Abstract: A process condition measurement wafer assembly is disclosed. In embodiments, the process condition measurement wafer assembly includes a bottom substrate and a top substrate. In another embodiment, the process condition measurement wafer assembly includes one or more electronic components disposed on one or more printed circuit elements and interposed between the top substrate and bottom substrate. In another embodiment, the process condition measurement wafer assembly includes one or more shielding layers formed between the bottom substrate and the top substrate. In embodiments, the one or more shielding layers are configured to electromagnetically shield the one or more electronic components and diffuse voltage potentials across the bottom substrate and the top substrate.

Abstract: A system includes a wafer shape metrology sub-system configured to perform one or more shape measurements on post-bonding pairs of wafers. The system includes a controller communicatively coupled to the wafer shape metrology sub-system. The controller receives a set of measured distortion patterns. The controller applies a bonder control model to the measured distortion patterns to determine a set of overlay distortion signatures. The bonder control model is made up of a set of orthogonal wafer signatures that represent the achievable adjustments. The controller determines whether the set of overlay distortion signatures associated with the measured distortion patterns are outside tolerance limits provides one or more feedback adjustments to the bonder tool.

Abstract: With the disclosed systems and methods for DRAM and 3D NAND inspection, an image of the wafer is received based on the output for an inspection tool. Geometric measurements of a design of a plurality of memory devices on the wafer are received. A care area with higher inspection sensitivity is determined based on the geometric measurements.

Abstract: Metrology methods, modules and systems are provided, for using machine learning algorithms to improve the metrology accuracy and the overall process throughput. Methods comprise calculating training data concerning metrology metric(s) from initial metrology measurements, applying machine learning algorithm(s) to the calculated training data to derive an estimation model of the metrology metric(s), deriving measurement data from images of sites on received wafers, and using the estimation model to provide estimations of the metrology metric(s) with respect to the measurement data. While the training data may use two images per site, in operation a single image per site may suffice—reducing the measurement time to less than half the current measurement time. Moreover, confidence score(s) may be derived as an additional metrology and process control, and deep learning may be used to enhance the accuracy and/or speed of the metrology module.

Abstract: A system for generating laser sustained broadband light includes a pump source configured to generate a pumping beam, a gas containment structure for containing a gas and a multi-pass optical assembly. The multi-pass optical assembly includes one or more optical elements configured to perform a plurality of passes of the pumping beam through a portion of the gas to sustain a broadband-light-emitting plasma. The one or more optical elements are arranged to collect an unabsorbed portion of the pumping beam transmitted through the plasma and direct the collected unabsorbed portion of the pumping beam back into the portion of the gas.

Abstract: A method for semiconductor metrology includes depositing a first film layer on a semiconductor substrate and a second film layer overlying the first film layer. The first and second film layers are patterned to define a plurality of overlay targets comprising first target features formed in the first film layer having respective first locations, which are spaced apart by first nominal distances, and second target features formed in the second film layer having respective second locations, which are spaced apart by second nominal distances, which are different from the first nominal distances. An image of the semiconductor substrate is processed to measure respective displacements between the first and second target locations in each of the overlay targets, and to estimate both an actual overlay error between the patterning of the first and second film layers and a measurement error of the imaging assembly.

Abstract: Embodiments may include methods, systems, and apparatuses for care area based swath speed for throughput and sensitivity improvement. A method may comprise receiving scan region of a die. The scan region of the die may have a first care area at a controller configured to control an inspection tool, wherein the inspection tool includes a stage having the die disposed thereon. The method may then include scanning a first portion of the scan region at a fast feed rate and the first care area at a slow feed rate. Scanning may include emitting particles in a particle beam toward the die resulting an incidence on the die. Emitting may be performed using a particle emitter. Scanning may then include detecting a portion of particles reflected from the incidence. Detecting may be performed using a detector. Scanning may then include changing a position of the stage relative to the incidence.

Abstract: A sensor probe for underground soil measurement is provided. The sensor probe includes one or more first sensor circuits, one or more second sensor circuits, a power supply, and a processor. The processor is configured to control at least one of the one or more first sensor circuits or the one or more second sensor circuits. One or more of the first sensor circuits include an oscillator configured to generate a periodic wave, and a transmitter configured to transmit one or more signals. One or more of the second sensor circuits includes an oscillator configured to generate a periodic wave, and a probe element configured to receive the one or more signals via at least one of the transmitter of the one or more first sensor circuits or a transmitter of one or more additional first sensor circuits of an additional sensor probe.

Abstract: A reticle inspection system and a method of handling a reticle in a reticle inspection system are provided. The reticle inspection system includes an active reticle carrier and an inspection tool. The reticle is disposed on the active reticle carrier, and the inspection tool is configured to determine an orientation of the reticle when the active reticle carrier is disposed on a reticle stage. The active reticle carrier is movable between a loading station and the reticle stage and is configured to rotate the reticle to reorient the reticle based on the orientation of the reticle while the active carrier is disposed on the reticle stage.

Abstract: A system has detectors configured to receive a beam of light reflected from a wafer. For example, three detectors may be used. Each of the detectors is a different channel. Images from the detectors are combined into a pseudo-color RGB image. A convolutional neural network unit (CNN) can receive the pseudo-color RGB image and determine a size of a defect in the pseudo-color RGB image. The CNN also can classify the defect into a size category.

