Ashok Kulkarni, 61Valrico, FL

6775819, Aug 10, 2004

Sep 10, 1999

09/394388

Manoj Hardikar - Saratoga CA
Steve Zhou - Cupertino CA
Richard Shiflett - San Jose CA
Ashok Kulkarni - San Jose CA

KLA-Tencor Corporation - San Jose CA

G06F 945

717105

A software system and method is disclosed for creating analytical graphics such as bar charts and the like with greater flexibility in an object-oriented Window environment. The software is particularly applicable to analyzing production data in semiconductor quality control. The user customizes the analytical tools by selecting production parameters from a dialog box, and creates flowcharts on the computer display representing the sequence of production variables and production functions previously selected. The software is set up with a macro recording function to remember the production keystrokes previously selected. The analytical sequence represented by the flowchart is automatically executed whenever it is selected by the user, or this sequence can be preprogrammed to run at specified intervals in the future. Thus, the user can automatically generate reports of production data on a regular basis to a particular output device, such as a printer, server, or computer screen, or alert an operator by e-mail or paging systems.

6956718, Oct 18, 2005

Aug 19, 2002

10/223992

Ashok Venkatesh Kulkarni - Sunnyvale CA, US
Vijay Prabhakaran - Fremont CA, US
Pablo Gabriel Levi - Milpitas CA, US
Biao Sun - Fremont CA, US
Eric Thomas Sladek - Pleasanton CA, US
Michael Thomas Sullivan - Fremont CA, US

Western Digital (Fremont), Inc. - Lake Forest CA

G11B005/60

3602351

A slider is formed of an air bearing surface coated with a wear limiting coating that substantially limits surface wear of the air bearing surface encountered in proximity recording. The wear limiting coating is comprised of a wear inhibiting layer formed on the air bearing surface and a sacrificial layer formed on the wear inhibiting layer. The two coatings of the wear limiting coating have different mechanical properties so that the sacrificial layer is burnished, exposing the wear inhibiting layer. This design substantially limits the surface wear of the air bearing surface typically encountered in proximity recording, resulting in less debris accumulation, which could otherwise adversely affect the performance of the proximity recording head. This self-limiting burnishing action overcomes the flying height variation due to manufacturing tolerances and provides extremely small and uniform magnetic spacing, which greatly enhances the proximity recording. Moreover, the burnishing action also achieves an improved flying stability and a reduction in the altitude sensitivity.

6985220, Jan 10, 2006

Aug 20, 2003

10/644319

Vivek Bhagat - Santa Clara CA, US
Qiang Song - San Jose CA, US
James A. Quigley - Mountain View CA, US
Ashok V. Kulkarni - San Jose CA, US

KLA-Tencor Technologies Corporation - Milpitas CA

G01N 21/88

3562375

A method of tuning an inspection system. An inspection piece is sensed and analyzed to identify anomalies. Level information is analyzed with an initial set of thresholds, and an initial portion of the anomalies are flagging as defects. The inspection system parameters are changed, and the level information is analyzed with a modified set of thresholds. The anomalies are flagged as defects based on the immediately preceding analysis of the level information. The steps of changing the thresholds and reflagging the defects are repeated as desired, and the modified set of thresholds are stored for use in an inspection system recipe.

7142992, Nov 28, 2006

Sep 30, 2004

10/954968

Patrick Huet - San Jose CA, US
Maruti Shanbhag - Bangalore, IN
Sandeep Bhagwat - Milpitas CA, US
Michal Kowalski - Santa Cruz CA, US
Vivekanand Kini - Sunnyvale CA, US
David Randall - Sunnyvale CA, US
Sharon McCauley - San Jose CA, US
Tong Huang - Sunnyvale CA, US
Jianxin Zhang - Santa Clara CA, US
Kenong Wu - Davis CA, US
Lisheng Gao - Morgan Hill CA, US
Ariel Tribble - Fremont CA, US
Ashok Kulkarni - San Jose CA, US
Cecelia Anne Campochiaro - Sunnyvale CA, US

KLA-Tencor Technologies Corp. - Milpitas CA

G01R 31/00
G06F 19/00

702 58

Hybrid methods for classifying defects in semiconductor manufacturing are provided. The methods include applying a flexible sequence of rules for defects to inspection data. The sequence of rules includes deterministic rules, statistical rules, hybrid rules, or some combination thereof. The rules included in the sequence may be selected by a user using a graphical interface. The method also includes classifying the defects based on results of applying the sequence of rules to the inspection data.

