Patents by Inventor Antonio A. Gellineau
Antonio A. Gellineau 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: 11099137Abstract: A semiconductor metrology tool inspects an area of a semiconductor wafer. The inspected area includes a plurality of instances of a 3D semiconductor structure arranged periodically in at least one dimension. A computer system generates a model of a respective instance of the 3D semiconductor structure based on measurements collected during the inspection. The computer system renders an augmented-reality or virtual-reality (AR/VR) image of the model that shows a 3D shape of the model and provides the AR/VR image to an AR/VR viewing device for display.Type: GrantFiled: August 28, 2020Date of Patent: August 24, 2021Assignee: KLA CorporationInventors: Aaron J. Rosenberg, Jonathan Iloreta, Thaddeus G. Dziura, Antonio Gellineau, Yin Xu, Kaiwen Xu, John Hench, Abhi Gunde, Andrei Veldman, Liequan Lee, Houssam Chouaib
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Patent number: 11073487Abstract: Methods and systems for positioning a specimen and characterizing an x-ray beam incident onto the specimen in a Transmission, Small-Angle X-ray Scatterometry (T-SAXS) metrology system are described herein. A specimen positioning system locates a wafer vertically and actively positions the wafer in six degrees of freedom with respect to the x-ray illumination beam without attenuating the transmitted radiation. In some embodiments, a cylindrically shaped occlusion element is scanned across the illumination beam while the detected intensity of the transmitted flux is measured to precisely locate the beam center. In some other embodiments, a periodic calibration target is employed to precisely locate the beam center. The periodic calibration target includes one or more spatially defined zones having different periodic structures that diffract X-ray illumination light into distinct, measurable diffraction patterns.Type: GrantFiled: May 9, 2018Date of Patent: July 27, 2021Assignee: KLA-Tencor CorporationInventors: Alexander Bykanov, Nikolay Artemiev, Joseph A. Di Regolo, Antonio Gellineau, Alexander Kuznetsov, Andrei Veldman, John Hench
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Publication number: 20200393386Abstract: A semiconductor metrology tool inspects an area of a semiconductor wafer. The inspected area includes a plurality of instances of a 3D semiconductor structure arranged periodically in at least one dimension. A computer system generates a model of a respective instance of the 3D semiconductor structure based on measurements collected during the inspection. The computer system renders an augmented-reality or virtual-reality (AR/VR) image of the model that shows a 3D shape of the model and provides the AR/VR image to an AR/VR viewing device for display.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 28, 2020Publication date: December 17, 2020Inventors: Aaron J. Rosenberg, Jonathan Iloreta, Thaddeus G. Dziura, Antonio Gellineau, Yin Xu, Kaiwen Xu, John Hench, Abhi Gunde, Andrei Veldman, Liequan Lee, Houssam Chouaib
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Patent number: 10816486Abstract: Multilayer targets enabling fast and accurate, absolute calibration and alignment of X-ray based measurement systems are described herein. The multilayer calibration targets have very high diffraction efficiency and are manufactured using fast, low cost production techniques. Each target includes a multilayer structure built up with pairs of X-ray transparent and X-ray absorbing materials. The layers of the multilayer target structure is oriented parallel to an incident X-ray beam. Measured diffraction patterns indicate misalignment in position and orientation between the incident X-Ray beam and the multilayer target. In another aspect, a composite multilayer target includes at least two multilayer structures arranged adjacent one another along a direction aligned with the incident X-ray beam, adjacent one another along a direction perpendicular to the incident X-ray beam, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the multilayer structures are spatially separated from one another by a gap distance.Type: GrantFiled: March 25, 2019Date of Patent: October 27, 2020Assignee: KLA-Tencor CorporationInventors: Nikolay Artemiev, Antonio Gellineau, Alexander Bykanov, Alexander Kuznetsov
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Patent number: 10794839Abstract: A semiconductor metrology tool inspects an area of a semiconductor wafer. The inspected area includes a plurality of instances of a 3D semiconductor structure arranged periodically in at least one dimension. A computer system generates a model of a respective instance of the 3D semiconductor structure based on measurements collected during the inspection. The computer system renders an image of the model that shows a 3D shape of the model and provides the image to a device for display.Type: GrantFiled: February 22, 2019Date of Patent: October 6, 2020Assignee: KLA CorporationInventors: Aaron J. Rosenberg, Jonathan Iloreta, Thaddeus G. Dziura, Antonio Gellineau, Yin Xu, Kaiwen Xu, John Hench, Abhi Gunde, Andrei Veldman, Liequan Lee, Houssam Chouaib
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Publication number: 20200271595Abstract: A semiconductor metrology tool inspects an area of a semiconductor wafer. The inspected area includes a plurality of instances of a 3D semiconductor structure arranged periodically in at least one dimension. A computer system generates a model of a respective instance of the 3D semiconductor structure based on measurements collected during the inspection. The computer system renders an image of the model that shows a 3D shape of the model and provides the image to a device for display.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 22, 2019Publication date: August 27, 2020Inventors: Aaron J. Rosenberg, Jonathan Iloreta, Thaddeus G. Dziura, Antonio Gellineau, Yin Xu, Kaiwen Xu, John Hench, Abhi Gunde, Andrei Veldman, Liequan Lee, Houssam Chouaib
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Publication number: 20200025554Abstract: A system, method and computer program product are provided for selecting signals to be measured utilizing a metrology tool that optimizes the precision of the measurement. The technique includes the steps of simulating a set of signals for measuring one or more parameters of a metrology target. A normalized Jacobian matrix corresponding to the set of signals is generated, a subset of signals in the simulated set of signals is selected that optimizes a performance metric associated with measuring the one or more parameters of the metrology target based on the normalized Jacobian matrix, and a metrology tool is utilized to collect a measurement for each signal in the subset of signals for the metrology target. For a given number of signals collected by the metrology tool, this technique optimizes the precision of such measurements over conventional techniques that collect signals uniformly distributed over a range of process parameters.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 28, 2016Publication date: January 23, 2020Inventors: Antonio A. Gellineau, Alexander Kuznetsov, John J. Hench, Andrei V. Shchegrov, Stilian Ivanov Pandev
