Patents by Inventor Lawrence Rotter
Lawrence 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).
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Patent number: 9857292Abstract: A rotatable compensator configured to transmit non-collimated light over a broad range of wavelengths, including ultraviolet, with a high degree of retardation uniformity across the aperture is presented. In one embodiment, a rotatable compensator includes a stack of four individual plates in optical contact. The two thin plates in the middle of the stack are made from a birefringent material and are arranged to form a compound, zeroth order bi-plate. The remaining two plates are relatively thick and are made from an optically isotropic material. These plates are disposed on either end of the compound, zeroth order bi-plate. The low order plates minimize the sensitivity of retardation across the aperture to non-collimated light. Materials are selected to ensure transmission of ultraviolet light. The optically isotropic end plates minimize coherence effects induced at the optical interfaces of the thin plates.Type: GrantFiled: November 7, 2016Date of Patent: January 2, 2018Assignee: KLA-Tencor CorporationInventors: Lawrence Rotter, Klaus Flock, Muzammil Arain, David Y. Wang
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Publication number: 20170052112Abstract: A rotatable compensator configured to transmit non-collimated light over a broad range of wavelengths, including ultraviolet, with a high degree of retardation uniformity across the aperture is presented. In one embodiment, a rotatable compensator includes a stack of four individual plates in optical contact. The two thin plates in the middle of the stack are made from a birefringent material and are arranged to form a compound, zeroth order bi-plate. The remaining two plates are relatively thick and are made from an optically isotropic material. These plates are disposed on either end of the compound, zeroth order bi-plate. The low order plates minimize the sensitivity of retardation across the aperture to non-collimated light. Materials are selected to ensure transmission of ultraviolet light. The optically isotropic end plates minimize coherence effects induced at the optical interfaces of the thin plates.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 7, 2016Publication date: February 23, 2017Inventors: Lawrence Rotter, Klaus Flock, Muzammil Arain, David Y. Wang
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Patent number: 9519093Abstract: A rotatable compensator configured to transmit non-collimated light over a broad range of wavelengths, including ultraviolet, with a high degree of retardation uniformity across the aperture is presented. In one embodiment, a rotatable compensator includes a stack of four individual plates in optical contact. The two thin plates in the middle of the stack are made from a birefringent material and are arranged to form a compound, zeroth order bi-plate. The remaining two plates are relatively thick and are made from an optically isotropic material. These plates are disposed on either end of the compound, zeroth order bi-plate. The low order plates minimize the sensitivity of retardation across the aperture to non-collimated light. Materials are selected to ensure transmission of ultraviolet light. The optically isotropic end plates minimize coherence effects induced at the optical interfaces of the thin plates.Type: GrantFiled: August 22, 2014Date of Patent: December 13, 2016Assignee: KLA-Tencor CorporationInventors: Lawrence Rotter, Klaus Flock, Muzammil Arain, David Y. Wang
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Patent number: 9310290Abstract: An apparatus includes (i) a bright light source for providing an illumination beam at multiple wavelengths selectable with a range from a deep ultraviolet wavelength to an infrared wavelength, (ii) illumination optics for directing the illumination beam towards a sample at selectable sets of angles of incidence (AOI's) or azimuth angles (AZ's) and polarization states to provide spectroscopic ellipsometry, wherein the illumination optics include an apodizer for controlling a spot size of the illumination beam on the sample at each of the selectable AOI/AZ sets, (iii) collection optics for directing an output beam from the sample in response to the illumination beam at each of the selectable AOI/AZ sets and polarization states towards a detector that generates an output signal or image based on the output beam, and (v) a controller for characterizing a feature of the sample based on the output signal or image.Type: GrantFiled: June 19, 2015Date of Patent: April 12, 2016Assignee: KLA-Tencor CorporationInventors: David Y. Wang, Klaus Flock, Lawrence Rotter, Shankar Krishnan, Johannes D. de Veer, Catalin Filip, Gregory Brady, Muzammil Arain, Andrei Shchegrov
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Publication number: 20150285735Abstract: An apparatus includes (i) a bright light source for providing an illumination beam at multiple wavelengths selectable with a range from a deep ultraviolet wavelength to an infrared wavelength, (ii) illumination optics for directing the illumination beam towards a sample at selectable sets of angles of incidence (AOI's) or azimuth angles (AZ's) and polarization states to provide spectroscopic ellipsometry, wherein the illumination optics include an apodizer for controlling a spot size of the illumination beam on the sample at each of the selectable AOI/AZ sets, (iii) collection optics for directing an output beam from the sample in response to the illumination beam at each of the selectable AOI/AZ sets and polarization states towards a detector that generates an output signal or image based on the output beam, and (v) a controller for characterizing a feature of the sample based on the output signal or image.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 19, 2015Publication date: October 8, 2015Applicant: KLA- Tencor CorporationInventors: David Y. Wang, Klaus Flock, Lawrence Rotter, Shankar Krishnan, Johannes D. de Veer, Catalin Filip, Gregory Brady, Muzammil Arain, Andrei Shchegrov
