Patent · US Active

Systems configured to generate output corresponding to defects on a specimen

US7924434B2 · kind B2 · utility

5Cited by

7References

18Claims

0Family size

Assignee

KLA-Tencor Technologies Corp. · US

Inventors

Shiow-Hwei Hwang · Livermore, US
Tao-Yi Fu · Fremont, US
Xiumei Liu · Tianjin, CN

Key dates

Filing date	Aug 2, 2006
Grant date	Apr 12, 2011
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Sep 23, 2027

Classification

Technology area (CPC G)Physics
CPC primaryG01N21/21
WIPO fieldMeasurement
WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

Systems configured to generate output corresponding to defects on a specimen and systems configured to generate phase information about defects on a specimen are provided. One system includes an optical subsystem that is configured to create interference between a test beam and a reference beam. The test beam and the reference beam are reflected from the specimen. The system also includes a detector that is configured to generate output representative of the interference between the test and reference beams. The interference increases contrast between the output corresponding to the defects and output corresponding to non-defective portions of the specimen.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.