An atomic force microscope includes a sample stage on which a sample is placed, a cantilever including a probe tip, a laser radiating a laser beam to the cantilever, a photodetector receiving a laser beam reflected from the cantilever, a first camera photographing the sample and the cantilever, a second camera photographing the cantilever and the spot of the laser beam, and a processor electrically connected to the first and second cameras and the photodetector to process data acquired by the first and second cameras and the photodetector. An operation method of the atomic force microscope includes detecting the positions of the cantilever and the sample using the first camera, adjusting the position of the sample, detecting the positions of the laser and the cantilever using the second camera, aligning the laser, detecting the position of the laser beam using the photodetector, and aligning the position of the photodetector.

A system and method of operating an atomic force microscope (AFM) that includes providing relative scanning motion between a probe of the AFM and a sample in a slow scan direction of a data scan to generate a reference image (plane) of a region of interest. Then, relative scanning motion between the probe and the sample is provided in a fast scan direction of a final data scan to generate a data image. By mapping the data image against the reference image in real-time during the supplying step, the preferred embodiments generate a final drift corrected data image without post-image acquisition processing.

A system and method of operating an atomic force microscope (AFM) that includes providing relative scanning motion between a probe of the AFM and a sample in a slow scan direction of a data scan to generate a reference image (plane) of a region of interest. Then, relative scanning motion between the probe and the sample is provided in a fast scan direction of a final data scan to generate a data image. By mapping the data image against the reference image in real-time during the supplying step, the preferred embodiments generate a final drift corrected data image without post-image acquisition processing.

In one embodiment, a method includes generating a model trained to predict a low-probability stochastic defect, using the model to predict the low-probability stochastic defect, determining a process window based on the low-probability stochastic defect, and controlling, based on the process window, a lithography tool to manufacture a device.

In one embodiment, a method includes generating a model trained to predict a low-probability stochastic defect, using the model to predict the low-probability stochastic defect, determining a process window based on the low-probability stochastic defect, and controlling, based on the process window, a lithography tool to manufacture a device.

An atomic force microscope (AFM) and method of operating the same includes a separate Z height sensor to measure, simultaneously with AFM system control, probe sample distance, pixel-by-pixel during AFM data acquisition. By mapping the AFM data to low resolution data of the Z height data, a high resolution final data image corrected for creep is generated in real time.

An atomic force microscope includes a sample stage on which a sample is placed, a cantilever including a probe tip, a laser radiating a laser beam to the cantilever, a photodetector receiving a laser beam reflected from the cantilever, a first camera photographing the sample and the cantilever, a second camera photographing the cantilever and the spot of the laser beam, and a processor electrically connected to the first and second cameras and the photodetector to process data acquired by the first and second cameras and the photodetector. An operation method of the atomic force microscope includes detecting the positions of the cantilever and the sample using the first camera, adjusting the position of the sample, detecting the positions of the laser and the cantilever using the second camera, aligning the laser, detecting the position of the laser beam using the photodetector, and aligning the position of the photodetector.

In one embodiment, a method includes generating a model trained to predict a low-probability stochastic defect, calibrating, using unbiased measurement data, the model to a specific lithography process, patterning process, or both to generate a calibrated model, using the calibrated model to predict the low-probability stochastic defect; and modifying, based on the low-probability stochastic defect, a variable, parameter, setting, or some combination of a manufacturing process of a device.

In one embodiment, a method includes generating a model trained to predict a low-probability stochastic defect, calibrating, using unbiased measurement data, the model to a specific lithography process, patterning process, or both to generate a calibrated model, using the calibrated model to predict the low-probability stochastic defect; and modifying, based on the low-probability stochastic defect, a variable, parameter, setting, or some combination of a manufacturing process of a device.

A method includes scanning a probe laterally across a surface so that the probe follows a scanning motion across the surface and steering a detection beam onto the probe via a steering mirror, the detection beam reflecting from the probe in the form of a return beam. The method also includes moving the steering mirror so that the detection beam follows a tracking motion which is synchronous with the scanning motion and the detection beam remains steered onto the probe by the steering mirror and using the return beam to obtain image measurements, each indicative of a measured height of a respective point on the surface. An associated height error measurement is obtained for each point on the surface, each measurement being indicative of a respective error in the measured height. The height error measurements are used to correct the image measurements so as to generate corrected image measurements.