# US 2018/0025483 A1 · Methods of detecting faults in real-time for semiconductor wafers > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0025483 A1 - Document ID: US20180025483A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/213,665 - Filed: 2016-07-19 - Published: 2018-01-25 - Earliest claimed: 2016-07-19 - Assignees: Globalfoundries Inc. - Applicants: GLOBALFOUNDRIES Inc. - Inventors: Robert Boyd FINLAY; Yunsheng SONG - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180025483A1 ## CPC - G06T 7/0004: {Industrial image inspection} - G06F 18/22: Matching criteria, e.g. proximity measures - G06T 7/246: using feature-based methods, e.g. the tracking of corners or segments - G06T 7/248: {involving reference images or patches} - G06T 7/60: Analysis of geometric attributes - G06V 10/42: Global feature extraction by analysis of the whole pattern, e.g. using frequency domain transformations or autocorrelation - H10P 74/23: {characterised by multiple measurements, corrections, marking or sorting processes} - G06T 2207/30148: Semiconductor; IC; Wafer - H10P 74/20: characterised by the properties tested or measured, e.g. structural or electrical properties - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract Systems for and methods of detecting faults in semiconductor wafers are provided. One method includes, for instance: monitoring, with at least one sensor, a recipe for manufacturing a semiconductor wafer; tracking, with a fault detection system, a set of steps for the recipe; determining a start of a step; sensing a set of data related to at least one parameter of the step; generating, by an imaging system, an image of the set of data; displaying, on a display, the image of the set of data; calculating, by the fault detection system, a pixel area ratio from the image of the set of data; determining if a fault exists in the wafer based upon the pixel area ratio; and displaying, on the display, an indication of the fault during real-time and at an end of the step. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of detecting faults in a semiconductor wafer, the method comprising: monitoring, with at least one sensor, a recipe for manufacturing a semiconductor wafer; tracking, with a fault detection system, a set of steps for the recipe; determining, by the fault detection system, a start of a step; sensing, by the at least one sensor, a set of data related to at least one parameter of the step; generating, by an imaging system, an image of the set of data; displaying, on a display, the image of the set of data; calculating, by the fault detection system, a pixel area ratio from the image of the set of data; determining if a fault exists in the wafer, by the fault detection system, based upon the pixel area ratio; and displaying, on the display, an indication of the fault at an end of the step. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the sensing comprises a real-time sensing. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the sensing is continuous. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the pixel area ratio comprises a comparison of a pre-pixel area of the image to a post-pixel area of the image for a duration of the step. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the step includes reactive ion etching. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the determining if a fault exists in the wafer includes comparing the pixel area ratio to a set of historical pixel area ratio results. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the historical pixel area ratio results are stored in a database. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, further comprising: adding the image, when no fault is detected, to the historical pixel area ratio results. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising: analyzing the historical pixel area ratio results to determine a step which contributes to a historical fault. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the display comprises an ultra-high definition display. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the display runs at 4K resolution. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the display allows for zooming in on the image. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the determining if a fault exists in the wafer includes calculating the pixel area ratio from a zoomed in image. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: sensing for a plurality of parameters; generating a base line for each of the parameters; and compiling each base line into the image. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising: generating an image that includes data for a plurality of steps into a single image. ### Claim 16 A system for detecting faults in a semiconductor wafer utilizing a method, the method comprising: monitoring, with at least one sensor, a recipe for manufacturing a semiconductor wafer; tracking, with a fault detection system, a set of steps for the recipe; determining, by the fault detection system, a start of a step; sensing, by the at least one sensor, a set of data related to at least one parameter of the step; generating, by an imaging system, an image of the set of data; displaying, on a display, the image of the set of data; calculating, by the fault detection system, a pixel area ratio from the image of the set of data; determining if a fault exists in the wafer, by the fault detection system, based upon the pixel area ratio; and displaying, on the display, an indication of the fault at an end of the step. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, wherein the sensing comprises a real-time sensing. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein the sensing is continuous. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18, wherein the pixel area ratio comprises a comparison of a pre-pixel area of the image to a post-pixel area of the image for a duration of the step. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, wherein the step includes reactive ion etching.