Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for selectively marking a semiconductor wafer

US6122562A · kind A · utility

29Cited by
17References
54Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 5, 1997
Grant dateSep 19, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 5, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01L21/67282
  • WIPO fieldSemiconductors
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method and apparatus that accurately marks a wafer at selected locations such as a defect location on the surface of a wafer such that a wafer analysis system (e.g., SEM or AFM) may rapidly find the defect. The apparatus contains a wafer platen for retaining a wafer in a substantially horizontal orientation and a marking assembly mounted above the wafer platen. The marking assembly further contains an optical microscope and a marking head. In operation, a user locates a defect using the optical microscope and places a pattern of fiducial marks at a predetermined distance from the defect, e.g., four marks in a diamond pattern circumscribing the defect.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.