Abstract: There is provided a system of examination of a semiconductor specimen, comprising a processor and memory circuitry configured to obtain, for each given candidate defect of a plurality of candidate defects in an image of the specimen, a given area of the given candidate defect in the image, obtain a reference image, perform a segmentation of at least part of the reference image, to determine, for each given candidate defect, first reference areas in the reference image matching a given reference area corresponding to the given area, select among the first reference areas, a plurality of second reference areas, obtain a plurality of corresponding second areas in the image, and use data informative of a pixel intensity of the second areas and data informative of a pixel intensity of the given area to determine whether the given candidate defect corresponds to a defect.

Abstract: A system for examining a semiconductor specimen that includes a plurality of layers at respective different depths, and a plurality of holes. Each hole has a top portion at the surface of the specimen, and a bottom portion accommodated in one of the layers. The system includes a processing and memory circuitry (PMC) configured to provide an inspection image indicative of the holes, and process a hole image in the inspection image, without using a shape characterizing model. The processing includes segmenting the inspection image and determining data indicative of a contour of the top portion of the hole, and further segmenting the inspection image and determining data indicative of a contour of a shape enclosed within the contour of the top of the hole.

Abstract: There is provided a system and method for examining a semiconductor specimen. The method includes obtaining a runtime image of a semiconductor specimen acquired by an examination tool; processing the runtime image to create one or more image strips each containing an edge, and for each image strip, extracting a sequence of topo points representative of a contour of the edge therein; providing the sequence of topo points for each image strip to a trained machine learning (ML) model to be processed, and obtaining, as an output of the ML model, a sequence of updated topo points; and obtaining measurement data on the runtime image using the sequence of updated topo points, wherein the measurement data has improved performance with respect to at least one metrology metric.

Abstract: There is provided a metrology system and method. The method includes obtaining a set of tool parameters selected from multiple tool parameters characterizing the examination tool, varying a value of each tool parameter from the set a number of times, giving rise to a plurality of tool settings corresponding to a plurality of combinations of varying values of the set of tool parameters, configuring an examination tool with each given tool setting of the plurality of tool settings; and in response to receiving, from the examination tool, a plurality of sets of images corresponding to the plurality of tool settings and representing expected tool variations over time in a single tool or between different tools, optimizing a metrology algorithm using the plurality of sets of images so as to meet at least one metrology metric including tool matching.

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.

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.

Abstract: A system of examination of a semiconductor specimen, comprising a processor and memory circuitry (PMC) configured to: obtain an image of a hole formed in the semiconductor specimen, wherein the hole exposes at least one layer of a plurality of layers of the semiconductor specimen, segment the image into a plurality of regions, generate at least one of: data Dpix_intensity informative of one or more pixel intensities of one or more regions of the plurality of regions, data Dgeometry informative of one or more geometrical properties of one or more regions of the plurality of regions, feed at least one of Dpix_intensity or Dgeometry to a trained classifier to obtain an output, wherein the output of the trained classifier is usable to determine whether the hole ends at a target layer of the plurality of layers.

Abstract: There is provided a method and a system configured to compensate for image distortions. An example method includes first receiving a warped image of an array of cells of a specimen. Each cell of the array comprises one or more structural elements of a substrate. A reference image of a region associated with a cell of the array of cells is generated and a first cell of the array of cells is identified using the reference image and at least part of the warped image. One or more locations comprising cells that differ from the first cell are identified and, based at least on the one or more locations, a warped compensation transform is determined. The warped compensation transform is applied on the warped image to generate an undistorted image.

Abstract: There is provided a method and a system configured to compensate for image distortions.

Abstract: There is provided a method and a system configured obtain an image of a semiconductor specimen including one or more arrays, each including repetitive structural elements, and one or more regions, each region at least partially surrounding a corresponding array and including features different from the repetitive structural elements, wherein the PMC is configured to, during run-time scanning of the semiconductor specimen, perform a correlation analysis between pixel intensity of the image and pixel intensity of a reference image informative of at least one of the repetitive structural elements, to obtain a correlation matrix, use the correlation matrix to distinguish between one or more first areas of the image corresponding to the one or more arrays and one or more second areas of the image corresponding the one or more regions, and output data informative of the one or more first areas of the image.

