US5870187A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method for aligning semiconductor wafer surface scans and identifying added and removed particles resulting from wafer handling or processing
Assignee: Applied Materials Inc
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Filing: 1997-08-08
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Granted: 1999-02-09
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Expires: 2017-08-08
Abstract
Abstract An automated method for aligning wafer surface scan maps and locating defects such as particle contaminant distributions on a wafer surface. More specifically, the invention is an automated method for locating added and removed contaminants and other defects on a semiconductor wafer surface after the wafer has undergone wafer-handling and/or processing. A second data set of a second scan of a wafer surface is misalignment-corrected to a first coordinate system of a first scan of the wafer surface. Thereafter, a final match is made between a first data set of the first scan and the misalignment-corrected data of the second scan. Non-matching locations in the misalignment-corrected data of the second scan represent added defects on the surface of the wafer. Non-matching locations in the base data of the first scan represent removed defects from the surface of the wafer.
Inventors
- 👤 Yuri Uritsky
- 👤 Patrick D. Kinney
- 👤 Man-Ping Cai
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 19:32
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01N; G01N21/00; G01N21/84; G01N21/88; G01N21/95; G01N21/9501
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
150 words
A method for aligning a first scan of a semiconductor wafer surface and a second scan of the semiconductor wafer surface, where the first scan contains first data set with respect to a first coordinate system and the second scan contains a second data set with respect to a second coordinate system, comprising the steps of: (a) selecting matching areas of said first data set and said second data set; (b) determining transformation parameters for said matching areas; (c) transforming each data of said second data set from said second coordinate system to said first coordinate system, using said determined transformation parameters; and (d) identifying added defects and removed defects on said wafer surface, wherein said added defects are non-matching locations of said transformed second data set with said first data set, and said removed defects are non-matching locations of said first data set with said transformed second data set.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
150 words
A method for aligning a first scan of a semiconductor wafer surface and a second scan of the semiconductor wafer surface, where the first scan contains first data set with respect to a first coordinate system and the second scan contains a second data set with respect to a second coordinate system, comprising the steps of: (a) selecting matching areas of said first data set and said second data set; (b) determining transformation parameters for said matching areas; (c) transforming each data of said second data set from said second coordinate system to said first coordinate system, using said determined transformation parameters; and (d) identifying added defects and removed defects on said wafer surface, wherein said added defects are non-matching locations of said transformed second data set with said first data set, and said removed defects are non-matching locations of said first data set with said transformed second data set.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 1 wherein step (b) further comprises the steps of: computing a transformation parameter for each selected matching area; averaging the transformation parameters to form an averaged transformation parameter.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method of claim 2 wherein step (b) further comprises the step of: comparing each transformation parameter with said averaged transformation parameter to identify an outlier and repeating said averaging step without said outlier for a revised averaged transformation parameters.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
192 words
A method for aligning a first scan of a semiconductor wafer surface and a second scan of the semiconductor wafer surface, where the first scan contains a first data set with respect to a first coordinate system and the second scan contains a second data set with respect to a second coordinate system, comprising the steps of: (a) selecting matching areas of said first data set and said second data set; (b) computing a transformation parameter for each selected matching area; (c) averaging the transformation parameters to form an averaged transformation parameter; (d) comparing each transformation parameter with said averaged transformation parameter to identify an outlier and repeating said averaging step without said outlier for a revised averaged transformation parameter; (e) transforming each data of said second data set from said second coordinate system to said first coordinate system, using said determined transformation parameters; and (f) identifying added particles and removed defects of said wafer surface, wherein said added defects are non-matching locations of said transformed second data set with said first data set, and said removed defects are non-matching locations of said first data set with said transformed second data set.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
192 words
