# US 10,483,081 B2 · Self directed metrology and pattern classification > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,483,081 B2 - Document ID: US10483081B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/247,774 - Filed: 2016-08-25 - Published: 2016-12-22 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2014-10-22 - Assignees: KLA-Tencor Corporation - Applicants: KLA-Tencor Corporation - Inventors: Allen Park; Ajay Gupta; Jan Lauber - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10483081B2 ## CPC - G03F 7/70625: {Dimensions, e.g. line width, critical dimension [CD], profile, sidewall angle or edge roughness} - G06F 18/24: Classification techniques - G06T 7/0004: {Industrial image inspection} - G06T 7/11: Region-based segmentation - H01J 37/222: {Image processing arrangements associated with the tube} - G01N 21/956: Inspecting patterns on the surface of objects {(contactless testing of electronic circuits G01R31/308; testing currency G07D; manufacturing processes per se of semiconductor devices implementing a measuring step H10P74/20)} - G01N 2021/8883: {involving the calculation of gauges, generating models} - G06T 2207/30148: Semiconductor; IC; Wafer - H01J 2237/2817: Pattern inspection - H10P 74/203: {Structural properties, e.g. testing or measuring thicknesses, line widths, warpage, bond strengths or physical defects} - H10P 74/23: {characterised by multiple measurements, corrections, marking or sorting processes} - G03F: PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR; (phototypographic composing devices B41B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; electrophotography, sensitive layers or processes therefor G03G) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL - H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H) - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract Methods and systems for determining parameter(s) of a process to be performed on a specimen are provided. One system includes one or more computer subsystems configured for determining an area of a defect detected on a specimen. The computer subsystem(s) are also configured for correlating the area of the defect with information for a design for the specimen and determining a spatial relationship between the area of the defect and the information for the design based on results of the correlating. In addition, the computer subsystem(s) are configured for automatically generating a region of interest to be measured during a process performed for the specimen with a measurement subsystem based on the spatial relationship. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system configured to determine one or more parameters of a process to be performed on a specimen, comprising: a measurement subsystem comprising at least an energy source and a detector, wherein the energy source is configured to generate energy that is directed to the specimen, and wherein the detector is configured to detect energy from the specimen and to generate output responsive to the detected energy; and one or more computer subsystems configured for: determining an area of a defect detected on the specimen; correlating the area of the defect with information for a design for the specimen; determining a spatial relationship between the area of the defect and the information for the design based on results of said correlating; and automatically generating a region of interest, in which one or more measurements are performed for the specimen, based on the spatial relationship, wherein the one or more measurements are performed in the region of interest by the measurement subsystem during a process performed on the specimen by the measurement subsystem. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the area of the defect is defined by a bounding box drawn around the defect in an image of the defect. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the area of the defect is defined by a free form area drawn around the defect in an electron beam-based image of the defect. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the information for the design comprises information for more than one layer of the design. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the information for the design does not include information for features of the design that will not be printed on the specimen. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the information for the design comprises information for patterned features in the design, and wherein said correlating comprises overlaying the area of the defect with the patterned features in the design. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the information for the design comprises information for additional regions of interest in the design determined by the one or more computer subsystems based on only the design. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the information for the design comprises information for additional regions of interest in the design determined by the one or more computer subsystems by pattern matching performed based on only the design. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the information for the design comprises information for additional regions of interest in the design determined by the one or more computer subsystems by geometric matching performed based on only the design. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the information for the design comprises information for additional regions of interest in the design determined by the one or more computer subsystems based on cell information for only the design. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the information for the design comprises information for additional regions of interest in the design determined by the one or more computer subsystems based on image processing of a graphical representation of only the design. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the information for the design comprises information for additional regions of interest in the design determined based on hot spot information for only the design. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the information for the design comprises information for additional regions of interest in the design determined based on information for hot spots in only the design, and wherein more than one of the additional regions of interest are determined for only one of the hot spots. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the information for the design comprises information for additional regions of interest in the design determined based on only the design, wherein said determining the spatial relationship comprises determining which of the additional regions of interest overlap spatially with the area of the defect, and wherein said automatically generating comprises selecting one of the additional regions of interest that overlap spatially with the area of the defect to be the region of interest to be measured for the detect. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein said automatically generating comprises altering the area of the defect based on the spatial relationship between the area of the defect and the information for the design and designating the altered area of the defect to be the region of interest. