# US 9,518,934 B2 · Wafer defect discovery

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- Number: US 9,518,934 B2
- Document ID: US9518934B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/931,226
- Filed: 2015-11-03
- Published: 2016-05-05
- Granted: 2016-12-13
- Earliest claimed: 2014-11-04
- Assignees: KLA-Tencor Corporation
- Applicants: KLA-Tencor Corporation
- Inventors: Hong Chen; Kenong Wu; Martin Plihal; Vidur Pandita; Ravikumar Sanapala; Vivek Bhagat; Rahul Lakhawat; Oksen Baris; Rajesh Ramachandran; Naoshin Haque
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9518934B2

## CPC

- H01J 37/28: with scanning beams {(H01J37/268, H01J37/292, H01J37/2955 take precedence)}
- G01N 21/8851: {Scan or image signal processing specially adapted therefor, e.g. for scan signal adjustment, for detecting different kinds of defects, for compensating for structures, markings, edges (G01N21/8806 and G01N21/93 - G01N21/95692 take precedence; optical measurement of dimensions G01B11/00; optical scanning G02B26/10; image transformation G06T3/00; computerised image enhancement G06T5/00; image processing per se for flaw detection G06T7/0002)}
- G01N 21/9501: {Semiconductor wafers (manufacturing processes per se of semiconductor devices implementing a measuring step H10P74/20)}
- G03F 7/70625: {Dimensions, e.g. line width, critical dimension [CD], profile, sidewall angle or edge roughness}
- G03F 7/7065: {Defects, e.g. optical inspection of patterned layer for defects}
- G01N 2021/8854: {Grading and classifying of flaws}
- G01N 2021/8883: {involving the calculation of gauges, generating models}
- H01J 2237/24592: Inspection and quality control of devices
- H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H)
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)
- G03F: PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR; (phototypographic composing devices B41B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; electrophotography, sensitive layers or processes therefor G03G)

## Abstract

Systems and methods for discovering defects on a wafer are provided. One method includes detecting defects on a wafer by applying a threshold to output generated by a detector in a first scan of the wafer and determining values for features of the detected defects. The method also includes automatically ranking the features, identifying feature cut-lines to group the defect into bins, and, for each of the bins, determining one or more parameters that if applied to the values for the features of the defects in each of the bins will result in a predetermined number of the defects in each of the bins. The method also includes 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 that has a predetermined defect count and is diversified in the values for the features.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system configured to discover defects on a wafer, comprising:
an inspection subsystem comprising at least an energy source and a detector, wherein the energy source is configured to generate energy that is directed to and scanned over a wafer, and wherein the detector is configured to detect energy from the water and to generate output responsive to the detected energy; and
a computer subsystem configured for:
detecting defects on the wafer by applying a threshold to the output generated by the detector in a first scan of the wafer;
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.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the computer subsystem is further configured for performing said detecting, said determining the values, said automatically ranking, said identifying, said determining the one or more parameters, and said applying automatically and without manual recipe setup.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more determined parameters comprise one or more thresholds.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the threshold is at a noise floor of the output.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the threshold is automatically selected by the computer subsystem.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the predetermined number of the defects is selected by a user.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the predetermined number of the defects is different for at least two of the bins.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more determined parameters comprise one or more parameters for nuisance filtering.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the inspection subsystem is configured to scan the wafer with different modes.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, wherein the computer subsystem is further configured for detecting other defects based on the output generated with the different modes, determining values for features of the other defects using the output generated with the different modes, and performing defect discovery based on a combination of all of the values for all of the features determined for all of the defects.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, wherein the computer subsystem is further configured for detecting other defects based on the output generated with the different modes, comparing the other defects to identify the different modes with which each of the other defects was detected, determining a set of features for each of the other defects, wherein the set of features is determined based on the output generated with the different modes, and searching the other defects for different types of defects based on the set of features.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, wherein said searching comprises setting up a defect classification process based on a sample of the other defects, applying the defect classification process to the other defects not included in the sample, and determining a level of confidence of classifications assigned by the defect classification process to the other defects not included in the sample.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The system of claim 12, wherein said searching further comprises sampling a set of the other defects having the level of confidence that is lower than the level of confidence of others of the other defects, setting up a new defect classification process based on the sample and the sampled set of the other defects, applying the new defect classification process to the other defects not included in the sample and not included in the sampled set of defects, and determining the level of confidence of classifications assigned by the new defect classification process to the other defects not included in the sample or the sampled set of defects.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the inspection subsystem is configured to scan the energy over another wafer while the detector generates the output, wherein the other wafer is a process window qualification wafer on which at least two dies are printed with different values for one or more parameters of a process used to print the wafer, and wherein the computer subsystem is further configured for identifying micro care areas in the output and detecting other defects based on the output in the micro care areas.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, wherein the scan is performed for two or more of the at least two dies printed with the different values and one or more modes of the inspection subsystem, wherein detecting the other defects comprises generating one or more defect populations for the one or more modes, respectively, and wherein each of the one or more defect populations comprises the other defects detected in the two or more of the at least two dies.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein the one or more defect populations for the one or more modes, respectively, comprise approximately the same number of defects for each of the two or more of the at least two dies.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein the computer subsystem is further configured for selecting one or more parameters for inspection of additional process window qualification wafers with at least one of the one or more modes based on the one or more defect populations for the one or more modes, respectively.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the energy source is a broadband plasma light source.

### Claim 19

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.

### Claim 20

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.