Wafer defect discovery

A computer-implemented method for discovering defects on a wafer, comprising:

• detecting defects on a wafer by applying a threshold to output generated by a detector of an inspection system in a first scan of the wafer, wherein the inspection system comprises at least an energy source and the detector, wherein the energy source is configured to generate energy that is directed to and scanned over the wafer, and wherein the detector is configured to detect energy from the wafer and to generate the output responsive to the detected energy;
• determining values for features of the detected defects;
• based on the values for the features, automatically ranking the features and identifying feature cut-lines to group the defects into bins;
• for each of the bins, determining one or more parameters that if applied to the values for the features of the defects in said each of the bins will result in a predetermined number of the defects in said each of the bins;
• and
• applying the one or more determined parameters to the output generated by the detector in a second scan of the wafer to generate a defect population, wherein the defect population has a predetermined defect count and is diversified in the values for the features, and wherein said detecting, said determining the values, said automatically ranking, said identifying, said determining the one or more parameters, and said applying are performed with a computer system.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium, storing program instructions executable on a computer system for performing a computer-implemented method for discovering defects on a wafer, wherein the computer-implemented method comprises:

• detecting defects on a wafer by applying a threshold to output generated by a detector of an inspection system in a first scan of the wafer, wherein the inspection system comprises at least an energy source and the detector, wherein the energy source is configured to generate energy that is directed to and scanned over the wafer, and wherein the detector is configured to detect energy from the wafer and to generate the output responsive to the detected energy;
• determining values for features of the detected defects;
• based on the values for the features, automatically ranking the features and identifying feature cut-lines to group the defects into bins;
• for each of the bins, determining one or more parameters that if applied to the values for the features of the defects in said each of the bins will result in a predetermined number of the defects in said each of the bins;
• and
• applying the one or more determined parameters to the output generated by the detector in a second scan of the wafer to generate a defect population, wherein the defect population has a predetermined defect count and is diversified in the values for the features.