Generating multi-focal defect maps using optical tools

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11087451-B2
Application number	US-201715847600-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 19, 2017
Priority date	Dec 19, 2017
Publication date	Aug 10, 2021
Grant date	Aug 10, 2021

Abstract

A method comprises obtaining a wafer comprising a plurality of components, wherein each of the plurality of components exposes a first surface of the component present in a first focal plane and a second surface of the component present in a second focal plane. The method comprises generating, by an optical tool, a first image of the first surface and a second image of the second surface of one of the plurality of components. The method comprises comparing, by a processor, the first image with a first reference image to produce a first value and the second image with a second reference image to produce a second value. The method comprises generating, by the processor, a wafer map indicating a quality state of the one of the plurality of components based on the first and second values.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
obtaining a wafer comprising a plurality of components, wherein each of the plurality of components exposes a first surface of the component present in a first focal plane and a second surface of the component present in a second focal plane;
generating, by a microscope, a first image of the first surface of one of the plurality of components;
generating, by the microscope, a second image of the second surface of the one of the plurality of components;
comparing, by a processor, the first image with a first reference image to produce a first value and the second image with a second reference image to produce a second value; and
generating, by the processor, a wafer map indicating a quality state of the plurality of components based on the first and second values.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality components comprises a third surface present on a third focal plane, further comprising:
generating, by the microscope, a third image of the third surface of the one of the plurality of components; and
comparing, by the processor, the third image with a third reference image to produce a third value.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising determining the quality state using the third value.

4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising determining the quality state to be acceptable in response to the first value, the second value, and the third value being higher than a threshold value.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising packaging the one of the plurality of components in response to the quality state being deemed acceptable.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first reference image represents a surface present in the first focal plane and in another one of the plurality of components, the second reference image represents another surface in the second focal plane and in the another one of the plurality of components, and the third reference image represents a different surface in the third focal plane and in the another one of the plurality of components.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the component is a high voltage isolation capacitor.

8. A method comprising:
obtaining a wafer comprising first and second components positioned consecutively on the wafer, the first component exposing multiple surfaces of the first component in separate focal planes, and the second component exposing other multiple surfaces of the second component in separate focal planes;
obtaining, by an optical or electron microscope, a first image depicting a first of the multiple surfaces of the first component and a first of the multiple surfaces of the second component, the first surface of the first component and the first surface of the second component in a common focal plane;
obtaining, by the optical or electron microscope, a second image depicting a second of the multiple surfaces of the first component and a second of the multiple surfaces of the second component, the second surface of the first component and the second surface of the second component in another common focal plane;
comparing, by a processor, the first surfaces in the first image to generate a first value;
comparing, by the processor, the second surfaces in the second image to generate a second value; and
generating, by the processor, a wafer map indicating a quality state of the first component, wherein the quality state depends on the first value and the second value.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:
obtaining, by the optical or electron microscope, a third image depicting a third of the multiple surfaces of the first component and a third of the multiple surfaces of the second component, the third surface of the first component and the third surface of the second component in a common focal plane; and
comparing, by the processor, the third surfaces of both the first component and the second component to generate a third value.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the quality state depends on the third value.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising discarding the first component if the quality state represents an unacceptable state.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the quality state represents an acceptable state if and only if each of the first value, the second value, and the third value are higher than a threshold value.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising mounting the first component into a package if the quality state represents the acceptable state.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the second component is free of defects.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the second component has fewer defects than the first component.

16. A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:
receive, from an optical or electron microscope, a first image of a first surface of one of a plurality of components on a wafer;
receive, from the optical or electron microscope, a second image of a second surface of the one of the plurality of components, the first and second surfaces in separate focal planes;
compare the first image with a first reference image to produce a first value and the second image with a second reference image to produce a second value; and
generate a wafer map indicating a quality state of the one of the plurality of components based on the first and second values.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the quality state indicates an acceptable state if and only if each of the first value, the second value, and the third value is higher than a threshold value.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the first reference image represents a third surface of another one of the plurality of components, the third surface present in a same focal plane as the first surface, and wherein the second reference image represents a fourth surface of the another one of the plurality of components, the fourth surface present in a same focal plane as the second surface.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the one of the plurality of components and the another one of the plurality of components are consecutively arranged on the wafer.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the component is a high voltage isolation capacitor.

21. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first surface is a surface of a first dielectric layer and the second surface is a surface of a second different dielectric layer.

22. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first of the multiple surfaces is a surface of a first dielectric layer and the second of the multiple surfaces is a surface of a second different dielectric layer.

23. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the first surface is a surface of a first dielectric layer and the second surface is a surface of a second different dielectric layer.

Assignees

• Texas Instruments Inc

Inventors

• Stewart Elizabeth C
• Oh Young Sawk
• Yu Zhiyi
• West Jeffrey A
• Bonifield Thomas D

Classifications

• G06T2207/20081

  Training; Learning · CPC title

• G06T2207/20076

  Probabilistic image processing · CPC title

• G06T7/001 Primary

  using an image reference approach · CPC title

• G06T2207/30148

  Semiconductor; IC; Wafer · CPC title