Wafer inspection

US9279774B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• KLA-TENCOR CORPORATION · US

Inventors

• Anatoly Romanovsky · Palo Alto, US
• Ivan Maleev · Pleasanton, US
• Daniel Kavaldjiev · Santa Clara, US
• Yury Yuditsky · Mountain View, US
• Dirk Woll · San Jose, US
• Stephen Biellak · Sunnyvale, US
• Mehdi Vaez-Iravani · Los Gatos, US
• Guoheng Zhao · Sunnyvale, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 9, 2012
• Grant date: Mar 8, 2016
• Expiry date: Oct 2, 2033

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01N21/956
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Systems configured to inspect a wafer are provided. One system includes an illumination subsystem configured to simultaneously form multiple illumination areas on the wafer with substantially no illumination flux between each of the areas. The system also includes a scanning subsystem configured to scan the multiple illumination areas across the wafer. In addition, the system includes a collection subsystem configured to simultaneously and separately image light scattered from each of the areas onto two or more sensors. Characteristics of the two or more sensors are selected such that the scattered light is not imaged into gaps between the two or more sensors. The two or more sensors generate output responsive to the scattered light. The system further includes a computer subsystem configured to detect defects on the wafer using the output of the two or more sensors.