Abstract: There are provided system and method of classifying defects in a semiconductor specimen. The method comprises: upon obtaining by a computer a Deep Neural Network (DNN) trained to provide classification-related attributes enabling minimal defect classification error, processing a fabrication process (FP) sample using the obtained trained DNN; and, resulting from the processing, obtaining by the computer classification-related attributes characterizing the at least one defect to be classified, thereby enabling automated classification, in accordance with the obtained classification-related attributes, of the at least one defect presented in the FP image.

Abstract: There is provided a mask inspection system and a method of mask inspection. The method comprises: during a runtime scan of a mask of a semiconductor specimen, processing a plurality of aerial images of the mask acquired by the mask inspection system to calculate a statistic-based Edge Positioning Displacement (EPD) of a potential defect, wherein the statistic-based EPD is calculated using a Print Threshold (PT) characterizing the mask and is applied to each of the one or more acquired aerial images to calculate respective EPD of the potential defect therein; and filtering the potential defect as a “runtime true” defect when the calculated statistic-based EPD exceeds a predefined EPD threshold, and filtering out the potential defect as a “false” defect when the calculated statistic-based EPD is lower than the predefined EPD threshold. The method can further comprise after-runtime EPD-based filtering of the plurality of “runtime true” defects.

Abstract: A method, an inspection system and a sensing unit. The sensing unit may include a light recycling optics and a photon to electron converter. The photon to electron converter is configured to receive a first light beam emitted from the object and impinging on the partially reflective surface at a first oblique angle, absorb a first portion and reflect a second portion of the first light beam to provide a first reflected beam. The light recycling optics is configured to redirect, towards the partially reflective surface, one or more reflected beams reflected from the partially reflective surface to provide one or more recycled beams. The photon to electron converter is configured to output electrons that represents an absorbed portion of the input light beam and an absorbed portion of each one of the one or more recycled beam.

Abstract: A method, a non-transitory computer readable medium and a system for determining three dimensional (3D) information of structural elements of a substrate.

Abstract: There are provided a classifier and method of classifying defects in a semiconductor specimen. The method comprises receiving defects classified into a majority class, each having values for plurality of attributes, some defects belonging to a minority class, and some to the majority; selecting an attribute subset and defining differentiators for attributes wherein a second classifier using the subset and differentiators classifies correctly to minority and majority classes at least part of the defects; generating a training set comprising: defects of the majority and minority classes, and additional defects which the second classifier classifies as minority; training, upon the training set, subset, and differentiators, an engine obtaining a confidence level that a defect belongs to the majority class; applying the engine to second defects classified to the majority class, to obtain a confidence level of classifying each defect to the majority class; and outputting defects having a low confidence level.

Abstract: A method of evaluating a region of a sample that includes alternating layers of different material. The method includes milling, with a focused ion beam, a portion of the sample that includes the alternating layers of different material; reducing the milling area; and repeating the milling and reducing steps multiple times during the delayering process until the process is complete.

Abstract: There is provided a system and method of automatic optimization of an examination recipe. The method includes obtaining one or more inspection images each representative of at least a portion of the semiconductor specimen, the one or more inspection images being indicative of respective defect candidates selected from a defect map using a first classifier included in the examination recipe; obtaining label data respectively associated with the one or more inspection images and informative of types of the respective defect candidates; extracting inspection features characterizing the one or more inspection images; retraining the first classifier using the first features and the label data, giving rise to a second classifier; and optimizing the examination recipe by replacing the first classifier with the second classifier; wherein the optimized examination recipe is usable for examining a subsequent semiconductor specimen.

Abstract: There is provided a method, a non-transitory computer readable medium, and a system for measuring a pattern. The method can include (a) obtaining an electron image of an area of a sample, the area comprises the pattern, the electron image comprises multiple lines; each line comprises information obtained by moving an electron beam over a scan line; (b) generating a converted image by applying a noise reduction kernel on the electron image, the noise reduction kernel has a width that represents a number of consecutive lines of the electron image; the width is determined based on relationships between analysis results obtained when using noise reduction kernels of different widths; and (c) analyzing the converted image to provide a pattern measurement.

Abstract: A method, a non-transitory computer readable medium and a detection system for determining locations of suspected defects of a substrate.

Abstract: An improved technique for determining height difference in patterns provided on semiconductor wafers uses real measurements (e.g., measurements from SEM images) and a height difference determination model. In one version of the model, a measurable variable of the model is expressed in terms of a function of a change in depth of shadow (i.e. relative brightness), wherein the depth of shadow depends on the height difference as well as width difference between two features on a semiconductor wafer. In another version of the model, the measurable variable is expressed in terms of a function of a change of a measured distance between two characteristic points on the real image of a periodic structure with respect to a change in a tilt angle of a scanning electron beam.

Abstract: A method and an integrated system. The integrated system can include an optical inspection unit, a charged particle device, an interface unit, and at least one controller.

