Methods and apparatus for data analysis

• US 7,437,271 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2005
• Issued: 10/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: In-Depth Test LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Test Advantage Incorporated (Boston Semi Equipment, LLC)
• Inventors: Tabor, Eric Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Raymond; Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Desta; Elias
• Application Number:
  US11/262,518
• Publication Number:
  US 20070179743A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,082 Days
• Field of Search: 702/57, 702/66, 702/71, 702/74, 702/80, 702/108, 702/117, 702/183, 324765-769, 700/95, 700/121, 700/15, 703/2, 716/4, 716/19
• US Class Current: 702/183
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/01 Subjecting similar articles in turn to test, e.g. "go/no-go" tests in mass production; Testing objects at points as they pass through a testing station testing of cables continuously passing the testing apparatus G01R31/59; testing dielectric strength or breakdown voltage G01R31/12
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2834 Automated test systems [ATE]; using microprocessors or computers G01R31/317 takes precedence; ATE for detection of defective computer hardware G06F11/2736
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2894 Aspects of quality control [QC] G01R31/31718 takes precedence; program control for QC G05B19/41875
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 22/20 Sequence of activities consisting of a plurality of measurements, corrections, marking or sorting steps

Abstract

A method and apparatus for testing semiconductors according to various aspects of the present invention comprises a test system comprising composite data analysis element configured to analyze data from more than one dataset. The test system may be configured to provide the data in an output report. The composite data analysis element suitably performs a spatial analysis to identify patterns and irregularities in the composite data set. The composite data analysis element may also operate in conjunction with a various other analysis systems, such as a cluster detection system and an exclusion system, to refine the composite data analysis. The composite may also be merged into other data.

Claims

1. A test system, comprising:

a storage system configured to store first test data for a first individual component and second test data for a second individual component, wherein the first and second components occupy corresponding locations on different wafers; and

a composite analysis element configured to analyze the first test data and the second test data for common characteristics.

2. A test system according to claim 1, wherein the composite analysis element is configured to compare a summary value for the first and second test data to a threshold.

3. A test system according to claim 2, wherein the threshold is a dynamic threshold based on the test data.

4. A test system according to claim 2, wherein the summary value is determined according to a number of test data for corresponding components to satisfy a criterion.

5. A test system according to claim 1, wherein the composite analysis element is configured to compare the first test data and the second test data to a threshold.

6. A test system according to claim 5, wherein the threshold is calculated based on the first test data and the second test data.

7. A test system according to claim 1, wherein the common characteristics comprise data values meeting at least one threshold.

8. A test system according to claim 1, wherein the composite analysis element is configured to generate composite data according to the test data having the common characteristics.

9. A test system according to claim 8, wherein the composite analysis element is configured to accord a designated treatment to composite data within a designated zone.

10. A test system according to claim 9, wherein the composite analysis element is configured to at least one of ignore and accord a lower significance to the composite data within the designated zone.

11. A test system according to claim 8, wherein the composite analysis element is configured to perform a spatial analysis on the composite data.

12. A test system according to claim 8, wherein the composite analysis element is configured to accord a significance to a selected composite data point based on values of nearby composite data points.

13. A test system according to claim 12, wherein the significance accorded to the selected composite data point is adjusted by a first amount if a first nearby composite data point is at a first position relative to the selected composite data point and by a second amount if the first nearby composite data point is at a second position relative to the selected composite data point.

14. A test system according to claim 8, wherein the composite analysis element is configured to remove a cluster of composite data points from the composite data.

15. A test system according to claim 14, wherein the composite analysis element is configured to remove the cluster of composite data points only when the cluster is smaller than a selected size.

16. A test system according to claim 8, wherein the composite analysis element is configured to merge the composite data with another set of data.

17. A test system according to claim 16, further comprising an output element configured to generate a composite map including the merged composite data.

18. A test system, comprising:

a storage system configured to store test data for at least two sets of components, including test data for individual components, wherein;

components from each set of components correspond to components in other sets of components; and

the corresponding components occupy corresponding locations on different wafers; and

a composite analysis element configured to analyze the test data for at least two individual corresponding components for common characteristics.