7440607, Oct 21, 2008

Nov 3, 2004

10/980499

Jason Z. Lin - Saratoga CA, US
Hong Chen - San Ramon CA, US
Evgeni Shifrin - Sunnyvale CA, US
Ashok V. Kulkarni - San Jose CA, US
Santosh K. Bhattacharyya - San Jose CA, US
Wei Zhao - Sunnyvale CA, US

KLA-Tencor Corporation - San Jose CA

G06K 9/00

382149

A method of detecting anomalies in a test image. Test features of pixels within the test image are selected, and reference features of pixels within at least one reference image are also selected. A signal distribution of test features and reference features in a multi-dimensional feature space is created, and stored. Those test features of the test image that do not satisfy a set of criteria for normalcy are selected as candidate points. Those candidate points that are statistical outliers are identified as anomalies. Positions of the anomalies are located using the stored signal distribution within which the defects have been identified as a lookup table.

7676077, Mar 9, 2010

Nov 20, 2006

11/561735

Ashok Kulkarni - San Jose CA, US
Brian Duffy - San Jose CA, US
Kais Maayah - Cupertino CA, US
Gordon Rouse - Dublin CA, US

KLA-Tencor Technologies Corp. - Milpitas CA

G06K 9/00

382144, 382145

Various methods and systems for utilizing design data in combination with inspection data are provided. One computer-implemented method for determining a position of inspection data in design data space includes aligning data acquired by an inspection system for alignment sites on a wafer with data for predetermined alignment sites. The method also includes determining positions of the alignment sites on the wafer in design data space based on positions of the predetermined alignment sites in the design data space. In addition, the method includes determining a position of inspection data acquired for the wafer by the inspection system in the design data space based on the positions of the alignment sites on the wafer in the design data space. In one embodiment, the position of the inspection data is determined with sub-pixel accuracy.

7711177, May 4, 2010

Jun 8, 2006

11/422955

Brian Leslie - Cupertino CA, US
Ashok Kulkarni - San Jose CA, US

KLA-Tencor Technologies Corp. - Milpitas CA

G06K 9/00
G01N 37/00
G01D 3/00

382141, 382144, 702 81, 702108

Various methods, carrier media, and systems for detecting defects on a specimen using a combination of bright field channel data and dark field channel data are provided. One computer-implemented method includes combining pixel-level data acquired for the specimen by a bright field channel and a dark field channel of an inspection system. The method also includes detecting defects on the specimen by applying a two-dimensional threshold to the combined data. The two-dimensional threshold is defined as a function of a threshold for the data acquired by the bright field channel and a threshold for the data acquired by the dark field channel.

7729529, Jun 1, 2010

Dec 7, 2004

11/005658

Kenong Wu - Davis CA, US
David Randall - Sunnyvale CA, US
Kourosh Nafisi - Los Altos CA, US
Ramon Ynzunza - Milpitas CA, US
Ingrid B. Peterson - Menlo Park CA, US
Ariel Tribble - Fremont CA, US
Michal Kowalski - Santa Cruz CA, US
Lisheng Gao - Morgan Hill CA, US
Ashok Kulkarni - San Jose CA, US

KLA-Tencor Technologies Corp. - Milpitas CA

G06K 9/00
H01L 21/66
G06F 17/50

382149, 382144, 382145, 382147, 382148, 438 15, 716 1, 716 21

Various computer-implemented methods are provided. One method for sorting defects in a design pattern of a reticle includes searching for defects of interest in inspection data using priority information associated with individual defects in combination with one or more characteristics of a region proximate the individual defects. The priority information corresponds to modulation levels associated with the individual defects. The inspection data is generated by comparing images of the reticle generated for different values of a lithographic variable. The images include at least one reference image and at least one modulated image. A composite reference image can be generated from two or more reference images. The method also includes assigning one or more identifiers to the defects of interest. The identifier(s) may include, for example, a defect classification and/or an indicator identifying if the defects of interest are to be used for further processing.