Patents by Inventor Silviu Reinhorn

Silviu Reinhorn 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: 20020109110
    Abstract: An optical inspection apparatus and method is provided that utilizes both linear and nonlinear optical phenomena to detect defects. Embodiments include irradiating a portion of the surface of an article, such as a semiconductor device, with a light beam, such as a scanning laser at an incident wavelength. The light emanating from the irradiated surface portion is then separated into light at the incident wavelength and light at one or more predetermined non-incident wavelengths, as by a diffraction grating, prism or filters. The light at the incident and nonincident wavelengths is sent to separate detectors, such as photomultipliers (PMT), which respectively convert the detected linear optical phenomena (representing, e.g., surface topography) into an electrical signal, and the detected nonlinear optical phenomena, such as fluorescence, Raman scattering and/or second harmonic generation, into electrical signals representing, e.g., chemical composition and material interfaces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2001
    Publication date: August 15, 2002
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel I. Some, Silviu Reinhorn, Gilad Almogy
  • Patent number: 6429931
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for reducing speckle during inspection of articles used in the manufacture of semiconductor devices, including wafers, masks, photomasks, and reticles. The coherence of a light beam output by a coherent light source, such as a pulsed laser, is reduced by disposing elements in a light path. Examples of such elements include optical fiber bundles; optical light guides; optical gratings; an integrating sphere; and an acousto-optic modulator. These various elements may be combined as desired, such that light beams output by the element combinations have optical path length differences that are greater than a coherence length of the light beam output by the coherent light source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2002
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Avner Karpol, Silviu Reinhorn, Emanuel Elysaf, Shimon Yalov, Boaz Kenan
  • Publication number: 20020080348
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for reducing speckle during inspection of articles used in the manufacture of semiconductor devices, including wafers, masks, photomasks, and reticles. The coherence of a light beam output by a coherent light source, such as a pulsed laser, is reduced by disposing elements in a light path. Examples of such elements include optical fiber bundles; optical light guides; optical gratings; an integrating sphere; and an acousto-optic modulator. These various elements may be combined as desired, such that light beams output by the element combinations have optical path length differences that are greater than a coherence length of the light beam output by the coherent light source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2002
    Publication date: June 27, 2002
    Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Avner Karpol, Silviu Reinhorn, Emanuel Elysaf, Shimon Yalov, Boaz Kenan
  • Publication number: 20020067478
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for reducing speckle during inspection of articles used in the manufacture of semiconductor devices, including wafers, masks, photomasks, and reticles. The coherence of a light beam output by a coherent light source, such as a pulsed laser, is reduced by disposing elements in a light path. Examples of such elements include optical fiber bundles; optical light guides; optical gratings; an integrating sphere; and an acousto-optic modulator. These various elements may be combined as desired, such that light beams output by the element combinations have optical path length differences that are greater than a coherence length of the light beam output by the coherent light source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2002
    Publication date: June 6, 2002
    Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Avner Karpol, Silviu Reinhorn, Emanuel Elysaf, Shimon Yalov, Boaz Kenan
  • Publication number: 20020057427
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for reducing speckle during inspection of articles used in the manufacture of semiconductor devices, including wafers, masks, photomasks, and reticles. The coherence of a light beam output by a coherent light source, such as a pulsed laser, is reduced by disposing elements in a light path. Examples of such elements include optical fiber bundles; optical light guides; optical gratings; an integrating sphere; and an acousto-optic modulator. These various elements may be combined as desired, such that light beams output by the element combinations have optical path length differences that are greater than a coherence length of the light beam output by the coherent light source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2002
    Publication date: May 16, 2002
    Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC
    Inventors: Avner Karpol, Silviu Reinhorn, Emanuel Elysaf, Shimon Yalov, Boaz Kenan
  • Patent number: 6369888
