David S Dixon

US Patent:

7359545, Apr 15, 2008

Filed:

Dec 31, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/749887

Inventors:

David Dixon - Austin TX, US
Lloyd Lee - Manchacha TX, US

Assignee:

Tokyo Electron Limited - Tokyo

International Classification:

G06K 9/00

US Classification:

382145, 315293

Abstract:

An after develop inspection tool considers tool-to-tool variability when determining confidence score for wafers under inspection. A golden wafer is used to calculate a RGB signature as well as the slope of the individual RGB curves for different lamp intensities. These slopes are normalized in order to generate a compensation factor for red values and blue values within a signature. When a wafer is subsequently inspected at an ADI station using a different lamp, the test wafer RGB signature is likely captured at a different lamp intensity. Consequently, when comparing the signatures, the golden wafer RGB signature is adjusted by the compensation factors, based on the different lamp's intensity setting, and this adjusted RGB signature is then used to determine whether a defect exists on the test wafer.

US Patent:

7449265, Nov 11, 2008

Filed:

Nov 20, 2007

Appl. No.:

11/943286

Inventors:

David Dixon - Austin TX, US

Assignee:

Tokyo Electron Limited

International Classification:

G03F 9/00

US Classification:

430 22, 257797, 356401, 430 5, 430 30

Abstract:

The invention can provide a method of processing a wafer using segmented multi-dimensional targets that can be used in Double-Patterning (D-P) procedures.

US Patent:

7478014, Jan 13, 2009

Filed:

Sep 29, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/529352

Inventors:

David Dixon - Austin TX, US
Michael Kincaid - Kyle TX, US

Assignee:

Tokyo Electron Limited - Tokyo

International Classification:

G06F 19/00

US Classification:

702184

Abstract:

A method of determining preventive maintenance for an optical inspection system for inspecting photolithography processed substrates. The method includes measuring at least one operational characteristic of the optical inspection system and comparing a measurement result for said at least one operational characteristic with predetermined preventive maintenance criteria for the operational characteristic. Also included is determining a preventive maintenance requirement based on a comparison result of said comparing, and initiating a preventive maintenance action on said optical inspection system, said preventive maintenance action corresponding to said preventive maintenance requirement. A method of automatically performing preventive maintenance on an optical inspection system, and for retrofitting an optical inspection system to facilitate preventive maintenance of the optical inspection system are also disclosed.

US Patent:

7591600, Sep 22, 2009

Filed:

Feb 23, 2007

Appl. No.:

11/678410

Inventors:

David Dixon - Austin TX, US
Bryan Swain - Richmond VA, US

Assignee:

Tokyo Electron Limited - Tokyo

International Classification:

G03D 5/00
B05C 11/00
G03F 1/00

US Classification:

396611, 396578, 118688, 118712, 430325

Abstract:

A method for monitoring photolithography processing includes monitoring application of a light sensitive material to the surface of each of a plurality of substrates and detecting that a supply of the light sensitive material applied to the substrates has changed from a first batch of light sensitive material to a second batch light sensitive material. A change in photolithography process results caused by the change from the first batch to the second batch of light sensitive material is determined. Also included is initiating corrective action based on the change in photolithography process results.

US Patent:

7680321, Mar 16, 2010

Filed:

Apr 11, 2008

Appl. No.:

12/101260

Inventors:

David Dixon - Austin TX, US
Lloyd Lee - Manchacha TX, US

Assignee:

Tokyo Electron Limited - Tokyo

International Classification:

G06K 9/00

US Classification:

382145

Abstract:

An after develop inspection tool considers tool-to-tool variability when determining confidence score for wafers under inspection. A golden wafer is used to calculate a RGB signature as well as the slope of the individual RGB curves for different lamp intensities. These slopes are normalized in order to generate a compensation factor for red values and blue values within a signature. When a wafer is subsequently inspected at an ADI station using a different lamp, the test wafer RGB signature is likely captured at a different lamp intensity. Consequently, when comparing the signatures, the golden wafer RGB signature is adjusted by the compensation factors, based on the different lamp's intensity setting, and this adjusted RGB signature is then used to determine whether a defect exists on the test wafer.

US Patent:

8024676, Sep 20, 2011

Filed:

Feb 13, 2009

Appl. No.:

12/371193

Inventors:

Michael A. Carcasi - Austin TX, US
David Dixon - Austin TX, US

Assignee:

Tokyo Electron Limited - Tokyo

International Classification:

G06F 17/50
G06F 19/00
G21K 5/00
G03F 1/00
H01L 21/00

US Classification:

716 54, 716 52, 716 55, 430 5, 378 35, 438 7, 438 16, 700108, 700121

Abstract:

The invention can provide a method of processing a substrate using multi-pitch scatterometry targets (M-PSTs) for de-convolving lithographic process parameters during Single-Patterning (S-P), Double-Patterning (D-P) procedures, and Double-Exposure (D-E) procedures used to control transistor structures. The M-PSTs) can have critical dimension (CD) and sidewall angle (SWA) sensitivity to exposure focus variations, exposure dose variations, and post exposure bake (PEB) temperature variations. In addition, the variation can be de-convolved so that the individual measurement process variable contributor can be identified.

US Patent:

8260720, Sep 4, 2012

Filed:

Mar 25, 2009

Appl. No.:

12/410688

Inventors:

David Patrick Dixon - Boerne TX, US
Gary Scott Harris - Boerne TX, US

Assignee:

United Services Automobile Association - San Antonio TX

International Classification:

G06Q 99/00

US Classification:

705 67, 235379, 235380, 235382, 726 7, 726 28, 705 43, 705 64, 705 76

Abstract:

A system, method, and computer-usable medium are disclosed for identifying transactions resulting from the access of a financial account while a user is under duress. A user provides a duress shared secret. Instructions associated with the duress shared secret are processed and available financial account operations, along with associated financial account information, are displayed according to the associated instructions. The cash or electronic funds proceeds of a financial transaction operation are tagged with electronic fraud identification data. Tagged funds received by a financial institution are processed to extract their associated fraud identification data, which is then used to generate fraud trail data. If the tagged funds are used to originate follow-on financial transactions, they are likewise tagged with fraud identification data, which is likewise used to generate fraud trail data. Tagged funds are recovered by processing a tagged financial transaction to extract its associated fraud identification data, which is then used to query repositories of fraud trail data.

US Patent:

8634540, Jan 21, 2014

Filed:

Nov 13, 2008

Appl. No.:

12/270273

Inventors:

David Patrick Dixon - Boerne TX, US
Richard E. Moore - San Antonio TX, US

Assignee:

United Services Automobile Association (USAA) - San Antonio TX

International Classification:

H04M 3/00

US Classification:

37926509, 379 8817, 37926608

Abstract:

Activities performed by a client at a site of an organization are monitored and stored in an activity database. A call is thereafter received from the client at a telephone system of the organization, which performs an identification of the client. The identification is provided to a cross-channel router as a request for a prediction on where the call from the client should be routed, and the router indexes into the activity database based on the identification of the client to obtain the monitored activity of the client. The router employs predicting rules and the obtained activity to generate a prediction of client needs, and returns the generated prediction to the telephone-based system, which presents prioritized telephone prompts to the client according to the returned prediction to help in routing the call.