Abstract: A method obtains measurements of semiconductor structures from a single wedge cut of an inspection volume. The method comprises obtaining the wedge cut by exposing a cross-section surface in the inspection volume by milling into the inspection volume with a FIB column arranged under a slant angle, and imaging the cross-section surface with a charged particle beam imaging system. The method also comprises determining positions of cross-section features of semiconductor structures in the wedge cut, and determining reference positions of the cross-section features from at least one reference image of the semiconductor structures. The method further comprises obtaining the one or more measurements of the semiconductor structures using lateral displacements between the positions of the cross-section features and the reference positions.

Abstract: A method obtains at least one measurement of at least one semiconductor structure in a wafer. The method comprises obtaining a wedge cut of an inspection volume of the wafer by exposing a cross section surface in the inspection volume by milling into the inspection volume with a FIB column at a slant angle GF. The method further comprises imaging the cross section surface with a charged particle beam imaging system. In addition, the method comprises extracting a region of interest of the wedge cut comprising a cross section of the at least one semiconductor structure, and using a trained machine learning model to map the region of interest of the wedge cut to a 3D reconstruction of the region of interest. The method also comprises obtaining at least one measurement from the 3D reconstruction.

Abstract: A method comprises determining a representative ground truth structure provided in a semiconductor sample having a plurality of structures extending mainly in a thickness direction of the sample in a region of interest containing the plurality of structures. At least one adapted image of a milled sample is determined, wherein the at least one adapted image comprises image representations of the structures in the region of interest at different positions in the thickness direction. A transformation is determined by which the image representations at the different positions in the thickness direction of the structures build the ground truth structure, and the transformation is stored for a future application of the transformation to a further sample having the plurality of structures.

Abstract: A method of operating a dual beam device comprises obtaining a milled sample having an assumed milled top surface shape which was obtained by milling the sample with a first ion beam of the dual beam device, and determining a plurality of height coordinates of the assumed milled top surface shape using a second beam of the dual beam device. The method also comprises determining at least one actual milling top surface shape for the milled sample based on the determined plurality of height coordinates, and determining a parameter of the sample based on the adapted milled top surface shape.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to dual beam device and three-dimensional circuit pattern inspection techniques by cross sectioning of inspection volumes with large depth extension exceeding 1 ?m below the surface of a semiconductor wafer, as well as methods, computer program products and apparatuses for generating 3D volume image data of a deep inspection volume inside a wafer without removal of a sample from the wafer. The disclosure further relates to 3D volume image generation and cross section image alignment methods utilizing a dual beam device for three-dimensional circuit pattern inspection.

Abstract: A method of obtaining measurements of semiconductor structures on a wafer comprises: obtaining a volumetric imaging dataset of the wafer comprising multiple 2D cross section images; obtaining contours of semiconductor structures in 2D cross section images; indicating, in a first 2D cross section image, one or more measurement specifications with respect to features of contours of semiconductor structures; propagating the indicated one or more measurement specifications in the first 2D cross section image to further 2D cross section images; and obtaining measurements of semiconductor structures by evaluating the one or more measurement specifications in the first 2D cross section image and in the further 2D cross section images.

Abstract: A method of 3D-inspection of a semiconductor object inside of an inspection volume of a wafer or wafer sample comprises a 3D data processing and a step for acquiring a plurality of two-dimensional images. The acquiring step comprises a monitoring step for determining whether a two-dimensional image is in conformity with a desired property of the 3D data processing. The disclosure further comprises a method of configuring the method of 3D-inspection and a system configured to execute the method of 3D inspection as well as the method of configuring the method of 3D-inspection.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to dual beam device and three-dimensional circuit pattern inspection techniques by cross sectioning of inspection volumes with large depth extension exceeding 1 ?m below the surface of a semiconductor wafer, as well as methods, computer program products and apparatuses for generating 3D volume image data of a deep inspection volume inside a wafer without removal of a sample from the wafer. The disclosure further relates to 3D volume image generation and cross section image alignment methods utilizing a dual beam device for three-dimensional circuit pattern inspection.

Abstract: Certain examples provide methods of performing semiconductor metrology by analyzing a sample surface, wherein the methods comprise: obtaining a first image generated using a first image modality; obtaining a second image generated using a second image modality; generating first labels by segmenting the first image; generating second labels by segmenting the second image; and generating third labels associated with the first image and the second image by fusing the first labels and the second labels.

Abstract: A method for segmentation of images using anchor features utilizes prior knowledge and can also be applied to semiconductor features with poor image contrast. The method can be more flexible and robust and involve less user interaction than conventional segmentation methods. With a system incorporating a method of the disclosure, an inspection task of semiconductor objects of interest can be improved and training data for training a machine learning method can be provided.

