Determining one or more characteristics of a pattern of interest on a specimen
First Claim
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1. A system configured to determine one or more characteristics of a pattern of interest on a specimen, comprising:
- an output acquisition subsystem comprising at least an energy source and a detector, wherein the output acquisition subsystem is configured to direct energy generated by the energy source to a specimen while the detector detects energy from the specimen and generates output responsive to the detected energy, and wherein the specimen is a wafer; and
a computer subsystem comprising one or more processors configured to execute instructions from a memory medium, wherein the computer subsystem is configured for;
acquiring output of an inspection system generated by the inspection system for at least a majority of instances of a pattern of interest formed on the specimen and stored in a computer-readable storage medium, wherein the inspection system is an optical or electron beam inspection system, wherein the output of the inspection system comprises images of the pattern of interest formed on the specimen generated by one or more detectors of the optical or electron beam inspection system while the specimen is being scanned by the inspection system, wherein the one or more detectors of the optical or electron beam inspection system generate the output of the inspection system at a resolution that is lower than a resolution with which the detector of the output acquisition subsystem generates the output of the output acquisition subsystem, and wherein the inspection system stores the output acquired at the at least the majority of instances regardless of characteristics of the output of the inspection system;
selecting one or more of the at least the majority of instances at which the output is generated by the output acquisition subsystem, wherein said selecting is performed based on the characteristics of the output of the inspection system;
acquiring the output generated by the output acquisition subsystem for the selected one or more of the at least the majority of instances, wherein the resolution of the output acquisition subsystem with which the output of the output acquisition subsystem is generated by the detector of the output acquisition subsystem at the selected one or more of the at least the majority of instances is higher than the resolution at which the one or more detectors of the inspection system generate the output of the inspection system; and
determining one or more characteristics of the pattern of interest based on the output of the output acquisition subsystem at the selected one or more of the at least the majority of instances.
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Abstract
Methods and systems for determining characteristic(s) of patterns of interest (POIs) are provided. One system is configured to acquire output of an inspection system generated at the POI instances without detecting defects at the POI instances. The output is then used to generate a selection of the POI instances. The system then acquires output from an output acquisition subsystem for the selected POI instances. The system also determines characteristic(s) of the POI using the output acquired from the output acquisition subsystem.
45 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A system configured to determine one or more characteristics of a pattern of interest on a specimen, comprising:
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an output acquisition subsystem comprising at least an energy source and a detector, wherein the output acquisition subsystem is configured to direct energy generated by the energy source to a specimen while the detector detects energy from the specimen and generates output responsive to the detected energy, and wherein the specimen is a wafer; and a computer subsystem comprising one or more processors configured to execute instructions from a memory medium, wherein the computer subsystem is configured for; acquiring output of an inspection system generated by the inspection system for at least a majority of instances of a pattern of interest formed on the specimen and stored in a computer-readable storage medium, wherein the inspection system is an optical or electron beam inspection system, wherein the output of the inspection system comprises images of the pattern of interest formed on the specimen generated by one or more detectors of the optical or electron beam inspection system while the specimen is being scanned by the inspection system, wherein the one or more detectors of the optical or electron beam inspection system generate the output of the inspection system at a resolution that is lower than a resolution with which the detector of the output acquisition subsystem generates the output of the output acquisition subsystem, and wherein the inspection system stores the output acquired at the at least the majority of instances regardless of characteristics of the output of the inspection system; selecting one or more of the at least the majority of instances at which the output is generated by the output acquisition subsystem, wherein said selecting is performed based on the characteristics of the output of the inspection system; acquiring the output generated by the output acquisition subsystem for the selected one or more of the at least the majority of instances, wherein the resolution of the output acquisition subsystem with which the output of the output acquisition subsystem is generated by the detector of the output acquisition subsystem at the selected one or more of the at least the majority of instances is higher than the resolution at which the one or more detectors of the inspection system generate the output of the inspection system; and determining one or more characteristics of the pattern of interest based on the output of the output acquisition subsystem at the selected one or more of the at least the majority of instances. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, storing program instructions executable on a computer system for performing a computer-implemented method for determining one or more characteristics of a pattern of interest on a specimen, wherein the computer-implemented method comprises:
