Lsi Corporation

Lsi Logic Corporation

Jason W McNichols

Bruce Joseph Whitefield

David J Sturtevant

Roger Y B Young

John A Knoch

A wafer edge defect inspection method and apparatus for use in an integrated circuit fabrication system includes an image capturing device for capturing images of the edges of wafers, a database in which the images are stored and accessible for analysis and a computer for analyzing the images of one or more wafer edges to locate edge defects and for evaluating the performance of the fabrication system. The inspection and data storage are performed automatically. The database storage enables detailed analysis of many wafers and fabrication process steps.

Wafer edge defect inspection using captured image analysis

A method for creating a reference for a first position on a substrate edge. A first reference point is selected relative to a circumference of the substrate edge, and a second reference point is selected relative to a bevel of the substrate edge. A first distance along the circumference of the substrate edge between the first reference point and the first position is identified as a first coordinate, and a second distance along the bevel of the substrate edge between the second reference point and the first position is identified as a second coordinate. The first coordinate and the second coordinate are used as the reference for the first position.

Surface coordinate system

A method of determining the distance from an edge feature to a wafer edge. The wafer is put onto an image acquisition tool, and images are captured and classified. Based on the coordinates of the images and their classifications, the distance between an edge feature and the wafer edge is determined. Reference marks can be etched into the wafer to facilitate the measurement. The measurement technique is objective, and can be used to minimize the edge exclusion ring as well as defects that originate from the edge of the wafer.

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Portland, OR, United States of America

Jason W McNichols