Method and apparatus for inspecting defects in a semiconductor wafer

• US 6,792,367 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2002
• Issued: 09/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Shibuya, Hisae, Takagi, Yuuji, Obara, Kenji, Hosoya, Naoki
• Primary Examiner(s): Pert, Evan
• Application Number:
  US10/115,815
• Publication Number:
  US 20030109952A1
• Time in Patent Office: 901 Days
• Field of Search: 702/81-84, 700/108-110, 700/121, 438/4-18, 382/145, 382/149, 324/765
• US Class Current: 702/83
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/24 involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30148 Semiconductor; IC; Wafer
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0002 Inspection of images, e.g. flaw detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0004 Industrial image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/41 based on statistical description of texture
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 22/20 Sequence of activities consisting of a plurality of measurements, corrections, marking or sorting steps

Abstract

In a wafer inspection and sampling system, wafer defects are detected and stored in a data store as defect data. Information is also provided, representative of clusters of defects on the wafer. A statistically based sampling of the defects is made to obtain a set of sampled defects. Subsequent detailed inspection and analysis of the sampled defects produces additional data which facilitate an understanding of process errors.

Claims

1. In a semiconductor wafer inspection system, a computer program product for providing a user interface for making an inspection of a semiconductor wafer, said semiconductor wafer having a plurality of defects, at least some of said defects forming one or more clusters, the system comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code;

said computer readable program code suitable for execution on a computer and comprising;

first executable program code effective for operating said computer to present one or more first information reception areas for receiving information relating to statistical criteria;

second executable program code effective for operating said computer to present one or more second information reception areas for receiving information indicative of a selection of one or more of said clusters; and

third executable program code effective for operating said computer to receive first sampling information or second sampling information,

said first sampling information comprising first statistical criteria,

said second sampling information comprising one or more user-selected clusters, each user-selected cluster having associated second statistical criteria,

wherein if said first sampling information is received, a statistically-based sampling of first defects from said plurality of defects is made based on said first statistical criteria and an inspection is made on each of said first defects,

wherein if said second sampling information is received, a statistically-based sampling of second defects from each user-selected cluster is made based on its associated second statistical criteria and an inspection is made on each of said second defects.

2. In a semiconductor wafer inspection system, a computer program product for providing a user interface for presenting review information produced from an inspection of one or more defects taken from a plurality of defects on a semiconductor wafer, at least some of said defects forming one or more clusters, the system comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code;

said computer readable program code suitable for execution on a computer and comprising;

first executable program code effective for operating said computer to receive user-provided information indicative of a selected semiconductor wafer comprising one of a plurality of semiconductor wafers;

second executable program code effective for operating said computer to present first information indicative of said selected semiconductor wafers;

third executable program code effective for operating said computer to present second information indicative of a first set clusters comprising one or more of said clusters, said second information further indicative of a dominant defect kind for each cluster in said first set of clusters; and

fourth executable program code effective for operating said computer to present third information indicative of a selected cluster comprising a cluster in said first set of clusters including information relating to defects comprising said selected cluster,

said second information and said third information comprising portions of said review information, said review information comprising information of inspections of defects from a statistically-based sampling of said defects.