Patents by Inventor Lawrence D. Rotter

Lawrence D. Rotter 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: 11913874
    Abstract: The system includes a modulatable illumination source configured to illuminate a surface of a sample disposed on a sample stage, a detector configured to detect illumination emanating from a surface of the sample, illumination optics configured to direct illumination from the modulatable illumination source to the surface of the sample, collection optics configured to direct illumination from the surface of the sample to the detector, and a modulation control system communicatively coupled to the modulatable illumination source, wherein the modulation control system is configured to modulate a drive current of the modulatable illumination source at a selected modulation frequency suitable for generating illumination having a selected coherence feature length. In addition, the present invention includes the time-sequential interleaving of outputs of multiple light sources to generate periodic pulse trains for use in multi-wavelength time-sequential optical metrology.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: KLA Corporation
    Inventors: Andrei V. Shchegrov, Lawrence D. Rotter, David Y. Wang, Andrei Veldman, Kevin Peterlinz, Gregory Brady, Derrick A. Shaughnessy
  • Publication number: 20210223166
    Abstract: The system includes a modulatable illumination source configured to illuminate a surface of a sample disposed on a sample stage, a detector configured to detect illumination emanating from a surface of the sample, illumination optics configured to direct illumination from the modulatable illumination source to the surface of the sample, collection optics configured to direct illumination from the surface of the sample to the detector, and a modulation control system communicatively coupled to the modulatable illumination source, wherein the modulation control system is configured to modulate a drive current of the modulatable illumination source at a selected modulation frequency suitable for generating illumination having a selected coherence feature length. In addition, the present invention includes the time-sequential interleaving of outputs of multiple light sources to generate periodic pulse trains for use in multi-wavelength time-sequential optical metrology.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2021
    Publication date: July 22, 2021
    Inventors: Andrei V. Shchegrov, Lawrence D. Rotter, David Y. Wang, Andrei Veldman, Kevin Peterlinz, Gregory Brady, Derrick A. Shaughnessy
  • Patent number: 10969328
    Abstract: The system includes a modulatable illumination source configured to illuminate a surface of a sample disposed on a sample stage, a detector configured to detect illumination emanating from a surface of the sample, illumination optics configured to direct illumination from the modulatable illumination source to the surface of the sample, collection optics configured to direct illumination from the surface of the sample to the detector, and a modulation control system communicatively coupled to the modulatable illumination source, wherein the modulation control system is configured to modulate a drive current of the modulatable illumination source at a selected modulation frequency suitable for generating illumination having a selected coherence feature length. In addition, the present invention includes the time-sequential interleaving of outputs of multiple light sources to generate periodic pulse trains for use in multi-wavelength time-sequential optical metrology.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: KLA Corporation
    Inventors: Andrei V. Shchegrov, Lawrence D. Rotter, David Y. Wang, Andrei Veldman, Kevin Peterlinz, Gregory Brady, Derrick A. Shaughnessy
  • Publication number: 20190195782
    Abstract: The system includes a modulatable illumination source configured to illuminate a surface of a sample disposed on a sample stage, a detector configured to detect illumination emanating from a surface of the sample, illumination optics configured to direct illumination from the modulatable illumination source to the surface of the sample, collection optics configured to direct illumination from the surface of the sample to the detector, and a modulation control system communicatively coupled to the modulatable illumination source, wherein the modulation control system is configured to modulate a drive current of the modulatable illumination source at a selected modulation frequency suitable for generating illumination having a selected coherence feature length. In addition, the present invention includes the time-sequential interleaving of outputs of multiple light sources to generate periodic pulse trains for use in multi-wavelength time-sequential optical metrology.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2019
