Integrated circuit defect review and classification process
First Claim
1. A method by a user to evaluate a wafer of a plurality of wafers for defects in a plurality of manufacturing processes, each wafer of the plurality of wafers having integrated circuit semiconductor dice thereon, each integrated circuit die of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice having at least one circuit, said method comprising:
- determining from historical information concerning at least one process of manufacture of integrated circuit semiconductor dice on wafers at least one relationship between at least one type of surface defect on at least two dice of the integrated circuit semiconductor dice on the wafers, said at least one type of surface defect visible to a user visually inspecting the integrated circuit semiconductor dice on the wafers for at least one surface defect thereon and a user determining at least one subsequent failure of the at least two dice having a surface defect thereon of the integrated circuit semiconductor dice on the wafers;
visually inspecting at least two dice of integrated circuit semiconductor dice on a wafer to determine surface defects thereon by a user viewing at least two dice of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer, said surface defects including at least one defect of defects from bond pad formation problems and defects from incomplete formation of said at least one circuit of said at least two dice of said integrated circuit dice on said wafer;
selecting types of surface defects present on said at least two dice of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer from the visual inspection of said at least two dice of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer by a user viewing said at least two dice of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer;
selecting a range of sizes of said surface defects from the visual inspection of said at least two dice of said integrated circuit dice on said wafer by a user;
selecting a number of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice for visual inspection on said wafer by a user selecting at least one other die of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer for the visual inspection thereof for surface defects thereon;
summarizing the number, types, and range of sizes of the surface defects of said at least two dice and said at least one other die of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer from the visual inspection of at least three dice of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer by a user;
comparing said number, types and ranges of sizes of the surface defects of said at least two dice and said at least one other die of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer to the historical information concerning the process of manufacture of integrated circuit semiconductor dice on wafers; and
determining if said wafer is acceptable to proceed in said manufacturing process based upon the visual inspection of at least three dice of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer by a user and based upon the historical information concerning the process of manufacture of integrated circuit semiconductor dice on wafers of the at least one relationship between at least one type of surface defect on at least two dice of the integrated circuit semiconductor dice on the wafers visible to a user visually inspecting the integrated circuit semiconductor dice on the wafers and at least one subsequent failure of the at least two dice having a surface defect thereon of the integrated circuit semiconductor dice on the wafers.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates to circuit defect detection, classification, and review in the wafer stage of the integrated circuit semiconductor device manufacturing process. The method of processing integrated circuit semiconductor dice on a wafer in a manufacturing process for dice comprising the steps of visually inspecting the dice on the wafer to determine defects thereon, summarizing the number, types, and ranges of sizes of the defects of the dice on the wafer, and determining if the wafer is acceptable to proceed in the manufacturing process.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method by a user to evaluate a wafer of a plurality of wafers for defects in a plurality of manufacturing processes, each wafer of the plurality of wafers having integrated circuit semiconductor dice thereon, each integrated circuit die of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice having at least one circuit, said method comprising:
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determining from historical information concerning at least one process of manufacture of integrated circuit semiconductor dice on wafers at least one relationship between at least one type of surface defect on at least two dice of the integrated circuit semiconductor dice on the wafers, said at least one type of surface defect visible to a user visually inspecting the integrated circuit semiconductor dice on the wafers for at least one surface defect thereon and a user determining at least one subsequent failure of the at least two dice having a surface defect thereon of the integrated circuit semiconductor dice on the wafers;
visually inspecting at least two dice of integrated circuit semiconductor dice on a wafer to determine surface defects thereon by a user viewing at least two dice of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer, said surface defects including at least one defect of defects from bond pad formation problems and defects from incomplete formation of said at least one circuit of said at least two dice of said integrated circuit dice on said wafer;
selecting types of surface defects present on said at least two dice of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer from the visual inspection of said at least two dice of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer by a user viewing said at least two dice of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer;
selecting a range of sizes of said surface defects from the visual inspection of said at least two dice of said integrated circuit dice on said wafer by a user;
selecting a number of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice for visual inspection on said wafer by a user selecting at least one other die of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer for the visual inspection thereof for surface defects thereon;
summarizing the number, types, and range of sizes of the surface defects of said at least two dice and said at least one other die of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer from the visual inspection of at least three dice of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer by a user;
comparing said number, types and ranges of sizes of the surface defects of said at least two dice and said at least one other die of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer to the historical information concerning the process of manufacture of integrated circuit semiconductor dice on wafers; and
determining if said wafer is acceptable to proceed in said manufacturing process based upon the visual inspection of at least three dice of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer by a user and based upon the historical information concerning the process of manufacture of integrated circuit semiconductor dice on wafers of the at least one relationship between at least one type of surface defect on at least two dice of the integrated circuit semiconductor dice on the wafers visible to a user visually inspecting the integrated circuit semiconductor dice on the wafers and at least one subsequent failure of the at least two dice having a surface defect thereon of the integrated circuit semiconductor dice on the wafers. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
classifying visual defects of said at least two dice of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice of said wafer as to size of the defect.