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for reducing speckle during inspection of articles used in the manufacture of semiconductor devices, including wafers, masks, photomasks, and reticles. The coherence of a light beam output by a coherent light source, such as a pulsed laser, is reduced by disposing elements in a light path. Examples of such elements include optical fiber bundles; optical light guides; optical gratings; an integrating sphere; and an acousto-optic modulator. These various elements may be combined as desired, such that light beams output by the element combinations have optical path length differences that are greater than a coherence length of the light beam output by the coherent light source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2002
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Avner Karpol, Silviu Reinhorn, Emanuel Elysaf, Shimon Yalov, Boaz Kenan
  • Publication number: 20020034325
    Abstract: Novel method and apparatus are disclosed for inspecting a wafer surface to detect the presence thereon of exposed conductive material, particularly for determining the integrity of contact holes and vias, in semiconductor wafer manufacturing. The method comprises the steps of irradiating a spot of the wafer surface with a beam having a wavelength sufficiently shorter than the working function of the metal, such as deep UV light beam, collecting the electrons released by the irradiated wafer, generating an electrical signal that is a function of the collected electrons, and inspecting the signal to determine whether the contact holes or vias within the irradiated wafer spot are open. The apparatus comprises a vacuum chamber having therein a stage and chuck for supporting the wafer. An illumination source generates irradiating energy which is formed into a beam using appropriate optics so as to obtain the desired beam spot of the wafer's surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2001
    Publication date: March 21, 2002
    Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC
    Inventors: Silviu Reinhorn, Gilad Almogy
  • Patent number: 6317514
    Abstract: Novel method and apparatus are disclosed for inspecting a wafer surface to detect the presence thereon of exposed conductive material, particularly for determining the integrity of contact holes and vias, in semiconductor wafer manufacturing. The method comprises the steps of irradiating a spot of the wafer surface with a beam having a wavelength sufficiently shorter than the working function of the metal, such as deep UV light beam, collecting the electrons released by the irradiated wafer, generating an electrical signal that is a function of the collected electrons, and inspecting the signal to determine whether the contact holes or vias within the irradiated wafer spot are open. The apparatus comprises a vacuum chamber having therein a stage and chuck for supporting the wafer. An illumination source generates irradiating energy which is formed into a beam using appropriate optics so as to obtain the desired beam spot of the wafer's surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2001
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Silviu Reinhorn, Gilad Almogy
  • Patent number: 6185015
    Abstract: A planar optical correlator including at least first and second optical substrates (30, 32), through which light propagates by means of total internal reflection, at least first and second holographic lenses (20, 22) on the first optical substrate and optical third and fourth holographic lenses (24, 26) on the second optical substrate, each of the first and second and third and fourth holographic lenses performing a Fourier transformation on the input light to their respective optical substrates, the substrates positioned such that the second and third holographic lenses at least partially face each other. A filter (36) is positioned between the second and third holographic lenses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2001
    Assignee: Yeda Research & Development Co. LTD
    Inventors: Silviu Reinhorn, Asher Friesem, Yaakov Amitai
  • Patent number: 6172778
    Abstract: A planar optical crossbar switch comprising two thin planar substrates, on each of which are recorded or attached two holographic lenses between which light propagates by means of total internal reflection. The first lens is a negative cylindrical lens, used to input the incident light signal to the substrate, and the second lens is a positive cylindrical lens. The two substrates are disposed at right angles to each other in such a way that the positive lenses are positioned one on top of the other with a spatial light modulator sandwiched between them or beneath them. A linear array of detectors collects the output signal from the negative lens on the second substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2001
    Assignee: Yeda Research & Development Co. Ltd. of Weizmann Institute of Science
    Inventors: Silviu Reinhorn, Asher Friesem, Yaakov Amitai, Shachar Gorodeisky
  • Patent number: 5966223
    Abstract: A holographic optical device having a light transmissive substrate with a first holographic optical element carried by the substrate, and a second holographic optical element also carried by the substrate but laterally offset from the first holographic optical element. The first holographic optical element diffracts waves from each data point in a display source into a collimated plane wave such that the plane wave is trapped inside the substrate by internal reflection, and the first holographic optical element also corrects field aberrations over the entire field of view by being recorded using at least one aspheric wavefront. The second holographic optical element diffracts the trapped plane waves out of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 12, 1999
    Assignee: Yeda Research & Development Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Asher Albert Friesem, Yaakov Amitai, Silviu Reinhorn, Isaac Shariv