Method and system for anomaly detection

• US 6,091,846 A
• Filed: 05/30/1997
• Issued: 07/18/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rudolph Technologies Incorporated (Onto Innovation Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Hennessey, A. Kathleen, Pattikonda, Ramakrishna, Lin, YouLing, Reddy, Rajasekar, Khaja, Veera S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rogers, Scott
• Application Number:
  US08/867,156
• Time in Patent Office: 1,145 Days
• Field of Search: 348/86, 348/87, 348/126, 348/94, 348/95, 348/125, 382/141-152, 382/168, 364/490, 364/491, 364/559
• US Class Current: 382/145
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/9501 Semiconductor wafers manufacturing processes per se of semiconductor devices implementing a measuring step H01L22/10
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/95607 using a comparative method
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10056 Microscopic image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30148 Semiconductor; IC; Wafer
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/001 using an image reference approach
• 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: H01L 2924/014 Solder alloys

Abstract

A system and method for detecting anomalies on a manufactured device includes or utilizes a moveable stage for holding and positioning the device, a camera for capturing an image of the device on the stage, a digitizer coupled to the camera for producing a digital-pixel-based representation of the image, and a computer having a processor and memory. The computer is coupled to the digitizer for receiving the digital-pixel-based representation from the digitizer and coupled to the stage for selectively moving the stage to align the device. The computer is programmed to be operable to symbolically decompose a digital-pixel-based representation of an image to create a primitive-based representation of the image. The image may be aligned by the computer with respect to the rotation of geometric objects in the image by developing a histogram of angles and lengths and matching them to determine a rotational shift.

Claims

1. A system for detecting anomalies on a semiconductor wafer, the system comprising:

a moveable stage for holding and positioning the semiconductor wafer;

a camera for capturing an image of the semiconductor wafer;

a digitizer coupled to the camera for producing a digital-pixel-based representation of the image;

a computer having a processor and memory, the computer coupled to the digitizer for receiving the digital-pixel-based representation from the digitizer and coupled to the stage for selectively moving the stage to align the wafer; and

the computer is programmed to be operable to;

symbolically decompose the digital-pixel-based representation of an image to create a primitive-based representation of the image,

the computer further operable to develop a histogram of angles and lengths of geometric objects within the image and compare the histogram to a reference histogram of a reference image to determine rotational shift of the image.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer is operable to analyze the primitive-based representation of the image to detect and locate any anomalies by analyzing the primitive-based representation of the image for irregular breaks in lines or irregular angles.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer is operable to analyze the primitive-based representation of the image to detect and locate any anomalies by dividing the primitive-based representation of the image into segments, comparing segments to locate repetitive patterns, and then deleting the repetitive patterns from each segment.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer is operable to analyze the primitive-based representation of the image to detect and locate any anomalies by comparing the primitive-based representation of the image with a stored, predetermined reference image.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer is operable to analyze the primitive-based representation of the image to detect and locate any anomalies by subtracting a stored, predetermined reference image from the primitive-based representation of the image or subtracting a second captured reference image.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the camera is a line-scan camera.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the camera is a wide-scan camera.

8. A system for detecting anomalies on a manufactured device, the system comprising:

a moveable stage for holding and positioning the device;

a camera for capturing an image of the device on the stage;

a digitizer coupled to the camera for producing a digital-pixel-based representation of the image;

a computer having a processor and memory, the computer coupled to the digitizer for receiving the digital-pixel-based representation from the digitizer and coupled to the stage for selectively moving the stage to align the device; and

the computer is programmed to be operable to;

symbolically decompose a digital-pixel-based representation of the image to create a primitive-based representation of the image;

analyze the primitive-based representation of the image to detect and locate any anomalies; and

the computer further to develop a histogram of angles and lengths of objects within the image and compare the histogram to a reference histogram of a reference image to determine the rotational shift of the image.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein in the device is a populated printed circuit board, and wherein the computer is operable to analyze the primitive-based representation of the image to detect and locate any anomalies by comparing the primitive-based representation of the image with a stored, predetermined reference image of a properly populated printed circuit board.

10. A method for detecting anomalies on a manufactured device, the system comprising:

placing the manufactured device on a moveable stage;

capturing and preparing a digital-pixel-based representation of the image;

symbolically decomposing the digital-pixel-based representation of an image to create a primitive-based representation of the image;

analyzing the primitive-based representation of the image to detect and locate any anomalies; and

wherein the step of decomposing the digital-pixel-based representation of an image includes aligning geometric objects in the pixel-based representation of the image with respect to rotation by developing a histogram of angles and lengths and matching them with a reference histogram of a reference image to determine a rotational shift.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of analyzing the primitive-based representation of the image to detect and locate any anomalies includes analyzing the primitive-based representation of the image for irregular breaks in lines or irregular angles.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of analyzing the primitive-based representation of the image to detect and locate any anomalies includes dividing the primitive-based representation of the image into segments, comparing segments to locate repetitive patterns, and then deleting the repetitive patterns from each segment.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of analyzing the primitive-based representation of the image to detect and locate any anomalies includes comparing the primitive-based representation of the image with a stored, predetermined reference image.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of analyzing the primitive-based representation of the image to detect and locate any anomalies includes subtracting a stored, predetermined reference image from the primitive-based representation of the image or subtracting a second captured reference image.