Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

Sheng-Hsiang Chuang

Jiun-Rong Pai

Hsu-Shui Liu

Shou-Wen Kuo

Cheng-Kang Hu

Chien-Ko Liao

Ya Hsun Hsueh

Yeur-Luen Tu

Yu-Hung Cheng

Ru-Liang Lee

Chien-Fa Lee

Wu-An Weng

Kuo Liang Lu

Chia-Han Lin

Chang-Chen Tsao

Becky Liao

Ethan Yu

Ming-Chi Tsai

Kuo-Yi Liu

Surendra Kumar Soni

Ya-Hsun Hsueh

Gary Tsai

Sing-Tsung Li

Jiao-Rou Liao

Cheng-Hung Chen

Yi-Ming Chen

Guan-Cyun Li

Chiung-Min Lin

Ming-Han Tsai

Bo-Han Shih

Yen-Ju Wei

An apparatus for inspecting wafer carriers is disclosed. In one example, the apparatus includes: a housing; a load port; a robot arm inside the housing; and a processor. The load port is configured to load a wafer carrier into the housing. The robot arm is configured to move a first camera connected to the robot arm. The first camera is configured to capture a plurality of images of the wafer carrier. The processor is configured to process the plurality of images to inspect the wafer carrier.

Apparatus and method for inspecting wafer carriers

Some embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a processing tool. The tool includes a housing enclosing a processing chamber, and an input/output port configured to pass a wafer through the housing into and out of the processing chamber. A back-side macro-inspection system is arranged within the processing chamber and is configured to image a back side of the wafer. A front-side macro-inspection system is arranged within the processing chamber and is configured to image a front side of the wafer according to a first image resolution. A front-side micro-inspection system is arranged within the processing chamber and is configured to image the front side of the wafer according to a second image resolution which is higher than the first image resolution.

Automated inspection tool

A method includes: receiving a defect map from a defect scanner, wherein the defect map comprises at least one defect location of a semiconductor workpiece; annotating the defect map with a reference fiducial location of the semiconductor workpiece; determining a detected fiducial location within image data of the semiconductor workpiece; determining an offset correction based on comparing the detected fiducial location with the reference fiducial location; producing a corrected defect map by applying the offset correction to the defect map, wherein the applying the offset correction translocates the at least one defect location; and transferring the corrected defect map to a defect reviewer configured to perform root cause analysis based on the corrected defect map.

Defect offset correction

A semiconductor equipment management method applicable to an electronic device for managing multiple pieces of semiconductor equipment is provided. The pieces of semiconductor equipment are respectively controlled through multiple control hosts, and the control hosts and the electronic device are connected to a switch device. The method includes: receiving real-time image information of each control host through the switch device; determining whether the real-time image information of each control host includes a triggering event by performing an image recognition on the real-time image information; executing a macro corresponding to the triggering event, where the macro includes at least one self-defined operation; generating at least one input command according to the self-defined operation of the executed macro; and controlling the control hosts to execute the self-defined operation of the executed macro by transmitting the input command to the control hosts through the switch device.

Semiconductor equipment management method, electronic device, and non-transitory computer readable storage medium

A system and method for defect detection in a hole array on a substrate is disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a method for defect detection in a hole array on a substrate, includes: scanning a substrate surface using at least one optical detector, generating at least one image of the substrate surface; and analyzing the at least one image to detect defects in the hole array on the substrate surface based on a set of predetermined criteria.

Method and system for map-free inspection of semiconductor devices

In an embodiment, a system includes a profiler configured to detect variations along a surface of a semiconductor stage; and a jig configured to move the profiler along an axis over the semiconductor stage.

Semiconductor processing stage profiler jig

A method for scanning and analyzing a surface, the method comprising: receiving a piece of equipment with a target surface for inspection; receiving an input from a user; determining at least one scan parameter based on the user input; scanning the target surface using an optical detector in accordance with the at least one scan parameter; generating an image of the target surface; correcting the image of the target surface to remove at least one undesired feature to generate a corrected image based on the at least one scan parameter; and analyzing the corrected image to determine at least one geometric parameter of the target surface.

Topological scanning method and system

The present disclosure relates to a debonding apparatus. In some embodiments, the debonding apparatus comprises a wafer chuck configured to hold a pair of bonded substrates on a chuck top surface. The debonding apparatus further comprises a pair of separating blades including a first separating blade and a second separating blade placed at edges of the pair of bonded substrates. The first separating blade has a first thickness that is smaller than a second thickness of the second separating blade. The debonding apparatus further comprises a flex wafer assembly configured to pull the pair of bonded substrates upwardly to separate a second substrate from a first substrate of the pair of bonded substrate. By providing unbalanced initial torques on opposite sides of the bonded substrate pair, edge defects and wafer breakage are reduced.

Wafer debonding system and method

The present disclosure provides an apparatus for substrate inspection, including a chamber, a movable holder in the chamber and configured to hold a substrate and transfer the substrate between a first position and a second position, a first inspector under the first position and the second position in the chamber, and configured to inspect a backside of the substrate, a lifter under the second position in the chamber, and configured to support the substrate and move the substrate from the second position to a third position, and a second inspector near the third position in the chamber and configured to inspect an edge of the substrate at the third position.

Apparatus and method for substrate inspection

A system and method for inline detection of defects on a semiconductor wafer surface during a semiconductor device manufacturing process is disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a method includes: automatically transporting the wafer from a first processing station to an inspection station; scanning a wafer surface using a camera in the inspection station; generating at least one image of the wafer surface; analyzing the at least one image to detect defects on the wafer surface based on a set of predetermined criteria; if the wafer is determined to be defective, automatically transporting the wafer from the inspection station to a stocker; and if the wafer is determined to be not defective, automatically transporting the wafer to a second processing station for further processing in accordance with the semiconductor device manufacturing process.

Automatic in-line inspection system

Growing community of inventors

Hsin-Chu, Taiwan

Sheng-Hsiang Chuang