Methods and systems for inline parts average testing and latent reliability defect detection

A system, comprising:

• one or more inspection tools configured to perform inline inspection and metrology on a plurality of wafers at a plurality of critical steps during wafer fabrication;
• and
• one or more processors in communication with the one or more inspection tools, the one or more processors configured to facilitate inline part average testing of the plurality of wafers, the one or more processors further configured to:
• aggregate inspection results obtained from the one or more inspection tools to obtain a plurality of aggregated inspection results for the plurality of wafers;
• identify one or more statistical outliers among the plurality of wafers at least partially based on the plurality of aggregated inspection results obtained for the plurality of wafers and a correlation of reliability testing of one or more devices formed from one or more of a previously fabricated plurality of wafers and aggregated inspection results obtained for the previously fabricated plurality of wafers;
• and
• selectively disqualify, based on a selected risk tolerance level, a portion of the one or more statistical outliers of the plurality of wafers from entering a supply chain for a downstream manufacturing process when the one or more statistical outliers reside in a functioning device;
• and
• report the selectively disqualified portion of the one or more statistical outliers of the plurality of wafers for marking.

A system, comprising:

• one or more inspection tools configured to perform inline inspection and metrology on a plurality of wafers at a plurality of critical steps during wafer fabrication;
• and
• one or more processors in communication with the one or more inspection tools, the one or more processors configured to facilitate inline part average testing of the plurality of wafers, the one or more processors further configured to:
• establish a control limit to satisfy a selected risk tolerance level defined for a downstream manufacturing process that utilizes the plurality of wafers;
• aggregate inspection results obtained from the one or more inspection tools to obtain a plurality of aggregated inspection results for the plurality of wafers;
• identify one or more statistical outliers that failed to satisfy the control limit established for the downstream manufacturing process at least partially based on the plurality of aggregated inspection results obtained for the plurality of wafers and a correlation of reliability testing of one or more devices formed from one or more of a previously fabricated plurality of wafers and aggregated inspection results obtained for the previously fabricated plurality of wafers;
• and
• selectively disqualify a portion of the one or more statistical outliers of the plurality of wafers from entering a supply chain for the downstream manufacturing process when the one or more statistical outliers reside in a functioning device based on the control limit;
• and
• report the selectively disqualified portion of the one or more statistical outliers of the plurality of wafers for marking.