Remote semiconductor microscopy
First Claim
1. An inspection system comprisinga microscope generating a video signal from a view of a semiconductor wafer;
- a video capture system to digitize the video signal;
a server coupled to the video capture system to store the digitized video signal and operable for comparing the digitized video signal to statistical data in order to detect a change from a first frame to a successive frame, the server further operable for retransmitting a previously broadcast frame as a function of the comparison; and
one or more client computers communicatively coupled to the server to receive and display the digitized video from the server.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus are described for remote semiconductor microscopy whereby video signals are broadcast from one or more microscopes to remote viewers. A live video signal is broadcast from the microscope over a network to remote personal computers located in the offices of process engineers. The office-based process engineers are provided real-time, or substantially real-time, views of a wafer, including peripheral views of the wafer outside cell array boundaries. The process engineer, in his office, can direct a technician, operating the microscope in the clean room complex, to display a desired cell region-of-interest with the microscope. As a result, the process engineers can more efficiently collaborate to solve process problems or even develop new process techniques.
56 Citations
34 Claims
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1. An inspection system comprising
a microscope generating a video signal from a view of a semiconductor wafer; -
a video capture system to digitize the video signal;
a server coupled to the video capture system to store the digitized video signal and operable for comparing the digitized video signal to statistical data in order to detect a change from a first frame to a successive frame, the server further operable for retransmitting a previously broadcast frame as a function of the comparison; and
one or more client computers communicatively coupled to the server to receive and display the digitized video from the server. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. An inspection system comprising
a microscope generating a video signal of a view of a semiconductor wafer; -
a video capture system generates a plurality of digitized frames from the video signal, wherein each frame has a unique identifier; and
a server coupled to the video capture system to store each digitized frame according to the corresponding unique identifier wherein the server is further operable for detecting a change from a first frame to a successive frame of the digitized frames, the server further operable for retransmitting a previously broadcast frame as a function of the detecting the change. - View Dependent Claims (8)
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9. An inspection system comprising:
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a microscope generating a video signal of a view of a semiconductor wafer;
a video capture system generates a plurality of digitized frames from the video signal, wherein each frame has a unique identifier; and
a server coupled to the video capture system to store each digitized frame according to the corresponding unique identifier; and
wherein the digitized frames are stored in an Advanced Streaming format (ASF) on the server.
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10. A semiconductor wafer microscopy system comprising:
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a microscope generating a video signal of a microscopic view of a semiconductor wafer;
a video capture system to digitize the video signal and to produce therefrom a digitized video signal;
a client computer communicatively coupled to the video capture system via a wide area network, wherein the video capture system communicates the digitized video signal to the client computer via the wide area network; and
wherein the video capture system is further operable for comparing the digitized video signal to statistical data in order to detect a change from a first frame to a successive frame, the video capture system is further operable for retransmitting a previously broadcast frame as a function of the comparison. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A semiconductor wafer microscopy system comprising
a microscope generating a video signal of a microscopic view of a semiconductor wafer; -
a computer having video capture hardware to digitize the video signal, and producing therefrom a digitized video signal;
a software system executing on the computer to process the digitized video for communication to one or more remote computers via a network; and
wherein the software system is further operable for comparing the digitized video signal to statistical data in order to detect a change from a first frame to a successive frame, the software system is further operable for retransmitting a previously broadcast frame as a function of the comparison. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A semiconductor wafer microscopy system, comprising:
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a microscope generating a video signal of a microscopic view of a semiconductor wafer;
a computer having video capture hardware to digitize the video signal, a software system executing on the computer to process the digitized video for communication to one or more remote computers via a network;
wherein the software system compares a predefined threshold to statistical data of the processed digitized video signal in order to detect a change from a first frame to a successive frame; and
wherein the software system retransmits a previously broadcast frame as a function of the comparison.
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22. A computerized method for inspecting semiconductor wafers comprising:
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generating a video signal of a microscopic view of the semiconductor wafer;
digitizing the video signal to produce a digitized video signal;
communicating the digitized video signal to one or more remote client computers via a network;
detecting a change from a first frame to a successive frame in the digitized video signal; and
retransmitting a previously broadcast frame if no change is detected between the first frame and the successive frame. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A computerized method for inspecting semiconductor wafers, comprising:
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generating a video signal of a microscopic view of the semiconductor wafer;
digitizing the video signal; and
communicating the digitized video signal to one or more remote client computers via a network, wherein communicating the digitized video signal includes;
processing the digitized video signal;
comparing a predefined threshold to statistical data of the processed digitized video signal in order to detect a change from a first frame to a successive frame; and
retransmitting the first frame instead of the successive frame as a function of the comparison.
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29. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions to cause a computer to perform a method of:
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generating a video signal of a microscopic view of a semiconductor wafer;
digitizing the video signal to produce a digitized video signal;
communicating the digitized video signal to one or more remote client computers via a network;
detecting a change from a first frame to a successive frame in the digitized video signal; and
retransmitting a previously broadcast frame if no change is detected between the first frame and the successive frame. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions to cause a computer to perform a method of:
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generating a video signal of a microscopic view of a semiconductor wafer;
digitizing the video signal; and
communicating the digitized video signal to one or more remote client computers via a network, wherein communicating the digitized video signal includes;
processing the digitized video signal;
comparing a predefined threshold to statistical data of the processed digitized video signal in order to detect a change from a first frame to a successive frame; and
retransmitting the first frame instead of the successive frame as a function of the comparison.
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Specification