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4. The method of claim 3, further including:
classifying said visual defects of said at least two dice of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice of said wafer as to a size range of the defect.
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5. The method of claim 4, further including:
summarizing the number, types, and range of sizes of the defects of said at least two dice of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer in a tabular manner.
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6. The method of claim 5, further including:
summarizing the number, types, and range of sizes of the defects of said at least two dice of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer in a display of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice of said wafer.
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7. The method of claim 1, further including:
determining if said wafer is acceptable to proceed in said manufacturing process as a wafer being processed with other wafers having dice thereon as a group of wafers in said manufacturing process.
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8. The method of claim 1, further including:
determining if an individual die of said at least two dice of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice of said wafer is acceptable to proceed in said manufacturing process.
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9. A method of processing integrated circuit semiconductor dice on a wafer in a manufacturing process for said integrated circuit semiconductor dice by a user, each integrated circuit die of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice having at least one circuit, said method comprising:
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determining from historical information concerning a process of manufacture of integrated circuit semiconductor dice on wafers at least one relationship between at least one type of surface defect on at least two dice of the integrated circuit semiconductor dice on the wafers, the at least one type of surface defect visible to a user visually inspecting the integrated circuit semiconductor dice on the wafers for at least one surface defect thereon and determining at least one subsequent failure of at least one die having a surface defect thereon of the integrated circuit semiconductor dice on the wafers;
visually inspecting said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer to determine surface defects thereon by a user visually inspecting of at least two dice of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer, said surface defects including at least one defect of defects from bond pad formation problems and defects from incomplete formation of said at least one circuit of at least two dice of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer;
classifying visual surface defects on said integrated circuit semiconductor dice of said wafer as to type and range of size of surface defect by a user from the visual inspection of at least two dice of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer by a user;
determining a number of surface defects on said integrated circuit semiconductor dice one said wafer;
selecting a range of sizes of said surface defects from the visual inspection of said at least two dice of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer by a user;
selecting a number of said integrated circuit dice for visual inspection on said wafer by a user selecting at least one other die of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer for the visual inspection thereof for surface defects thereon;
summarizing the number, types, and range of sizes of the surface defects thereon by a user from the visual inspection of at least two dice of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer by a user;
comparing said number, types and ranges of sizes of the surface defects of said at least two dice and said at least one other die of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer to the historical information concerning the process of manufacture of integrated circuit semiconductor dice on wafers;
determining if said wafer is acceptable to proceed in said manufacturing process from the visual inspection of at least three dice of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer by a user and based upon the historical information concerning the process of manufacture of integrated circuit semiconductor dice on wafers of the at least one relationship between at least one type of surface defect on at least two dice of the integrated circuit semiconductor dice on the wafers visible to a user visually inspecting the integrated circuit semiconductor dice on the wafers and at least one subsequent failure of the at least two dice having a surface defect thereon of the integrated circuit semiconductor dice on the wafers; and
photographing the surface defects on said integrated circuit semiconductor dice of said wafer from the visual inspection of at least two dice of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer by a user.
