Method of inspecting a specimen and system thereof

• US 10,012,689 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2015
• Issued: 07/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Israel Limited (Applied Materials Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Israel Limited (Applied Materials Incorporated)
• Inventors: Goren, Zvi, Boehm, Adi, Batikoff, Amit
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Paul
• Application Number:
  US14/668,749
• Publication Number:
  US 20160282404A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,196 Days
• Field of Search: 716 51- 52, 382145, 382149
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2601 Apparatus or methods therefor G01R31/2607, G01R31/2642 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2831 Testing of materials or semi-finished products, e.g. semiconductor wafers or substrates G01R31/318511 takes precedence; testing during manufacture H01L22/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/303 of integrated circuits G01R31/305 - G01R31/315 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 22/12 for structural parameters, e.g. thickness, line width, refractive index, temperature, warp, bond strength, defects, optical inspection, electrical measurement of structural dimensions, metallurgic measurement of diffusions electrical measurement of diffusions H01L22/14

Abstract

There is provided an inspection system for inspecting a specimen, an inspection unit capable to operate in conjunction with an inspection machine unit, a die layout clipping unit, methods of inspecting a specimen, and a method of providing a die layout clip. The method of inspecting a specimen comprises: obtaining location information indicative of coordinates of a potential defect of interest revealed in the specimen and of one or more inspected layers corresponding to the potential defect of interest; sending to a die layout clipping unit a first data indicative of the location information and dimensions of an inspection area containing the potential defect of interest; receiving a die layout clip generated in accordance with the first data; specifying at least one inspection algorithm of the inspection area using information comprised in the die layout clip; and enabling inspection of the inspection area using the specified inspection algorithm.

Claims

1. A computer-based inspection unit configured to operate in conjunction with an inspection machine unit, the inspection unit comprising:

a memory; and

a processor, operatively coupled with the memory, to;

obtain location information indicative of coordinates of a potential defect of interest revealed in a specimen and of one or more inspected layers of the specimen corresponding to the potential defect of interest;

send, to a computer-based and online connected die layout clipping unit, a first data indicative of the location information and dimensions of an inspection area containing the potential defect of interest; and

receive, from the die layout clipping unit, a die layout clip generated in accordance with the first data, wherein the die layout clip comprises information indicative of one or more patterns characterizing the inspection area;

determine at least one inspection algorithm of the inspection area of the specimen based upon the one or more patterns characterizing the inspection area in the die layout clip received, wherein the at least one inspection algorithm is associated with an inspection of a semiconductor wafer corresponding to the specimen by the inspection machine unit; and

send a second data specify the at least one inspection algorithm determined by the processor to the inspection machine unit.

2. The inspection unit of claim 1, wherein the die layout clip is generated by the die layout clipping unit as a direct derivation of design data characterizing the specimen.

3. The inspection unit of claim 1, wherein the inspection unit further comprises a storage module configured to store one or more predefined inspection algorithms, and wherein the processor is further configured to select the at least one inspection algorithm from the one or more stored predefined inspection algorithms in accordance with the information comprised in the die layout clip received from the die layout clipping unit.

4. The inspection unit of claim 3, wherein the one or more predefined inspection algorithms are selected from a group constituted by one or more algorithms for die-to-die inspection, one or more algorithms for cell-to-cell inspection, one or more algorithms for die-to-database inspection, and one or more algorithms for cell-to-multiple-cell inspection.

5. The inspection unit of claim 1, wherein the processor is further to enable real-time communication to the die layout clipping unit for sending the first data responsive to obtaining the location information.

6. The inspection unit of claim 1, wherein the processor is further to enable real-time communication to the die layout clipping unit for receiving the die layout clip and the processor is further configured to specify, in real time, the at least one inspection algorithm responsive to receiving the die layout clip.

7. The inspection unit of claim 1, wherein each pattern is characterized by a predefined inspection algorithm corresponding to the pattern.

8. A computer-implemented method of inspecting a specimen, the method comprising:

obtaining, by a computer-based inspection unit, location information indicative of coordinates of a potential defect of interest revealed in the specimen and of one or more inspected layers of the specimen corresponding to the potential defect of interest;

sending, by the inspection unit, to a computer-based and online connected die layout clipping unit a first data indicative of the location information and dimensions of an inspection area containing the potential defect of interest;

receiving, by the inspection unit, from the die layout clipping unit a die layout clip generated in accordance with the first data, wherein the die layout clip comprises information indicative of one or more patterns characterizing the inspection area;

determining, by the inspection unit, at least one inspection algorithm of the inspection area based upon the one or more patterns characterizing the inspection area in the die layout clip, wherein the at least one inspection algorithm is associated with an inspection of a semiconductor wafer corresponding to the specimen; and

enabling, by the inspection unit, inspection of the inspection area of the specimen using the at least one inspection algorithm.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the die layout clip is generated by the die layout clipping unit as a direct derivation of design data characterizing the specimen.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said determining comprises selecting the at least one inspection algorithm from one or more predefined inspection algorithms in accordance with the information comprised in the die layout clip received from the die layout clipping unit.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein at least one predefined inspection algorithm is selected from a group constituted by:

one or more algorithms for die-to-die inspection, one or more algorithms for cell-to-cell inspection, one or more algorithms for die-to-database inspection, and one or more algorithms for cell-to-multiple-cell inspection.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein receiving the generated die layout clip from the die layout clipping unit responsive to the die layout clipping unit generating the die layout clip and/or specifying the at least one inspection algorithm responsive to receiving the die layout clip from the die layout clipping unit are performed in real time.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein each pattern is characterized by a predefined inspection algorithm corresponding to the pattern.

14. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations for inspecting a specimen, the operations comprising:

obtaining location information indicative of coordinates of a potential defect of interest revealed in the specimen and of one or more inspected layers of the specimen corresponding to the potential defect of interest;

sending to a computer-based and online connected die layout clipping unit a first data indicative of the location information and dimensions of an inspection area containing the potential defect of interest;

receiving from the die layout clipping unit a die layout clip generated in accordance with the first data, wherein the die layout clip comprises information indicative of one or more patterns characterizing the inspection area;

determining at least one inspection algorithm of the inspection area based upon the one or more patterns characterizing the inspection area in the die layout clip, wherein the at least one inspection algorithm is associated with an inspection of a semiconductor wafer corresponding to the specimen; and

enabling inspection of the inspection area of the specimen using the at least one inspection algorithm.