Dr. Yalin Xiong Profile

Dr. Yalin Xiong

Vice President/Engineering at KLA Corp

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Author

Publications (9)

Proceedings Article | 29 September 2010 Paper

Extending a 193 nm mask inspector for 22 nm HP EUV mask inspection

Gregg Inderhees, Tao-Yi Fu, Qiang Zhang, Yalin Xiong

Proceedings Volume 7823, 78231Q (2010) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.865839

KEYWORDS: Photomasks, Inspection, Extreme ultraviolet, Polarization, Extreme ultraviolet lithography, Reticles, Modulation, Defect inspection, Data modeling, Lithography

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Proceedings Article | 8 June 2010 Paper

Results from a new 193nm die-to-database reticle inspection platform

William Broadbent, David Alles, Michael Giusti, Damon Kvamme, Rui-fang Shi, Weston Sousa, Robert Walsh, Yalin Xiong

Proceedings Volume 7748, 774828 (2010) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.868417

KEYWORDS: Reticles, Inspection, Extreme ultraviolet, Image resolution, Logic, Defect detection, Image transmission, EUV optics, Defect inspection, Image segmentation

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Proceedings Article | 17 October 2008 Paper

High resolution inspection with wafer plane die: database defect detection

Carl Hess, Mark Wihl, Rui-fang Shi, Yalin Xiong, Song Pang

Proceedings Volume 7122, 71221A (2008) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.801867

KEYWORDS: Inspection, Semiconducting wafers, Photomasks, Reticles, Defect detection, Printing, Scanners, Wafer inspection, Image restoration, Lithography

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Proceedings Article | 17 October 2008 Paper

Wafer plane inspection with soft resist thresholding

Carl Hess, Rui-fang Shi, Mark Wihl, Yalin Xiong, Song Pang

Proceedings Volume 7122, 71221C (2008) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.801866

KEYWORDS: Inspection, Semiconducting wafers, Photomasks, Printing, Reticles, Defect detection, Wafer inspection, SRAF, Image resolution, Lithography

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Wafer Plane Inspection (WPI) is an inspection mode on the KLA-Tencor TeraSca^TM platform that uses the high signalto- noise ratio images from the high numerical aperture microscope, and then models the entire lithographic process to enable defect detection on the wafer plane[1]. This technology meets the needs of some advanced mask manufacturers to identify the lithographically-significant defects while ignoring the other non-lithographically-significant defects. WPI accomplishes this goal by performing defect detection based on a modeled image of how the mask features would actually print in the photoresist. There are several advantages to this approach: (1) the high fidelity of the images provide a sensitivity advantage over competing approaches; (2) the ability to perform defect detection on the wafer plane allows one to only see those defects that have a printing impact on the wafer; (3) the use of modeling on the lithographic portion of the flow enables unprecedented flexibility to support arbitrary illumination profiles, process-window inspection in unit time, and combination modes to find both printing and non-printing defects. WPI is proving to be a valuable addition to the KLA-Tencor detection algorithm suite. The modeling portion of WPI uses a single resist threshold as the final step in the processing. This has been shown to be adequate on several advanced customer layers, but is not ideal for all layers. Actual resist chemistry has complicated processes including acid and base-diffusion and quench that are not consistently well-modeled with a single resist threshold. We have considered the use of an advanced resist model for WPI, but rejected it because the burdensome requirements for the calibration of the model were not practical for reticle inspection. This paper describes an alternative approach that allows for a "soft" resist threshold to be applied that provides a more robust solution for the most challenging processes. This approach is just finishing beta testing with a customer developing advanced node designs.