    Publication date: June 27, 2019
    Inventors: Andrei V. Shchegrov, Lawrence D. Rotter, David Y. Wang, Andrei Veldman, Kevin Peterlinz, Gregory Brady, Derrick A. Shaughnessy
  • Patent number: 10215688
    Abstract: The system includes a modulatable illumination source configured to illuminate a surface of a sample disposed on a sample stage, a detector configured to detect illumination emanating from a surface of the sample, illumination optics configured to direct illumination from the modulatable illumination source to the surface of the sample, collection optics configured to direct illumination from the surface of the sample to the detector, and a modulation control system communicatively coupled to the modulatable illumination source, wherein the modulation control system is configured to modulate a drive current of the modulatable illumination source at a selected modulation frequency suitable for generating illumination having a selected coherence feature length. In addition, the present invention includes the time-sequential interleaving of outputs of multiple light sources to generate periodic pulse trains for use in multi-wavelength time-sequential optical metrology.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: KLA-Tencor Corporation
    Inventors: Andrei V. Shchegrov, Lawrence D. Rotter, David Y. Wang, Andrei Veldman, Kevin Peterlinz, Gregory Brady, Derrick A. Shaughnessy
  • Patent number: 10203247
    Abstract: A system for providing illumination to a measurement head for optical metrology is configured to combine illumination beams from a plurality of illumination sources to deliver illumination at one or more selected wavelengths to the measurement head. The intensity and/or spatial coherence of illumination delivered to the measurement head is controlled. Illumination at one or more selected wavelengths is delivered from a broadband illumination source configured for providing illumination at a continuous range of wavelengths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: KLA-Tencor Corporation
    Inventors: Gregory R. Brady, Andrei V. Shchegrov, Lawrence D. Rotter, Derrick A. Shaughnessy, Anatoly Shchemelinin, Ilya Bezel, Muzammil A. Arain, Anatoly A. Vasiliev, James Andrew Allen, Oleg Shulepov, Andrew V. Hill, Ohad Bachar, Moshe Markowitz, Yaron Ish-Shalom, Ilan Sela, Amnon Manassen, Alexander Svizher, Maxim Khokhlov, Avi Abramov, Oleg Tsibulevsky, Daniel Kandel, Mark Ghinovker
  • Publication number: 20170146399
    Abstract: A system for providing illumination to a measurement head for optical metrology is configured to combine illumination beams from a plurality of illumination sources to deliver illumination at one or more selected wavelengths to the measurement head. The intensity and/or spatial coherence of illumination delivered to the measurement head is controlled. Illumination at one or more selected wavelengths is delivered from a broadband illumination source configured for providing illumination at a continuous range of wavelengths.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2016
    Publication date: May 25, 2017
    Inventors: Gregory R. Brady, Andrei V. Shchegrov, Lawrence D. Rotter, Derrick A. Shaughnessy, Anatoly Shchemelinin, Ilya Bezel, Muzammil A. Arain, Anatoly A. Vasiliev, James Andrew Allen, Oleg Shulepov, Andrew V. Hill, Ohad Bachar, Moshe Markowitz, Yaron Ish-Shalom, Ilan Sela, Amnon Manassen, Alexander Svizher, Maxim Khokhlov, Avi Abramov, Oleg Tsibulevsky, Daniel Kandel, Mark Ghinovker
  • Publication number: 20170016815
    Abstract: The system includes a modulatable illumination source configured to illuminate a surface of a sample disposed on a sample stage, a detector configured to detect illumination emanating from a surface of the sample, illumination optics configured to direct illumination from the modulatable illumination source to the surface of the sample, collection optics configured to direct illumination from the surface of the sample to the detector, and a modulation control system communicatively coupled to the modulatable illumination source, wherein the modulation control system is configured to modulate a drive current of the modulatable illumination source at a selected modulation frequency suitable for generating illumination having a selected coherence feature length. In addition, the present invention includes the time-sequential interleaving of outputs of multiple light sources to generate periodic pulses trains for use in multi-wavelength time-sequential optical metrology.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2016
