Patents by Inventor William Dean Thompson

William Dean Thompson 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).

  • Thermal imaging for within wafer variability feedforward or feedback information
    Patent number: 11353364
    Abstract: IR radiation may be used to examine substrates prior to a fabrication operation in order to adjust processing parameters of the fabrication operation, or to determine features of the substrate. A thermographic image may be collected and provided to a transfer function or machine learning model to determine processing parameters or features. The processing parameters may improve the uniformity of the wafer and/or achieve a desired target feature value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventor: William Dean Thompson
  • Determining tilt angle in patterned arrays of high aspect-ratio structures by small-angle x-ray scattering
    Patent number: 11181489
    Abstract: Provided herein are methods and apparatus for characterizing high aspect ratio (HAR) structures of fabricated or partially fabricated semiconductor devices. The methods involve using small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) to determine average parameters of an array of HAR structures. In some implementations, SAXS is used to analyze symmetry of HAR structures in a sample and may be referred to as tilted structural symmetry analysis-SAXS (TSSA-SAXS) or TSSA. Analysis of parameters such as tilt, sidewall angle, bowing, and the presence of multiple tilts in HAR structures may be performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignees: Lam Research Corporation, The Government of the United States of America, represented by the Secretary of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology
    Inventors: William Dean Thompson, Regis Joseph Kline, Daniel F. Sunday, Wenli Wu, Osman Sorkhabi, Jin Zhang, Xiaoshu Chen
  • THERMAL IMAGING FOR WITHIN WAFER VARIABILITY FEEDFORWARD OR FEEDBACK INFORMATION
    Publication number: 20210270673
    Abstract: IR radiation may be used to examine substrates prior to a fabrication operation in order to adjust processing parameters of the fabrication operation, or to determine features of the substrate. A thermographic image may be collected and provided to a transfer function or machine learning model to determine processing parameters or features. The processing parameters may improve the uniformity of the wafer and/or achieve a desired target feature value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2021
    Publication date: September 2, 2021
    Applicant: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventor: William Dean Thompson
  • DETERMINING TILT ANGLE IN PATTERNED ARRAYS OF HIGH ASPECT RATIO STRUCTURES
    Publication number: 20200041426
    Abstract: Provided herein are methods and apparatus for characterizing high aspect ratio (HAR) structures of fabricated or partially fabricated semiconductor devices. The methods involve using small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) to determine average parameters of an array of HAR structures. In some implementations, SAXS is used to analyze symmetry of HAR structures in a sample and may be referred to as tilted structural symmetry analysis-SAXS (TSSA-SAXS) or TSSA. Analysis of parameters such as tilt, sidewall angle, bowing, and the presence of multiple tilts in HAR structures may be performed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2019
    Publication date: February 6, 2020
    Inventors: William Dean Thompson, Regis Joseph Kline, Daniel F. Sunday, Wenli Wu, Osman Sorkhabi, Jin Zhang, Xiaoshu Chen