19. A test system according to claim 18, wherein the composite analysis element is configured to compare a summary value for at least one test datum for one or more corresponding components to a threshold.

20. A test system according to claim 19, wherein the threshold is a dynamic threshold based on the test data.

21. A test system according to claim 19, wherein the summary value is determined according to a number of test data for corresponding components to satisfy a criterion.

22. A test system according to claim 18, wherein the composite analysis element is configured to compare the test data from different datasets to a threshold.

23. A test system according to claim 22, wherein the threshold is calculated based on the test data.

24. A test system according to claim 18, wherein the common characteristics comprise data values meeting at least one threshold.

25. A test system according to claim 18, wherein the composite analysis element is configured to generate composite data according to the test data having the common characteristics.

26. A test system according to claim 25, wherein the composite analysis element is configured to accord a designated treatment to composite data within a designated zone.

27. A test system according to claim 26, wherein the composite analysis element is configured to at least one of ignore and accord a lower significance to the composite data within the designated zone.

28. A test system according to claim 25, wherein the composite analysis element is configured to perform a spatial analysis on the composite data.

29. A test system according to claim 25, wherein the composite analysis element is configured to accord a significance to a selected composite data point based on values of nearby composite data points.

30. A test system according to claim 29, wherein the significance accorded to the selected composite data point is adjusted by a first amount if a first nearby composite data point is at a first position relative to the selected composite data point and by a second amount if the first nearby composite data point is at a second position relative to the selected composite data point.

31. A test system according to claim 25, wherein the composite analysis element is configured to remove a cluster of composite data points from the composite data.

32. A test system according to claim 31, wherein the composite analysis element is configured to remove the cluster of composite data points only when the cluster is smaller than a selected size.

33. A test system according to claim 25, wherein the composite analysis element is configured to merge the composite data with another set of data.

34. A test system according to claim 33, further comprising an output element configured to generate a composite map including the merged composite data.

35. A method for testing semiconductors, comprising:

obtaining at least two datasets of test data for at least two sets of components, wherein;

a first component in a first set corresponds to a second component in a second set; and

the first and second components occupy corresponding locations on different wafers; and

analyzing the test data for the individual corresponding first and second components for common characteristics.

36. A method for testing according to claim 35, wherein analyzing the test data comprises comparing a summary value based on test data for multiple components to a threshold.

37. A method for testing according to claim 36, wherein the threshold is a dynamic threshold based on the test data.

38. A method for testing according to claim 36, wherein the summary value is determined according to a number of test data for corresponding components to satisfy a criterion.

39. A method for testing according to claim 35, wherein the composite analysis element is configured to compare the test data from different datasets to a threshold.

40. A method for testing according to claim 39, wherein the threshold is calculated based on the test data.

41. A method for testing according to claim 35, wherein the common characteristics comprise data values meeting at least one threshold.

42. A method for testing according to claim 35, further comprising generating composite data according to the test data having the common characteristics.

43. A method for testing according to claim 42, wherein generating composite data includes according a designated treatment to composite data within a designated zone.

44. A method for testing according to claim 43, wherein according the designated treatment includes at least one of ignoring and according a lower significance to the composite data within the designated zone.

45. A method for testing according to claim 42, further comprising performing a spatial analysis on the composite data.

46. A method for testing according to claim 42, further comprising according a significance to a selected composite data point based on values of nearby composite data points.

47. A method for testing according to claim 46, wherein the significance accorded to the selected composite data point is adjusted by a first amount if a first nearby composite data point is at a first position relative to the selected composite data point and by a second amount if the first nearby composite data point is at a second position relative to the selected composite data point.

48. A method for testing according to claim 42, further comprising removing a cluster of composite data points from the composite data.

49. A method for testing according to claim 48, wherein removing the cluster includes removing the cluster of composite data points only when the cluster is smaller than a selected size.

50. A method for testing according to claim 42, further comprising merging the composite data with another set of data.

51. A method for testing according to claim 50, further comprising generating a composite map including the merged composite data.