Method of inspecting a specimen and system thereof

• US 10,444,274 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2018
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• 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:
  US16/025,869
• Publication Number:
  US 20180321299A1
• Time in Patent Office: 470 Days
• Field of Search: 716 51, 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 system comprising:

a memory; and

a processor, operatively coupled with the memory, to;

receive a first data indicative of location information 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;

generate a die layout clip in accordance with the first data by extracting the die layout clip from a die layout of the specimen based on the location information of the potential defect of interest and the one or more inspected layers, the die layout clip comprising design information indicative of one or more patterns characterizing an inspection area that includes the potential defect of interest of the specimen; and

transmit the generated die layout clip to a semiconductor inspection unit, wherein an inspection by the semiconductor inspection unit of a semiconductor wafer that includes the specimen corresponding to the potential defect of interest is based on the one or more patterns of the die layout clip.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the die layout clip generated is a direct derivation of design data characterizing the specimen.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is to generate the die layout clip in accordance with the first data in real time, and to transmit the generated die layout clip to the semiconductor inspection unit in real time.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first data comprises coordinates of the potential defect of interest in the specimen.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first data further comprises dimensions of the inspection area containing the potential defect of interest.

6. A method comprising:

receiving a first data indicative of location information 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;

generating, by a processor, a die layout clip in accordance with the first data by extracting the die layout clip from a die layout of the specimen based on the location information of the potential defect of interest and the one or more inspected layers, the die layout clip comprising design information indicative of one or more patterns characterizing an inspection area that includes the potential defect of interest of the specimen; and

transmitting the generated die layout clip to a semiconductor inspection unit, wherein an inspection by the semiconductor inspection unit of a semiconductor wafer that includes the specimen corresponding to the potential defect of interest is based on the one or more patterns of the die layout clip.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the die layout clip generated is a direct derivation of design data characterizing the specimen.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein generating the die layout clip in accordance with the first data is in real time;

and

wherein transmitting the generated die layout clip to the semiconductor inspection unit is in real time.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the first data comprises coordinates of the potential defect of interest in the specimen.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first data further comprises dimensions of the inspection area containing the potential defect of interest.

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

receiving a first data indicative of location information 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;

generating a die layout clip in accordance with the first data by extracting the die layout clip from a die layout of the specimen based on the location information of the potential defect of interest and the one or more inspected layers, the die layout clip comprising design information indicative of one or more patterns characterizing an inspection area that includes the potential defect of interest of the specimen; and

transmitting the generated die layout clip to a semiconductor inspection unit, wherein an inspection by the semiconductor inspection unit of a semiconductor wafer that includes the specimen corresponding to the potential defect of interest is based on the one or more patterns of the die layout clip.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the die layout clip generated is a direct derivation of design data characterizing the specimen.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein generating the die layout clip in accordance with the first data is in real time, and wherein transmitting the generated die layout clip to the semiconductor inspection unit is in real time.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the first data comprises coordinates of the potential defect of interest in the specimen.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the first data further comprises dimensions of the inspection area containing the potential defect of interest.