Non-uniformity pattern identification systems and methods thereof
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorChia-Chun Liu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for non-uniformity pattern identification. A storage device stores multiple theoretical patterns and measurements. Each measurement corresponds to a region on a wafer. The processing unit acquires the theoretical patterns and the measurements on at least two wafers, calculates pattern scores for the respective theoretical patterns of each wafer according to the measurements, and groups at least two of the theoretical patterns into at least one factor according to the pattern scores to identify one or more non-uniformity patterns for the wafers. Each pattern score represents the extent of similarity between one of the theoretical patterns and the measurements in one of the wafers.
Claims25
A system of non-uniformity pattern identification, the system comprising:
- a storage device capable of storing a plurality of theoretical patterns and a plurality of measurements, in which each measurement corresponds to a region on a wafer;
- and
- a processing unit configured to acquire the theoretical patterns and the measurements on at least two wafers, calculate pattern scores for the respective theoretical patterns of each wafer according to the measurements, in which each pattern score represents the extent of similarity between one of the theoretical patterns and the measurements on one of the wafers, and groups at least two of the theoretical patterns into at least one factor according to the pattern scores to identify a non-uniformity pattern for the wafers.
A method of non-uniformity pattern identification, the method comprising using a computer to perform the steps of:
- acquiring a plurality of theoretical patterns;
- acquiring a plurality of measurements on at least two wafers, in which each measurement corresponds to a region on one wafer;
- calculating pattern scores for the respective theoretical patterns of each wafer according to the measurements, in which each pattern score represents the extent of similarity between one of the theoretical patterns and the measurements in one of the wafers;
- and
- grouping at least two of the theoretical patterns into at least one factor according to the pattern scores to identify a non-uniformity pattern for the wafers.
A machine-readable storage medium for storing a computer program which when executed performs a method of non-uniformity pattern identification, the method comprising the steps of:
- acquiring a plurality of theoretical patterns;
- acquiring a plurality of measurements on at least two wafers, in which each measurement corresponds to a region on one wafer;
- calculating pattern scores for the respective theoretical patterns of each wafer according to the measurements, in which each pattern score represents the extent of similarity between one of the theoretical patterns and the measurements in one of the wafers;
- and
- grouping at least two of the theoretical patterns into at least one factor according to the pattern scores to identify a non-uniformity pattern for the wafers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.