Allen M Carroll

US Patent:

6436607, Aug 20, 2002

Filed:

Mar 2, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/517612

Inventors:

Richard L. Lozes - Pleasanton CA
Andrew Muray - Portland OR
Allen M. Carroll - Oakland CA

Assignee:

Applied Materials, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

International Classification:

G03C 500

US Classification:

430296, 25049222

Abstract:

Dose conservation is used during pattern modification in the data preparation phase of scanning beam lithography. The features to be exposed on a substrate, such as a mask or direct written semiconductor wafer, are corrected while neighboring features suffer little or no change. Thus, the edge of a feature is moved in terms of its exposure location without appreciably affecting the scattering into its neighbors. This achieves a developed feature which meets the intended design edge location. This process also corrects for variations in resist profile angles which otherwise may vary depending upon localized feature packing density. Not only is the feature edge moved but its dose per area is adjusted while conserving total dose over the feature.

US Patent:

7696498, Apr 13, 2010

Filed:

Mar 15, 2007

Appl. No.:

11/686905

Inventors:

Allen M. Carroll - San Jose CA, US

Assignee:

KLA-Tencor Technologies Corporation - Milpitas CA

International Classification:

G01J 3/10

US Classification:

25049222, 250396 R, 25049223, 250397, 2504923

Abstract:

Embodiments of the invention include an electron beam lithography device using a dynamically controllable photocathode capable of producing a patterned electron beam. One such implementation includes a dynamic pattern generator configurable to produce an electron beam having a desired image pattern impressed thereon. Such an electron beam pattern being enabled by selectively activating programmable photoemissive elements of the pattern generator. The apparatus further including an illumination source arranged to direct a light beam onto the dynamic pattern generator to produce the electron beam having the desired pattern. The electron beam being directed through associated electron optics configured to receive the electron beam from the dynamic pattern generator and direct the electron beam onto a target substrate mounted on a stage.

US Patent:

7958464, Jun 7, 2011

Filed:

Aug 28, 2008

Appl. No.:

12/199922

Inventors:

Luca Grella - Gilroy CA, US
Allen M. Carroll - San Jose CA, US

Assignee:

KLA-Tencor Corporation - Milpitas CA

International Classification:

G06F 17/50

US Classification:

716 55

Abstract:

A method for creating an electron beam pattern exposure, where a pattern of shapes is generated, including at least one of lines and vias. To each shape there is assigned a set of exposure pixels and edge placement constraints. An intensity at each exposure pixel is calculated by using a simplex method, and a latent resist image location is calculated by convolving a proximity function with the pixel intensities. A shape critical dimension and a shape edge slope is statistically evaluated by applying linear regression on the locations of the calculated latent image. The electron beam pattern exposures are produced using dosages linearly optimized on a rotated pixel grid to produce the shape critical dimension and the shape edge slope.

US Patent:

8373144, Feb 12, 2013

Filed:

Aug 31, 2010

Appl. No.:

12/873158

Inventors:

Mark A. McCord - Los Gatos CA, US
Paul F. Petric - Pleasanton CA, US
Allen Carroll - San Jose CA, US

Assignee:

KLA-Tencor Corporation - Milpitas CA

International Classification:

G21K 1/02

US Classification:

25049222, 250396 R, 250398, 2504921, 25049223, 2504923

Abstract:

One embodiment relates to an electron-beam apparatus for writing a pattern on a target substrate. The apparatus includes a plurality of arrays of actively-controlled pixel elements at a surface of a reflective electron patterning device. The plurality of arrays of actively-controlled pixel elements are arranged so that there is an area without any actively-controlled pixel elements in a region surrounding an optical axis of the objective lens. The plurality of arrays may be arranged to each lie on a circle centered on the optical axis. Other features, aspects and embodiments are also disclosed.