Abstract: There is provided a system and a method comprising obtaining data Dcontour informative of a contour of an element of a semiconductor specimen acquired by an examination tool, using the data Dcontour to generate a signal informative of a curvature of the contour of the element, determining at least one of data Dperiodicity informative of a periodicity of the signal, or data Ddiscontinuities informative of a number of discontinuities in the signal, wherein each discontinuity is informative of a transition between a convex portion of the contour and a concave portion of the contour, and using at least one of the data Dperiodicity or the data Ddiscontinuities to determine data informative of correct manufacturing of the element.

Abstract: There is provided a system of examination of a semiconductor specimen, comprising a processor and memory circuitry configured to obtain, for each given candidate defect of a plurality of candidate defects in an image of the specimen, a given area of the given candidate defect in the image, obtain a reference image, perform a segmentation of at least part of the reference image, to determine, for each given candidate defect, first reference areas in the reference image matching a given reference area corresponding to the given area, select among the first reference areas, a plurality of second reference areas, obtain a plurality of corresponding second areas in the image, and use data informative of a pixel intensity of the second areas and data informative of a pixel intensity of the given area to determine whether the given candidate defect corresponds to a defect.

Abstract: There is provided a system and method of a method of detecting a local shape deviation of a structural element in a semiconductor specimen, comprising: obtaining an image comprising an image representation of the structural element; extracting, from the image, an actual contour of the image representation; estimating a reference contour of the image representation indicative of a standard shape of the structural element, wherein the reference contour is estimated based on a Fourier descriptor representative of the reference contour, the Fourier descriptor being estimated using an optimization method based on a loss function specifically selected to be insensitive to local shape deviation of the actual contour; and performing one or more measurements representative of one or more differences between the actual contour and the reference contour, the measurements indicative of whether a local shape deviation is present in the structural element.

Abstract: There is provided a method and a system configured obtain an image of a semiconductor specimen including one or more arrays, each including repetitive structural elements, and one or more regions, each region at least partially surrounding a corresponding array and including features different from the repetitive structural elements, wherein the PMC is configured to, during run-time scanning of the semiconductor specimen, perform a correlation analysis between pixel intensity of the image and pixel intensity of a reference image informative of at least one of the repetitive structural elements, to obtain a correlation matrix, use the correlation matrix to distinguish between one or more first areas of the image corresponding to the one or more arrays and one or more second areas of the image corresponding the one or more regions, and output data informative of the one or more first areas of the image.

Abstract: There is provided a system and method of a method of detecting a local shape deviation of a structural element in a semiconductor specimen, comprising: obtaining an image comprising an image representation of the structural element; extracting, from the image, an actual contour of the image representation; estimating a reference contour of the image representation indicative of a standard shape of the structural element, wherein the reference contour is estimated based on a Fourier descriptor representative of the reference contour, the Fourier descriptor being estimated using an optimization method based on a loss function specifically selected to be insensitive to local shape deviation of the actual contour; and performing one or more measurements representative of one or more differences between the actual contour and the reference contour, the measurements indicative of whether a local shape deviation is present in the structural element.

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.

Abstract: There is provided a system and method of generating a metrology recipe usable for examining a semiconductor specimen, comprising: obtaining a first image set comprising a plurality of first images captured by an examination tool, obtaining a second image set comprising a plurality of second images, wherein each second image is simulated based on at least one first image, wherein each second image is associated with ground truth data; performing a first test on the first image set and a second test on the second image set in accordance with a metrology recipe configured with a first parameter set, and determining, in response to a predetermined criterion not being met, to select a second parameter set, configure the metrology recipe with the second parameter set, and repeat the first test and the second test in accordance with the metrology recipe configured with the second parameter set.

Abstract: There is provided a system and method of generating a metrology recipe usable for examining a semiconductor specimen, comprising: obtaining a first image set comprising a plurality of first images captured by an examination tool, obtaining a second image set comprising a plurality of second images, wherein each second image is simulated based on at least one first image, wherein each second image is associated with ground truth data; performing a first test on the first image set and a second test on the second image set in accordance with a metrology recipe configured with a first parameter set, and determining, in response to a predetermined criterion not being met, to select a second parameter set, configure the metrology recipe with the second parameter set, and repeat the first test and the second test in accordance with the metrology recipe configured with the second parameter set.

Abstract: A method, a non-transitory computer readable medium and a system for determining three dimensional (3D) information of structural elements of a substrate.

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.