Device and system for recording the motion of a wafer and a method therefrom
AssigneeInnersense, Inc.
InventorsYigal Tomer, Yakov Bienenstock, Gershon Dorot
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention provides a device that can be used to record the motion of a wafer and fine perturbations and vibrations in its motion during its progress through and between semiconductor process and inspection machines in the course of the actual manufacturing process or during a test cycle of the processing or inspection machine. It also provides a system and a method which uses this record mechanical malfunction of the processing or inspection machine which has caused, or could cause, defects in the manufactured wafer whether directly or indirectly.
Claims27
A system for detecting, identifying, and locating any mechanical malfunction, which has caused, or could cause, defects in a wafer manufactured by semiconductor process and inspection machines in the course of the actual manufacturing process or in test cycles of said machines, said system comprising:
- a test wafer, comprising a miniature electronic recording system, which comprises at least one accelerometer and circuitry for recording data that characterizes the motion of said test wafer, including fine perturbations and vibrations in its motion during its progress through and between said semiconductor process and inspection machines;
- a computer, comprising:
- software for initializing and downloading recorder programs to said miniature electronic recording system before said test wafer is placed in said semiconductor process and inspection machines;
- software for transferring said data that characterizes the motion of said test wafer from said miniature electronic recording system to said computer;
- known data, which describes the “known good” behavior of a wafer during its progress through and between said semiconductor process and inspection machines;
- and software for detecting, identifying, and locating said mechanical malfunction;
- and
- a reader station, comprising an AC power supply, interface circuits between said test wafer and said computer, and, if necessary, a battery charger;
- wherein;
- said recorder programs cause said data that characterizes the motion of said test wafer to be recorded along the entire path of said test wafer through and between said semiconductor process and inspection machines;
- and
- said software for detecting, identifying, and locating said mechanical malfunction detects, identifies, and locates said mechanical malfunction by comparing said recorded data that characterizes the motion of said test wafer with said known data.
A method for using a record of the motion of a test wafer, including fine perturbations and vibrations in the motion of said wafer, during its progress through and between semiconductor process and inspection machines in the course of the actual manufacturing process or in test cycles of said machines, to detect, identify, and locate any mechanical malfunction of the processing machine which has caused, or could cause, defects in the manufactured wafer, comprising the following steps:
- placing said test wafer on the reader station;
- initializing said test wafer;
- transferring said test wafer to said processing machine;
- operating said processing machine under normal operating conditions;
- recording, in the miniature electronic recording system mounted on said test wafer, data from at least one accelerometer, said data characterizing the motion of said test wafer;
- processing the signals from the accelerometer on said test wafer;
- returning said test wafer to said reader station;
- ownloading said recorded data into a computer;
- erasing, if desired, said data recorded in said of said miniature electronic recording system;
- and
- detecting, identifying, and locating any mechanical malfunction of the processing machine;
- wherein;
- said data that characterizes the motion of said test wafer is recorded along the entire path of said test wafer through and between said semiconductor process and inspection machines;
- and
- the software of said computer detects, identifies, and locates said mechanical malfunction by comparing said recorded data characterizing the motion of said test wafer with known data previously stored in the memory of said computer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.