US 7,024,338 B2Granted

System and method for improving TFT-array manufacturing yields

AssigneeYieldBoost Tech, Inc.

InventorKyo Young Chung

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A system and method for detecting defects in TFT-array panels is provided that improves defect detection accuracy by adjusting the thresholding parameters used to classify defective pixels when the number of defects reported by a TFT-array testing system exceeds a predetermined critical number. In a preferred embodiment, the thresholding parameters are adjusted until the number of reported defects is less than or equal to the predetermined critical number. The predetermined critical number represents a threshold number for determining if the number of reported defects is abnormally high. Reducing the number of reported defects to a number equal to or less than the predetermined critical number will decrease the operation time of the TFT-array repair equipment, because of the reduced number of potential defects it will be required to handle, and will also result in the TFT-array testing system reporting a smaller number of potential defects, with the potential defects that are reported having a higher probability of being real defects.

Claims8

Dependent claims

A method of improving defect detection accuracy of an electrode array testing system, wherein the electrode array defines a plurality of pixels and wherein the electrode array testing system determines if a pixel is defective based on at least one thresholding parameter that controls a pass/fail criteria of each pixel during testing of the TFT panel, comprising:

defining a critical number of defects;
comparing a number of defects reported by the electrode array testing system “reported defects” to the critical number of defects;
adjusting the at least one thresholding parameter if the number of reported defects is greater than the critical number of defects, until the number of reported defects is less than or equal to the critical number of defects, wherein the adjusting comprises,
incrementally adjusting the at least one thresholding parameter by a first increment value until the number of reported defects is less than the critical number of defects to yield a first thresholding parameter value,
subtracting one increment value from the first thresholding parameter value to yield a second thresholding parameter value, and
incrementally adjusting the second thresholding parameter value by a second increment value until the number of reported defects is less than the critical number of defects to yield a final thresholding parameter value,
wherein the second increment value is smaller than the first increment value.

4 more elements

A computer-readable medium storing a program for improving defect detection accuracy of an electrode array testing system, wherein the electrode array defines a plurality of pixels and wherein the electrode array testing system determines if a pixel is defective based on at least one thresholding parameter that controls a pass/fail criteria of each pixel during testing of the TFT panel, said program comprising:

a first code section which compares a number of defects reported by the electrode array testing system “reported defects” to a predetermined critical number of defects;
a second code section which, if the number of reported defects is greater than the critical number of defects, adjusts the at least one thresholding parameter until the number of reported defects is less than or equal to the critical number of defects, wherein the second code section comprises:
a first code subsection that incrementally adjusts the at least one thresholding parameter by a first increment value until the number of reported defects is less than the critical number of defects to yield a first thresholding parameter value,
a second code subsection that subtracts one increment value from the first thresholding parameter value to yield a second thresholding parameter value, and
a third code subsection that incrementally adjusts the second thresholding parameter value by a second increment value until the number of reported defects is less than the critical number of defects to yield an final thresholding parameter value,
wherein the second increment value is smaller than the first increment value.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/642,617Filed 19 Aug 2003 · continuation in part
Priority: 31 Jan 2003
Published: US 2004/0150408 A15 Aug 2004
Granted: 4 Apr 2006
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification4 codes

G05B 19/41875
Total factory control, i.e. centrally controlling a plurality of machines, e.g. direct or distributed numerical control [DNC], flexible…:…
Y02P 90/02
Enabling technologies with a potential contribution to greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions mitigation: total factory control, e.g. smart factories,…
G05B
Control or regulating systems in general
Y02P
Low-carbon manufacturing

Family

Application10/355,059Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 31 Jan 2003
Application10/388,481Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 17 Mar 2003
US 2004/0150408 A1Pre-grant publication · published 5 Aug 2004
US 6,862,489 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 2004/0150760 A1Published application
US 2004/0153179 A1Published application
US 7,154,292 B2Related patent
US 7,024,338 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.