Wafer defect discovery

US9518934B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• KLA-TENCOR CORPORATION · US

Inventors

• Hong Chen · Zhejiang, CN
• Kenong Wu · Davis, US
• Martin Plihal · Pleasanton, US
• Vidur Pandita
• Ravikumar Sanapala · San Jose, US
• Vivek Bhagat · Fremont, US
• Rahul Lakhawat · Viralimalai, IN
• Oksen Baris · San Francisco, US
• Rajesh Ramachandran · Fremont, US
• Naoshin Haque · San Jose, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Nov 3, 2015
• Grant date: Dec 13, 2016
• Expiry date: Nov 3, 2035

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01J2237/24592
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Systems and methods for discovering defects on a wafer are provided. One method includes detecting defects on a wafer by applying a threshold to output generated by a detector in a first scan of the wafer and determining values for features of the detected defects. The method also includes automatically ranking the features, identifying feature cut-lines to group the defect into bins, and, for each of the bins, determining one or more parameters that if applied to the values for the features of the defects in each of the bins will result in a predetermined number of the defects in each of the bins. The method also includes applying the one or more determined parameters to the output generated by the detector in a second scan of the wafer to generate a defect population that has a predetermined defect count and is diversified in the values for the features.