Patents by Inventor Konstantin Chirko

Konstantin Chirko 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: 20250216346
    Abstract: There are provided systems and methods comprising obtaining an acquisition signal informative of a semiconductor specimen comprising at least a first layer located at a first depth and a second layer located at a second depth, wherein the acquisition signal has been acquired by an electron beam examination system operative to scan the specimen with an electron beam associated with a landing energy enabling generating, in at least one of the acquisition signal or in a signal derived from the acquisition signal, a first pattern informative of a lateral edge of the first layer, and a second pattern informative of a lateral edge of the second layer, wherein the second pattern differs from the first pattern, and using at least one of the acquisition signal or the signal derived from the acquisition signal, to determine properties of at least one of the first layer or the second layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 2, 2024
    Publication date: July 3, 2025
    Inventors: Ron MEIRY, Lior YARON, Itamar SHANI, Konstantin CHIRKO
  • Publication number: 20250095955
    Abstract: Disclosed are method and system for calibrating a tilt angle of an electron beam of a backscattered scanning electron microscope including scanning a bare wafer at a plurality of electron beam tilt and azimuth angles, thereby obtaining a calibration map representing a crystal orientation of the bare wafer, selecting a tilt angle and defining an expected diffraction pattern associated with the tilt angle, based on the calibration map; scanning a patterned wafer at the selected tilt angle, comparing the diffraction pattern of the image obtained from the scanning of the patterned wafer at the selected tilt angle with the expected diffraction pattern; correcting the tilt angle of the electron beam of the BSEM tool, such that the diffraction pattern of the image obtained during scanning of the patterned wafer will align with the expected diffraction pattern.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2023
    Publication date: March 20, 2025
    Applicant: Applied Materials Israel Ltd.
    Inventors: Konstantin Chirko, Itamar Shani, Lior Yaron, Guy Eytan
  • Publication number: 20240404784
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a system for non-destructive tomography of specimens. The system includes a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and a processor(s). The SEM is configured to obtain a sinogram of a tested specimen, parameterized by a vector {right arrow over (s)}, by projecting e-beams on the tested specimen, at each of a plurality of projection directions and offsets, and. for each e-beam, measuring a respective intensity of electrons returned from the tested specimen, The processor(s) is configured to obtain a tomographic map, pertaining to the tested specimen, by determining values indicative of components of a vector {right arrow over (t)} defined by an equation W{right arrow over (t)}={right arrow over (s)}. W is a matrix with components wij specifying a contribution of a j-th voxel in a nominal specimen to an i-th element of a nominal sinogram of the nominal specimen. The matrix W accounts for e-beam expansion and attenuation with depth within the nominal specimen.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2023
    Publication date: December 5, 2024
    Applicant: Applied Materials Israel Ltd.
    Inventors: Itamar Shani, Konstantin Chirko, Lior Yaron, Guy Eytan, Guy Shwartz
  • Publication number: 20240249909
    Abstract: A method of evaluating, with an evaluation tool that includes a first charged particle column, a region of interest on a sample that includes an array of holes separated by solid portions, the method comprising: positioning the sample such that the region of interest is under a field of view of the first charged particle column; and locally depositing material within the array of holes in the region of interest by: pulsing a flow of deposition gas to the region of interest by turning the flow of the deposition gas ON and then OFF; thereafter, scanning a charged particle beam generated by the first charged particle column across the region of interest; and iteratively repeating the pulsing and scanning steps a plurality of times to locally deposit material within the array of holes in the region of interest.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2023
    Publication date: July 25, 2024
    Applicant: Applied Materials Israel Ltd.
    Inventors: Yehuda Zur, Konstantin Chirko
  • Patent number: 11953316
    Abstract: There is provided a system and a method comprising obtaining a first (respectively second) image of an area of the semiconductor specimen acquired by an electron beam examination tool at a first (respectively second) illumination angle, determining a plurality of height values informative of a height profile of the specimen in the area, the determination comprising solving an optimization problem which comprises a plurality of functions, each function being representative of a difference between data informative of a grey level intensity at a first location in the first image and data informative of a grey level intensity at a second location in the second image, wherein, for each function, the second location is determined with respect to the first location, or conversely, when solving the optimization problem, wherein a distance between the first and the second locations depends on the height profile, and the first and second illumination angles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Applied Materials Israel Ltd.
    Inventors: Rafael Bistritzer, Anna Levant, Moshe Eliasof, Michael Chemama, Konstantin Chirko
  • Patent number: 11921063
    Abstract: There is provided a system and method of measuring a lateral recess in a semiconductor specimen, comprising: obtaining a first image acquired by collecting SEs emitted from the surface of the specimen, and a second image acquired by collecting BSEs scattered from an interior region of the specimen between the surface and a target second layer, the specimen scanned using an electron beam with a landing energy selected to penetrate to a depth corresponding to the target second layer; generating a first GL waveform based on the first image, and a second GL waveform based on the second image; estimating a first width of the first layers based on the first GL waveform, and a second width with respect to at least the target second layer based on the second GL; and measuring a lateral recess based on the first width and the second width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Applied Materials Israel Ltd.