A method for aligning a first scan of a semiconductor wafer surface and a second scan of the semiconductor wafer surface, where the first scan contains a first data set with respect to a first coordinate system and the second scan contains a second data set with respect to a second coordinate system, comprising the steps of: (a) selecting matching areas of said first data set and said second data set; (b) computing a transformation parameter for each selected matching area; (c) averaging the transformation parameters to form an averaged transformation parameter; (d) comparing each transformation parameter with said averaged transformation parameter to identify an outlier and repeating said averaging step without said outlier for a revised averaged transformation parameter; (e) transforming each data of said second data set from said second coordinate system to said first coordinate system, using said determined transformation parameters; and (f) identifying added particles and removed defects of said wafer surface, wherein said added defects are non-matching locations of said transformed second data set with said first data set, and said removed defects are non-matching locations of said first data set with said transformed second data set.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
150 words
A method for aligning a first scan of a semiconductor wafer surface and a second scan of the semiconductor wafer surface, where the first scan contains first data set with respect to a first coordinate system and the second scan contains a second data set with respect to a second coordinate system, comprising the steps of: (a) selecting matching areas of said first data set and said second data set; (b) determining transformation parameters for said matching areas; (c) transforming each data of said first data set from said first coordinate system to said second coordinate system, using said determined transformation parameters; and (d) identifying added defects and removed defects on said wafer surface, wherein said removed defects are non-matching locations of said transformed first data set with said second data set, and said added defects are non-matching locations of said second data set with said transformed first data set.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
150 words
A method for aligning a first scan of a semiconductor wafer surface and a second scan of the semiconductor wafer surface, where the first scan contains first data set with respect to a first coordinate system and the second scan contains a second data set with respect to a second coordinate system, comprising the steps of: (a) selecting matching areas of said first data set and said second data set; (b) determining transformation parameters for said matching areas; (c) transforming each data of said first data set from said first coordinate system to said second coordinate system, using said determined transformation parameters; and (d) identifying added defects and removed defects on said wafer surface, wherein said removed defects are non-matching locations of said transformed first data set with said second data set, and said added defects are non-matching locations of said second data set with said transformed first data set.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 5 wherein step (b) further comprises the steps of: computing a transformation parameter for each selected matching area; averaging the transformation parameters to form an averaged transformation parameter.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method of claim 6 wherein step (b) further comprises the step of: comparing each transformation parameter with said averaged transformation parameter to identify an outlier and repeating said averaging step without said outlier for a revised averaged transformation parameters.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
192 words
A method for aligning a first scan of a semiconductor wafer surface and a second scan of the semiconductor wafer surface, where the first scan contains a first data set with respect to a first coordinate system and the second scan contains a second data set with respect to a second coordinate system, comprising the steps of: (a) selecting matching areas of said first data set and said second data set; (b) computing a transformation parameter for each selected matching area; (c) averaging the transformation parameters to form an averaged transformation parameter; (d) comparing each transformation parameter with said averaged transformation parameter to identify an outlier and repeating said averaging step without said outlier for a revised averaged transformation parameter; (e) transforming each data of said first data set from said first coordinate system to said second coordinate system, using said determined transformation parameters; and (f) identifying added particles and removed defects of said wafer surface, wherein said removed defects are non-matching locations of said transformed first data set with said second data set, and said added defects are non-matching locations of said second data set with said transformed first data set.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
192 words
A method for aligning a first scan of a semiconductor wafer surface and a second scan of the semiconductor wafer surface, where the first scan contains a first data set with respect to a first coordinate system and the second scan contains a second data set with respect to a second coordinate system, comprising the steps of: (a) selecting matching areas of said first data set and said second data set; (b) computing a transformation parameter for each selected matching area; (c) averaging the transformation parameters to form an averaged transformation parameter; (d) comparing each transformation parameter with said averaged transformation parameter to identify an outlier and repeating said averaging step without said outlier for a revised averaged transformation parameter; (e) transforming each data of said first data set from said first coordinate system to said second coordinate system, using said determined transformation parameters; and (f) identifying added particles and removed defects of said wafer surface, wherein said removed defects are non-matching locations of said transformed first data set with said second data set, and said added defects are non-matching locations of said second data set with said transformed first data set.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2002-02-08 | 2002-08-10 | 2003-02-09 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2006-02-08 | 2006-08-10 | 2007-02-09 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2010-02-08 | 2010-08-10 | 2011-02-09 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |