Abstract: There are provided system and method of performing metrology operations related to a specimen.

Abstract: There are provided system and method of performing metrology operations related to a specimen. The method comprises: generating an examination recipe in accordance with a metrology application, the examination recipe specifying one or more metrology objects and one or more metrology operations related to the metrology application; obtaining an image-based representation of the specimen and a design-based representation of the specimen; mapping between the design-based representation of at least first metrology object and the image-based representation of at least first metrology object; and performing at least first metrology operation of the one or more metrology operations according to the examination recipe using the mapping, the at least first metrology operation specified as related to the at least first metrology object and to be performed on at least the image-based representation of the specimen.

Abstract: There are provided system and method of performing metrology operations related to a specimen.

Abstract: There is provided an inspection system for inspecting a specimen, an inspection unit capable to operate in conjunction with an inspection machine unit, a die layout clipping unit, methods of inspecting a specimen, and a method of providing a die layout clip. The method of inspecting a specimen comprises: obtaining location information indicative of coordinates of a potential defect of interest revealed in the specimen and of one or more inspected layers corresponding to the potential defect of interest; sending to a die layout clipping unit a first data indicative of the location information and dimensions of an inspection area containing the potential defect of interest; receiving a die layout clip generated in accordance with the first data; specifying at least one inspection algorithm of the inspection area using information comprised in the die layout clip; and enabling inspection of the inspection area using the specified inspection algorithm.

Abstract: There are provided a method of inspecting the inspection area and an inspection system thereof. The inspection system comprises an inspection control unit operatively coupled to an inspection tool unit and to a recipe generating unit. The inspection control unit is configured to obtain the design data and the inspection recipe; to provide local segmentation of at least one inspection PoI comprised in an inspection image captured from the inspection area by the inspection tool unit, thereby obtaining inspection structural elements comprised in the at least one inspection PoI, the local segmentation is provided using segmentation configuration data specified in the inspection recipe; to identify one or more target structural elements and design structural elements corresponding thereto, identifying is provided using design association data specified in the inspection recipe; and to enable metrology measurements for the one or more target structural elements using the identified design structural elements.

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 are provided system and method of segmentation a fabrication process (FP) image obtained in a fabrication of a semiconductor specimen. The method comprises: upon obtaining a Deep Neural Network (DNN) trained to provide segmentation-related data, processing a fabrication process (FP) sample using the obtained trained DNN and, resulting from the processing, obtaining by the computer segments-related data characterizing the FP image to be segmented, the obtained segments-related data usable for automated examination of the semiconductor specimen. The DNN is trained using a segmentation training set comprising a plurality of first training samples and ground truth data associated therewith, each first training sample comprises a training image; FP sample comprises the FP image to be segmented.

Abstract: There are provided system and method of examining a semiconductor specimen. The method comprises: upon obtaining a Deep Neural Network (DNN) trained for a given examination-related application within a semiconductor fabrication process, processing together one or more fabrication process (FP) images using the obtained trained DNN, wherein the DNN is trained using a training set comprising ground truth data specific for the given application; and obtaining examination-related data specific for the given application and characterizing at least one of the processed one or more FP images. The examination-related application can be, for example, classifying at least one defect presented by at least one FP image, segmenting the at least one FP image, detecting defects in the specimen presented by the at least one FP image, registering between at least two FP images, regression application enabling reconstructing the at least one FP image in correspondence with different examination modality, etc.

Abstract: There are provided a method of generating an inspection recipe usable for inspecting an inspection area of a specimen and a recipe generating unit. The recipe generating unit is configured: upon obtaining design data informative of design structural elements comprised in a design PoI corresponding to the at least one PoI, to provide global segmentation of a test image captured by an inspection tool unit from the inspection area and comprising at least one test PoI of substantially the same design as the at least one PoI, thereby to obtain segmented structural elements comprised in the test PoI and segmentation configuration data; to associate the segmented structural elements comprised in the test PoI with the design structural elements comprised in the design PoI, thereby to obtain design association data; and to generate an inspection recipe comprising, at least, segmentation configuration data and design association data.