    Inventors: Michael Chemama, Ron Meiry, Moshe Eliasof, Lior Yaron, Guy Eytan, Konstantin Chirko, Rafael Bistritzer
  • Publication number: 20230023363
    Abstract: There is provided a system and method of measuring a lateral recess in a semiconductor specimen, comprising: obtaining a first image acquired by collecting SEs emitted from the surface of the specimen, and a second image acquired by collecting BSEs scattered from an interior region of the specimen between the surface and a target second layer, the specimen scanned using an electron beam with a landing energy selected to penetrate to a depth corresponding to the target second layer; generating a first GL waveform based on the first image, and a second GL waveform based on the second image; estimating a first width of the first layers based on the first GL waveform, and a second width with respect to at least the target second layer based on the second GL; and measuring a lateral recess based on the first width and the second width.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2021
    Publication date: January 26, 2023
    Inventors: Michael CHEMAMA, Ron MEIRY, Moshe ELIASOF, Lior YARON, Guy EYTAN, Konstantin CHIRKO, Rafael BISTRITZER
  • Publication number: 20220082376
    Abstract: There is provided a system and a method comprising obtaining a first (respectively second) image of an area of the semiconductor specimen acquired by an electron beam examination tool at a first (respectively second) illumination angle, determining a plurality of height values informative of a height profile of the specimen in the area, the determination comprising solving an optimization problem which comprises a plurality of functions, each function being representative of a difference between data informative of a grey level intensity at a first location in the first image and data informative of a grey level intensity at a second location in the second image, wherein, for each function, the second location is determined with respect to the first location, or conversely, when solving the optimization problem, wherein a distance between the first and the second locations depends on the height profile, and the first and second illumination angles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2020
    Publication date: March 17, 2022
    Inventors: Rafael BISTRITZER, Anna LEVANT, Moshe ELIASOF, Michael CHEMAMA, Konstantin CHIRKO
  • Patent number: 11264202
    Abstract: A method, a non-transitory computer readable medium and a three-dimensional evaluation system for providing three dimensional information regarding structural elements of a specimen. The method can include illuminating the structural elements with electron beams of different incidence angles, where the electron beams pass through the structural elements and the structural elements are of nanometric dimensions; detecting forward scattered electrons that are scattered from the structural elements to provide detected forward scattered electrons; and generating the three dimensional information regarding structural elements based at least on the detected forward scattered electrons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS ISRAEL LTD.
    Inventors: Konstantin Chirko, Itamar Shani, Albert Karabekov, Guy Eytan, Lior Yaron, Alon Litman
  • Publication number: 20210358712
    Abstract: A method, a non-transitory computer readable medium and a three-dimensional evaluation system for providing three dimensional information regarding structural elements of a specimen. The method can include illuminating the structural elements with electron beams of different incidence angles, where the electron beams pass through the structural elements and the structural elements are of nanometric dimensions; detecting forward scattered electrons that are scattered from the structural elements to provide detected forward scattered electrons; and generating the three dimensional information regarding structural elements based at least on the detected forward scattered electrons.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2020
    Publication date: November 18, 2021
    Applicant: Applied Materials Israel Ltd.
    Inventors: Konstantin Chirko, Itamar Shani, Albert Karabekov, Guy Eytan, Lior Yaron, Alon Litman
  • Patent number: 10903044
    Abstract: A method of evaluating a region of a sample that includes an array of holes separated by solid portions. The method includes positioning the sample within in a vacuum chamber of an evaluation tool that includes a scanning electron microscope (SEM) column and a focused ion beam (FIB); injecting a deposition gas onto the sample; scanning, with a first charged particle beam, a portion of the sample that includes a plurality of holes in the array of holes to locally deposit material within the plurality of holes in the scanned portion from the deposition gas; and milling, with the FIB column, the portion of the sample that includes the plurality of holes in which the material was locally deposited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS ISRAEL LTD.
    Inventors: Alon Litman, Konstantin Chirko, Yehuda Zur
  • Patent number: 10714306
    Abstract: A system, computer program product and a method for measuring a hole. The method may include charging a vicinity of the hole having a nanometric width; obtaining, multiple electron images of the hole; wherein each electron image is formed by sensing electrons of an electron energy that exceeds an electron energy threshold that is associated with the electron image; wherein electron energy thresholds associated with different electron images of the multiple electron images differ from each other; receiving or generating a mapping between height values and the electron energy thresholds; processing the multiple electron images to provide hole measurements; and generating three dimensional measurements of the hole based on the mapping and the hole measurements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS ISRAEL LTD.
