Kla Tencor Corporation

Kla Corporation

Naoshin Haque

Allen Park

Ajay Gupta

Martin Plihal

Kenong Wu

Hong Chen

Rahul Lakhawat

Oksen Toros Baris

Ravikumar Sanapala

Vidur Pandita

Vivek Bhagat

Rajesh Ramachandran

Methods and systems for providing weak pattern (or hotspot) detection and quantification are disclosed. A weak pattern detection and quantification system may include a wafer inspection tool configured to inspect a wafer and detect defects present on the wafer. The system may also include at least one processor in communication with the wafer inspection tool. The at least one processor may be configured to: perform pattern grouping on the detected defects based on design of the wafer; identify regions of interest based on the pattern grouping; identify weak patterns contained in the identified regions of interest, the weak patterns being patterns deviating from the design by an amount greater than a threshold; validate the weak patterns identified; and report the validated weak patterns or facilitate revision of the design of the wafer based on the validated weak patterns.

Computer assisted weak pattern detection and quantification system

Methods and systems for providing weak pattern (or hotspot) detection and quantification are disclosed. A weak pattern detection and quantification system may include a wafer inspection tool configured to inspect a wafer and detect defects present on the wafer. The system may also include at least one processor in communication with the wafer inspection tool. The at least one processor may be configured to: perform pattern grouping on the detected defects based on design of the wafer; identify regions of interest based on the pattern grouping; identify weak patterns contained in the identified regions of interest, the weak patterns being patterns deviating from the design by an amount greater than a threshold; validate the identified weak patterns; and report the validated weak patterns or facilitate revision of the design of the wafer based on the validated weak patterns.

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.

Wafer defect discovery

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Naoshin Haque