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10. A method of processing integrated circuit semiconductor dice on a wafer in a manufacturing process for said integrated circuit semiconductor dice by a user, each integrated circuit die of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice having at least one circuit, said method comprising:
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determining from historical information concerning a process of manufacture of integrated circuit semiconductor dice on wafers at least one relationship between at least one type of surface defect on at least two dice of the integrated circuit semiconductor dice on the wafers, the at least one type of surface defect visible to a user visually inspecting the integrated circuit semiconductor dice on the wafers for at least one surface defect thereon and determining at least one subsequent failure of the at least two dice having a surface defect thereon of the integrated circuit semiconductor dice on the wafers;
selecting types of surface defects to be determined from the visual inspection of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer by a user visually inspecting at least two dice of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer, said surface defects including at least one defect of defects from bond pad formation problems and defects from incomplete formation of said at least one circuit of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice;
selecting a range of sizes of said surface defects to be determined from the visual inspection of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer by a user from the visual inspection of at least two dice of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer;
selecting a number of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice for visual inspection on said wafer by a user from the visual inspection of at least two dice of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer;
visually inspecting at least one other integrated circuit semiconductor die of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer to determine surface defects thereon by a user visually inspecting said at least one other integrated circuit semiconductor die;
summarizing the number, types, and range of sizes of the surface defects of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer by a user from the visual inspection of at least three dice of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer;
comparing said number, types and range of sizes of the surface defects of said at least two dice and said at least one other die of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer to the historical information concerning the process of manufacture of integrated circuit semiconductor dice on wafers; and
determining if said wafer is acceptable to proceed in said manufacturing process from the visual inspection of at least three dice of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer and based upon the historical information concerning the process of manufacture of integrated circuit semiconductor dice on wafers of the at least one relationship between at least one type of surface defect on at least two dice of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on the wafers visible to a user visually inspecting the integrated circuit semiconductor dice on the wafers and at least one subsequent failure of the at least two dice having a surface defect thereon of the integrated circuit semiconductor dice on the wafers. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
classifying visual defects of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice of said wafer as to type of defect.
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12. The method of claim 11, further including:
classifying said visual defects of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice of said wafer as to size of the defect.
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13. The method of claim 12, further including:
classifying said visual defects of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice of said wafer as to a size range of the defect.
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14. The method of claim 13, further including:
summarizing the number, types, and range of sizes of the defects of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer in a tabular manner.
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15. The method of claim 14, further including:
summarizing the number, types, and range of sizes of the defects of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer in a display of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice of said wafer.
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16. The method of claim 10, further including:
determining if said wafer is acceptable to proceed in said manufacturing process as a wafer being processed with other wafers having integrated circuit semiconductor dice thereon as a group of wafers in said manufacturing process.
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17. The method of claim 10, further including:
determining if an individual die of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice of said wafer is acceptable to proceed in said manufacturing process.
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18. A method of processing integrated circuit semiconductor dice on a wafer in a manufacturing process for said integrated circuit semiconductor dice by a user, each integrated circuit die of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice having at least one circuit, said method comprising:
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determining from historical information concerning a process of manufacture of integrated circuit semiconductor dice on wafers at least one relationship between at least one type of surface defect on at least two dice of the integrated circuit semiconductor dice on the wafers, the at least one type of surface defect visible to a user visually inspecting the integrated circuit semiconductor dice on the wafers for at least one surface defect thereon and determining at least one subsequent failure of the at least two dice having a surface defect thereon of the integrated circuit semiconductor dice on the wafers;
selecting types of surface defects to be determined from a visual inspection of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer by a user visually inspecting at least two dice of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer, said surface defects including at least one defect of defects from bond pad formation problems and defects from incomplete formation of said at least one circuit of said each integrated circuit die of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer;
selecting a range of sizes of said surface defects to be determined from the visual inspection of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer by a user from the visual inspection of at least two dice of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer;
selecting a number of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice for visual inspection on said wafer by a user from the visual inspection of at least two dice of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer;
visually inspecting said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer to determine surface defects thereon by a user visually inspecting at least two dice of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer, wherein visual inspection of at least two dice of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer includes using one of a scanning electron microscope and optical microscope;
summarizing the number, types, and range of sizes of the surface defects of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer by a user from the visual inspection of at least two dice of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer;
comparing said number, types and range of sizes of the surface defects of said at least two dice and at least one other die of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer to the historical information concerning the process of manufacture of integrated circuit semiconductor dice on wafers; and
determining if said wafer is acceptable to proceed in said manufacturing process based upon said visual inspection by a user of at least two dice on said wafer and based upon the historical information concerning the process of manufacture of integrated circuit semiconductor dice on wafers of the at least one relationship between at least one type of surface defect on at least two dice of the integrated circuit semiconductor dice on the wafers visible to a user visually inspecting the integrated circuit semiconductor dice on the wafers and at least one subsequent failure of the at least two dice having a surface defect thereon of the integrated circuit semiconductor dice on the wafers.
