Review of suspected defects using one or more reference dies

• US 9,673,022 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2015
• Issued: 06/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Israel Limited (Applied Materials Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Israel Limited (Applied Materials Incorporated)
• Inventors: Greenberg, Ofir, Gronau, Yuval
• Primary Examiner(s): Vanore, David A
• Application Number:
  US14/798,153
• Publication Number:
  US 20170018398A1
• Time in Patent Office: 694 Days
• Field of Search: 382145, 382144, 382149, 382147, 382103, 382141, 382148, 382146, 382150, 382151, 382181, 250306, 250307, 250310, 250311, 2504922, 25055939, 25055945
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/2813 characterised by the application
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/2817 Pattern inspection
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/222 Image processing arrangements associated with the tube image data processing or generation, in general G06T
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/28 with scanning beams H01J37/268, H01J37/292, H01J37/2955 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 22/12 for structural parameters, e.g. thickness, line width, refractive index, temperature, warp, bond strength, defects, optical inspection, electrical measurement of structural dimensions, metallurgic measurement of diffusions electrical measurement of diffusions H01L22/14
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 22/20 Sequence of activities consisting of a plurality of measurements, corrections, marking or sorting steps

Abstract

A system for reviewing a wafer, the system may include a memory unit that is configured to store information about locations of a set of suspected defects that are located at multiple dice of the wafer; electron optics that is configured to obtain images of reference elements, wherein the reference elements are located within a first reference die of the wafer; and a processor that is configured to: compare the first sub-set of suspected defects to a first sub-set of reference elements to provide a first evaluation result; and select, in response to the first evaluation result, a source of a second sub-set of reference elements. The electron optics is further configured to obtain images of a second sub-set of reference elements that are located within a second reference die of the wafer when it is determined that the second reference die is the source of the second sub-set of reference elements. The processor is further configured to compare the second sub-set of suspected defects to the second sub-set of reference elements to provide a second evaluation result.

Claims

1. A system for reviewing a wafer, the system comprising:

a memory unit configured to store information about locations of a set of suspected defects that are located at multiple dice of the wafer;

electron optics configured to obtain images of reference elements located within a first reference die of the wafer;

a processor configured to;

compare a first sub-set of suspected defects to a first sub-set of reference elements to provide a first evaluation result; and

select, in response to the first evaluation result, a source of a second sub-set of reference elements;

wherein the electron optics are further configured to obtain images of a second sub-set of reference elements that are located within a second reference die of the wafer when it is determined that the second reference die is the source of the second sub-set of reference elements; and

wherein the processor is further configured to compare a second sub-set of suspected defects to the second sub-set of reference elements to provide a second evaluation result.

2. A method for reviewing a wafer, the method comprising:

receiving information about locations of a set of suspected defects that are located at multiple dice of the wafer;

obtaining images of reference elements, wherein the reference elements are located within a first reference die of the wafer;

obtaining images of a first sub-set of suspected defects;

comparing the first sub-set of suspected defects to a first sub-set of reference elements to provide a first evaluation result;

selecting, in response to the first evaluation result, a source of a second sub-set of reference elements;

obtaining images of a second sub-set of reference elements that are located within a second reference die of the wafer when it is determined that the second reference die is the source of the second sub-set of reference elements;

obtaining images of a second sub-set of suspected defects; and

comparing the second sub-set of suspected defects to the second sub-set of reference elements to provide a second evaluation result.

3. The method according to claim 2 comprising retrieving images of the second sub-set of reference elements from the images of the reference elements that are located within the first reference die of the wafer when it is determined that the first reference die is the source of the second sub-set of reference elements.

4. The method according to claim 2 comprising selecting first reference die as the source of the second sub-set of reference elements if the first evaluation result is indicative of a mismatch between the first sub-set of suspected defects and the first sub-set of reference elements;

and wherein the mismatch exceeds a mismatch threshold.

5. The method according to claim 2 wherein the first evaluation result comprises a classification of the first sub-set of suspected defects;

and wherein the selecting of the source is responsive to the classification of the first sub-set of suspected defects.

6. The method according to claim 2 wherein the second sub-set of suspected defects belongs to dice that are positioned at a same distance from the first reference die.

7. The method according to claim 2 wherein the first sub-set of suspected defects comprises a predetermined number of suspected defects.

8. The method according to claim 2 comprising determining a spatial distribution of the first sub-set of suspected defects in response to an actual or expected level of process variation.

9. A non-transitory computer readable medium that stores instructions that once executed by a computer cause the computer to:

receive information about locations of a set of suspected defects that are located at multiple dice of a wafer;

obtain images of reference elements, wherein the reference elements are located within a first reference die of the wafer;

obtain images of a first sub-set of suspected defects;

compare the first sub-set of suspected defects to a first sub-set of reference elements to provide a first evaluation result;

select, in response to the first evaluation result, a source of a second sub-set of reference elements;

obtain images of a second sub-set of reference elements that are located within a second reference die of the wafer when it is determined that the second reference die is the source of the second sub-set of reference elements;

obtain images of a second sub-set of suspected defects; and

compare the second sub-set of suspected defects to the second sub-set of reference elements to provide a second evaluation result.

10. A method for reviewing a wafer, the method comprising:

receiving or selecting a set of reference dice of a wafer, wherein the set of reference dice is selected in response to at least one out of;

process variations associated with the wafer, deviations between review results related to different dice of a group of dice of the wafer, locations of the dice of the group of dice, and timing constraints associated with reviewing of suspected defects that are located in a group of dice of the wafer; and

reviewing the suspected defects using reference images obtained from the set of reference dice; and

wherein the set of reference dice comprises fewer dice than the group of dice.

11. The method according to claim 10 wherein the set of reference dice has a single reference die.

12. The method according to claim 10 comprising selecting the reference dice of the set of reference dice.

13. The method according to claim 10 comprising selecting the reference dice to minimize a duration of the reviewing of the suspected defects while maintaining at least a predefined quality level of the reviewing of the suspected defects.

14. A non-transitory computer readable medium that stores instructions that once executed by a computer cause the computer to:

receive or select a set of reference dice of a wafer, wherein the set of reference dice is selected in response to at least one out of;

process variations associated with the wafer;

deviations between review results related to different dice of a group of dice of the wafer, locations of the dice of the group of dice, and timing constraints associated with reviewing of suspected defects that are located in a group of dice of the wafer; and

reviewing the suspected defects using reference images obtained from the set of reference dice;

wherein the set of reference dice comprises fewer dice than the group of dice.

15. A system for reviewing a wafer, the system comprising:

a processor that is configured receive or select a set of reference dice of a wafer, wherein the set of reference dice is selected in response to at least one out of;

process variations associated with the wafer, deviations between review results related to different dice of a group of dice of the wafer, locations of the dice of the group of dice, and timing constraints associated with reviewing of suspected defects that are located in a group of dice of the wafer; and

electron optics that is configured to obtain reference images obtained from the set of reference dice;

wherein the processor is further configured to review the suspected defects using the reference images obtained from the set of reference dice; and

wherein the set of reference dice comprises fewer dice than the group of dice.