Abstract:
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable high-speed inspection of semiconductor wafers. SOLUTION: A plurality of independent, low cost, optical-inspection subsystems 30 are packaged and integrated to simultaneously perform parallel inspections of portions of the wafer 20. The wafer location relative to the inspection is controlled so that the entire wafer is imaged by the system of optical subsystems in a raster-scan mode. A monochromatic coherent-light source illuminates the wafer surface. A darkfield-optical system collects scattered light and filters patterns produced by valid periodic wafer structures using Fourier filtering. The filtered light is processed by general purpose digital-signal processors. Image subtraction methods are used to detect wafer defects, which are reported to a main computer 50 to aid in statistical process control, particularly for manufacturing equipment. COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT
Abstract:
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide various systems and methods for creating persistent data for a wafer and using persistent data for inspection-related functions.SOLUTION: One system includes a set of processor nodes 20 coupled to a detector 10 of an inspection system. Each of the processor nodes 20 is configured to receive a portion of image data generated by the detector 10 during scanning of a wafer 12. The system also includes an array 22 of storage media separately coupled to each of the processor nodes 20. The processor nodes 20 are configured to send all of the image data or a selected portion of the image data received by the processor nodes 20 to the arrays 22 of storage media such that all of the image data or the selected portion of the image data generated by the detector 10 during the scanning of the wafer 12 is stored in the arrays 22 of the storage media.
Abstract:
A defect detection method includes acquiring a reference image; selecting a target region of the reference image; identifying, based on a matching metric, one or more comparative regions of the reference image corresponding to the target region; acquiring a test image; masking the test image with the target region of the reference image and the one or more comparative regions of the reference image; defining a defect threshold for the target region in the test image based on the one or more comparative regions in the test image; and determining whether the target region of the test image contains a defect based on the defect threshold.
Abstract:
A method for inspecting semiconductor wafers is provided in which a plurality of independent, low-cost, optical-inspection subsystems are packaged and integrated to simultaneously perform parallel inspections of portions of the wafer, the wafer location relative to the inspection being controlled so that the entire wafer is imaged by the system of optical subsystems in a raster-scan mode. A monochromatic coherent-light source illuminates the wafer surface. A darkfield-optical system collects scattered light and filters patterns produced by valid periodic wafer structures using Fourier filtered. The filtered light is processed by general purpose digital-signal processors. Image subtraction methods are used to detect wafer defects, which are reported to a main computer to aid in statistical process control, particularly for manufacturing equipment.
Abstract:
Various systems and methods for creating persistent data for a wafer and using persistent data for inspection-related functions are provided. One system includes a set of processor nodes coupled to a detector of an inspection system. Each of the processor nodes is configured to receive a portion of image data generated by the detector during scanning of a wafer. The system also includes an array of storage media separately coupled to each of the processor nodes. The processor nodes are configured to send all of the image data or a selected portion of the image data received by the processor nodes to the arrays of storage media such that all of the image data or the selected portion of the image data generated by the detector during the scanning of the wafer is stored in the arrays of the storage media.
Abstract:
A method for inspecting semiconductor wafers is provided in which a plurality of independent, low cost, optical-inspection subsystems (30) are packaged and integrated to simultaneously perform parallel inspections of portions of the wafer (20), the wafer location relative to the inspection being controlled so that the entire wafer (20) is imaged by the system of optical subsystems (30) in a raster-scan mode. A monochromatic coherent-light source illuminates the wafer surface. A darkfield-optical system collects scattered light and filters patterns produced by valid periodic wafer structures using Fourier filtering. The filtered light is processed by general purpose digital-signal processors (19). Image subtraction methods are used to detect wafer defects, which are reported to a main computer (50) to aid in statistical process control, particularly for manufacturing equipment.
Abstract:
Various systems and methods for creating persistent data for a wafer and using persistent data for inspection-related functions are provided. One system includes a set of processor nodes coupled to a detector of an inspection system. Each of the processor nodes is configured to receive a portion of image data generated by the detector during scanning of a wafer. The system also includes an array of storage media separately coupled to each of the processor nodes. The processor nodes are configured to send all of the image data or a selected portion of the image data received by the processor nodes to the arrays of storage media such that all of the image data or the selected portion of the image data generated by the detector during the scanning of the wafer is stored in the arrays of the storage media.