CHRISTOPHER GRAHAM TALBOT
Pilots at Smt Ct, Redwood City, CA

6539106, Mar 25, 2003

Jan 8, 1999

09/227747

Harry S. Gallarda - Mountain View CA
Chiwoei Wayne Lo - Campbell CA
Adam Rhoads - San Ramon CA
Christopher G. Talbot - Emerald Hills CA

Applied Materials, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

G06K 946

382149, 382286

Methods and apparatus are provided for inspecting a patterned substrate, comprising: preparing a reference image and a test image, extracting features from the reference image and extracting features from the test image, matching features of the reference image and features of the test image; and comparing features of the reference image and of the test image to identify defects. Embodiments include apparatus for inspecting patterned substrates, computer-readable media containing instructions for controlling a system having a processor for inspecting patterned substrates, and computer program products comprising a computer usable media having computer-readable program code embodied therein for controlling a system for inspecting patterned substrates. The images can be electron-beam voltage-contrast images.

6509750, Jan 21, 2003

Apr 30, 2001

09/846487

Christopher G. Talbot - Emerald Hills CA
Chiwoei Wayne Lo - Campbell CA

Applied Materials, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

G01R 31302

324750

Defects in a patterned substrate are detected by positioning a charged-particle-beam optical column relative to a patterned substrate, the charged-particle imaging system having a field of view (FOV) with a substantially uniform resolution over the FOV; operating the charged-particle-beam optical column to acquire images over multiple subareas of the patterned substrate lying within the FOV by scanning a charged-particle beam over the patterned substrate while maintaining the charged-particle-beam optical column fixed relative to the patterned substrate; and comparing the acquired images to a reference to identify defects in the patterned substrate. The use of a large-FOV imaging system with substantially uniform resolution over the FOV allows acquisition of images over a wide area of the patterned substrate without requiring mechanical stage moves, thereby reducing the time overhead associated with mechanical stage moves. Multiple columns can be ganged together to further improve throughput.

6091249, Jul 18, 2000

Jan 23, 1998

9/012277

Christopher Graham Talbot - Redwood City CA
Chiwoei Wayne Lo - Campbell CA
Luis Camilo Orjuela - San Jose CA
Li Wang - San Jose CA

Schlumberger Technologies, Inc. - San Jose CA

G01R 31305, G01R 3102

324751

A method for detecting electrical defects in a semiconductor wafer, includes the steps of: a) applying charge to the wafer such that electrically isolated structures are raised to a voltage relative to electrically grounded structures; b) obtaining voltage contrast data for at least a portion of the wafer containing such structures using an electron beam; and c) analyzing the voltage contrast data to detect structures at voltages different from predetermined voltages for such structures. Voltage contrast data can take one of a number of forms. In a simple form, data for a number of positions on a line scan of an electron beam can be taken and displayed or stored as a series of voltage levels and scan positions. Alternatively, the data from a series of scans can be displayed as a voltage contrast image. Analysis can be achieved by comparison of one set of voltage contrast data, for example voltage contrast data from one die on a wafer, with one or more other such sets, for example voltage contrast data for corresponding structures on one or more preceding dice, so as to determine differences therebetween.

6252412, Jun 26, 2001

Jan 8, 1999

9/226967

Christopher G. Talbot - Emerald Hills CA
Chiwoei Wayne Lo - Campbell CA

Schlumberger Technologies, Inc. - San Jose CA

G01R 31302

324750

Defects in a patterned substrate are detected by positioning a charged-particle-beam optical column relative to a patterned substrate, the charged-particle imaging system having a field of view (FOV) with a substantially uniform resolution over the FOV; operating the charged-particle-beam optical column to acquire images over multiple subareas of the patterned substrate lying within the FOV by scanning a charged-particle beam over the patterned substrate while maintaining the charged-particle-beam optical column fixed relative to the patterned substrate; and comparing the acquired images to a reference to identify defects in the patterned substrate. The use of a large- FOV imaging system with substantially uniform resolution over the FOV allows acquisition of images over a wide area of the patterned substrate without requiring mechanical stage moves, thereby reducing the time overhead associated with mechanical stage moves. Multiple columns can be ganged together to further improve throughput.

