defect. A gray scale value is assigned to each pixel image of the pixel grid image and a probable center pixel of the defect is selected. Then the polarity of the defect is determined, with a coarse center pixel of the defect optionally selected using the probable center defect and polarity of the defect. If a coarse center pixel is selected, then a fine center of the defect can optionally be selected from the coarse center pixel and polarity of the defect. From the center pixel the physical extent of the defect can be determined followed by the determination the transmissivity energy level of the physical extent of the defect.Type: GrantFiled: April 27, 2000Date of Patent: April 30, 2002Assignee: KLA-Tencor CorporationInventors: Anthony Vacca, Thomas Vavul, Donald J. Parker, Zain Saidin, Sterling G. Watson, James N. Wiley
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Patent number: 6076465Abstract: A method and software program for determining printability of a defect on a reticle or photomask onto a substrate during processing. That is performed by creating a pixel grid image having a plurality of individual pixel images showing the defect. A gray scale value is assigned to each pixel image of the pixel grid image and a probable center pixel of the defect is selected. Then the polarity of the defect is determined, with a coarse center pixel of the defect optionally selected using the probable center defect and polarity of the defect. If a coarse center pixel is selected, then a fine center of the defect can optionally be selected from the coarse center pixel and polarity of the defect. From the center pixel the physical extent of the defect can be determined followed by the determination the transmissivity energy level of the physical extent of the defect.Type: GrantFiled: September 19, 1997Date of Patent: June 20, 2000Assignee: KLA-Tencor CorporationInventors: Anthony Vacca, Thomas Vavul, Donald J. Parker, Zain Saidin, Sterling G. Watson, James N. Wiley