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Patent number: 9116103Abstract: An apparatus includes (i) a bright light source for providing an illumination beam at multiple wavelengths selectable with a range from a deep ultraviolet wavelength to an infrared wavelength, (ii) illumination optics for directing the illumination beam towards a sample at selectable sets of angles of incidence (AOI's) or azimuth angles (AZ's) and polarization states to provide spectroscopic ellipsometry, wherein the illumination optics include an apodizer for controlling a spot size of the illumination beam on the sample at each of the selectable AOI/AZ sets, (iii) collection optics for directing an output beam from the sample in response to the illumination beam at each of the selectable AOI/AZ sets and polarization states towards a detector that generates an output signal or image based on the output beam, and (v) a controller for characterizing a feature of the sample based on the output signal or image.Type: GrantFiled: October 1, 2013Date of Patent: August 25, 2015Assignee: KLA-Tencor CorporationInventors: David Y. Wang, Klaus Flock, Lawrence Rotter, Shankar Krishnan, Johannes D. de Veer, Catalin Filip, Gregory Brady, Muzammil Arain, Andrei Shchegrov
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Publication number: 20150055123Abstract: A rotatable compensator configured to transmit non-collimated light over a broad range of wavelengths, including ultraviolet, with a high degree of retardation uniformity across the aperture is presented. In one embodiment, a rotatable compensator includes a stack of four individual plates in optical contact. The two thin plates in the middle of the stack are made from a birefringent material and are arranged to form a compound, zeroth order bi-plate. The remaining two plates are relatively thick and are made from an optically isotropic material. These plates are disposed on either end of the compound, zeroth order bi-plate. The low order plates minimize the sensitivity of retardation across the aperture to non-collimated light. Materials are selected to ensure transmission of ultraviolet light. The optically isotropic end plates minimize coherence effects induced at the optical interfaces of the thin plates.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 22, 2014Publication date: February 26, 2015Inventors: Lawrence Rotter, Klaus Flock, Muzammil Arain, David Y. Wang
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Publication number: 20140375981Abstract: An apparatus includes (i) a bright light source for providing an illumination beam at multiple wavelengths selectable with a range from a deep ultraviolet wavelength to an infrared wavelength, (ii) illumination optics for directing the illumination beam towards a sample at selectable sets of angles of incidence (AOI's) or azimuth angles (AZ's) and polarization states to provide spectroscopic ellipsometry, wherein the illumination optics include an apodizer for controlling a spot size of the illumination beam on the sample at each of the selectable AOI/AZ sets, (iii) collection optics for directing an output beam from the sample in response to the illumination beam at each of the selectable AOI/AZ sets and polarization states towards a detector that generates an output signal or image based on the output beam, and (v) a controller for characterizing a feature of the sample based on the output signal or image.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 1, 2013Publication date: December 25, 2014Applicant: KLA-Tencor CorporationInventors: David Y. Wang, Klaus Flock, Lawrence Rotter, Shankar Krishnan, Johannes D. de Veer, Catalin Filip, Gregory Brady, Muzammil Arain, Andrei Shchegrov
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Publication number: 20130245985Abstract: Methods and systems for matching critical dimension measurement applications at high precision across multiple optical metrology systems are presented. In one aspect, machine parameter values of a metrology system are calibrated based on critical dimension measurement data. In one further aspect, calibration of the machine parameter values is based on critical dimension measurement data collected by a target measurement system from a specimen with assigned critical dimension parameter values obtained from a reference measurement source. In another further aspect, the calibration of the machine parameter values of a target measurement system is based on measurement data without knowledge of critical dimension parameter values. In some examples, the measurement data includes critical dimension measurement data and thin film measurement data.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 11, 2013Publication date: September 19, 2013Applicant: KLA-TENCOR CORPORATIONInventors: Klaus Flock, Lawrence Rotter, Muzammil Arain
