Patents by Inventor Boris Efraty
Boris Efraty 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: 10831108Abstract: Methods are provided for deriving a partially continuous dependency of metrology metric(s) on recipe parameter(s), analyzing the derived dependency, determining a metrology recipe according to the analysis, and conducting metrology measurement(s) according to the determined recipe. The dependency may be analyzed in form of a landscape such as a sensitivity landscape in which regions of low sensitivity and/or points or contours of low or zero inaccuracy are detected, analytically, numerically or experimentally, and used to configure parameters of measurement, hardware and targets to achieve high measurement accuracy. Process variation is analyzed in terms of its effects on the sensitivity landscape, and these effects are used to characterize the process variation further, to optimize the measurements and make the metrology both more robust to inaccuracy sources and more flexible with respect to different targets on the wafer and available measurement conditions.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 2016Date of Patent: November 10, 2020Assignee: KLA CorporationInventors: Tal Marciano, Barak Bringoltz, Evgeni Gurevich, Ido Adam, Ze'ev Lindenfeld, Zeng Zhao, Yoel Feler, Daniel Kandel, Nadav Carmel, Amnon Manassen, Nuriel Amir, Oded Kaminsky, Tal Yaziv, Ofer Zaharan, Moshe Cooper, Roee Sulimarski, Tom Leviant, Noga Sella, Boris Efraty, Lilach Saltoun, Amir Handelman, Eltsafon Ashwal, Ohad Bachar
-
Patent number: 10408602Abstract: Methods are provided, which estimate a quality of a metrology target by calculating a noise metric of its ROI kernels, derived from application of a Fourier filter on the measured kernel with respect to a periodicity of the target's periodic structure(s); and using the calculated noise metric to indicate the target quality. An additional Fourier filter may be applied perpendicularly on the measured kernel with respect to a periodicity of a perpendicular segmentation of the periodic structure(s), and the (2D) noise metric may be derived by application of both Fourier filters. The estimated noise may be analyzed statistically to provide various types of information on the target.Type: GrantFiled: April 18, 2016Date of Patent: September 10, 2019Assignee: KLA-Tencor CorporationInventors: Boris Efraty, Yuri Paskover
-
Patent number: 10366483Abstract: Notch detection methods and modules are provided for efficiently estimating a position of a wafer notch. Capturing an image of specified region(s) of the wafer, a principle angle is identified in a transformation, converted into polar coordinates, of the captured image. Then the wafer axes are recovered from the identified principle angle as the dominant orientations of geometric primitives in the captured region. The captured region may be selected to include the center of the wafer and/or certain patterns that enhance the identification and recovering of the axes. Multiple images and/or regions may be used to optimize image quality and detection efficiency.Type: GrantFiled: December 3, 2015Date of Patent: July 30, 2019Assignee: KLA-Tencor CorporationInventors: Boris Efraty, Nassim Bishara, Arkady Simkin, Yaron Ish-Shalom
-
Patent number: 10242290Abstract: Methods and systems are provided, which identify specified metrology target abnormalities using selected metrics and classify the identified target abnormalities geometrically to link them to corresponding sources of error. Identification may be carried out by deriving target signals such as kernels from specified regions of interest (ROIs) from corresponding targets on a wafer, calculating the metrics from the target signals using respective functions and analyzing the metrics to characterize the targets.Type: GrantFiled: January 10, 2014Date of Patent: March 26, 2019Assignee: KLA-Tencor CorporationInventors: Inna Tarshish-Shapir, Yoel Feler, Anat Marchelli, Berta Dinu, Vladimir Levinski, Boris Efraty, Nuriel Amir, Mark Ghinovker, Amnon Manassen, Sigalit Robinzon
-
Patent number: 9874527Abstract: Metrology methods and respective software and module are provided, which identify and remove measurement inaccuracy which results from process variation leading to target asymmetries. The methods comprise identifying an inaccuracy contribution of process variation source(s) to a measured scatterometry signal (e.g., overlay) by measuring the signal across a range of measurement parameter(s) (e.g., wavelength, angle) and targets, and extracting a measurement variability over the range which is indicative of the inaccuracy contribution. The method may further assume certain functional dependencies of the resulting inaccuracy on the target asymmetry, estimate relative donations of different process variation sources and apply external calibration to further enhance the measurement accuracy.Type: GrantFiled: July 13, 2015Date of Patent: January 23, 2018Assignee: KLA-Tencor CorporationInventors: Eran Amit, Zeev Bomzon, Barak Bringoltz, Boris Efraty