    Publication date: January 19, 2017
    Inventors: Andrei V. Shchegrov, Lawrence D. Rotter, David Y. Wang, Andrei Veldman, Kevin Peterlinz, Gregory Brady, Derrick A. Shaughnessy
  • Patent number: 9512985
    Abstract: The disclosure is directed to systems for providing illumination to a measurement head for optical metrology. In some embodiments of the disclosure, illumination beams from a plurality of illumination sources are combined to deliver illumination at one or more selected wavelengths to the measurement head. In some embodiments of the disclosure, intensity and/or spatial coherence of illumination delivered to the measurement head is controlled. In some embodiments of the disclosure, illumination at one or more selected wavelengths is delivered from a broadband illumination source configured for providing illumination at a continuous range of wavelengths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: KLA-Tencor Corporation
    Inventors: Gregory R. Brady, Andrei V. Shchegrov, Lawrence D. Rotter, Derrick Shaughnessy, Anatoly Shchemelinin, Ilya Bezel, Muzammil A. Arain, Anatoly A. Vasiliev, James Andrew Allen, Oleg Shulepov, Andrew V. Hill, Ohad Bachar, Moshe Markowitz, Yaron Ish-Shalom, Ilan Sela, Amnon Manassen, Alexander Svizher, Maxim Khokhlov, Avi Abramov, Oleg Tsibulevsky, Daniel Kandel, Mark Ghinovker
  • Patent number: 9400246
    Abstract: The present invention may include a modulatable illumination source configured to illuminate a surface of a sample disposed on a sample stage, a detector configured to detect illumination emanating from a surface of the sample, illumination optics configured to direct illumination from the modulatable illumination source to the surface of the sample, collection optics configured to direct illumination from the surface of the sample to the detector, and a modulation control system communicatively coupled to the modulatable illumination source, wherein the modulation control system is configured to modulate a drive current of the modulatable illumination source at a selected modulation frequency suitable for generating illumination having a selected coherence feature length. In addition, the present invention includes the time-sequential interleaving of outputs of multiple light sources to generate periodic pulses trains for use in multi-wavelength time-sequential optical metrology.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: KLA-Tencor Corporation
    Inventors: Andrei V. Shchegrov, Lawrence D. Rotter, David Y. Wang, Andrei Veldman, Kevin Peterlinz, Gregory Brady, Derrick Shaughnessy
  • Patent number: 9146156
    Abstract: The present invention may include loading a diagnostic sample onto a sample stage, focusing light from an illumination source disposed on a multi-axis stage onto the diagnostic sample, collecting a portion of light reflected from a surface of the diagnostic sample utilizing a detector, wherein the illumination source and the detector are optically direct-coupled via an optical system, acquiring a set of diagnostic parameters indicative of illumination source position drift from the diagnostic sample, determining a magnitude of the illumination source position drift by comparing the acquired set of diagnostic parameters to an initial set of parameters obtained from the diagnostic sample at a previously measured alignment condition, determining a direction of the illumination source position drift; and providing illumination source position adjustment parameters configured to correct the determined magnitude and direction of the illumination source position drift to the multi-axis actuation control system of th
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2015
    Assignee: KLA-Tencor Corporation
    Inventors: Guorong V. Zhuang, Shankar Krishnan, Johannes D. de Veer, Klaus Flock, David Y. Wang, Lawrence D. Rotter
  • Patent number: 8896832
    Abstract: Systems and methods for discrete polarization scatterometry are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: KLA-Tencor Corp.
