Method and system for manufacturing semiconductor devices, and method and system for inspecting semiconductor devices

An inspection system comprising:

• an automatic inspection unit that extracts defects in a product according to predetermined inspecting standards;
• a defect classifying and feature extracting unit that receives information about the extracted defects from the automatic inspection unit, classifies the defects on the basis of an analogy of the defects with information about the defects, provides the result of defect classification and extracts feature data of the defects on the basis of the result of defect classification;
• and
• a feature data converting unit that converts the feature data into inspecting standards to be used by the automatic inspection unit and feeds back the inspecting standards determined by converting the feature data to the automatic inspection unit to adjust the automatic inspection unit.

An apparatus for manufacturing a semiconductor, electric or electronic device compromising:

• an automatic inspection unit that extracts defects in a semiconductor, electric or electronic device manufactured by a manufacturing machine, according to predetermined inspecting standards, during the manufacturing of the semiconductor, electric or electronic device;
• a defect classifying and feature extracting unit that receives information about the defects extracted by the automatic inspection unit, classifies the defects by category on the basis of an analogy of the defects with information about the defects, provides the result of defect classification, and extracts the feature data of the defects on the basis of the result of defect classification and wherein the defect classifying and feature extracting unit has a means capable of giving instructions to specify the correct result of defect classification when the result of defect classification provided by the defect classifying and feature extracting unit is incorrect;
• and
• a control means that converts the feature data into control parameters for controlling the condition of the manufacturing machine, and controls the manufacturing machine according to the control parameters.

An apparatus for manufacturing a semiconductor, electric or electronic device compromising:

• an automatic inspection unit that extracts defects in a semiconductor, electric or electronic device manufactured by a manufacturing machine, according to predetermined inspecting standards, during the manufacturing of the semiconductor, electric or electronic device;
• a defect classifying and feature extracting unit that receives information about the defects extracted by the automatic inspection unit, classifies the defects by category on the basis of an analogy of the defects with information about the defects, provides the result of defect classification, and extracts the feature data of the defects on the basis of the result of defect classification, and wherein the defect classifying and feature extracting unit, along with information of the condition of the apparatus, are considered to select the manufacturing machine presumably causative of a defect in consideration of the result of defect classification and the attribute of the defect, and sends the data of the defect extracted by the defect classifying and feature extracting unit to the control means;
• and
• a control means that converts the feature data into control parameters for controlling the condition of the manufacturing machine, and controls the manufacturing machine according to the control parameters.