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Patent number: 10481111Abstract: Methods and systems for calibrating the location of x-ray beam incidence onto a specimen in an x-ray scatterometry metrology system are described herein. The precise location of incidence of the illumination beam on the surface of the wafer is determined based on occlusion of the illumination beam by two or more occlusion elements. The center of the illumination beam is determined based on measured values of transmitted flux and a model of the interaction of the beam with each occlusion element. The position of the axis of rotation orienting a wafer over a range of angles of incidence is adjusted to align with the surface of wafer and intersect the illumination beam at the measurement location. A precise offset value between the normal angle of incidence of the illumination beam relative to the wafer surface and the zero angle of incidence as measured by the specimen positioning system is determined.Type: GrantFiled: October 21, 2017Date of Patent: November 19, 2019Assignee: KLA-Tencor CorporationInventors: John Hench, Antonio Gellineau, Nikolay Artemiev, Joseph A. Di Regolo
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Publication number: 20190302039Abstract: Multilayer targets enabling fast and accurate, absolute calibration and alignment of X-ray based measurement systems are described herein. The multilayer calibration targets have very high diffraction efficiency and are manufactured using fast, low cost production techniques. Each target includes a multilayer structure built up with pairs of X-ray transparent and X-ray absorbing materials. The layers of the multilayer target structure is oriented parallel to an incident X-ray beam. Measured diffraction patterns indicate misalignment in position and orientation between the incident X-Ray beam and the multilayer target. In another aspect, a composite multilayer target includes at least two multilayer structures arranged adjacent one another along a direction aligned with the incident X-ray beam, adjacent one another along a direction perpendicular to the incident X-ray beam, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the multilayer structures are spatially separated from one another by a gap distance.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 25, 2019Publication date: October 3, 2019Inventors: Nikolay Artemiev, Antonio Gellineau, Alexander Bykanov, Alexander Kuznetsov
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Publication number: 20180328868Abstract: Methods and systems for positioning a specimen and characterizing an x-ray beam incident onto the specimen in a Transmission, Small-Angle X-ray Scatterometry (T-SAXS) metrology system are described herein. A specimen positioning system locates a wafer vertically and actively positions the wafer in six degrees of freedom with respect to the x-ray illumination beam without attenuating the transmitted radiation. In some embodiments, a cylindrically shaped occlusion element is scanned across the illumination beam while the detected intensity of the transmitted flux is measured to precisely locate the beam center. In some other embodiments, a periodic calibration target is employed to precisely locate the beam center. The periodic calibration target includes one or more spatially defined zones having different periodic structures that diffract X-ray illumination light into distinct, measurable diffraction patterns.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 9, 2018Publication date: November 15, 2018Inventors: Alexander Bykanov, Nikolay Artemiev, Joseph A. Di Regolo, Antonio Gellineau, Alexander Kuznetsov, Andrei Veldman, John Hench
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Publication number: 20180113084Abstract: Methods and systems for calibrating the location of x-ray beam incidence onto a specimen in an x-ray scatterometry metrology system are described herein. The precise location of incidence of the illumination beam on the surface of the wafer is determined based on occlusion of the illumination beam by two or more occlusion elements. The center of the illumination beam is determined based on measured values of transmitted flux and a model of the interaction of the beam with each occlusion element. The position of the axis of rotation orienting a wafer over a range of angles of incidence is adjusted to align with the surface of wafer and intersect the illumination beam at the measurement location. A precise offset value between the normal angle of incidence of the illumination beam relative to the wafer surface and the zero angle of incidence as measured by the specimen positioning system is determined.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 21, 2017Publication date: April 26, 2018Inventors: John Hench, Antonio Gellineau, Nikolay Artemiev, Joseph A. Di Regolo
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Patent number: 9267963Abstract: A high-bandwidth AFM probe having a diffraction grating characterized by a diffraction characteristic that monotonically changes along the length of the diffraction grating is disclosed. AFM probes in accordance with the present invention are capable of high-sensitivity performance over a broad range of operating conditions, such as operating wavelength and measurement media. A method for estimating at least one physical property of a surface based on high-frequency signal components in the output signal from a high-bandwidth AFM probe is also disclosed. The method enables determination of tip-surface interaction forces based on the relationship between a first motion of the base of the AFM probe and a second motion of the tip of the AFM probe.Type: GrantFiled: March 14, 2013Date of Patent: February 23, 2016Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior UniversityInventors: Antonio A. Gellineau, Olav Solgaard, Karthik Vijayraghavan, Andrew Y J Wang, Manish J. Butte
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Publication number: 20140130214Abstract: A fiber-facet AFM probe enabling high-resolution, high sensitivity measurement of a sample surface is presented. AFM probes in accordance with the present invention include an optically resonant cavity that is defined by two mirrors, at least one of which is a photonic-crystal mirror. One of the mirrors is movable and is mechanically coupled with an AFM tip such that a force imparted on the tip by an interaction with the sample surface induces a change in the cavity length of the optically resonant cavity and, therefore, its reflectivity.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 15, 2013Publication date: May 8, 2014Applicant: The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior UniversityInventors: Olav Solgaard, Antonio A. Gellineau, Xuan Wu, Jo Wonuk, Karthik Vijayraghavan