Patents by Inventor Avi Ravid

Avi Ravid 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).

  • Patent number: 6885446
    Abstract: A method and system are presented for use in controlling a process of material removal from the surface of a patterned structure, by measuring at least one of residue, erosion, dishing and corrosion effects in the structure induced by this process. The structure is imaged utilizing phase modulation of light reflected from the structure, and a phase map of the structure is thereby obtained. This phase map is analyzed and data indicative of light reflective properties of layer stacks of the structure is utilized to determine a phase difference between light reflected from a selected measured site and at least one reference site spaced-apart from the selected site. The phase difference is thus indicative of the measured effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2005
    Assignee: Nova Measuring Instruments Ltd.
    Inventors: Vladimir Machavariani, David Scheiner, Amit Weingarten, Avi Ravid
  • Patent number: 6801326
    Abstract: A method is presented for optical control of the quality of a process of chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) performed by a polishing tool applied to an article having a patterned area. The article contains a plurality of stacks each formed by a plurality of different layers, thereby defining a pattern in the form of spaced-apart metal regions. The method is capable of locating at least one of residues, erosion and dishing conditions on the article. At least one predetermined site on the article is selected for control. This at least one predetermined site is illuminated, and spectral characteristics of light components reflected from this location are detected. Data representative of the detected light components is analyzed for determining at least one parameter of the article within the at least one illuminated site.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2004
    Assignee: Nova Measuring Instruments Ltd.
    Inventors: Moshe Finarov, David Scheiner, Avi Ravid
  • Patent number: 6654108
    Abstract: A test structure is presented to be formed on a patterned structure and to be used for controlling a CMP process applied to the patterned structure, which has a pattern area formed by spaced-apart metal-containing regions representative of real features of the patterned structure. The test structure thus undergoes the same CMP processing as the pattern area. The test structure comprises at least two structures aligned along a vertical axis in a spaced-apart parallel relationship, each structure comprising at least one pattern zone containing spaced-apart metal regions, the test structure thereby comprising at least one pair of vertically aligned upper and lower pattern zones. The upper and lower pattern zones in each pair have different patterns oriented with respect to each other such that the metal regions of the lower pattern are located underneath the spaces between the metal regions of the upper pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2003
    Assignee: Nova Measuring Instruments Ltd.
    Inventors: Avi Ravid, Vladimir Machavariani, Amit Weingarten
  • Publication number: 20030155537
    Abstract: A method and system are presented for use in controlling a process of material removal from the surface of a patterned structure, by measuring at least one of residue, erosion, dishing and corrosion effects in the structure induced by this process. The structure is imaged utilizing phase modulation of light reflected from the structure, and a phase map of the structure is thereby obtained. This phase map is analyzed and data indicative of light reflective properties of layer stacks of the structure is utilized to determine a phase difference between light reflected from a selected measured site and at least one reference site spaced-apart from the selected site. The phase difference is thus indicative of the measured effect.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2002
    Publication date: August 21, 2003
    Applicant: Nova Measuring Instruments Ltd.
    Inventors: Vladimir Machavariani, David Scheiner, Amit Weingarten, Avi Ravid
  • Patent number: 6556947
    Abstract: A method for measuring at least one desired characteristic of a patterned article is presented. The article is of a kind containing a plurality of different pattern elements located at different sites, each including a stack of layers. An optical model is provided, which is based on a set of parameters corresponding to predetermined characteristics of the article, and is capable of generating theoretical data indicative of spectral response of the article. The set of parameters includes parameters corresponding to geometrical characteristics of the pattern elements. Reference data is prepared containing a plurality of sets of parameters for at least some of the different pattern elements. A spectral measurement of light response is carried out at a selected site of the patterned article and measured data is generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2003
    Assignee: Nova Measuring Instruments Ltd.
    Inventors: David Scheiner, Avi Ravid
  • Publication number: 20020005957
    Abstract: A method is presented for optical control of the quality of a process of chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) performed by a polishing tool applied to an article having a patterned area. The article contains a plurality of stacks each formed by a plurality of different layers, thereby defining a pattern in the form of spaced-apart metal regions. The method is capable of locating at least one of residues, erosion and dishing conditions on the article. At least one predetermined site on the article is selected for control. This at least one predetermined site is illuminated, and spectral characteristics of light components reflected from this location are detected. Data representative of the detected light components is analyzed for determining at least one parameter of the article within the at least one illuminated site.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2001
    Publication date: January 17, 2002
    Applicant: NOVA MEASURING INSTRUMENTS LTD.
    Inventors: Moshe Finarov, David Scheiner, Avi Ravid
  • Publication number: 20010026364
    Abstract: A test structure is presented to be formed on a patterned structure and to be used for controlling a CMP process applied to the patterned structure, which has a pattern area formed by spaced-apart metal-containing regions representative of real features of the patterned structure. The test structure thus undergoes the same CMP processing as the pattern area. The test structure comprises at least two structures aligned along a vertical axis in a spaced-apart parallel relationship, each structure comprising at least one pattern zone containing spaced-apart metal regions, the test structure thereby comprising at least one pair of vertically aligned upper and lower pattern zones. The upper and lower pattern zones in each pair have different patterns oriented with respect to each other such that the metal regions of the lower pattern are located underneath the spaces between the metal regions of the upper pattern.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2001
    Publication date: October 4, 2001
    Applicant: Nova Measuring Instruments Ltd.
    Inventors: Avi Ravid, Vladimir Machavariani, Amit Weingarten
  • Patent number: 6292265
    Abstract: A method is presented for optical control of the quality of a process of chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) performed by a polishing tool applied to an article having a patterned area. The article contains a plurality of stacks each formed by a plurality of different layers, thereby defining a pattern in the form of spaced-apart metal regions. The method is capable of locating at least one of residues, erosion and dishing conditions on the article. At least one predetermined site on the article is selected for control. This at least one predetermined site is illuminated, and spectral characteristics of light components reflected from this location are detected. Data representative of the detected light components is analyzed for determining at least one parameter of the article within the at least one illuminated site.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2001
    Assignee: Nova Measuring Instruments Ltd.
    Inventors: Moshe Finarov, David Scheiner, Avi Ravid
  • Publication number: 20010015811
    Abstract: A test structure is presented to be formed on a patterned structure and to be used for controlling a CMP process applied to the patterned structure, which has a pattern area formed by spaced-apart metal-containing regions representative of real features of the patterned structure. The test structure thus undergoes the same CMP processing as the pattern area. The test structure comprises at least one pattern zone in the form of a metal area with at least one region included in the metal area and made of a material relatively transparent with respect to incident light, as compared to that of the metal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2001
    Publication date: August 23, 2001
    Applicant: Nova Measuring Instruments Ltd.
    Inventors: Avi Ravid, Vladimir Machavariani, Amit Weingarten, David Scheiner