Patents by Inventor Houssam Chouaib
Houssam Chouaib 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).
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Patent number: 11796390Abstract: A spectroscopic metrology system includes a spectroscopic metrology tool and a controller. The controller generates a model of a multilayer grating including two or more layers, the model including geometric parameters indicative of a geometry of a test layer of the multilayer grating and dispersion parameters indicative of a dispersion of the test layer. The controller further receives a spectroscopic signal of a fabricated multilayer grating corresponding to the modeled multilayer grating from the spectroscopic metrology tool. The controller further determines values of the one or more parameters of the modeled multilayer grating providing a simulated spectroscopic signal corresponding to the measured spectroscopic signal within a selected tolerance. The controller further predicts a bandgap of the test layer of the fabricated multilayer grating based on the determined values of the one or more parameters of the test layer of the fabricated structure.Type: GrantFiled: July 1, 2022Date of Patent: October 24, 2023Assignee: KLA CorporationInventors: Tianhan Wang, Aaron Rosenberg, Dawei Hu, Alexander Kuznetsov, Manh Dang Nguyen, Stilian Pandev, John Lesoine, Qiang Zhao, Liequan Lee, Houssam Chouaib, Ming Di, Torsten R. Kaack, Andrei V. Shchegrov, Zhengquan Tan
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Patent number: 11573077Abstract: Methods and systems for measuring optical properties of transistor channel structures and linking the optical properties to the state of strain are presented herein. Optical scatterometry measurements of strain are performed on metrology targets that closely mimic partially manufactured, real device structures. In one aspect, optical scatterometry is employed to measure uniaxial strain in a semiconductor channel based on differences in measured spectra along and across the semiconductor channel. In a further aspect, the effect of strain on measured spectra is decorrelated from other contributors, such as the geometry and material properties of structures captured in the measurement. In another aspect, measurements are performed on a metrology target pair including a strained metrology target and a corresponding unstrained metrology target to resolve the geometry of the metrology target under measurement and to provide a reference for the estimation of the absolute value of strain.Type: GrantFiled: June 3, 2021Date of Patent: February 7, 2023Assignee: KLA CorporationInventors: Houssam Chouaib, Aaron Rosenberg, Kai-Hsiang Lin, Dawei Hu, Zhengquan Tan
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Patent number: 11555689Abstract: Methods and systems disclosed herein can measure thin film stacks, such as film on grating and bandgap on grating in semiconductors. For example, the thin film stack may be a 1D film stack, a 2D film on grating, or a 3D film on grating. One or more effective medium dispersion models are created for the film stack. Each effective medium dispersion model can substitute for one or more layers. A thickness of one or more layers can be determined using the effective medium dispersion based scatterometry model. In an instance, three effective medium dispersion based scatterometry models are developed and used to determine thickness of three layers in a film stack.Type: GrantFiled: April 15, 2020Date of Patent: January 17, 2023Assignee: KLA-Tencor CorporationInventors: Houssam Chouaib, Zhengquan Tan
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Publication number: 20220349752Abstract: A spectroscopic metrology system includes a spectroscopic metrology tool and a controller. The controller generates a model of a multilayer grating including two or more layers, the model including geometric parameters indicative of a geometry of a test layer of the multilayer grating and dispersion parameters indicative of a dispersion of the test layer. The controller further receives a spectroscopic signal of a fabricated multilayer grating corresponding to the modeled multilayer grating from the spectroscopic metrology tool. The controller further determines values of the one or more parameters of the modeled multilayer grating providing a simulated spectroscopic signal corresponding to the measured spectroscopic signal within a selected tolerance. The controller further predicts a bandgap of the test layer of the fabricated multilayer grating based on the determined values of the one or more parameters of the test layer of the fabricated structure.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 1, 2022Publication date: November 3, 2022Inventors: Tianhan Wang, Aaron Rosenberg, Dawei Hu, Alexander Kuznetsov, Manh Dang Nguyen, Stilian Pandev, John Lesoine, Qiang Zhao, Liequan Lee, Houssam Chouaib, Ming Di, Torsten R. Kaack, Andrei V. Shchegrov, Zhengquan Tan
