Generating a Wafer Inspection Process Using Bit Failures and Virtual Inspection
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method for generating a wafer inspection process, comprising:
- scanning a wafer with an inspection system to detect defects on the wafer;
storing output of one or more detectors of the inspection system during the scanning regardless of whether the output corresponds to the defects detected on the wafer;
separating physical locations on the wafer that correspond to hit failures detected by testing of the wafer into a first portion of the physical locations at which the defects were not detected and a second portion of the physical locations at which the defects were detected;
applying one or more defect detection methods to the stored output corresponding to the first portion of the physical locations to detect defects at the first portion of the physical locations; and
generating a wafer inspection process based on the defects detected by the one or more defect detection methods at the first portion of the physical locations, wherein said storing, separating, applying, and generating are performed with a computer system.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and systems for generating a wafer inspection process are provided. One method includes storing output of detector(s) of an inspection system during scanning of a wafer regardless of whether the output corresponds to defects detected on the wafer and separating physical locations on the wafer that correspond to bit failures detected by testing of the wafer into a first portion of the physical locations at which the defects were not detected and a second portion of the physical locations at which the defects were detected. In addition, the method includes applying defect detection method(s) to the stored output corresponding to the first portion of the physical locations to detect defects at the first portion of the physical locations and generating a wafer inspection process based on the defects detected by the defect detection method(s) at the first portion of the physical locations.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method for generating a wafer inspection process, comprising:
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scanning a wafer with an inspection system to detect defects on the wafer; storing output of one or more detectors of the inspection system during the scanning regardless of whether the output corresponds to the defects detected on the wafer; separating physical locations on the wafer that correspond to hit failures detected by testing of the wafer into a first portion of the physical locations at which the defects were not detected and a second portion of the physical locations at which the defects were detected; applying one or more defect detection methods to the stored output corresponding to the first portion of the physical locations to detect defects at the first portion of the physical locations; and generating a wafer inspection process based on the defects detected by the one or more defect detection methods at the first portion of the physical locations, wherein said storing, separating, applying, and generating are performed with a computer system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, storing program instructions executable on a computer system for performing a computer-implemented method for generating a wafer inspection process, wherein the computer-implemented method comprises:
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storing output of one or more detectors of an inspection system during scanning of a wafer performed to detect defects on the wafer regardless of whether the output corresponds to the defects detected on the wafer; separating physical locations on the wafer that correspond to bit failures detected by testing of the wafer into a first portion of the physical locations at which the defects were not detected and a second portion of the physical locations at which the defects were detected; applying one or more defect detection methods to the stored output corresponding to the first portion of the physical locations to detect defects at the first portion of the physical locations; and generating a wafer inspection process based on the defects detected by the one or more defect detection methods at the first portion of the physical locations.
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20. A system configured to generate a wafer inspection process, comprising:
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an inspection subsystem configured to scan a wafer to detect defects on the wafer; and a computer subsystem configured for; storing output of one or more detectors of the inspection system during the scanning regardless of whether the output corresponds to the defects detected on the wafer; separating physical locations on the wafer that correspond to bit failures detected by testing of the wafer into a first portion of the physical locations at which the defects were not detected and a second portion of the physical locations at which the defects were detected; applying one or more defect detection methods to the stored output corresponding to the first portion of the physical locations to detect defects at the first portion of the physical locations; and generating a wafer inspection process based on the defects detected by the one or more defect detection methods at the first portion of the physical locations.
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Specification