Generalized virtual inspector

• US 9,222,895 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2014
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KLA-Tencor Corporation
• Original Assignee: KLA-Tencor Corporation
• Inventors: Duffy, Brian, Bhaskar, Kris
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Paul
• Assistant Examiner(s): Aisaka, Bryce
• Application Number:
  US14/184,417
• Publication Number:
  US 20140241610A1
• Time in Patent Office: 678 Days
• Field of Search: 716/136
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/9501 Semiconductor wafers manufacturing processes per se of semiconductor devices implementing a measuring step H01L22/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10016 Video; Image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30252 Vehicle exterior; Vicinity of vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/50 Depth or shape recovery
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/62 of area, perimeter, diameter or volume

Abstract

Generalized virtual inspectors are provided. One system includes two or more actual systems configured to perform one or more processes on specimen(s) while the specimen(s) are disposed within the actual systems. The system also includes one or more virtual systems coupled to the actual systems to thereby receive output generated by the actual systems and to send information to the actual systems. The virtual system(s) are configured to perform one or more functions using at least some of the output received from the actual systems. The virtual system(s) are not capable of having the specimen(s) disposed therein.

Claims

1. A system configured to perform one or more actual processes and one or more virtual processes for a specimen, comprising:

two or more actual systems configured to perform one or more processes on one or more specimens while the one or more specimens are disposed within the two or more actual systems, wherein the one or more specimens comprise a wafer, wherein the two or more actual systems comprise a first actual system having a first configuration and a second actual system having a second configuration, and wherein the first second configurations are different from each other; and

one or more other systems coupled to the two or more actual systems to thereby receive output generated by the two or more actual systems and to send information to the two or more actual systems, wherein the one or more other systems are configured to perform one or more functions using at least some of the output received from the two or more actual systems, wherein the one or more other systems are further configured to replicate data processing of the first actual system having the first configuration and to replicate data processing of the second actual system having the second configuration different from the first configuration, and wherein the one or more other systems are not capable of having the one or more specimens disposed therein.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more specimens further comprise a reticle.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the wafer has incompletely fabricated devices formed thereon.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the wafer has completely fabricated devices formed thereon.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the two or more actual systems further comprise two of the same systems.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the two or more actual systems are further configured to perform the one or more processes on more than one of the one or more specimens simultaneously.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the two or more actual systems are further configured to perform the one or more processes on the one or more specimens independently of each other.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the two or more actual systems further comprise at least one reticle inspection system or reticle defect review system.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the two or more actual systems further comprise at least one wafer inspection system or wafer defect review system, and wherein the at least one wafer inspection system or wafer defect review system is a light-based system.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the two or more actual systems further comprise at least one wafer inspection system or wafer defect review system, and wherein the at least one wafer inspection system or wafer defect review system is an electron beam-based system.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the two or more actual systems further comprise at least one metrology system.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the two or more actual systems further comprise at least one wafer testing system, and wherein the wafer testing system comprises an electrical testing-based system.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more other systems have the same configuration.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more other systems have different configurations.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more other systems are further configured to perform the one or more functions simultaneously.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more other systems are further configured to perform the one or more functions independently of each other.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more other systems are further configured to perform at least one of the one or more functions while the two or more actual systems are performing at least one of the one or more processes.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the output received by the one or more other systems comprises output generated by one or more detectors of the two or more actual systems.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the output received by the one or more other systems comprises output generated by one or more computer systems of the two or more actual systems.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more other systems are further configured to store all of the output received from the two or more actual systems indefinitely.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more other systems are further configured to generate information for at least one of the one or more specimens without using the output received from the two or more actual systems and to store the information generated by the one or more other systems in the one or more other systems.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the output received from the two or more actual systems comprises one or more images of at least one of the one or more specimens acquired using one or more imaging conditions.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein the output received from the two or more actual systems comprises at least first and second images of at least one of the one or more specimens acquired after different fabrication processes have been performed on the at least one specimen, and wherein the different fabrication processes alter one or more characteristics of the at least one specimen.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more other systems are further configured to acquire a modeled representation of an intended physical state of at least one of the one or more specimens.

25. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more other systems are further configured to acquire context-based information for a device being formed with at least one of the one or more specimens.

26. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more other systems are further configured to acquire results of modeling of one or more fabrication processes that have been or will be performed on at least one of the one or more specimens, and wherein the one or more fabrication processes alter one or more characteristics of the at least one specimen.

27. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more other systems is further configured to control operation of at least one of the two or more actual systems.

28. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more other systems are further configured to control operation of at least one of the two or more actual systems and at least one of the one or more other systems independently.

29. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more other systems are further configured to synchronize operation of at least one of the two or more actual systems and at least one of the one or more other systems in real time.

30. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more other systems are further configured to acquire at least one recipe for at least one of the one or more processes performed by the two or more actual systems.

31. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more other systems are further configured to generate at least one recipe for at least one of the one or more processes performed by the two or more actual systems.

32. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more other systems are further configured to alter at least one recipe for at least one of the one or more processes performed by the two or more actual systems based on the output received from at least one of the two or more actual systems.

33. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more other systems are further configured to alter at least one recipe for at least one of the one or more processes performed by the two or more actual systems as the at least one process is being performed on at least one of the one or more specimens and based on output generated during the at least one process.

34. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more other systems are further configured to create care areas for at least one recipe for at least one of the one or more processes performed by the two or more actual systems based on the output received from the two or more actual systems or information generated by the one or more other systems.

35. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more other systems are further configured to acquire from the two or more actual systems one or more recipes that were used to generate the output received from the two or more actual systems.

36. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more other systems is further configured to receive the output generated by at least two of the two or more actual systems.

37. The system of claim 1, wherein the output received from the two or more actual systems comprises at least first and second output for at least one of the one or more specimens generated after at least first and second fabrication processes have been performed on the at least one specimen, respectively, wherein the first and second fabrication processes alter one or more characteristics of the at least one specimen, and wherein the one or more other systems are further configured to perform the one or more functions using both the first and second output.

38. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more other systems are further configured to acquire information for an electrically identified hot spot on a wafer, wherein the output received from the two or more actual systems comprises output, for the wafer and a reticle used to perform at least one process on the water, generated by the two or more actual systems prior to electrical testing of the wafer that electrically identified the hot spot, and wherein the one or more other systems are further configured to diagnose the hot spot based on the output generated prior to the electrical testing.

39. The system of claim 1, wherein the output received from the two or more actual systems comprises at least first and second output for at least one of the one or more specimens generated after at least first and second fabrication processes have been performed on the at least one specimen, respectively, wherein the first and second fabrication processes alter one or more characteristics of the at least one specimen, and wherein the one or more other systems are further configured to determine one or more parameters of at least one of the one or more processes to be performed on the at least one specimen by at least one of the two or more actual systems based on the first and second output.

40. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more other systems are further configured to receive and store the output generated by at least two of the two or more actual systems simultaneously.

41. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more other systems are further configured to generate a standard reference die using any combination of the output received from the two or more actual systems and any other information stored in or acquired by the one or more other systems.

42. A method for performing one or more actual processes and one or more virtual processes for a specimen, comprising:

performing one or more processes on one or more specimens with two or more actual systems while the one or more specimens are disposed within the two or more actual systems, wherein the one or more specimens comprise a wafer, wherein the two or more actual systems comprise a first actual system having a first configuration and a second actual system having a second configuration, wherein the first and second configurations are different from each other, wherein the two or more actual systems further comprise at least a specimen handling device configured to control a position of the one or more specimens within the two or more actual systems, a detector configured to generate output for the one or more specimens, and one or more computer subsystems configured to perform some function on the output generated by the detector;

receiving output generated by the two or more actual systems with one or more other systems coupled to the two or more actual systems, wherein the one or more other systems comprise at least a computer processor, memory, and input/output components;

sending information from the one or more other systems to at least one of the two or more actual systems;

performing one or more functions with the one or more other systems using at least some of the output received from the two or more actual systems;

replicating data processing of the first actual system having the first configuration with the one or more other systems; and

replicating data processing of the second actual system having the second configuration different from the first configuration with the one or more other system, wherein the one or more other systems are not capable of having the one or more specimens disposed therein.

43. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, storing program instructions executable on a computer system for performing a computer-implemented method for performing one or more actual processes and one or more virtual processes for a specimen, wherein the computer-implemented method comprises:

receiving output generated by two or more actual systems with one or more other systems coupled to the two or more actual systems, wherein the two or more actual systems perform one or more processes on one or more specimens while the one or more specimens are disposed within the two or more actual systems, wherein the one or more specimens comprise a wafer, wherein the two or more actual systems comprise a first actual system having a first configuration and a second actual system having a second configuration, wherein the first and second configurations are different from each other, wherein the two or more actual systems further comprise at least a specimen handling device configured to control a position of the one or more specimens within the two or more actual systems, a detector configured to generate output for the one or more specimens, and one or more computer subsystems configured to perform some function on the output generated by the detector, and wherein the one or more other systems comprise at least a computer processor, memory, and input/output components;

sending information from the one or more other systems in at least one of the two or more actual systems;

performing one or more functions with the one or more other systems using at least some of the output received from the two or more actual systems;

replicating data processing of the first actual system having the first configuration with the one or more other systems; and

replicating data processing of the second actual system having the second configuration different from the first configuration with the one or more other systems, wherein the one or more other systems are not capable of having the one or more specimens disposed therein.