Automatic defect review and classification system

• US 7,664,562 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2006
• Issued: 02/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi High-Tech Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Hirai, Takehiro, Aoki, Kazuo, Obara, Kenji
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Ramesh B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kasenge; Charles R
• Application Number:
  US11/451,330
• Publication Number:
  US 20060282190A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,344 Days
• Field of Search: 700108-110, 700/121, 438/14, 438/16, 382/149, 382/145, 382/224, 702/35, 702182-185
• US Class Current: 700/110
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41875 characterised by quality surveillance of production
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32218 Sort workpieces as function of quality data
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

The invention proposes a system that interrupts a processing associated with an ADC having low priority when an ADC processing cannot catch up with ADR by an ADC alone that is not under execution but uses an ADC for an ADR having high priority. To preferentially execute ADR/ADC having high priority, the invention employs an algorithm for serially selecting ADR/ADC in the order of higher processing capacity (in the order of greater numerical values in the expression by a DPH unit) from among ADR/ADCs that have the lowest priority, no matter whether the ADR/DC is now under execution or not.

Claims

1. An automatic defect review and classification system including at least one automatic defect review apparatus (hereinafter called “

ADR apparatus”

) for specifically observing defect portions of a sample and automatically acquiring images and at least one automatic defect classification apparatus (hereinafter called “

ADC apparatus”

) for automatically classifying the defects by using the images acquired by said ADR apparatus in accordance with the kind of the defects, comprising;

a configuration that one of said automatic defect review apparatus is used in combination with a plurality of said automatic defect classification apparatuses; and

means for providing the combination of said ADR apparatus with said ADC apparatuses providing the highest through-put of said automatic defect review and classification system as a whole.

2. An automatic defect review and classification system according to claim 1, which further comprises means for providing the combination minimizing the difference between through-put of said ADR apparatus and through-put of said ADC apparatuses.

3. An automatic defect review and classification system according to claim 2, wherein an apparatus among said ADR apparatus and said ADC apparatuses which is not executed is displayed on a graphical user interface.

4. An automatic defect review and classification system according to claim 1, wherein, when a processing by a first ADR/ADC combination having high priority is executed, control is so made as to select and use a second ADC apparatus having a higher processing capacity than a first ADC apparatus in said first ADR/ADC combination from a second ADR/ADC combination that is under execution and has low priority.

5. An automatic defect review and classification system according to claim 4, which further comprises means for estimating delay of a processing finish time of said second ADR/ADC combination associated with interruption in said second ADR/ADC combination and displaying a change of estimated finish time.

6. An automatic defect review and classification system including at least one automatic defect review apparatus (hereinafter called “

ADR apparatus”

) for specifically observing defect portions of a sample and automatically acquiring images and at least one automatic defect classification apparatus (hereinafter called “

ADC apparatus”

) for automatically classifying the defects by using the images acquired by said ADR apparatus in accordance with the kind of the defects, comprising;

a configuration that one of said automatic defect review apparatus is used in combination with a plurality of said automatic defect classification apparatuses; and

means for calculating an estimation value for a time necessary for executing a processing to be executed from now on, based on a past processing history corresponding to a set imaging condition for a function of each of said automatic defect review apparatus and said automatic defect classification apparatuses, and providing the estimation value.

7. An automatic defect review and classification system according to claim 6, which further comprises means for deciding and providing without delay an ADC apparatus necessary for ADC processing to one set of said ADR apparatus on the basis of the estimation value calculated.

8. An automatic defect review and classification system according to claim 6, wherein said estimation value is estimated by taking into consideration differences of processing times resulting from respective differences of a specification of an information processing unit provided to each respective one of said apparatuses.

9. An automatic defect review and classification system according to claim 7, wherein said estimation value is estimated by taking into consideration differences of processing times resulting from respective differences of a specification of an information processing unit provided to each respective one of said apparatuses.

10. An automatic defect review and classification system according to claim 8, wherein, as to which of said information processing units is used, a combination is selected from 1) a combination that minimizes the number of sets of PCs used and selects those PCs which have high processing capacity and 2) a combination that reduces as much as possible an over-specification in regard to the capacity and saves waste.

11. An automatic defect review and classification system according to claim 9, wherein, as to which of said information processing units is used, a combination is selected from 1) a combination that minimizes the number of sets of PCs used and selects those PCs which have high processing capacity and 2) a combination that reduces as much as possible an over-specification in regard to the capacity and saves waste.