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19. A method of processing integrated circuit semiconductor dice on a wafer in a manufacturing process for said integrated circuit semiconductor dice by a user, each integrated circuit die of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice having at least one circuit, said method comprising:
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determining from information concerning a process of manufacture of integrated circuit semiconductor dice on wafers relationships between at least two types of surface defects on at least two dice of the integrated circuit semiconductor dice on the wafers, the at least two types of surface defects visible to a user visually inspecting the integrated circuit semiconductor dice on the wafers for at least two types of surface defects thereon and determining at least one subsequent failure of at least one die having a surface defect of the at least two surface defects thereon of the integrated circuit semiconductor dice on the wafers;
selecting types of surface defects to be determined from a visual inspection of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer by a user visually inspecting at least two dice of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer, said surface defects including at least one defect of defects from bond pad formation problems and defects from incomplete formation of said at least one circuit of said each integrated circuit die of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer;
selecting a size of said surface defects to be determined from the visual inspection of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer by a user visually inspecting at least two dice of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer;
selecting a number of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice for visual inspection on said wafer by a user based on the visual inspection of at least two dice of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer;
visually inspecting at least one other die of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer to determine surface defects thereon by a user visually inspecting said at least one other die of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice;
summarizing the number, types, and size of the surface defects of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer by a user from the visual inspection of at least three dice of said dice on said wafer;
comparing said number, types and size of the surface defects of said at least two dice and said at least one other die of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer to the historical information concerning the process of manufacture of integrated circuit semiconductor dice on wafers;
determining if said wafer is acceptable to proceed in said manufacturing process from the visual inspection of at least three dice of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer and based upon the historical information concerning the process of manufacture of integrated circuit semiconductor dice on wafers of the at least one relationship between at least one type of surface defect on at least two dice of the integrated circuit semiconductor dice on the wafers visible to a user visually inspecting the integrated circuit semiconductor dice on the wafers and at least one subsequent failure of the at least two dice having a surface defect thereon of the integrated circuit semiconductor dice on the wafers; and
photographing the surface defects on said integrated circuit semiconductor dice of said wafer from the visual inspection by a user of at least two dice of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer.
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20. A method of processing integrated circuit semiconductor dice on a wafer in a manufacturing process for said integrated circuit semiconductor dice by a user, each integrated circuit die of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice having at least one circuit, said method comprising:
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determining from historical information concerning a process of manufacture of integrated circuit semiconductor dice on wafers at least one relationship between at least one type of surface defect on at least two dice of the integrated circuit semiconductor dice on the wafers, the at least one type of surface defect visible to a user visually inspecting the integrated circuit semiconductor dice on the wafers for at least one surface defect thereon and determining at least one subsequent failure of the at least one die having a surface defect thereon of the integrated circuit semiconductor dice on the wafers;
visually inspecting at least two dice of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer to determine surface defects thereon by a user, said surface defects including at least one defect of defects from bond pad formation problems and defects from incomplete formation of said at least one circuit of said each integrated circuit die of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer, the surface defects having a type and size;
summarizing the surface defects on said dice on said wafer by a user from the visual inspection of at least two dice of said dice on said wafer;
comparing number, types and ranges of sizes of the surface defects of at least one integrated circuit die and at least one other die of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer to the historical information concerning the process of manufacture of integrated circuit semiconductor dice on wafers; and
determining if said wafer is acceptable to proceed in said manufacturing process from the visual inspection of at least two dice of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer and based upon the historical information concerning the process of manufacture of integrated circuit semiconductor dice on wafers of the at least one relationship between at least one type of surface defect on at least two dice of the integrated circuit semiconductor dice on the wafers visible to a user visually inspecting the integrated circuit semiconductor dice on the wafers and at least one subsequent failure of the at least two dice having a surface defect thereon of the integrated circuit semiconductor dice on the wafers. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
selecting types of surface defects to be determined from the visual inspection of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer by a user from the visual inspection of at least three die of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer;
selecting sizes of said surface defects to be determined from the visual inspection of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer by a user from the visual inspection of at least three die of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer; and
selecting at least three of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice for visual inspection on said wafer by a user from the visual inspection of at least three die of said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer.
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22. The method of claim 20, wherein the visually inspecting said integrated circuit semiconductor dice on said wafer includes using a scanning electron microscope or optical microscope by a user.
Specification