Samsung patents method to check chip layer alignment using electron beam images
This filing describes a way to measure how well different layers of a computer chip line up during manufacturing. It uses a special marker and an electron beam scan to create an image that helps engineers calculate any misalignment between the layers.
In the filing’s own words
An overlay measuring method includes placing a lower pattern and an upper pattern in a layout, shifting at least one of the lower pattern and the upper pattern by a programmed misalignment, adding a programmed mark in the layout, forming a lower conductive pattern, an upper conductive pattern, and a mark structure on a key region of a substrate, based on the layout, the mark structure being formed by the programmed mark, performing an e-beam inspection on the key region to obtain a voltage contrast (VC) image, the VC image including a reference mark that is a signal of the mark structure, matching an actual measuring region of the VC image to the layout using the reference mark, and obtaining an overlay value in the key region.
What exactly they claim (claim 1)
1. An overlay measuring method comprising: placing a lower pattern and an upper pattern in a layout; shifting at least one of the lower pattern and the upper pattern by a programmed misalignment; adding a programmed mark in the layout; forming a lower conductive pattern, an upper conductive pattern, and a mark structure on a key region of a substrate, based on the layout, the mark structure being formed by the programmed mark; performing an e-beam inspection on the key region to obtain a voltage contrast (VC) image, the VC image including a reference mark that is a signal of the mark structure; matching an actual measuring region of the VC image to the layout using the reference mark; and obtaining an overlay value in the key region.
Facts
- Company
- Samsung (Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.)
- Official title
- OVERLAY MEASURING METHOD USING A VOLTAGE CONTRAST IMAGE
- Publication number
- US20260271395A1
- Application number
- 19660887
- Filed
- Apr 28, 2026
- Published
- Sep 10, 2026
- Inventors
- 8
- Claims
- 20
Classified under
H10D 84/853 Electricity & electronicsG03F 7/70633 Physics & computingG03F 7/70683 Physics & computingH10B 12/01 Electricity & electronicsH10B 12/34 Electricity & electronicsH10B 12/482 Electricity & electronicsMore from Samsung in Chips & hardware
- Samsung patents chip that combines camera and screen Oct 13, 2026
- Samsung patents faster chip testing using machine learning Sep 1, 2026
- Samsung patents radar method to pinpoint target direction more accurately Sep 1, 2026
- Samsung patents memory chip that searches data by content, not address Sep 1, 2026
- Samsung patents chip design that skips empty data to speed up AI Sep 1, 2026
Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.