# US 10,481,199 B2 · Data analytics and computational analytics for semiconductor process control

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 10,481,199 B2
- Document ID: US10481199B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/829,632
- Filed: 2017-12-01
- Published: 2019-06-06
- Granted: 2019-11-19
- Earliest claimed: 2017-12-01
- Assignees: Applied Materials, Inc.
- Applicants: Applied Materials, Inc.
- Inventors: Raman K. Nurani; Anantha R. Sethuraman; Koushik Ragavan
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10481199B2

## CPC

- G01R 31/2862: {Chambers or ovens; Tanks}
- G01R 31/318516: {Test of programmable logic devices [PLDs]}
- G06F 16/5838: {using colour}
- G06F 30/392: Floor-planning or layout, e.g. partitioning or placement
- G06T 7/001: {using an image reference approach}
- G06T 7/60: Analysis of geometric attributes
- G06F 2119/18: Manufacturability analysis or optimisation for manufacturability
- G06T 2207/10056: Microscopic image
- G06T 2207/30148: Semiconductor; IC; Wafer
- Y02P 90/02: Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]
- G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12)
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

Implementations described herein generally relate to detecting excursions in intended geometric features in an integrated circuit substrate. In one implementation, a method includes determining a set of suspect contours in a design window of the integrated circuit substrate based on proximities of a plurality of points of interest in the design window to intended geometric features. The method further includes obtaining a set of imaged contours from one or more images of a defect-free integrated circuit substrate. The method further includes comparing the set of imaged contours to the set of suspect contours to obtain a set of potential excursions from the imaged contours. The method further includes determining a probability that a potential excursion from the set of potential excursions is a valid excursion. The method further includes taking a corrective action based on the determined probability.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for detecting excursions comprising deviations from expected geometric features in an integrated circuit substrate, comprising:
determining a set of contours suspected of having at least one excursion in a design window of the integrated circuit substrate based on a geometric distribution of proximities of a plurality of points of interest in the design window to a plurality of expected geometric features, wherein determining the geometric distribution comprises determining a design proximity index for each of the plurality of points of interest in the design window, wherein the design proximity index is a measure of how close a point of interest of the plurality of points of interest is to an adjacent expected geometric feature of the plurality of expected geometric features;
obtaining a set of imaged contours from one or more images of a defect-free integrated circuit substrate;
comparing the set of imaged contours to the set of suspected contours to obtain a set of potential excursions from the imaged contours;
determining a probability that a potential excursion from the set of potential excursions is a confirmed excursion, wherein the confirmed excursion is operable to cause a yield impacting defect within at least one of the expected geometric features of the design window of the substrate; and
taking a corrective action to eliminate a re-occurrence of the confirmed excursion based on the determined probability.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the set of potential excursions represent a set of deviations from an intended geometric feature.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein determining the set of suspected contours comprises determining a Euclidian distance between a point of a plurality of points in an expected geometric feature of the plurality of geometric features.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, further comprising determining a location of the confirmed excursion from the determined Euclidian distance.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising, before determining the set of suspected contours, dividing the substrate into a plurality of geometric areas comprising a corresponding plurality of design windows.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising determining from the confirmed excursion a measure of compliance to a design process of the integrated circuit substrate.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the compliance is at least one of lithography compliance, deposition compliance, or planarization compliance.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, further comprising, providing instructions to at least one of altering a processing step in the manufacture of the integrated circuit substrate, changing a design parameter for the integrated circuit substrate, or replacing a defective sensor in response to the measure of compliance exceeding a predefined criteria.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting a notification of the confirmed excursion to a display that displays a dashboard of confirmed excursions and their associated probabilities.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, further comprising:
rank ordering confirmed excursions and
presenting the rank ordering on the display.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
identifying one or more steps in a recipe, a particular chamber, and a tool associated with a yield impacting defect that caused the confirmed excursion.

### Claim 12

A computing system, comprising:
a memory; and
a processor configured to perform a method for detecting comprising deviations from expected geometric features in an integrated circuit substrate, the method comprising:
determining a set of contours suspected of having at least one excursion in a design window of the integrated circuit substrate based on a geometric distribution of proximities of a plurality of points of interest in the design window to a plurality of expected geometric features, wherein determining the geometric distribution comprises determining a design proximity index for each of the plurality of points of interest in the design window, wherein the design proximity index is a measure of how close a point of interest of the plurality of points of interest is to an adjacent expected geometric feature of the plurality of expected geometric features;
obtaining a set of imaged contours from one or more images of a defect-free integrated circuit substrate;
comparing the set of imaged contours to the set of suspected contours to obtain a set of potential excursions from the imaged contours;
determining a probability that a potential excursion from the set of potential excursions is a confirmed excursion, wherein the confirmed excursion is operable to cause a yield impacting defect within at least one of the expected geometric features of the design window of the substrate; and
taking a corrective action to eliminate a re-occurrence of the confirmed excursion based on the determined probability.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The computing system of claim 12, wherein the set of potential excursions represent a set of deviations from an intended geometric feature.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The computing system of claim 13, wherein determining the set of suspected contours comprises determining a Euclidian distance between a point of a plurality of points in an expected geometric feature of the plurality of geometric features.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The computing system of claim 14, further comprising determining a location of the confirmed excursion from the determined Euclidian distance.

### Claim 16 (depends on 12)

The computing system of claim 12, further comprising, before determining the set of suspected contours, dividing the substrate into a plurality of geometric areas comprising a corresponding plurality of design windows.

### Claim 17

A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that when executed by a computing device cause the computing device to perform a method for detecting excursions comprising deviations from expected geometric features in an integrated circuit substrate, the method comprising:
determining a set of contours suspected of having at least one excursion in a design window of the integrated circuit substrate based on a geometric distribution of proximities of a plurality of points of interest in the design window to a plurality of expected geometric features, wherein determining the geometric distribution comprises determining a design proximity index for each of the plurality of points of interest in the design window, wherein the design proximity index is a measure of how close a point of interest of the plurality of points of interest is to an adjacent expected geometric feature of the plurality of expected geometric features;
obtaining a set of imaged contours from one or more images of a defect-free integrated circuit substrate;
comparing the set of imaged contours to the set of suspected contours to obtain a set of potential excursions from the imaged contours;
determining a probability that a potential excursion from the set of potential excursions is a confirmed excursion, wherein the confirmed excursion is operable to cause a yield impacting defect within at least one of the expected geometric features of the design window of the substrate; and
taking a corrective action to eliminate a re-occurrence of the confirmed excursion based on the determined probability.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the set of potential excursions represent a set of deviations from an intended geometric feature.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein determining the set of suspected contours comprises determining a Euclidian distance between a point of a plurality of points in an expected geometric feature of the plurality of geometric features.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, further comprising determining a location of the confirmed excursion from the determined Euclidian distance.

### Claim 21 (depends on 17)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising, before determining the set of suspected contours, dividing the substrate into a plurality of geometric areas comprising a corresponding plurality of design windows.