Patents by Inventor Dirk Woll

Dirk Woll 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: 10488348
    Abstract: Systems configured to inspect a wafer are provided. One system includes an illumination subsystem configured to direct pulses of light to an area on a wafer; a scanning subsystem configured to scan the pulses of light across the wafer; a collection subsystem configured to image pulses of light scattered from the area on the wafer to a sensor, wherein the sensor is configured to integrate a number of the pulses of scattered light that is fewer than a number of the pulses of scattered light that can be imaged on the entire area of the sensor, and wherein the sensor is configured to generate output responsive to the integrated pulses of scattered light; and a computer subsystem configured to detect defects on the wafer using the output generated by the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: KLA-Tencor Corp.
    Inventors: Anatoly Romanovsky, Ivan Maleev, Daniel Kavaldjiev, Yury Yuditsky, Dirk Woll, Stephen Biellak, Mehdi Vaez-Iravani, Guoheng Zhao
  • Patent number: 10153215
    Abstract: A cartridge in an oven enclosure includes a pre-heating feature for an incoming purge gas before the purge gas enters the space around an optical component, such as a nonlinear optical crystal, in an oven cell. The incoming purge gas can be pre-heated as it travels along a gas pathway around a cartridge. The cartridge can include a heater. The oven enclosure can have two windows positioned such that a laser beam can enter through one of the windows, pass through the optical component, and exit through another of the windows. A second harmonic beam can be generated with the optical component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Assignee: KLA-Tencor Corporation
    Inventor: Dirk Woll
  • Patent number: 10120262
    Abstract: A system includes a nonlinear crystal positioned such that a focus of a laser beam is outside the nonlinear crystal in at least one plane perpendicular to a beam propagation direction of the laser beam. The nonlinear crystal is disposed in a crystal mount assembly. A laser beam may be directed at the nonlinear crystal for wavelength conversion. The system may be used as a deep-UV wavelength converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: KLA-Tencor Corporation
    Inventor: Dirk Woll
  • Publication number: 20180164228
    Abstract: Systems configured to inspect a wafer are provided. One system includes an illumination subsystem configured to direct pulses of light to an area on a wafer; a scanning subsystem configured to scan the pulses of light across the wafer; a collection subsystem configured to image pulses of light scattered from the area on the wafer to a sensor, wherein the sensor is configured to integrate a number of the pulses of scattered light that is fewer than a number of the pulses of scattered light that can be imaged on the entire area of the sensor, and wherein the sensor is configured to generate output responsive to the integrated pulses of scattered light; and a computer subsystem configured to detect defects on the wafer using the output generated by the sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2018
    Publication date: June 14, 2018
    Inventors: Anatoly Romanovsky, Ivan Maleev, Daniel Kavaldjiev, Yury Yuditsky, Dirk Woll, Stephen Biellak, Mehdi Vaez-Iravani, Guoheng Zhao
  • Patent number: 9915622
    Abstract: Systems configured to inspect a wafer are provided. One system includes an illumination subsystem configured to direct pulses of light to an area on a wafer; a scanning subsystem configured to scan the pulses of light across the wafer; a collection subsystem configured to image pulses of light scattered from the area on the wafer to a sensor, wherein the sensor is configured to integrate a number of the pulses of scattered light that is fewer than a number of the pulses of scattered light that can be imaged on the entire area of the sensor, and wherein the sensor is configured to generate output responsive to the integrated pulses of scattered light; and a computer subsystem configured to detect defects on the wafer using the output generated by the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: KLA-Tencor Corp.
