Automated sourcing of substrate microfabrication defects using defects signatures
US7229845B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 26, 2004 |
| Grant date | Jun 12, 2007 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 15, 2025 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02P90/30
- WIPO fieldIT methods for management
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Automated defect sourcing system identifies root-causes of yield excursion due to contamination, process faults, equipment failure and/or handling in timely manner and provides accurate timely feedback to address and contain the sources of yield excursion. A signature bank stores known wafer surface manufacturing defects as defect signatures. The signature of a manufacturing defect pattern is associated with a type of equipment or process, and used to source the manufacturing defects and to provide process control for changing and/or stopping yield excursion during fabrication. A defect signature recognition engine matches wafer defects against the signature bank during wafer fabrication. Once the defect signature is detected during fabrication, handling and/or disposing the root-cause of the corresponding defect is facilitated using messages according to an event handling database. Optionally, a real-time process control for wafer fabrication is provided.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.