Patents by Inventor Stuart Sherwin

Stuart Sherwin 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: 10340165
    Abstract: A semiconductor tool includes an illumination source to generate an illumination beam, one or more illumination optical elements to direct a portion of the illumination beam to a sample, a detector, one or more collection optical elements to direct radiation emanating from the sample to the detector, and a controller communicatively coupled to the detector. The controller is configured to measure alignment at a plurality of locations across the sample to generate alignment data, select an analysis area for alignment zone determination, divide the analysis area into two or more alignment zones having different alignment signatures; model the alignment data of at least a first alignment zone of the two or more alignment zones using a first alignment model, and model the alignment data of at least a second alignment zone of the two or more alignment zones using a second alignment model different than the first alignment model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: KLA-Tencor Corporation
    Inventors: Jeremy Nabeth, Onur N. Demirer, Ramkumar Karur-Shanmugam, Choon (George) Hoong Hoo, Christian Sparka, Hoyoung Heo, Stuart Sherwin, Fatima Anis, Mark D. Smith, William Pierson
  • Patent number: 10024654
    Abstract: The determination of in-plane distortions of a substrate includes measuring one or more out-of-plane distortions of the substrate in an unchucked state, determining an effective film stress of a film on the substrate in the unchucked state based on the measured out-of-plane distortions of the substrate in the unchucked state, determining in-plane distortions of the substrate in a chucked state based on the effective film stress of the film on the substrate in the unchucked state and adjusting at least one of a process tool or an overlay tool based on at least one of the measured out-of-plane distortions or the determined in-plane distortions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: KLA-Tencor Corporation
    Inventors: Mark D. Smith, Jose Solomon, Stuart Sherwin, Walter Mieher, Ady Levy
  • Publication number: 20170287754
    Abstract: A semiconductor tool includes an illumination source to generate an illumination beam, one or more illumination optical elements to direct a portion of the illumination beam to a sample, a detector, one or more collection optical elements to direct radiation emanating from the sample to the detector, and a controller communicatively coupled to the detector. The controller is configured to measure alignment at a plurality of locations across the sample to generate alignment data, select an analysis area for alignment zone determination, divide the analysis area into two or more alignment zones having different alignment signatures; model the alignment data of at least a first alignment zone of the two or more alignment zones using a first alignment model, and model the alignment data of at least a second alignment zone of the two or more alignment zones using a second alignment model different than the first alignment model.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2017
    Publication date: October 5, 2017
    Inventors: Jeremy Nabeth, Onur N. Demirer, Ramkumar Karur-Shanmugam, Choon George Hoong Hoo, Christian Sparka, Hoyoung Heo, Stuart Sherwin, Fatima Anis, Mark D. Smith, William Pierson
  • Publication number: 20160290789
    Abstract: The determination of in-plane distortions of a substrate includes measuring one or more out-of-plane distortions of the substrate in an unchucked state, determining an effective film stress of a film on the substrate in the unchucked state based on the measured out-of-plane distortions of the substrate in the unchucked state, determining in-plane distortions of the substrate in a chucked state based on the effective film stress of the film on the substrate in the unchucked state and adjusting at least one of a process tool or an overlay tool based on at least one of the measured out-of-plane distortions or the determined in-plane distortions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2016
    Publication date: October 6, 2016
    Inventors: Mark D. Smith, Jose Solomon, Stuart Sherwin, Walter Mieher, Ady Levy