Ingrid R Peterson, 7020894 Waveview Dr, Topanga, CA 90290

7418124, Aug 26, 2008

Jul 15, 2003

10/619943

Ingrid B. Peterson - Menlo Park CA, US
Mike Von den Hoff - Munich, DE
Jim Wiley - Menlo Park CA, US

KLA-Tencor Technologies Corp. - Milpitas CA

G06K 9/00
H04N 7/18
G02B 21/06
G06F 17/50

382144, 348131, 359385, 703 13

Methods that include acquiring aerial images of a reticle for different values of a member of a set of lithographic variables are provided. One method also includes determining a presence of an anomaly in a design pattern of the reticle by comparing at least one pair of the aerial images corresponding to at least two of the different values. A different method includes comparing at least one pair of the aerial images corresponding to at least two of the different values and determining an area on the reticle where a lithography process using the reticle is most susceptible to failure based on the results of the comparison. Another embodiment includes determining a presence of transient repeating defects on the reticle by subtracting non-transient defects from the aerial images and comparing at least one pair of the aerial images corresponding to at least two of the different values.

8078304, Dec 13, 2011

Jul 20, 2008

12/176381

Michael R. Rice - Pleasanton CA, US
Jeffrey C. Hudgens - San Francisco CA, US
Todd J. Egan - Fremont CA, US
Ingrid B. Peterson - Menlo Park CA, US

Applied Materials, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

G06F 19/00

700112, 700245, 41422208, 414935

Electronic device manufacturing systems and methods are provided. In some aspects, a system having a dual-mode robot is provided which is disposed within a system component (e. g. , a factory interface or transfer chamber) and adapted to operate in a first mode and a second mode. In the first mode, the robot may transfer a substrate between components of the system (e. g. , between a carrier and a process chamber or chamber to chamber) and in the second mode, the robot may execute a process motion profile (e. g. , metrology).

8213704, Jul 3, 2012

May 7, 2008

12/116664

Ingrid B. Peterson - Menlo Park CA, US
Ed Yum - Fremont CA, US

KLA-Tencor Corp. - San Jose CA

G06K 9/00
G01N 21/00

382145, 382144, 382149, 382170, 3562374, 3562375

Computer-implemented methods and systems for detecting defects in a reticle design pattern are provided. One computer-implemented method includes acquiring images of the reticle design pattern using a sensor disposed on a substrate arranged proximate to an image plane of an exposure system configured to perform a wafer printing process using the reticle design pattern. The images illustrate how the reticle design pattern will be projected on a wafer by the exposure system at different values of one or more parameters of the wafer printing process. The method also includes detecting defects in the reticle design pattern based on a comparison of two or more of the images corresponding to two or more of the different values.

2004000, Jan 15, 2004

Aug 2, 2002

10/211156

Ingrid Peterson - Menlo Park CA, US
Mike Hoff - Muenchen, DE

G03F007/207
G03F007/23
G03F009/02

430/030000, 430/311000, 430/394000

The invention is a method of determining the presence of an anomaly in qualifying a pattern, patterning process, or patterning apparatus used in the fabrication of microlithographic patterns. A preferred implementation of the method qualifies incoming reticles and process conditions on test wafers to maximize the available usable process window for a given reticle exposure tool combination. Practicing this method on test wafers enables the identification of spatial areas where a process will fail first and candidate regions for carrying out defect inspection and metrology. Other preferred implementations of the method qualify masks, reticles, or other patterns characterized by data bases on which are stored image data acquired by practice of aerial image measurement system (AIMS) or design rule checking (DRC) techniques.