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Patent number: 11378451Abstract: A spectroscopic metrology system includes a spectroscopic metrology tool and a controller. The controller generates a model of a multilayer grating including two or more layers, the model including geometric parameters indicative of a geometry of a test layer of the multilayer grating and dispersion parameters indicative of a dispersion of the test layer. The controller further receives a spectroscopic signal of a fabricated multilayer grating corresponding to the modeled multilayer grating from the spectroscopic metrology tool. The controller further determines values of the one or more parameters of the modeled multilayer grating providing a simulated spectroscopic signal corresponding to the measured spectroscopic signal within a selected tolerance. The controller further predicts a bandgap of the test layer of the fabricated multilayer grating based on the determined values of the one or more parameters of the test layer of the fabricated structure.Type: GrantFiled: August 8, 2017Date of Patent: July 5, 2022Assignee: KLA CorporationInventors: Tianhan Wang, Aaron Rosenberg, Dawei Hu, Alexander Kuznetsov, Manh Dang Nguyen, Stilian Pandev, John Lesoine, Qiang Zhao, Liequan Lee, Houssam Chouaib, Ming Di, Torsten R. Kaack, Andrei V. Shchegrov, Zhengquan Tan
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Patent number: 11156548Abstract: A parameterized geometric model of a structure can be determined based on spectra from a wafer metrology tool. The structure can have geometry-induced anisotropic effects. Dispersion parameters of the structure can be determined from the parameterized geometric model. This can enable metrology techniques to measure nanostructures that have geometries and relative positions with surrounding structures that induce non-negligible anisotropic effects. These techniques can be used to characterize process steps involving metal and semiconductor targets in semiconductor manufacturing of, for example, FinFETs or and gate-all-around field-effect transistors.Type: GrantFiled: March 28, 2018Date of Patent: October 26, 2021Assignee: KLA-Tencor CorporationInventors: Manh Nguyen, Phillip Atkins, Alexander Kuznetsov, Liequan Lee, Natalia Malkova, Paul Aoyagi, Mikhail Sushchik, Dawei Hu, Houssam Chouaib
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Publication number: 20210293532Abstract: Methods and systems for measuring optical properties of transistor channel structures and linking the optical properties to the state of strain are presented herein. Optical scatterometry measurements of strain are performed on metrology targets that closely mimic partially manufactured, real device structures. In one aspect, optical scatterometry is employed to measure uniaxial strain in a semiconductor channel based on differences in measured spectra along and across the semiconductor channel. In a further aspect, the effect of strain on measured spectra is decorrelated from other contributors, such as the geometry and material properties of structures captured in the measurement. In another aspect, measurements are performed on a metrology target pair including a strained metrology target and a corresponding unstrained metrology target to resolve the geometry of the metrology target under measurement and to provide a reference for the estimation of the absolute value of strain.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 3, 2021Publication date: September 23, 2021Inventors: Houssam Chouaib, Aaron Rosenberg, Kai-Hsiang Lin, Dawei Hu, Zhengquan Tan
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Patent number: 11099137Abstract: A semiconductor metrology tool inspects an area of a semiconductor wafer. The inspected area includes a plurality of instances of a 3D semiconductor structure arranged periodically in at least one dimension. A computer system generates a model of a respective instance of the 3D semiconductor structure based on measurements collected during the inspection. The computer system renders an augmented-reality or virtual-reality (AR/VR) image of the model that shows a 3D shape of the model and provides the AR/VR image to an AR/VR viewing device for display.Type: GrantFiled: August 28, 2020Date of Patent: August 24, 2021Assignee: KLA CorporationInventors: Aaron J. Rosenberg, Jonathan Iloreta, Thaddeus G. Dziura, Antonio Gellineau, Yin Xu, Kaiwen Xu, John Hench, Abhi Gunde, Andrei Veldman, Liequan Lee, Houssam Chouaib
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Patent number: 11060846Abstract: Methods and systems for measuring optical properties of transistor channel structures and linking the optical properties to the state of strain are presented herein. Optical scatterometry measurements of strain are performed on metrology targets that closely mimic partially manufactured, real device structures. In one aspect, optical scatterometry is employed to measure uniaxial strain in a semiconductor channel based on differences in measured spectra along and across the semiconductor channel. In a further aspect, the effect of strain on measured spectra is decorrelated from other contributors, such as the geometry and material properties of structures captured in the measurement. In another aspect, measurements are performed on a metrology target pair including a strained metrology target and a corresponding unstrained metrology target to resolve the geometry of the metrology target under measurement and to provide a reference for the estimation of the absolute value of strain.Type: GrantFiled: October 22, 2019Date of Patent: July 13, 2021Assignee: KLA CorporationInventors: Houssam Chouaib, Aaron Rosenberg, Kai-Hsiang Lin, Dawei Hu, Zhengquan Tan