    Inventors: Andrew V. Hill, Amnon Manassen, Daniel Kandel, Vladimir Levinski, Joel Seligson, Alexander Svizher, David Y. Wang, Lawrence D. Rotter, Johannes D. de Veer
  • Patent number: 8643841
    Abstract: A method for optically inspecting a specimen by directing a probe beam onto the specimen at varying angle of incidence and azimuth angle, thereby producing a reflected probe beam, gathering the reflected probe beam, separating the reflected probe beam as a function of wavelength, adding astigmatism to separate the reflected probe beam as a function of at least one of the angle of incidence and the azimuth angle, and evaluating the specimen based at least on changes in the reflected probe beam as a function of wavelength of the reflected probe beam and at least one of the angle of incidence and the azimuth angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: KLA-Tencor Corporation
    Inventors: Lawrence D. Rotter, David Y. Wang
  • Publication number: 20130033704
    Abstract: The present invention may include loading a diagnostic sample onto a sample stage, focusing light from an illumination source disposed on a multi-axis stage onto the diagnostic sample, collecting a portion of light reflected from a surface of the diagnostic sample utilizing a detector, wherein the illumination source and the detector are optically direct-coupled via an optical system, acquiring a set of diagnostic parameters indicative of illumination source position drift from the diagnostic sample, determining a magnitude of the illumination source position drift by comparing the acquired set of diagnostic parameters to an initial set of parameters obtained from the diagnostic sample at a previously measured alignment condition, determining a direction of the illumination source position drift; and providing illumination source position adjustment parameters configured to correct the determined magnitude and direction of the illumination source position drift to the multi-axis actuation control system of th
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2011
    Publication date: February 7, 2013
    Applicant: KLA-TENCOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Guorong V. Zhuang, Shankar Krishnan, Johannes D. de Veer, Klaus Flock, David Y. Wang, Lawrence D. Rotter
  • Patent number: 8111399
    Abstract: A device and methods for performing a photothermal measurement and relaxation compensation of a sample are disclosed. The device may include a probe beam source, a pump beam source, a sample, and a detector array. A method may include adjusting an intensity modulated pump beam power, adjusting a probe beam power to increase a response measurement location temperature and increase a modulated optical reflectance signal, directing the intensity modulated pump beam and the probe beam along a measurement path to a response measurement location on a sample for periodically exciting a region on the sample, detecting a reflected portion of the probe beam, and calculating an implantation dose.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2012
    Assignee: KLA-Tencor Corporation
    Inventors: Lawrence D. Rotter, David Y. Wang, Derrick Shaughnessy, Mark Senko
  • Publication number: 20110310388
    Abstract: Systems and methods for discrete polarization scatterometry are provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2011
    Publication date: December 22, 2011
    Applicant: KLA-TENCOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Andrew V. Hill, Amnon Manassen, Daniel Kandel, Vladimir Levinski, Joel Seligson, Alexander Svizher, David Y. Wang, Lawrence D. Rotter, Johannes D. de Veer
  • Publication number: 20100328670
    Abstract: A device and methods for performing a photothermal measurement and relaxation compensation of a sample are disclosed. The device may include a probe beam source, a pump beam source, a sample, and a detector array. A method may include adjusting an intensity modulated pump beam power, adjusting a probe beam power to increase a response measurement location temperature and increase a modulated optical reflectance signal, directing the intensity modulated pump beam and the probe beam along a measurement path to a response measurement location on a sample for periodically exciting a region on the sample, detecting a reflected portion of the probe beam, and calculating an implantation dose.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2009
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Applicant: KLA-TENCOR TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Lawrence D. Rotter, David Y. Wang, Derrick Shaughnessy, Mark Senko
  • Patent number: 6784991
    Abstract: One aspect of the present invention relates to a system and method for mitigating errors in SE data in order to determine changes in a polarization state of a source beam after interaction with a specimen. The system includes a light source for directing a source beam to a focusing optical element, a polarization system comprising a diffractive optical element or a wire grid polarizer, located between the focusing optical element and the specimen such that the source beam is polarized after being reflected from the focusing optical element. The polarized source beam is transmitted to the specimen. Changes in polarization state of the beam created by interaction with the sample are monitored to characterize the sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2004
    Assignee: Therma-Wave, Inc.
    Inventors: Lawrence D. Rotter, David Wang
  • Publication number: 20020191185
    Abstract: One aspect of the present invention relates to a system and method for mitigating errors in SE data in order to determine changes in a polarization state of a source beam after interaction with a specimen. The system includes a light source for directing a source beam to a focusing optical element, a polarization system comprising a diffractive optical element or a wire grid polarizer, located between the focusing optical element and the specimen such that the source beam is polarized after being reflected from the focusing optical element. The polarized source beam is transmitted to the specimen. Changes in polarization state of the beam created by interaction with the sample are monitored to characterize the sample.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2002
    Publication date: December 19, 2002
    Inventors: Lawrence D. Rotter, David Wang