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Patent number: 7227637Abstract: The subject invention relates to a broadband optical metrology system that segregates the broadband radiation into multiple sub-bands to improve overall performance. Each sub-band includes only a fraction of the original bandwidth. The optical path—the light path that connects the illuminator, the sample and the detector—of each sub-band includes a unique sub-band optical system designed to optimize the performance over the spectral range spanned by the sub-band radiation. All of the sub-band optical systems are arranged to provide small-spot illumination at the same measurement position. Optional purging of the individual sub-band optical paths further improves performance.Type: GrantFiled: April 7, 2006Date of Patent: June 5, 2007Assignee: Therma-Wave, Inc.Inventors: David Y. Wang, Lawrence Rotter, Jeffrey T. Fanton, Jeffrey E. McAninch
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Patent number: 7154607Abstract: A flat spectrum illumination source for use in optical metrology systems includes a first light source generating a visible light beam and a second light source generating an ultraviolet light beam. The illumination source also includes an auxiliary light source generating a light beam at wavelengths between the visible light beam and the ultraviolet light beam. The three light beams are combined to provide a broadband probe beam that has substantially even illumination levels across a broad range of wavelengths. Alternately, the illumination source may be fabricated as an array of light emitting diodes selected to cover a range of separate wavelengths. The outputs of the LED array are combined to produce the broadband probe beam.Type: GrantFiled: November 3, 2003Date of Patent: December 26, 2006Assignee: Therma-Wave, Inc.Inventors: James Lee Hendrix, David Y. Wang, David M. Aikens, Lawrence Rotter, Joel Ng
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Publication number: 20060180761Abstract: The subject invention relates to a broadband optical metrology system that segregates the broadband radiation into multiple sub-bands to improve overall performance. Each sub-band includes only a fraction of the original bandwidth. The optical path—the light path that connects the illuminator, the sample and the detector—of each sub-band includes a unique sub-band optical system designed to optimize the performance over the spectral range spanned by the sub-band radiation. All of the sub-band optical systems are arranged to provide small-spot illumination at the same measurement position. Optional purging of the individual sub-band optical paths further improves performance.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 7, 2006Publication date: August 17, 2006Inventors: David Wang, Lawrence Rotter, Jeffrey Fanton, Jeffrey McAninch
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Patent number: 7061614Abstract: The subject invention relates to a broadband optical metrology system that segregates the broadband radiation into multiple sub-bands to improve overall performance. Each sub-band includes only a fraction of the original bandwidth. The optical path—the light path that connects the illuminator, the sample and the detector—of each sub-band includes a unique sub-band optical system designed to optimize the performance over the spectral range spanned by the sub-band radiation. All of the sub-band optical systems are arranged to provide small-spot illumination at the same measurement position. Optional purging of the individual sub-band optical paths further improves performance.Type: GrantFiled: May 8, 2002Date of Patent: June 13, 2006Assignee: Therma-Wave, Inc.Inventors: David Y. Wang, Lawrence Rotter, Jeffrey T. Fanton, Jeffrey E. McAninch
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Publication number: 20040150828Abstract: A flat spectrum illumination source for use in optical metrology systems includes a first light source generating a visible light beam and a second light source generating an ultraviolet light beam. The illumination source also includes an auxiliary light source generating a light beam at wavelengths between the visible light beam and the ultraviolet light beam. The three light beams are combined to provide a broadband probe beam that has substantially even illumination levels across a broad range of wavelengths. Alternately, the illumination source may be fabricated as an array of light emitting diodes selected to cover a range of separate wavelengths. The outputs of the LED array are combined to produce the broadband probe beam.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 3, 2003Publication date: August 5, 2004Inventors: James Lee Hendrix, David Y. Wang, David M. Aikens, Lawrence Rotter, Joel Ng
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Publication number: 20030071996Abstract: The subject invention relates to a broadband optical metrology system that segregates the broadband radiation into multiple sub-bands to improve overall performance. Each sub-band includes only a fraction of the original bandwidth. The optical path—the light path that connects the illuminator, the sample and the detector—of each sub-band includes a unique sub-band optical system designed to optimize the performance over the spectral range spanned by the sub-band radiation. All of the sub-band optical systems are arranged to provide small-spot illumination at the same measurement position. Optional purging of the individual sub-band optical paths further improves performance.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 8, 2002Publication date: April 17, 2003Inventors: David Y. Wang, Lawrence Rotter, Jeffrey T. Fanton, Jeffrey E. McAninch