    Inventors: Konstantin Chirko, Orit Hava Armon Hershkovich
  • Publication number: 20190378683
    Abstract: A system, computer program product and a method for measuring a hole. The method may include charging a vicinity of the hole having a nanometric width; obtaining, multiple electron images of the hole; wherein each electron image is formed by sensing electrons of an electron energy that exceeds an electron energy threshold that is associated with the electron image; wherein electron energy thresholds associated with different electron images of the multiple electron images differ from each other; receiving or generating a mapping between height values and the electron energy thresholds; processing the multiple electron images to provide hole measurements; and generating three dimensional measurements of the hole based on the mapping and the hole measurements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2018
    Publication date: December 12, 2019
    Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS ISRAEL LTD.
    Inventors: Konstantin Chirko, Orit Hava Armon Hershkovich
  • Patent number: 9632044
    Abstract: A method that includes performing multiple test iterations to provide multiple test results; and processing the multiple test results to provide estimates of a conductivity of each of the multiple bottoms segments. The multiple test iterations includes repeating, for each bottom segment of the multiple bottom segments, the steps of: (a) illuminating the bottom segment by a charging electron beam; wherein electrons emitted from the bottom segment due to the illuminating are prevented from exiting the hole; (b) irradiating, by a probing electron beam, an area of an upper surface of the dielectric medium; (c) collecting electrons emitted from the area of the upper surface as a result of the irradiation of the area by the probing electron beam to provide collected electrons; and (d) determining an energy of at least one of the collected electrons to provide a test result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS ISREAL LTD.
    Inventors: Alon Litman, Konstantin Chirko
  • Patent number: 9448253
    Abstract: A system, method and a non-transitory compute readable medium for evaluating a high aspect ratio (HAR) hole having a nanometric scale width and formed in a substrate, including obtaining, during an illumination period, multiple measurement results by an electrostatic measurement device that comprises a probe tip that is placed in proximity to the HAR hole; wherein multiple locations within the HAR hole are illuminated with a beam of charged particles during the illumination period; and processing the multiple measurement results to determine a state of the HAR hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS ISRAEL LTD.
    Inventors: Konstantin Chirko, Alon Litman
  • Publication number: 20150362524
    Abstract: A system, method and a non-transitory compute readable medium for evaluating a high aspect ratio (HAR) hole having a nanometric scale width and formed in a substrate, including obtaining, during an illumination period, multiple measurement results by an electrostatic measurement device that comprises a probe tip that is placed in proximity to the HAR hole; wherein multiple locations within the HAR hole are illuminated with a beam of charged particles during the illumination period; and processing the multiple measurement results to determine a state of the HAR hole.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2015
    Publication date: December 17, 2015
    Inventors: Konstantin Chirko, Alon Litman
  • Patent number: 8804299
    Abstract: An electrostatic chuck includes an isolating substrate that surrounds at least one electrode; multiple protrusions having upper portions arranged to contact a wafer; and at least one discharging element positioned between the at least one electrode and the upper portions of the multiple protrusions; which discharging element, once coupled to a discharging circuit, is arranged to discharge charge accumulated in the isolating substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Applied Materials Israel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Guy Eytan, Shmuel Shmulik Nakash, Konstantin Chirko
  • Patent number: 8389962
    Abstract: A system and method for noise compensation of a charged particle beam location includes one or more sensors that are spaced apart from each other for sensing magnetic noises within at least one predefined frequency band thereby to provide magnetic noise measurements with synchronous detection of the location of a charged particle beam. Based on the magnetic noise measurements and on relationships between values of the magnetic noises and particle beam location errors, magnetic noise compensations signals are generated. An object is then scanned by a particle beam in response to a desired particle beam scan pattern and the magnetic noise compensation signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Applied Materials Israel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Konstantine Chirko, Alon Litman, Yoav Nachum
  • Publication number: 20120305763
    Abstract: A system and method for noise compensation of a charged particle beam location includes one or more sensors that are spaced apart from each other for sensing magnetic noises within at least one predefined frequency band thereby to provide magnetic noise measurements with synchronous detection of the location of a charged particle beam. Based on the magnetic noise measurements and on relationships between values of the magnetic noises and particle beam location errors, magnetic noise compensations signals are generated. An object is then scanned by a particle beam in response to a desired particle beam scan pattern and the magnetic noise compensation signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2011
    Publication date: December 6, 2012
    Inventors: Konstantine Chirko, Alon Litman, Yoav Nachum
  • Publication number: 20120262834
    Abstract: An electrostatic chuck includes an isolating substrate that surrounds at least one electrode; multiple protrusions having upper portions arranged to contact a wafer; and at least one discharging element positioned between the at least one electrode and the upper portions of the multiple protrusions; which discharging element, once coupled to a discharging circuit, is arranged to discharge charge accumulated in the isolating substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2012
    Publication date: October 18, 2012
    Inventors: Guy Eytan, Shmuel Shmulik Nakash, Konstantin Chirko