System and method for detecting design and process defects on a wafer using process monitoring features
First Claim
1. A system configured to detect design and process defects on a wafer, comprising:
- an electron beam review subsystem configured to acquire images for a wafer on a design is printed by a manufacturing process; and
a computer subsystem configured to;
inspect the design to detect defects in the design;
compare an image of a die in the design printed on the wafer acquired by the electron beam review subsystem to an image of the die stored in a database to detect additional defects in the design;
determine locations on the wafer at which the images are acquired by the electron beam review subsystem based on the defects in the design, the additional defects in the design, and defects detected on the wafer by a wafer inspection system, wherein the electron beam review subsystem acquires images at the locations determined by the computer subsystem;
detect design defects and process defects at the locations based on the images acquired at the locations by the electron beam review subsystem; and
compare the images acquired at the locations by the electron beam review subsystem with design clips corresponding to the design defects and the process defects to compare the images to design intent, wherein the design clips are extracted from design data for the design of the wafer, and wherein the design data is generated prior to creation of the wafer for which the images are acquired.
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Abstract
Various systems and methods for detecting design and process defects on a wafer, reviewing defects on a wafer, selecting one or more features within a design for use as process monitoring features, or some combination thereof are provided. One system is configured to detect design defects and process defects at locations on a wafer at which images are acquired by an electron beam review subsystem based on defects in a design, additional defects in the design, which are detected by comparing an image of a die in the design printed on the wafer acquired by the electron beam review subsystem to an image of the die stored in a database, and defects detected on the wafer by a wafer inspection system.
54 Citations
50 Claims
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1. A system configured to detect design and process defects on a wafer, comprising:
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an electron beam review subsystem configured to acquire images for a wafer on a design is printed by a manufacturing process; and a computer subsystem configured to; inspect the design to detect defects in the design; compare an image of a die in the design printed on the wafer acquired by the electron beam review subsystem to an image of the die stored in a database to detect additional defects in the design; determine locations on the wafer at which the images are acquired by the electron beam review subsystem based on the defects in the design, the additional defects in the design, and defects detected on the wafer by a wafer inspection system, wherein the electron beam review subsystem acquires images at the locations determined by the computer subsystem; detect design defects and process defects at the locations based on the images acquired at the locations by the electron beam review subsystem; and compare the images acquired at the locations by the electron beam review subsystem with design clips corresponding to the design defects and the process defects to compare the images to design intent, wherein the design clips are extracted from design data for the design of the wafer, and wherein the design data is generated prior to creation of the wafer for which the images are acquired. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A system configured to review defects on a wafer, comprising:
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an electron beam review subsystem configured to acquire images for discrete locations on a wafer on which a design is printed by a manufacturing process; and a computer subsystem configured to; determine the discrete locations based on results of process window qualification analysis; perform defect review at the discrete locations based on the images acquired for the discrete locations by the electron beam review subsystem; extract images corresponding to the design printed at nominal values of one or more parameters of the manufacturing process from the results of the process window qualification analysis thereby producing extracted images; create a recipe for monitoring the discrete locations on multiple wafers based on the extracted images; detect design defects and process defects at the discrete locations based on the images acquired at the discrete locations by the electron beam review subsystem; and compare the images acquired at the discrete locations by the electron beam review subsystem with design clips corresponding to the design defects and the process defects to compare the images to design intent, wherein the design clips are extracted from design data for the design of the wafer, and wherein the design data is generated prior to creation of the wafer for which the images are acquired. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A system configured to review defects on a wafer, comprising:
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an electron beam review subsystem configured to acquire images for discrete locations on a wafer on which a design is printed by a lithography process performed with a reticle; and a computer subsystem configured to determine the discrete locations based on results of inspection of the reticle, to perform defect review at the discrete locations based on the images acquired for the discrete locations by the electron beam review subsystem, the results of the inspection of the reticle, and classification of defects detected on the reticle, and to compare the images acquired for the discrete locations by the electron beam review subsystem with design clips corresponding to the defects to compare the images to design intent, wherein the design clips are extracted from design data for the design of the wafer, and wherein the design data is generated prior to creation of the wafer for which the images are acquired. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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Specification