Process condition based dynamic defect inspection

• US 10,133,263 B1
• Filed: 08/18/2015
• Issued: 11/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KLA-Tencor Corporation
• Original Assignee: KLA-Tencor Corporation
• Inventors: Yong, Poh Boon
• Primary Examiner(s): Raymond, Edward
• Application Number:
  US14/829,503
• Time in Patent Office: 1,190 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41875 characterised by quality surveillance of production
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 22/20 Sequence of activities consisting of a plurality of measurements, corrections, marking or sorting steps
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

Defect inspection methods and systems that use process conditions to dynamically determine how to perform defect inspections during a semiconductor manufacturing process are disclosed. A defect inspection method may include: obtaining process conditions from a process tool utilized to process at least one wafer; determining whether to perform defect inspection of a layer, a wafer, or a high risk area/spot within the at least one wafer based on the process conditions obtained; bypassing the defect inspection when it is determined not to perform the defect inspection; and performing the defect inspection after the at least one wafer is processed by the process tool when it is determined to perform the defect inspection.

Claims

1. A wafer inspection method comprising:

obtaining manufacturing process tool parameter data from a manufacturing process tool configured to process at least one wafer;

determining whether to bypass a defect inspection process of the at least one wafer or perform a defect inspection process of the at least one wafer based on the obtained manufacturing process tool parameter data; and

performing the defect inspection process of the at least one wafer in response to a determination to perform the defect inspection.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining whether to perform a defect inspection process is based on whether the obtained manufacturing process tool parameter data exhibits at least one anomaly.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one wafer includes a plurality of wafers, and wherein said determining whether to perform a defect inspection process further comprises:

determining whether to perform defect inspection of an entirety of the plurality of wafers or a selected subset of the plurality of wafers.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the selected subset of the plurality of wafers includes wafers identified to be most likely affected by the at least one anomaly, wherein the at least one anomaly is identified by obtained manufacturing process tool parameter data relating to a process condition of at least one of a gas flow, a temperature, or a pressure.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said performing the defect inspection process of the at least one wafer further comprises:

identifying at least one of a high risk area and a high risk spot within the at least one wafer; and

performing the defect inspection process of the at least one of the high risk area and the high risk spot identified.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said performing the defect inspection process of the at least one wafer further comprises:

adjusting settings of at least one inspection device utilized to perform the defect inspection process based on the at least one of the high risk area and the high risk spot identified.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said performing the defect inspection process of the at least one wafer is performed prior to processing the at least one wafer utilizing another manufacturing process tool.

8. A wafer manufacturing method comprising:

processing at least one wafer utilizing a manufacturing process tool;

obtaining manufacturing process tool parameter data from the manufacturing process tool;

determining whether to bypass a defect inspection process of the at least one wafer or perform a defect inspection process of the at least one wafer based on obtained manufacturing process tool parameter data; and

performing the defect inspection process of the at least one wafer in response to a determination to perform the defect inspection.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said performing the defect inspection process of the at least one wafer is performed prior to processing the at least one wafer utilizing another manufacturing process tool.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said determining whether to perform the defect inspection process is based on whether the obtained manufacturing process tool parameter data exhibits at least one anomaly.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one wafer includes a plurality of wafers, and wherein said determining whether to perform the defect inspection process further comprises:

determining whether to perform the defect inspection process of an entirety of the plurality of wafers or a selected subset of the plurality of wafers.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the selected subset of the plurality of wafers includes wafers identified to be most likely affected by the at least one anomaly, wherein the at least one anomaly is identified by obtained manufacturing process tool parameter data relating to a process condition of at least one of a gas flow, a temperature, or a pressure.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein said performing the defect inspection process of the at least one wafer further comprises:

identifying at least one of a high risk area and a high risk spot within the at least one wafer; and

performing the defect inspection process of the at least one of the high risk area and the high risk spot identified.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said performing the defect inspection process of the at least one wafer further comprises:

adjusting settings of at least one inspection device utilized to perform the defect inspection process based on the at least one of the high risk area and the high risk spot identified.

15. A system comprising:

a data interface, the data interface configured to obtain manufacturing process tool parameter data from a manufacturing process tool configured to process at least one wafer;

a processor in communication with the data interface, the processor configured to determine whether to bypass a defect inspection process of the at least one wafer or perform a defect inspection process of the at least one wafer based on obtained manufacturing process tool parameter data; and

an inspection device in communication with the processor, wherein the processor is configured to direct the inspection device to perform the defect inspection process of the at least one wafer in response to a determination to perform the defect inspection.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor determines whether to perform the defect inspection process based on whether the obtained manufacturing process tool parameter data exhibits at least one anomaly.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the at least one wafer includes a plurality of wafers, and wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether to perform the defect inspection process of an entirety of the plurality of wafers or a selected subset of the plurality of wafers.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the selected subset of the plurality of wafers includes wafers identified to be most likely affected by the at least one anomaly, wherein the at least one anomaly is identified by obtained manufacturing process tool parameter data relating to a process condition of at least one of a gas flow, a temperature, or a pressure.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to identify at least one of a high risk area and a high risk spot within the at least one wafer and provide location information of the at least one of the high risk area and the high risk spot to the inspection device.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the inspection device is further configured to adjust defect inspection process settings based on the at least one of the high risk area and the high risk spot identified.

21. A wafer inspection method comprising:

obtaining manufacturing process tool parameter data from a manufacturing process tool configured to process at least one wafer;

determining whether to bypass a defect inspection process of the at least one wafer or perform a defect inspection process of the at least one wafer based on the obtained manufacturing process tool parameter data; and

bypassing the defect inspection process of the at least one wafer in response to the determination to bypass the defect inspection.

22. A system comprising:

a data interface, the data interface configured to obtain manufacturing process tool parameter data from a manufacturing process tool configured to process at least one wafer;

a processor in communication with the data interface, the processor configured to determine whether to bypass a defect inspection process of the at least one wafer or perform a defect inspection process of the at least one wafer based on obtained manufacturing process tool parameter data; and

an inspection device in communication with the processor, wherein the processor is configured to direct the inspection device to bypass the defect inspection process of the at least one wafer in response to a determination to bypass the defect inspection.