Abstract: A laser-sustained plasma (LSP) light source with reverse vortex flow is disclosed. The LSP source includes gas cell including a gas containment structure including a body, neck, and shaft. The gas cell includes one or more gas delivery lines for delivery gas to one or more nozzles positioned in or below the neck of the gas containment structure. The gas cell includes one or more gas inlets and one or more gas outlets arranged to generate a reverse vortex flow within the gas containment structure of the gas cell. The LSP source also includes a laser pump source configured to generate an optical pump to sustain a plasma in a region of the gas containment structure. The LSP source includes a light collector element configured to collect at least a portion of broadband light emitted from the plasma.

Abstract: A system may be configured for joint defect discovery and optical mode selection. Defects are detected during a defect discovery step. The discovered defects are accumulated into a mode selection dataset. The mode selection dataset is used to perform mode selection to determine a mode combination. The mode combination may then be used to train the defect detection model. Additional defects may then be detected by the defect detection model. The additional defects may then be provided to the mode selection dataset, for further performing mode selection and training the defect detection model. One or more run-time modes may then be determined. The system may be configured for mode selection and defect detection at an image pixel level.

Abstract: Systems and methods for prediction and measurement of overlay errors are disclosed. Process-induced overlay errors may be predicted or measured utilizing film force based computational mechanics models. More specifically, information with respect to the distribution of film force is provided to a finite element (FE) model to provide more accurate point-by-point predictions in cases where complex stress patterns are present. Enhanced prediction and measurement of wafer geometry induced overlay errors are also disclosed.

Abstract: A system for analyzing one or more samples includes a sample analysis sub-system configured to perform one or more measurements on the one or more samples. The system further includes a controller configured to: receive design of experiment (DoE) data for performing the one or more measurements on the one or more samples; determine rankings for a set of target parameters; generate a recipe for performing the one or more measurements on the one or more samples based on the DoE data and the rankings of the set of target parameters; determine run parameters based on the recipe; perform the one or more measurements on the one or more samples, via the sample analysis sub-system, according to the recipe; and adjust the run parameters based on output data associated with performing the one or more measurements on the one or more samples.

Abstract: A system and method for identifying latent reliability defects (LRD) in semiconductor devices are configured to perform one or more stress tests with one or more stress test tools on at least some of a plurality of wafers received from one or more in-line sample analysis tools to determine a passing set of the plurality of wafers and a failing set of the plurality of wafers, perform a reliability hit-back analysis on at least some of the failing set of the plurality of wafers, analyze the reliability hit-back analysis to determine one or more geographic locations of one or more die fail chains caused by one or more latent reliability defects (LRD), and perform a geographic hit-back analysis on the one or more geographic locations of the one or more die fail chains caused by the LRD.

Abstract: Images of semiconductor wafers can be hashed to determine a fixed length hash string for each of the images. Pattern synonyms can be determined from the hash strings. The pattern synonyms can be grouped. A degree of similarity between images in the groups is adjustable via a hamming distance. This can be used for various applications, including determination of latent defects.

Abstract: A process condition measurement wafer assembly is disclosed. In embodiments, the process condition measurement wafer assembly includes a bottom substrate and a top substrate. In another embodiment, the process condition measurement wafer assembly includes one or more electronic components disposed on one or more printed circuit elements and interposed between the top substrate and bottom substrate. In another embodiment, the process condition measurement wafer assembly includes one or more shielding layers formed between the bottom substrate and the top substrate. In embodiments, the one or more shielding layers are configured to electromagnetically shield the one or more electronic components and diffuse voltage potentials across the bottom substrate and the top substrate.

Abstract: A physical property of a test sample with a conductive or semi-conductive material (line/area/volume) is obtained. Periodic Joule heating is induced within the test sample by passing an AC current across a first pair of probe terminals electrically connected to the test sample, measuring the voltage drop across a second pair of probe terminals electrically connected to the test sample at one and three times the fundamental excitation frequency of the current-conducting terminals, and calculating the temperature-modulated property/properties of the test sample as a function of the potential drop measurement(s). This includes: a) determining a value proportional to the TCR of the test sample, b) a geometric parameter of the test sample (affected by coupling of its TCR to heat transport to/from the test sample), or c) the true resistivity of the test sample at the ambient experimental temperature by subtracting measurable and accountable TCR offset(s).

Abstract: A dark-field optical system may include a rotational objective lens assembly with a dark-field objective lens to collect light from a sample within a collection numerical aperture, where the dark-field objective lens includes an entrance aperture and an exit aperture at symmetrically-opposed azimuth angles with respect to an optical axis, a rotational bearing to allow rotation of at least a part of the dark-field objective lens including the entrance aperture and the exit aperture around the optical axis, and a rotational driver to control a rotational angle of the entrance aperture. The system may also include a multi-angle illumination sub-system to illuminate the sample with an illumination beam through the entrance aperture at two or more illumination azimuth angles, where an azimuth angle of the illumination beam on the sample is selectable by rotating the objective lens to any of the two or more illumination azimuth angles.

Abstract: To calibrate a TDI photomask inspection tool, a photomask with a plurality of distinctly patterned regions is loaded into the tool. The plurality of distinctly patterned regions is successively illuminated with an EUV beam of light. While illuminating respective distinctly patterned regions, respective instances of imaging of the respective distinctly patterned regions are performed using a TDI sensor in the inspection tool. While performing the respective instances of imaging, a reference intensity detector is used to measure reference intensities of EUV light collected from the photomask. Based on the results of the respective instances of imaging and the measured reference intensities of EUV light, linearity of the TDI sensor is determined.