Pdf Solutions, Incorporated

David M Stashower

Christopher Hess

Brian E Stine

Dennis Ciplickas

Larg H Weiland

Sherry F Lee

John Kibarian

Kimon Michaels

Purnendu K Mozumder

Joseph C Davis

Kurt H Weiner

Richard Gene Burch

Amit Joag

Abdul Mobeen Mohammed

Ben Shieh

A Characterization Vehicle (CV) and a method for forming it which yields a gain in efficiency for IC yield ramp improvements by enabling faster learning cycles and diagnosis while reducing costs. A plurality of SF experiments are combined into a single full flow mask set with many inline testing points. Smaller pads are arranged in a way supporting testing of interleaved pad frames, parallel testing, and the usage of stacked test structures, or Devices Under Test (DUT's).

Reusable test chip for inline probing of three dimensionally arranged experiments

A system and method for predicting yield of integrated circuits includes at least one type of characterization vehicle which incorporates at least one feature which is representative of at least one type of feature to be incorporated in the final integrated circuit product. The characterization vehicle is subjected to at least one of the process operations making up the fabrication cycle to be used in fabricating the integrated circuit product in order to produce a yield model. The yield model embodies a layout as defined by the characterization vehicle and preferably includes features which facilitate the gathering of electrical test data and testing of prototype sections at operating speeds. An extraction engine extracts predetermined layout attributes from a proposed product layout. Operating on the yield model, the extraction engine produces yield predictions as a function of layout attributes and broken down by layers or steps in the fabrication process. These yield predictions are then used to determine which areas in the fabrication process require the most improvement.

System and method for product yield prediction

A characterization vehicle includes a substrate having at least one layer (), and a plurality of pairs of nested serpentine lines on a single surface of a single layer of the substrate (), each pair of nested serpentine lines having a shared pad between them ().

Extraction method of defect density and size distributions

A yield for an integrated circuit is predicted by processing a wafer to have a portion fabricated with at least one layout attribute of the integrated circuit. The portion of the wafer is analyzed to determine an actual yield associated with the at least one layout attribute. A systematic yield associated with the at least one layout attribute is determined based on the actual yield and a predicted yield associated with the at least one layout attribute. The predicted yield assumes that random defects are the only yield loss mechanism. A yield of an actual or proprosed product layout is predicted for the integrated circuit based on the systematic yield.

A system and method for predicting yield of integrated circuits includes a characterization vehicle ( ) having at least one feature representative of at least one type of feature to be incorporated in the final integrated circuit, preferably a device neighborhood, process neighborhood characterization vehicle. The characterization vehicle ( ) is subjected to process operations making up the fabrication cycle to be used in fabricating the integrated circuit in order to produce a yield model ( ). The yield model ( ) embodies a layout as defined by the characterization vehicle ( ) and preferably includes features which facilitates the gathering of electrical test data and testing of prototype sections at operating speeds. An extraction engine ( ) extracts predetermined layout attributes ( ) from a proposed product layout ( ). Operating on the yield model, the extraction engine ( ) produces yield predictions ( ) as a function of layout attributes ( ) and broken down by layers or steps in the fabrication process ( ).

System and method for product yield prediction using device and process neighborhood characterization vehicle

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Los Gatos, CA, United States of America

David M Stashower