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the information for the design comprises information for patterned features in the design, and Wherein said automatically generating comprises determining an area of the region of interest based on the area of the defect and the patterned features adjacent to the area of the defect. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the information for the design comprises information for patterned features in the design, and wherein said automatically generating comprises determining an area of the region of interest, based on a minimum of the area of the defect or one or more of the patterned features in the vicinity of the defect. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the area of the defect is defined by a free form area drawn around the defect in an electron beam-based image of the defect, wherein the information for the design comprises information for additional regions of interest in the design determined based on only the design, wherein said determining the spatial relationship comprises determining which of the additional regions of interest overlaps spatially with or is closest to the area of the defect, and wherein said automatically generating comprises selecting or prioritizing one of the additional regions of interest that overlaps spatially with or is closest to the area of the defect to be the region of interest to be measured for the defect. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the information for the design comprises information for additional regions of interest in the design determined by the one or more computer subsystems based on only the design, and wherein one or more of the additional regions are measured during the process. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more computer subsystems are further configured for automatically determining one or more parameters of the one or more measurements performed in the region of interest during the process by the measurement subsystem. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the output generated by the detector comprises images of the specimen, wherein different images are generated by the detector for different areas on the specimen, wherein multiple patterned features on the specimen are imaged in the different images, and wherein the one or more computer subsystems are further configured for automatically locating the multiple patterned features in the different images, determining one or more characteristics of the located multiple patterned features in the different images, and determining one or more statistics of the one or more characteristics determined for the located multiple patterned features in the different images. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The system of claim 21, wherein the different areas comprise areas on the specimen in which defects detected on the specimen and selected for defect review are located, and wherein the different images are generated by the measurement subsystem during a defect review process performed for the defects. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) The system of claim 21, wherein the multiple patterned features comprise contacts. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The system of claim 23, wherein the measurement subsystem is further configured to be an electron beam microscope. ### Claim 25 (depends on 23) The system of claim 23, wherein the one or more characteristics comprise a critical dimension of the contacts. ### Claim 26 (depends on 21) The system of claim 21, wherein the multiple patterned features comprise line and space pairs. ### Claim 27 (depends on 21) The system of claim 21, wherein the one or more computer subsystems are further configured for automatically classifying the multiple patterned features based on the determined one or more statistics. ### Claim 28 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the process is performed on the specimen during inline monitoring of a fabrication process performed on the specimen. ### Claim 29 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the process comprises a metrology process, and wherein the system is further configured as to be a metrology tool. ### Claim 30 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the process comprises an inspection process, and wherein the system is further configured to be an inspection tool. ### Claim 31 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the process comprises a defect review process, and wherein the system is further configured to be a defect review tool. ### Claim 32 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the specimen comprises a wafer. ### Claim 33 (depends on 1) The of claim 1, wherein the specimen comprises a reticle. ### Claim 34 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the energy directed to the specimen comprises light, and wherein the energy detected from the specimen comprises light. ### Claim 35 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the energy directed to the specimen comprises electrons, and wherein the energy detected from the specimen comprises electrons. ### Claim 36 A non-transitory computer-readable medium, storing program instructions executable on a computer system for performing a computer-implemented method for determining one or more parameters of a process to be performed on a specimen, wherein the computer-implemented method comprises: determining an area of a defect detected on the specimen; correlating the area of the defect with information for a design for the specimen; determining a spatial relationship between the area of the defect and the information for the design based on results of said correlating; and automatically generating a region of interest, in which one or more measurements are performed for the specimen, based on the spatial relationship, wherein the one or more measurements are performed in the region of interest by a measurement subsystem during a process performed on the specimen by the measurement subsystem, wherein the measurement subsystem comprises at least an energy source and a detector, wherein the energy source is configured to generate energy that is directed to the specimen, and wherein the detector is configured to detect energy from the specimen and to generate output responsive to the detected energy. ### Claim 37 A computer-implemented method for determining one or more parameters of a process to be performed on a specimen, comprising: determining an area of a defect detected on the specimen; correlating the area of the defect with information for a design for the specimen; determining a spatial relationship between the area of the defect and the information for the design based on results of said correlating; and automatically generating a region of interest, in which one or more measurements are performed for the specimen, based on the spatial relationship, wherein the one or more measurements are performed in the region of interest by a measurement subsystem during a process performed on the specimen by the measurement subsystem, wherein the measurement subsystem comprises at least an energy source and a detector, wherein the energy source is configured to generate energy that is directed to the specimen, wherein the detector is configured to detect energy from the specimen and to generate output responsive to the detected energy, and wherein said determining the area, said correlating, said determining the spatial relationship, and said automatically generating are performed by one or more computer systems.