Abstract: A method, a non-transitory computer readable medium and a detection system for detecting an electric arc hazard related to a wafer. The detection system may include a measurement unit, an electrode and a processing unit. The measurement unit may be configured to provide a measurement result by measuring an electrical parameter of the electrode during a test period, while the wafer may be moved in relation to the electrode, and while a certain electrical field may be formed between the electrode and the wafer; wherein the certain electrical field induces detached ends of partially detached conductive elements of the wafer to move away from the wafer. The processing unit may be configured to determine an existence of the electric arc hazard based on the measurement result.

Abstract: A method, non-transitory computer readable medium and a computerized system for testing a code using real time analysis. The method can include (i) executing a group of test cases while performing real time analysis to find a set of overlapping code segments (OCSs), input values that are fed, during the executing of the group, to each one of the set of OCSs, and output values that are outputted from each one of the OCSs during the execution of the group, (ii) generating, for at least some of the OCSs, at least one OCS test for testing each of the at least some OCSs, wherein the generating is based, at least in part, on the input values and the output values, (iii) determining an evaluation process of the code that includes executing one or more OCS tests for testing one or more OCSs, (iv) evaluating the code by executing the evaluation process.

Abstract: A method of evaluating a region of a sample that includes a plurality of holes, wherein the method includes: taking a first image of the region by scanning the region with a first charged particle beam; evaluating the first image to determine a first center-to-center distance between first and second holes in the plurality of holes; milling a diagonal cut in an area within the region that includes the second hole at an angle such that an upper surface of the sample in the milled area where the second hole is located is recessed with respect to an upper surface of the sample where the first hole is located; thereafter, taking a second image of the region by scanning the region with the first charged particle beam; evaluating the second image to determine a second center-to-center distance between first and second holes in the plurality of holes; and comparing the second center-to-center distance to the first center-to-center distance.

Abstract: A method for controlling an avalanche photo diode (APD) and a device that includes a high gain stable APD. The device may include an APD, a compensation circuit that comprises a compensation component that is thermally coupled to the APD, a temperature control module having a part that is thermally coupled to the compensation component and to the APD, and one or more additional components. The APD is formed within a first semiconductor epitaxial layer that is grown on a first side of a substrate, the substrate is highly thermally conductive and electrically insulating.

Abstract: A captured image of a pattern and a reference image of the pattern may be received. A contour of interest of the pattern may be identified. One or more measurements of a dimension of the pattern may be determined for each of the reference image and the captured image with respect to the contour of interest of the pattern. A defect associated with the contour of interest may be classified based on the determined one or more measurements of the dimension of the pattern for each of the reference image and the captured image.

Abstract: A miller, a non-transitory computer readable medium, and a method. The miller may include an ion beam column that may be configured to form a vertical surface in an object by applying a milling process that may include forming a vertical surface by irradiating, for a certain period of time, an area of an upper surface of an object by a defocused ion beam that comprises multiple rays. During the certain period of time and at a plane of the upper surface of the object, a majority of the multiple rays are closer to an edge of the defocused ion beam than to a center of the defocused ion beam. The focal plane of the defocused ion beam is located below the upper surface of the object.

Abstract: A method, a non-transitory computer readable medium and a system for compensating for an electromagnetic interference induced deviation of an electron beam. The method may include obtaining measurement information about a magnetic field within an electron beam tool, the measurement information is generated by at least one planar Hall Effect magnetic sensor that is located within the electron beam tool; wherein the at least one planar Hall Effect magnetic sensor comprises at least one magnetometer integrated with at least one magnetic flux concentrator; estimating the electromagnetic interference induced deviation of the electron beam, the estimating is based on the magnetic field; and setting a trajectory of the electron beam to compensate for the electromagnetic interference induced deviation of the electron beam.

Abstract: A method for inspecting a three dimensional structure of a microscopic scale of a sample, the method may include obtaining an image of the three dimensional structure; obtaining a reference image of a reference three dimensional structure, the reference three dimensional structure and the three dimensional structure are ideally identical to each other; wherein each one of the image and the reference image was generated using optics that includes a phase mask, wherein the phase mask virtually expands a depth of field of the optics by encoding depth information over a depth range that exceeds the depth of field; generating a difference image that represents a difference between the image and the reference image; determining, based on the difference image, whether there is at least one defect in the three dimensional structure; wherein when determining that there is the at least one defect then providing a depth of the at least one defect.

Abstract: A method, an inspection system and a sensing unit. The sensing unit may include a light recycling optics and a photon to electron converter. The photon to electron converter is configured to receive a first light beam emitted from the object and impinging on the partially reflective surface at a first oblique angle, absorb a first portion and reflect a second portion of the first light beam to provide a first reflected beam. The light recycling optics is configured to redirect, towards the partially reflective surface, one or more reflected beams reflected from the partially reflective surface to provide one or more recycled beams. The photon to electron converter is configured to output electrons that represents an absorbed portion of the input light beam and an absorbed portion of each one of the one or more recycled beam.