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US 2011/0218762 A1Published application
Systems and methods for wafer edge feature detection and quantification
AssigneeKLA-Tencor Corporation
InventorsHaiguang Chen, Jaydeep Sinha
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed herein is a method to enhance detection and quantification of features in the wafer edge/wafer roll off regions. Modifications and improvements have been made to earlier methods which enable improved accuracy and increased scope of feature detection.
Claims14
A processor-based method for characterizing an anomaly feature on a wafer, the method comprising the steps of:
- receiving with the processor sensed height information within at least a sector in the near edge region of the wafer (edge roll off region)
- determining with the processor a front surface, back surface, and thickness profile curve for the wafer along at least a radial line within the sector, the front surface, back surface, and thickness profile curve comprising the sensed height information;
- processing with the processor the front surface, back surface, and thickness profile curve to produce a ZDD profile representing a radial double derivative of the sensed height information, and a ZDDD profile representing a radial triple derivative of the sensed height information;
- processing with the processor the ZDD profile and the ZDDD profile to produce a slope profile;
- determining with the processor an anomaly span metric from the slope profile;
- processing with the processor the ZDD profile and the ZDDD profile to produce a height profile;
- and
- determining with the processor an anomaly height metric from the height profile.
5 more elements
A system for characterizing an anomaly feature on a wafer, said system including a processor configured to perform the steps of:
- receiving sensed height information within at least a sector in the near edge region of the wafer (edge roll off region)
- determining a front surface, back surface, and thickness profile curve for the wafer along at least a radial line within the sector, the front surface, back surface, and thickness profile curve comprising the sensed height information;
- processing the front surface, back surface, and thickness profile curve to produce a ZDD profile representing a radial double derivative of the sensed height information, and a ZDDD profile representing a radial triple derivative of the sensed height information;
- processing the ZDD profile and the ZDDD profile to produce a slope profile;
- determining an anomaly span metric from the slope profile;
- processing the ZDD profile and the ZDDD profile to produce a height profile;
- and
- determining an anomaly height metric from the height profile.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.