Proceedings Article | 19 May 2008 Paper

A novel approach: high resolution inspection with wafer plane defect detection

Carl Hess, Mark Wihl, Rui-fang Shi, Yalin Xiong, Song Pang

Proceedings Volume 7028, 70281F (2008) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.793056

KEYWORDS: Inspection, Semiconducting wafers, Photomasks, Reticles, Defect detection, Printing, Scanners, Wafer inspection, Image restoration, Lithography

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High Resolution reticle inspection is well-established as a proven, effective, and efficient means of detecting yield-limiting mask defects as well as defects which are not immediately yield-limiting yet can enable manufacturing process improvements. Historically, RAPID products have enabled detection of both classes of these defects. The newly-developed Wafer Plane Inspection (WPI) detector technology meets the needs of some advanced mask manufacturers to identify the lithographically-significant defects while ignoring the other non-lithographically-significant defects. Wafer Plane Inspection accomplishes this goal by performing defect detection based on a modeled image of how the mask features would actually print in the photoresist. This has the effect of reducing sensitivity to non-printing defects while enabling higher sensitivity focused in high MEEF areas where small reticle defects still yield significant printing defects on wafers. WPI is a new inspection mode that has been developed by KLA-Tencor and is currently under test with multiple customers. It employs the same transmitted and reflected-light high-resolution images as the industry-standard high-resolution inspections, but with much more sophisticated processing involved. A rigorous mask pattern recovery algorithm is used to convert the transmitted and reflected light images into a modeled representation of the reticle. Lithographic modeling of the scanner is then used to generate an aerial image of the mask. This is followed by resist modeling to determine the exposure of the photoresist. The defect detectors are then applied on this photoresist plane so that only printing defects are detected. Note that no hardware modifications to the inspection system are required to enable this detector. The same tool will be able to perform both our standard High Resolution inspections and the Wafer Plane Inspection detector. This approach has several important features. The ability to ignore non-printing defects and to apply additional effective sensitivity in high MEEF areas enables advanced node development. In addition, the modeling allows the inclusion of important polarization effects that occur in the resist for high NA operation. This allows for the results to better match wafer print results compared to alternate approaches. Finally, the simulation easily allows for the application of arbitrary illumination profiles. With this approach, users of WPI can make use of unique or custom scanner illumination profiles. This allows the more precise modeling of profiles without inspection system hardware modification or loss of company intellectual property. This paper examines WPI in Die:Die mode. Future work includes a review of Die:Database WPI capability.

Proceedings Article | 5 April 2007 Paper

Results from a new die-to-database reticle inspection platform

William Broadbent, Yalin Xiong, Michael Giusti, Robert Walsh, Aditya Dayal

Proceedings Volume 6518, 65182I (2007) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.712367

KEYWORDS: Reticles, Inspection, Image transmission, Databases, Imaging systems, Image processing, Data modeling, Defect detection, Optical proximity correction, Sensors

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Proceedings Article | 5 May 2005 Paper

Inspection of integrated circuit databases through reticle and wafer simulation: an integrated approach to design for manufacturing (DFM)

William Howard, Jaione Tirapu Azpiroz, Yalin Xiong, Chris Mack, Gaurav Verma, William Volk, Harold Lehon, Yunfei Deng, Rui-fang Shi, James Culp, Scott Mansfield

Proceedings Volume 5756, (2005) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.604698

KEYWORDS: Inspection, Semiconducting wafers, Reticles, Design for manufacturing, Scanning electron microscopy, Optical proximity correction, Lithography, Resolution enhancement technologies, Calibration, Defect detection

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Proceedings Article | 2 June 2003 Paper

Energy flux method for inspection of contact and VIA layer reticles

Hector Garcia, William Volk, Yalin Xiong, Sterling Watson, Zongchang Yu, Zhian Guo, Lantian Wang

Proceedings Volume 5038, (2003) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.504577

KEYWORDS: Inspection, Reticles, Defect detection, Critical dimension metrology, Semiconducting wafers, Image segmentation, Lithography, Detection and tracking algorithms, Defect inspection, Algorithm development

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Proceedings Article | 27 December 2002 Paper

Energy flux method for die-to-database inspection of critical layer reticles

Hector Garcia, William Volk, Yalin Xiong, Sterling Watson, Zongchang Yu, Zhian Guo, Lantian Wang

Proceedings Volume 4889, (2002) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.468207

KEYWORDS: Inspection, Reticles, Defect detection, Semiconducting wafers, Critical dimension metrology, Photomasks, Lithography, Defect inspection, Databases, Algorithm development

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Showing 5 of 9 publications

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