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Patent number: 11036898Abstract: Methods and systems for generating measurement models of nanowire based semiconductor structures based on re-useable, parametric models are presented herein. Metrology systems employing these models are configured to measure structural and material characteristics (e.g., material composition, dimensional characteristics of structures and films, etc.) associated with nanowire semiconductor fabrication processes. The re-useable, parametric models of nanowire based semiconductor structures enable measurement model generation that is substantially simpler, less error prone, and more accurate. As a result, time to useful measurement results is significantly reduced, particularly when modelling complex, nanowire based structures. The re-useable, parametric models of nanowire based semiconductor structures are useful for generating measurement models for both optical metrology and x-ray metrology, including soft x-ray metrology and hard x-ray metrology.Type: GrantFiled: March 13, 2019Date of Patent: June 15, 2021Assignee: KLA-Tencor CorporationInventors: Houssam Chouaib, Alexander Kuznetsov
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Publication number: 20200393386Abstract: A semiconductor metrology tool inspects an area of a semiconductor wafer. The inspected area includes a plurality of instances of a 3D semiconductor structure arranged periodically in at least one dimension. A computer system generates a model of a respective instance of the 3D semiconductor structure based on measurements collected during the inspection. The computer system renders an augmented-reality or virtual-reality (AR/VR) image of the model that shows a 3D shape of the model and provides the AR/VR image to an AR/VR viewing device for display.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 28, 2020Publication date: December 17, 2020Inventors: Aaron J. Rosenberg, Jonathan Iloreta, Thaddeus G. Dziura, Antonio Gellineau, Yin Xu, Kaiwen Xu, John Hench, Abhi Gunde, Andrei Veldman, Liequan Lee, Houssam Chouaib
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Patent number: 10794839Abstract: A semiconductor metrology tool inspects an area of a semiconductor wafer. The inspected area includes a plurality of instances of a 3D semiconductor structure arranged periodically in at least one dimension. A computer system generates a model of a respective instance of the 3D semiconductor structure based on measurements collected during the inspection. The computer system renders an image of the model that shows a 3D shape of the model and provides the image to a device for display.Type: GrantFiled: February 22, 2019Date of Patent: October 6, 2020Assignee: KLA CorporationInventors: Aaron J. Rosenberg, Jonathan Iloreta, Thaddeus G. Dziura, Antonio Gellineau, Yin Xu, Kaiwen Xu, John Hench, Abhi Gunde, Andrei Veldman, Liequan Lee, Houssam Chouaib
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Publication number: 20200271595Abstract: A semiconductor metrology tool inspects an area of a semiconductor wafer. The inspected area includes a plurality of instances of a 3D semiconductor structure arranged periodically in at least one dimension. A computer system generates a model of a respective instance of the 3D semiconductor structure based on measurements collected during the inspection. The computer system renders an image of the model that shows a 3D shape of the model and provides the image to a device for display.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 22, 2019Publication date: August 27, 2020Inventors: Aaron J. Rosenberg, Jonathan Iloreta, Thaddeus G. Dziura, Antonio Gellineau, Yin Xu, Kaiwen Xu, John Hench, Abhi Gunde, Andrei Veldman, Liequan Lee, Houssam Chouaib
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Publication number: 20200240768Abstract: Methods and systems disclosed herein can measure thin film stacks, such as film on grating and bandgap on grating in semiconductors. For example, the thin film stack may be a 1D film stack, a 2D film on grating, or a 3D film on grating. One or more effective medium dispersion models are created for the film stack. Each effective medium dispersion model can substitute for one or more layers. A thickness of one or more layers can be determined using the effective medium dispersion based scatterometry model. In an instance, three effective medium dispersion based scatterometry models are developed and used to determine thickness of three layers in a film stack.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 15, 2020Publication date: July 30, 2020Inventors: Houssam Chouaib, Zhengquan Tan
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Publication number: 20200200525Abstract: Methods and systems for measuring optical properties of transistor channel structures and linking the optical properties to the state of strain are presented herein. Optical scatterometry measurements of strain are performed on metrology targets that closely mimic partially manufactured, real device structures. In one aspect, optical scatterometry is employed to measure uniaxial strain in a semiconductor channel based on differences in measured spectra along and across the semiconductor channel. In a further aspect, the effect of strain on measured spectra is decorrelated from other contributors, such as the geometry and material properties of structures captured in the measurement. In another aspect, measurements are performed on a metrology target pair including a strained metrology target and a corresponding unstrained metrology target to resolve the geometry of the metrology target under measurement and to provide a reference for the estimation of the absolute value of strain.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 22, 2019Publication date: June 25, 2020Inventors: Houssam Chouaib, Aaron Rosenberg, Kai-Hsiang Lin, Dawei Hu, Zhengquan Tan