    Inventors: Anatoly Romanovsky, Ivan Maleev, Daniel Kavaldjiev, Yury Yuditsky, Dirk Woll, Stephen Biellak, Mehdi Vaez-Iravani, Guoheng Zhao
  • Publication number: 20180067377
    Abstract: A system includes a nonlinear crystal positioned such that a focus of a laser beam is outside the nonlinear crystal in at least one plane perpendicular to a beam propagation direction of the laser beam. The nonlinear crystal is disposed in a crystal mount assembly. A laser beam may be directed at the nonlinear crystal for wavelength conversion. The system may be used as a deep-UV wavelength converter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2017
    Publication date: March 8, 2018
    Inventor: Dirk Woll
  • Publication number: 20180040518
    Abstract: A cartridge in an oven enclosure includes a pre-heating feature for an incoming purge gas before the purge gas enters the space around an optical component, such as a nonlinear optical crystal, in an oven cell. The incoming purge gas can be pre-heated as it travels along a gas pathway around a cartridge. The cartridge can include a heater. The oven enclosure can have two windows positioned such that a laser beam can enter through one of the windows, pass through the optical component, and exit through another of the windows. A second harmonic beam can be generated with the optical component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2016
    Publication date: February 8, 2018
    Inventor: Dirk Woll
  • Patent number: 9841655
    Abstract: A system includes a nonlinear crystal positioned such that a focus of a laser beam is outside the nonlinear crystal in at least one plane perpendicular to a beam propagation direction of the laser beam. The nonlinear crystal is disposed in a crystal mount assembly. A laser beam may be directed at the nonlinear crystal for wavelength conversion. The system may be used as a deep-UV wavelength converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: KLA-Tencor Corporation
    Inventor: Dirk Woll
  • Patent number: 9678350
    Abstract: A method and system for providing illumination is disclosed. The method may include providing a laser having a predetermined wavelength; performing at least one of: beam splitting or beam scanning prior to a frequency conversion; converting a frequency of each output beam of the at least one of: beam splitting or beam scanning; and providing the frequency converted output beam for illumination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: KLA-Tencor Corporation
    Inventors: Christian Wolters, Jijen Vazhaeparambil, Dirk Woll, Anatoly Romanovsky, Bret Whiteside, Stephen Biellak, Guoheng Zhao
  • Publication number: 20170003572
    Abstract: A system includes a nonlinear crystal positioned such that a focus of a laser beam is outside the nonlinear crystal in at least one plane perpendicular to a beam propagation direction of the laser beam. The nonlinear crystal is disposed in a crystal mount assembly. A laser beam may be directed at the nonlinear crystal for wavelength conversion. The system may be used as a deep-UV wavelength converter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2016
    Publication date: January 5, 2017
    Inventor: Dirk Woll
  • Patent number: 9279774
    Abstract: Systems configured to inspect a wafer are provided. One system includes an illumination subsystem configured to simultaneously form multiple illumination areas on the wafer with substantially no illumination flux between each of the areas. The system also includes a scanning subsystem configured to scan the multiple illumination areas across the wafer. In addition, the system includes a collection subsystem configured to simultaneously and separately image light scattered from each of the areas onto two or more sensors. Characteristics of the two or more sensors are selected such that the scattered light is not imaged into gaps between the two or more sensors. The two or more sensors generate output responsive to the scattered light. The system further includes a computer subsystem configured to detect defects on the wafer using the output of the two or more sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: KLA-Tencor Corp.
    Inventors: Anatoly Romanovsky, Ivan Maleev, Daniel Kavaldjiev, Yury Yuditsky, Dirk Woll, Stephen Biellak, Mehdi Vaez-Iravani, Guoheng Zhao
  • Publication number: 20150369753
    Abstract: Systems configured to inspect a wafer are provided. One system includes an illumination subsystem configured to direct pulses of light to an area on a wafer; a scanning subsystem configured to scan the pulses of light across the wafer; a collection subsystem configured to image pulses of light scattered from the area on the wafer to a sensor, wherein the sensor is configured to integrate a number of the pulses of scattered light that is fewer than a number of the pulses of scattered light that can be imaged on the entire area of the sensor, and wherein the sensor is configured to generate output responsive to the integrated pulses of scattered light; and a computer subsystem configured to detect defects on the wafer using the output generated by the sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2015
    Publication date: December 24, 2015
    Inventors: Anatoly Romanovsky, Ivan Maleev, Daniel Kavaldjiev, Yury Yuditsky, Dirk Woll, Stephen Biellak, Mehdi Vaez-Iravani, Guoheng Zhao
  • Publication number: 20130250385
    Abstract: A method and system for providing illumination is disclosed. The method may include providing a laser having a predetermined wavelength; performing at least one of: beam splitting or beam scanning prior to a frequency conversion; converting a frequency of each output beam of the at least one of: beam splitting or beam scanning; and providing the frequency converted output beam for illumination.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2013
    Publication date: September 26, 2013
    Applicant: KLA-TENCOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Christian Wolters, Jijen Vazhaeparambil, Dirk Woll, Anatoly Romanovsky, Bret Whiteside, Stephen Biellak, Guoheng Zhao
  • Publication number: 20130016346
    Abstract: Systems configured to inspect a wafer are provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2012
    Publication date: January 17, 2013
    Applicant: KLA-TENCOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Anatoly Romanovsky, Ivan Maleev, Daniel Kavaldjiev, Yury Yuditsky, Dirk Woll, Stephen Biellak