Abstract: There are provided a method of inspecting the inspection area and an inspection system thereof. The inspection system comprises an inspection control unit operatively coupled to an inspection tool unit and to a recipe generating unit. The inspection control unit is configured to obtain the design data and the inspection recipe; to provide local segmentation of at least one inspection PoI comprised in an inspection image captured from the inspection area by the inspection tool unit, thereby obtaining inspection structural elements comprised in the at least one inspection PoI, the local segmentation is provided using segmentation configuration data specified in the inspection recipe; to identify one or more target structural elements and design structural elements corresponding thereto, identifying is provided using design association data specified in the inspection recipe; and to enable metrology measurements for the one or more target structural elements using the identified design structural elements.

Abstract: There is provided an inspection system for inspecting a specimen, an inspection unit capable to operate in conjunction with an inspection machine unit, a die layout clipping unit, methods of inspecting a specimen, and a method of providing a die layout clip. The method of inspecting a specimen comprises: obtaining location information indicative of coordinates of a potential defect of interest revealed in the specimen and of one or more inspected layers corresponding to the potential defect of interest; sending to a die layout clipping unit a first data indicative of the location information and dimensions of an inspection area containing the potential defect of interest; receiving a die layout clip generated in accordance with the first data; specifying at least one inspection algorithm of the inspection area using information comprised in the die layout clip; and enabling inspection of the inspection area using the specified inspection algorithm.

Abstract: An analysis system capable of classifying possible defects identified within an inspection image of an inspected object includes a storage device and a processor. The processor matches a template and a portion of the inspection image, thus giving rise to a matching portion of the inspection image. The inspection image is captured by an inspection tool. The processor associates, using a mask corresponding to the template and defining one or more segments within the matching portion of the inspection image, a potential defect with a segment defined by the mask and corresponding to a location of the potential defect, and classifies the potential defect in accordance with the segment defined by the mask within the matching portion of the inspection image and associated with the potential defect.

Abstract: In accordance with an aspect of the presently disclosed subject matter, there is provided an analysis system for classifying possible defects identified within an inspection image of an inspected object, the system comprising a pattern matcher configured to determine an anchor location with respect to the inspection image, based on a matching of a template and a portion of the inspection image; wherein an accuracy of the determining of the anchor location exceeds a resolution of the inspection image; a distribution analysis module configured to determine, based on the anchor location and a mask which defines different segments within an area, a distribution of a potential defect with respect to one or more of the segments; and a classifier, configured to classify the potential defect based on the distribution.

Abstract: An analysis system for detection of defects within an inspection image of an inspected object, the inspection image comprising a plurality of pixels, the system including: a computerized segmentation module configured to segmentize the inspection image based on multiple anchor locations and on a mask which defines multiple mask-segments, by assigning each part out of multiple parts of the inspection image to a respective image-segment selected out of a multiple image segments, wherein the multiple image segments correspond to at least one mask-segment of said multiple mask-segments; and a defect detection processor configured to determine a presence of a defect in the inspection image based on the segmentation at least by assessing each pixel out of a plurality of pixels of the inspection image.

Abstract: An analysis system for detection of defects within an inspection image of an inspected object, the inspection image comprising a plurality of pixels, the system including: a computerized segmentation module configured to segmentize the inspection image based on multiple anchor locations and on a mask which defines multiple mask-segments, by assigning each part out of multiple parts of the inspection image to a respective image-segment selected out of a multiple image segments, wherein the multiple image segments correspond to at least one mask-segment of said multiple mask-segments; and a defect detection processor configured to determine a presence of a defect in the inspection image based on the segmentation at least by assessing each pixel out of a plurality of pixels of the inspection image.

Abstract: In accordance with an aspect of the presently disclosed subject matter, there is provided an analysis system for classifying possible defects identified within an inspection image of an inspected object, the system comprising a pattern matcher configured to determine an anchor location with respect to the inspection image, based on a matching of a template and a portion of the inspection image; wherein an accuracy of the determining of the anchor location exceeds a resolution of the inspection image; a distribution analysis module configured to determine, based on the anchor location and a mask which defines different segments within an area, a distribution of a potential defect with respect to one or more of the segments; and a classifier, configured to classify the potential defect based on the distribution.