The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.

The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.

Date of Patent:
Feb. 18, 2025

Filed:

Dec. 30, 2021
Applicant:

Texas Instruments Incorporated, Dallas, TX (US);

Inventors:

Patrick David Noll, Richardson, TX (US);

Suzie Ghidei, Dallas, TX (US);

Assignee:
Attorneys:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
H01L 21/67 (2006.01); G06T 7/00 (2017.01); H01L 21/66 (2006.01); H01L 21/78 (2006.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
H01L 21/67288 (2013.01); G06T 7/001 (2013.01); H01L 21/78 (2013.01); H01L 22/20 (2013.01); G06T 2207/30148 (2013.01);
Abstract

A wafer defect detection apparatus and a method of fabricating an IC using the same. Images of a plurality of semiconductor wafers forming a wafer lot are captured at a targeted process step of a fabrication flow and preprocessed, wherein a medoid image is identified as a reference wafer image. In one arrangement, preprocessed wafer images of a semiconductor wafer lot may be analyzed for defects based on an ensemble of image analysis techniques using at least one of the reference wafer image from the wafer lot and a template patch to enhance the predictive power of defect detection.


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