-
Publication number: 20160313658Abstract: Methods are provided for deriving a partially continuous dependency of metrology metric(s) on recipe parameter(s), analyzing the derived dependency, determining a metrology recipe according to the analysis, and conducting metrology measurement(s) according to the determined recipe. The dependency may be analyzed in form of a landscape such as a sensitivity landscape in which regions of low sensitivity and/or points or contours of low or zero inaccuracy are detected, analytically, numerically or experimentally, and used to configure parameters of measurement, hardware and targets to achieve high measurement accuracy. Process variation is analyzed in terms of its effects on the sensitivity landscape, and these effects are used to characterize the process variation further, to optimize the measurements and make the metrology both more robust to inaccuracy sources and more flexible with respect to different targets on the wafer and available measurement conditions.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 30, 2016Publication date: October 27, 2016Inventors: Tal Marciano, Barak Bringoltz, Evgeni Gurevich, Ido Adam, Ze'ev Lindenfeld, Zeng Zhao, Yoel Feler, Daniel Kandel, Nadav Carmel, Amnon Manassen, Nuriel Amir, Oded Kaminsky, Tal Yaziv, Ofer Zaharan, Moshe Cooper, Roee Sulimarski, Tom Leviant, Noga Sella, Boris Efraty, Lilach Saltoun, Amir Handelman, Eltsafon Ashwal, Ohad Bachar
-
Publication number: 20160231102Abstract: Methods are provided, which estimate a quality of a metrology target by calculating a noise metric of its ROI kernels, derived from application of a Fourier filter on the measured kernel with respect to a periodicity of the target's periodic structure(s); and using the calculated noise metric to indicate the target quality. An additional Fourier filter may be applied perpendicularly on the measured kernel with respect to a periodicity of a perpendicular segmentation of the periodic structure(s), and the (2D) noise metric may be derived by application of both Fourier filters. The estimated noise may be analyzed statistically to provide various types of information on the target.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 18, 2016Publication date: August 11, 2016Inventors: Boris Efraty, Yuri Paskover
-
Publication number: 20160086325Abstract: Notch detection methods and modules are provided for efficiently estimating a position of a wafer notch. Capturing an image of specified region(s) of the wafer, a principle angle is identified in a transformation, converted into polar coordinates, of the captured image. Then the wafer axes are recovered from the identified principle angle as the dominant orientations of geometric primitives in the captured region. The captured region may be selected to include the center of the wafer and/or certain patterns that enhance the identification and recovering of the axes. Multiple images and/or regions may be used to optimize image quality and detection efficiency.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 3, 2015Publication date: March 24, 2016Inventors: Boris EFRATY, Nassim BISHARA, Arkady SIMKIN, Yaron ISH-SHALOM
-
Publication number: 20150316490Abstract: Metrology methods and respective software and module are provided, which identify and remove measurement inaccuracy which results from process variation leading to target asymmetries. The methods comprise identifying an inaccuracy contribution of process variation source(s) to a measured scatterometry signal (e.g., overlay) by measuring the signal across a range of measurement parameter(s) (e.g., wavelength, angle) and targets, and extracting a measurement variability over the range which is indicative of the inaccuracy contribution. The method may further assume certain functional dependencies of the resulting inaccuracy on the target asymmetry, estimate relative donations of different process variation sources and apply external calibration to further enhance the measurement accuracy.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 13, 2015Publication date: November 5, 2015Inventors: Eran Amit, Zeev Bomzon, Barak Bringoltz, Boris Efraty
-
Publication number: 20140136137Abstract: Methods and systems are provided, which identify specified metrology target abnormalities using selected metrics and classify the identified target abnormalities geometrically to link them to corresponding sources of error. Identification may be carried out by deriving target signals such as kernels from specified regions of interest (ROIs) from corresponding targets on a wafer, calculating the metrics from the target signals using respective functions and analyzing the metrics to characterize the targets.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 10, 2014Publication date: May 15, 2014Applicant: KLA-Tencor CorporationInventors: Inna Tarshish-Shapir, Yoel Feler, Anat Marchelli, Berta Dinu, Vladimir Levinski, Boris Efraty, Nuriel Amir, Mark Ghinovker, Amnon Manassen, Sigalit Robinzon