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Method and apparatus for optical data analysis

  • US 5,953,446 A
  • Filed: 10/09/1998
  • Issued: 09/14/1999
  • Est. Priority Date: 05/17/1996
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A method for evaluating parameters of a semiconductor wafer comprising:

  • identifying a group of parameters associated with the semiconductor wafer to be evaluated;

    defining a genotype as a collection of genes, each gene corresponding to a selected one of the group of parameters to be evaluated;

    defining a population as a collection of genotypes;

    initializing a current population with theoretical parameters corresponding to the actual parameters of the semiconductor wafer to be evaluated;

    for each group of theoretical parameters, deriving a set of theoretical data corresponding thereto;

    inspecting the semiconductor wafer and generating therefrom a set of measured data;

    comparing the set of measured data to the sets of derived theoretical data for each genotype to determine a level of fitness for each genotype;

    evolving a next population by selecting at least one genotype from the current population based on the fitness level of the genotype and performing a genetic operation on the at least one genotype, thereby creating at least one new genotype and adding the at least one new genotype to the next population; and

    repeating the comparing and evolving steps so that the theoretical parameters of the selected genotype become increasingly more representative of the actual parameters of the semiconductor wafer.

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