Patents by Inventor Grace H. Chen

Grace H. Chen 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).

  • Publication number: 20150015874
    Abstract: In an optical inspection tool, an illumination aperture is opened at each of a plurality of aperture positions of an illumination pupil area one at a time across the illumination pupil area. For each aperture opening position, an incident beam is directed towards the illumination pupil area so as to selectively pass a corresponding ray bundle of the illumination beam at a corresponding set of one or more incident angles towards the sample and an output beam, which is emitted from the sample in response to the corresponding ray bundle of the incident beam impinging on the sample at the corresponding set of one or more incident angles, is detected. A defect detection characteristic for each aperture position is determined based on the output beam detected for each aperture position. An optimum aperture configuration is determined based on the determined defect detection characteristic for each aperture position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2013
    Publication date: January 15, 2015
    Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation
    Inventors: Grace H. Chen, Rudolf Brunner, Lisheng Gao, Robert M. Danen, Lu Chen
  • Publication number: 20140354983
    Abstract: Disclosed are methods and apparatus for optimizing a mode of an inspection tool. A first image or signal for each of a plurality of first apertures of the inspection tool is obtained, and each first image or signal pertains to a defect area. For each of a plurality of combinations of the first apertures and their first images or signals, a composite image or signal is obtained. Each composite image or signal is analyzed to determine an optimum one of the combinations of the first apertures based on a defect detection characteristic of each composite image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2013
    Publication date: December 4, 2014
    Applicant: KLA-Tencor Corporation
    Inventors: Pavel Kolchin, Richard Wallingford, Lisheng Gao, Grace H. Chen, Markus b. Huber, Robert M. Danen
  • Publication number: 20120141013
    Abstract: The present invention includes searching imagery data in order to identify one or more patterned regions on a semiconductor wafer, generating one or more virtual Fourier filter (VFF) working areas, acquiring an initial set of imagery data from the VFF working areas, defining VFF training blocks within the identified patterned regions of the VFF working areas utilizing the initial set of imagery data, wherein each VFF training block is defined to encompass a portion of the identified patterned region displaying a selected repeating pattern, calculating an initial spectrum for each VFF training block utilizing the initial set of imagery data from the VFF training blocks, and generating a VFF for each training block by identifying frequencies of the initial spectrum having maxima in the frequency domain, wherein the VFF is configured to null the magnitude of the initial spectrum at the frequencies identified to display spectral maxima.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2011
    Publication date: June 7, 2012
    Applicant: KLA-TENCOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Lisheng Gao, Kenong Wu, Allen Park, Ellis Chang, Khurram Zafar, Junqing Huang, Ping Gu, Christopher Maher, Grace H. Chen, Songnian Rong, Liu-Ming Wu
  • Patent number: 7505619
    Abstract: A dark field surface inspection tool and system are disclosed herein. The tool includes an illumination source capable of scanning a light beam onto an inspection surface. Light scattered by each inspection point is captured as image data by a photo detector array arranged at a fourier plane. The images captured are adaptively filtered to remove a portion of the bright pixels from the images to generate filtered images. The filtered images are then analyzed to detect defects in the inspection surface. Methods of the invention include using die-to-die comparison to identify bright portions of scattering patterns and generate unique image filters associated with those patterns. The associated images are then filtered to generate filtered images which are then used to detect defects. Also, data models of light scattering behavior can be used to generate filters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2009
    Assignee: KLA-Tencor Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Evan R. Mapoles, Grace H. Chen, Christopher F. Bevis, David W. Shortt
  • Patent number: 7317527
    Abstract: A filter to selectively block light from passing through the filter and to selectively permit light to pass through the filter. The filter includes an array with a plurality of individually addressable filter elements. Each filter element is selectively settable to have a variable transmittance to the light of between substantially zero percent and substantially one hundred percent. In this manner, the filter according to the present invention provides areas that pass only a portion of the light, and thus can block the light using patterns other than just an abrupt on/off filtering. By so doing, the filter is able to dramatically reduce, and in some embodiments eliminate, the light ringing that typically accompanies such on/off filters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2008
    Assignee: KLA-Tencor Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Dragos Maciuca, Grace H. Chen, Tao-Yi Fu
  • Patent number: 7106432
    Abstract: A dark field surface inspection tool of the invention includes an illumination source for directing a light beam onto a work piece. The tool includes a scanning element for enabling selected inspection points on the work piece to be scanned by the light beam. During scanning, the light scattered by each inspection point generates light scattering patterns associated with the surface characteristics of the scanned inspection point. The tool includes a photo detector array having photosensitive elements arranged to receive light from the light scattering pattern, thereby capturing an image of the light scattering pattern for each inspection point. Comparison circuitry is included for comparing light scattering patterns with a reference image to enable the identification of defects at the inspection point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2006
    Assignee: KLA-Tencor Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Evan R. Mapoles, Grace H. Chen, Christopher F. Bevis, David W. Shortt