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acquiring output of an inspection system generated by the inspection system for at least a majority of instances of a pattern of interest formed on a specimen and stored in a computer-readable storage medium, wherein the specimen is a wafer, wherein the inspection system is an optical or electron beam inspection system, wherein the output of the inspection system comprises images of the pattern of interest formed on the specimen generated by one or more detectors of the optical or electron beam inspection system while the specimen is being scanned by the inspection system, wherein the one or more detectors of the optical or electron beam inspection system generate the output of the inspection system at a resolution that is lower than a resolution with which a detector of an output acquisition subsystem generates output of the output acquisition subsystem, wherein the inspection system stores the output acquired at the at least the majority of instances regardless of characteristics of the output, wherein the output acquisition subsystem comprises at least an energy source and the detector, and wherein the output acquisition subsystem is configured to direct energy generated by the energy source to the specimen while the detector detects energy from the specimen and generates the output responsive to the detected energy; selecting one or more of the at least the majority of instances at which the output is generated by the output acquisition subsystem, wherein said selecting is performed based on the characteristics of the output of the inspection system; acquiring the output generated by the output acquisition subsystem for the selected one or more of the at least the majority of instances, wherein the resolution of the output acquisition subsystem with which the output of the output acquisition subsystem is generated by the detector of the output acquisition subsystem at the selected one or more of the at least the majority of instances is higher than the resolution at which the one or more detectors of the inspection system generate the output of the inspection system; and determining one or more characteristics of the pattern of interest based on the output of the output acquisition subsystem at the selected one or more of the at least the majority of instances, wherein acquiring the output of the inspection system, selecting the one or more of the at least the majority of instances, acquiring the output generated by the output acquisition subsystem, and determining the one or more characteristics are performed by the computer system, wherein the computer system comprises one or more processors configured to execute the program instructions from the non-transitory computer-readable medium, and wherein the computer system is coupled to the output acquisition subsystem.
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27. A computer-implemented method for determining one or more characteristics of a pattern of interest on a specimen, comprising:
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acquiring output of an inspection system generated by the inspection system for at least a majority of instances of a pattern of interest on a specimen and stored in a computer-readable storage medium, wherein the specimen is a wafer, wherein the inspection system is an optical or electron beam inspection system, wherein the output of the inspection system comprises images of the pattern of interest formed on the specimen generated by one or more detectors of the optical or electron beam inspection system while the specimen is being scanned by the inspection system, wherein the one or more detectors of the optical or electron beam inspection system generate the output of the inspection system at a resolution that is lower than a resolution with which a detector of an output acquisition subsystem generates output of the output acquisition subsystem, wherein the inspection system stores the output acquired at the at least the majority of instances regardless of characteristics of the output, wherein the output acquisition subsystem comprises at least an energy source and the detector, and wherein the output acquisition subsystem is configured to direct energy generated by the energy source to the specimen while the detector detects energy from the specimen and generates the output responsive to the detected energy; selecting one or more of the at least the majority of instances at which the output is generated by the output acquisition subsystem, wherein said selecting is performed based on the characteristics of the output of the inspection system; acquiring the output generated by the output acquisition subsystem for the selected one or more of the at least the majority of instances, wherein the resolution of the output acquisition subsystem with which the output of the acquisition subsystem is generated by the detector of the output acquisition subsystem at the selected one or more of the at least the majority of instances is higher than the resolution at which the one or more detectors of the inspection system generate the output of the inspection system; and determining one or more characteristics of the pattern of interest based on the output of the output acquisition subsystem at the selected one or more of the at least the majority of instances, wherein acquiring the output of the inspection system, selecting the one or more of the at least the majority of instances, acquiring the output generated by the output acquisition subsystem, and determining the one or more characteristics are performed by a computer subsystem coupled to the output acquisition subsystem, and wherein the computer subsystem comprises one or more processors configured to execute instructions from a memory medium.
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Specification