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Patent number: 10663286Abstract: Methods and systems disclosed herein can measure thin film stacks, such as film on grating and bandgap on grating in semiconductors. For example, the thin film stack may be a 1D film stack, a 2D film on grating, or a 3D film on grating. One or more effective medium dispersion models are created for the film stack. Each effective medium dispersion model can substitute for one or more layers. A thickness of one or more layers can be determined using the effective medium dispersion based scatterometry model. In an instance, three effective medium dispersion based scatterometry models are developed and used to determine thickness of three layers in a film stack.Type: GrantFiled: November 1, 2017Date of Patent: May 26, 2020Assignee: KLA-Tencor CorporationInventors: Houssam Chouaib, Zhengquan Tan
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Patent number: 10458912Abstract: Methods and systems for performing optical, model based measurements of a small sized semiconductor structure employing an anisotropic characterization of the optical dispersion properties of one or more materials comprising the structure under measurement are presented herein. This reduces correlations among geometric parameters and results in improved measurement sensitivity, improved measurement accuracy, and enhanced measurement contrast among multiple materials under measurement. In a further aspect, an element of a multidimensional tensor describing the dielectric permittivity of the materials comprising the structure is modelled differently from another element. In a further aspect, model based measurements are performed based on measurement data collected from two or more measurement subsystems combined with an anisotropic characterization of the optical dispersion of the materials under measurement.Type: GrantFiled: July 14, 2017Date of Patent: October 29, 2019Assignee: KLA-Tencor CorporationInventors: Houssam Chouaib, Qiang Zhao, Andrei V. Shchegrov, Zhengquan Tan
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Publication number: 20190286787Abstract: Methods and systems for generating measurement models of nanowire based semiconductor structures based on re-useable, parametric models are presented herein. Metrology systems employing these models are configured to measure structural and material characteristics (e.g., material composition, dimensional characteristics of structures and films, etc.) associated with nanowire semiconductor fabrication processes. The re-useable, parametric models of nanowire based semiconductor structures enable measurement model generation that is substantially simpler, less error prone, and more accurate. As a result, time to useful measurement results is significantly reduced, particularly when modelling complex, nanowire based structures. The re-useable, parametric models of nanowire based semiconductor structures are useful for generating measurement models for both optical metrology and x-ray metrology, including soft x-ray metrology and hard x-ray metrology.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 13, 2019Publication date: September 19, 2019Inventors: Houssam Chouaib, Alexander Kuznetsov
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Publication number: 20190178788Abstract: A parameterized geometric model of a structure can be determined based on spectra from a wafer metrology tool. The structure can have geometry-induced anisotropic effects. Dispersion parameters of the structure can be determined from the parameterized geometric model. This can enable metrology techniques to measure nanostructures that have geometries and relative positions with surrounding structures that induce non-negligible anisotropic effects. These techniques can be used to characterize process steps involving metal and semiconductor targets in semiconductor manufacturing of, for example, FinFETs or and gate-all-around field-effect transistors.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 28, 2018Publication date: June 13, 2019Inventors: Manh Nguyen, Phillip Atkins, Alexander Kuznetsov, Liequan Lee, Natalia Malkova, Paul Aoyagi, Mikhail Sushchik, Dawei Hu, Houssam Chouaib
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Publication number: 20190063900Abstract: Methods and systems disclosed herein can measure thin film stacks, such as film on grating and bandgap on grating in semiconductors. For example, the thin film stack may be a 1D film stack, a 2D film on grating, or a 3D film on grating. One or more effective medium dispersion models are created for the film stack. Each effective medium dispersion model can substitute for one or more layers. A thickness of one or more layers can be determined using the effective medium dispersion based scatterometry model. In an instance, three effective medium dispersion based scatterometry models are developed and used to determine thickness of three layers in a film stack.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 1, 2017Publication date: February 28, 2019Inventors: Houssam Chouaib, Zhengquan Tan