US Patent:

20120085919, Apr 12, 2012

Filed:

Oct 8, 2010

Appl. No.:

12/901217

Inventors:

Shinichi KOJIMA - Cupertino CA, US
Christopher F. BEVIS - Los Gatos CA, US
Allen M. CARROLL - San Jose CA, US

International Classification:

H01J 3/14

US Classification:

250396 R

Abstract:

One embodiment relates to an apparatus for writing a pattern on a target substrate. The apparatus includes a plurality of arrays of pixel elements, each array being offset from the other arrays. In addition, the apparatus includes a source and lenses for generating an incident beam that is focused onto the plurality of arrays, and circuitry to control the pixel elements of each array to selectively reflect pixel portions of the incident beam to form a patterned beam. The apparatus further includes a projector for projecting the patterned beam onto the target substrate. Other features, aspects and embodiments are also disclosed.

US Patent:

20130205267, Aug 8, 2013

Filed:

Jan 30, 2013

Appl. No.:

13/754760

Inventors:

Allen CARROLL - San Jose CA, US

Assignee:

KLA-TENCOR CORPORATION - Milpitas CA

International Classification:

G06F 17/50

US Classification:

716 55

Abstract:

One embodiment relates to a pattern data system for maskless electron beam lithography. The system includes a renderer that receives pre-exposure die image data, performs rendering of the pre-exposure die image data to generate raster data. The system further includes a plurality of data distributors communicatively coupled to the renderer. Each data distributor adapts the raster data to characteristics of an associated pattern writer. Other embodiments, aspects and feature are also disclosed.

US Patent:

47884312, Nov 29, 1988

Filed:

Apr 10, 1987

Appl. No.:

7/036731

Inventors:

William A. Eckes - Hayward CA
Lee Veneklasen - Castro Valley CA
Glen E. Howard - Pleasanton CA
Donald J. McCarthy - Hayward CA
Allen M. Carroll - Oakland CA
Daniel L. Cavan - Woodside CA

Assignee:

The Perkin-Elmer Corporation - Norwalk CT

International Classification:

H01J 37244

US Classification:

250397

Abstract:

A specimen distance measuring system uses a plate (36) to obstruct the flux of backscattered electrons produced by an electron beam (18), and to cast a shadow across a measurement detector (32) which is sensitive to the position of the shadow. The shadow plate (36) and measurement detector (32) are aligned at an angle of approximately 45 degrees with a substrate (14) in order to allow calibration of the distance measuring system by scanning the electron beam (18). The measuring system is particularly useful as a height sensor (10) in an electron beam lithography apparatus (12) for sensing the height of a substrate (14). The distance measuring system may also include a reference detector (34) which is positioned in order to receive backscattered electron flux without obstruction from the shadow plate (36). The use of such a reference detector (32) is advantageous in allowing compensation of the signals obtained by the measurement detector, in order to allow the height sensor to operate independently of variations in electron beam current, and variations in substrate backscatter coefficient. The reference and measurement detectors (34,32) may be aligned in a vertical or horizontal plane to be either parallel to or perpendicular to the bombardment electron beam (18).

US Patent:

44980108, Feb 5, 1985

Filed:

May 5, 1983

Appl. No.:

6/491678

Inventors:

Charles S. Biechler - Hayward CA
Allen M. Carroll - Berkeley CA
Richard E. Graves - Fremont CA
Steven A. Lyons - Oakland CA

Assignee:

The Perkin-Elmer Corporation - Norwalk CT

International Classification:

H01J 37302
H01J 37317

US Classification:

2504922

Abstract:

A technique performed in a fixed address particle beam lithographic system where the writing is performed in the normal manner for writing a pattern, for example, a stripe on a resist having a selected feature width except that an additional row of alternate pixels is written either before or after the selected feature is written. The alternate pixels, when the resist is developed, will provide a feature width of approximately 1/2 a pixel wider than the selected feature width due to blurring of the latent image caused by scattering of the particle beam within the resist. Thus, the resolution of selectable feature widths is enhanced with little or no loss of throughput. The same technique can also be utilized to lengthen a feature by 1/2 a pixel width. The technique is disclosed primarily in a raster scan machine but also disclosed is the technique in a vector scan machine. Also disclosed is a flow chart showing the invention used while preparing the data to be written by the machine.