6914441, Jul 5, 2005

Apr 29, 2002

10/134210

Christopher G. Talbot - Emerald Hills CA, US
Chiwoei Wayne Lo - Campbell CA, US

Applied Materials, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

G01R031/302, G01N023/00

324750, 250310

One embodiment of the present invention is a method of detecting defects in a patterned substrate, including: (a) positioning a charged-particle-beam optical column relative to a patterned substrate, the charged-particle-beam optical column having a field of view (FOV) with a substantially uniform resolution over the FOV; (b) operating the charged-particle-beam optical column to acquire images of a region of the patterned substrate lying within the FOV by scanning the charged-particle beam over the patterned substrate; and (c) comparing the acquired images to a reference to identify defects in the patterned substrate.

7253645, Aug 7, 2007

Feb 28, 2005

11/069491

Christopher G. Talbot - Emerald Hills CA, US
Chiwoei Wayne Lo - Campbell CA, US

Applied Materials, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

G01R 31/305, G01R 31/02, G01N 23/22

324751, 324750, 324753, 250310

A method of detecting defects in a patterned substrate includes positioning a charged-particle-beam optical column relative to a patterned substrate, the charged-particle-beam optical column having a field of view (FOV) with a substantially uniform resolution over the FOV; operating the charged-particle-beam optical column to acquire images of a region of the patterned substrate lying within the FOV by scanning the charged-particle beam over the patterned substrate; and comparing the acquired images to a reference to identify defects in the patterned substrate.

7602197, Oct 13, 2009

Jun 7, 2004

10/560205

Alexander Kadyshevitch - Modiin, IL
Dmitry Shur - Holon, IL
Christopher Talbot - Emerald Hills CA, US

Applied Materials, Israel, Ltd. - Rehovot

G01R 31/00, G01R 31/307

324751, 324501

A method and apparatus for wafer inspection. The apparatus is capable of testing a sample having a first layer that is at least partly conductive and a second, dielectric layer formed over the first layer, following production of contact openings in the second layer, the apparatus includes: (i) an electron beam source adapted to direct a high current beam of charged particles to simultaneously irradiate a large number of contact openings at multiple locations distributed over an area of the sample; (ii) a current measuring device adapted to measure a specimen current flowing through the first layer in response to irradiation of the large number of contact openings at the multiple locations; and (iii) a controller adapted to provide an indication of the at least defective hole in response to the measurement.

2006011, Jun 1, 2006

Jul 13, 2005

11/181659

Alexander Kadyshevitch - Hoddieen, IL
Christopher Talbot - Emerald Hills CA, US
Dmitry Shur - Holon, IL
Andreas Hegedus - Burlingame CA, US

G21K 7/00

250310000

A method for process monitoring includes receiving a sample having a first layer that is at least partially conductive and a second layer formed over the first layer, following production of contact openings in the second layer by an etch process, the contact openings including a plurality of test openings having different, respective transverse dimensions. A beam of charged particles is directed to irradiate the test openings. In response to the beam, at least one of a specimen current flowing through the first layer and a total yield of electrons emitted from a surface of the sample is measured, thus producing an etch indicator signal. The etch indicator signal is analyzed as a function of the transverse dimensions of the test openings so as to assess a characteristic of the etch process.

2007025, Nov 8, 2007

Jul 17, 2007

11/779224

Alexander Kadyshevitch - Hoddieen, IL
Christopher Talbot - Emerald Hills CA, US
Dmitry Shur - Holon, IL
Andreas Hegedus - Burlingame CA, US

G01N 23/00

250307000, 250310000

A method for process monitoring includes receiving a sample having a first layer that is at least partially conductive and a second layer formed over the first layer, following production of contact openings in the second layer by an etch process, the contact openings including a plurality of test openings having different, respective transverse dimensions. A beam of charged particles is directed to irradiate the test openings. In response to the beam, at least one of a specimen current flowing through the first layer and a total yield of electrons emitted from a surface of the sample is measured, thus producing an etch indicator signal. The etch indicator signal is analyzed as a function of the transverse dimensions of the test openings so as to assess a characteristic of the etch process.

6225626, May 1, 2001

Sep 30, 1998

9/163710

Christopher Graham Talbot - Emerald Hills CA
James Henry Brown - San Jose CA

Schlumberger Technologies, Inc. - San Jose CA

H01J 3730

250307

Methods are provided for exposing a selected feature of an IC device, such as a selected conductor, from the back side of the substrate without disturbing adjacent features of the device, such as active regions. One such method comprises: (a) determining a region of the IC device in which the selected feature is located; (b) acquiring from the back side of the substrate an IR optical microscope image of the region; (c) aligning the IR optical microscope image with a coordinate system of a milling system; and (d) using structures visible in the IR optical microscope image as a guide, operating the milling system to expose the selected feature from the back side of the IC device without disturbing adjacent features.