Dynamic Binning for Diversification and Defect Discovery
AssigneeKLA-Tencor Corporation
InventorsMartin Plihal, Vidyasagar Anantha
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and systems for generating a defect sample for a wafer are provided. One method includes separating defects detected on a wafer into bins having diversity in values of a first set of one or more first attributes of the defects. The method also includes selecting, independently from one or more of the bins, defects within the bins based on diversity in a second set of one or more second attributes of the defects. The selected defects are then used to create a defect sample for the wafer. In this manner, defects having diverse values of multiple attributes can be easily selected.
Claims39
A computer-implemented method for generating a defect sample for a wafer, comprising:
- acquiring inspection results for the wafer, wherein the inspection results comprise information for defects detected on the wafer by an inspection process, and wherein the information comprises information for at least a first set of one or more first attributes for the defects and a second set of one or more second attributes for the defects;
- identifying values of the one or more first attributes having the most diversity in the values of the one or more first attributes;
- generating a set of bins for the defects based on the identified values such that each of the bins corresponds to only a portion of the values and such that the values corresponding to the bins have diversity in the one or more first attributes;
- separating the defects into the bins based on the values of the one or more first attributes corresponding to the defects;
- selecting, from one of the bins, defects within the one of the bins based on diversity in values of the one or more second attributes;
- repeating said selecting for at least one other of the bins;
- and
- creating a defect sample for the wafer comprising the defects selected from the one of the bins and the at least one other of the bins, wherein said acquiring, said identifying, said generating, said separating, said selecting, said repeating, and said creating are performed by a computer system.
A non-transitory computer-readable medium, storing program instructions executable on a computer system for performing a computer-implemented method for generating a defect sample for a wafer, wherein the computer-implemented method comprises:
- acquiring inspection results for the wafer, wherein the inspection results comprise information for defects detected on the wafer by an inspection process, and wherein the information comprises information for at least a first set of one or more first attributes for the defects and a second set of one or more second attributes for the defects;
- identifying values of the one or more first attributes having the most diversity in the values of the one or more first attributes;
- generating a set of bins for the defects based on the identified values such that each of the bins corresponds to only a portion of the values and such that the values corresponding to the bins have diversity in the one or more first attributes;
- separating the defects into the bins based on the values of the one or more first attributes corresponding to the defects;
- selecting, from one of the bins, defects within the one of the bins based on diversity in values of the one or more second attributes;
- repeating said selecting for at least one other of the bins;
- and
- creating a defect sample for the wafer comprising the defects selected from the one of the bins and the at least one other of the bins.
A system configured to generate a defect sample for a wafer, comprising:
- an inspection subsystem configured to acquire inspection results for the wafer, wherein the inspection results comprise information for defects detected on the wafer by an inspection process, and wherein the information comprises information for at least a first set of one or more first attributes for the defects and a second set of one or more second attributes for the defects;
- and
- a computer subsystem configured for:
- identifying values of the one or more first attributes having the most diversity in the values of the one or more first attributes;
- generating a set of bins for the defects based on the identified values such that each of the bins corresponds to only a portion of the values and such that the values corresponding to the bins have diversity in the one or more first attributes;
- separating the defects into the bins based on the values of the one or more first attributes corresponding to the defects;
- selecting, from one of the bins, defects within the one of the bins based on diversity in values of the one or more second attributes;
- repeating said selecting for at least one other of the bins;
- and
- creating a defect sample for the wafer comprising the defects selected from the one of the bins and the at least one other of the bins.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.