Abstract: A method of determining a size of a contact area between a first 3D structure and a second 3D structure in an integrated semiconductor sample, includes: obtaining a first cross section image and a second cross section image parallel to the first cross section image, wherein obtaining the first and second cross section images includes subsequently removing a cross section surface layer of the integrated semiconductor sample using a focused ion beam to make a new cross section accessible for imaging, and imaging the new cross section of the integrated semiconductor sample with an imaging device; performing image registration of the obtained cross section images and obtaining a 3D data set; determining a 3D model representing the first 3D structure and the second 3D structure in the 3D data set; and determining a relative overlap of the first 3D structure with the second 3D structure based on the 3D model.

Abstract: A method for determining a measure of an image distortion of a charged particle beam imaging device comprises providing a plurality of images of a region of a sample using the charged ion beam device, and determining the measure of the image distortion based on displacements of corresponding objects between the plurality of images. A method of setting one or more parameters of a charged particle beam imaging device based on a measure of the image distortion as well as corresponding devices and systems is provided.

Abstract: A 3D tomographic inspection method for the inspection of semiconductor features in an inspection volume of a semiconductor wafer includes obtaining a 3D tomographic image, and selecting a plurality of 2D cross section images. The method also includes identifying contours of HAR structures, and extracting deviation parameters. The deviation parameters describe fabrication errors such as displacement, deviation in radius or diameter, area or shape.

Abstract: Semiconductor structures can be investigated, e.g., in an in-line quality check. An x-ray scattering measurement, e.g., CD-SAXS, can be used for wafer metrology. The x-ray scattering measurement can be configured based on a slice-and-imaging tomographic measurement using a dual-beam device, e.g., including a focused ion beam device and a scanning electron microscope.

Abstract: A method of determining a size of a contact area between a first 3D structure and a second 3D structure in an integrated semiconductor sample, includes the following steps: obtaining at least a first cross section image and a second cross section image parallel to the first cross section image, wherein obtaining the first and second cross section images includes subsequently removing a cross section surface layer of the integrated semiconductor sample using a focused ion beam to make a new cross section accessible for imaging, and imaging the new cross section of the integrated semiconductor sample with an imaging device; performing image registration of the obtained cross section images and obtaining a 3D data set; determining a 3D model representing the first 3D structure and the second 3D structure in the 3D data set; and determining a relative overlap of the first 3D structure with the second 3D structure based on the 3D model.

Abstract: A method for operating an ion beam device comprises determining an incidence angle at which an ion beam of the ion beam device hits an upper top surface of a semiconductor sample and a rotation angle for the semiconductor sample around a rotation axis extending perpendicular to the upper top surface. The method also includes rotating the semiconductor sample around the rotation axis by the rotation angle. The method further includes determining a scan angle between an adapted scan line along which the ion beam is moved when hitting the upper top surface and a default scan line of the ion beam extending parallel to the upper top surface of the semiconductor sample. Determining the scan angle is based on the rotation angle and the incidence angle. The scan line is adapted to the adapted scan line based on the determined scan angle.

Abstract: A method comprises: providing FIB and CPB columns with FIB and CPB optical axes coinciding at a wafer surface; in the coincidence arrangement, removing a cross section surface layer of a measurement site of a wafer using the FIB column to make a new cross section accessible for imaging; reducing a working distance between the CPB imaging column and the wafer surface in a direction along the axis of the CPB imaging column; imaging the new cross section at the measurement site of the wafer with the CPB imaging column at the reduced working distance and thus not in the coincidence arrangement; and increasing the working distance between the CPB imaging column and the wafer surface in the direction along the axis of the CPB imaging column until the coincidence arrangement is reached.

Abstract: A system and a method for volume inspection of semiconductor wafers are configured for milling and fast image acquisition of cross-sections surfaces in an inspection volume. High quality images can be obtained by restriction of the imaging to regions of interest or by averaging over several fast image scans. The method and device can be utilized for quantitative metrology, defect detection, process monitoring, defect review, and inspection of integrated circuits within semiconductor wafers.

Abstract: Methods and evaluation devices for evaluating 3D data of a device under inspection are provided. A first machine learning logic detects target objects, and a second machine learning logic provides a voxel segmentation for the target objects. Based on the segmented voxels, a transformation to feature space is performed to obtain measurement results.

Abstract: A system and a method for volume inspection of semiconductor wafers with increased throughput are configured for milling and imaging a reduced number or areas of appropriate cross-sections surfaces in an inspection volume and determining inspection parameters of the 3D objects from the cross-section surface images. The method and device can be utilized for quantitative metrology, defect detection, process monitoring, defect review, and inspection of integrated circuits within semiconductor wafers.