Semiconductor inspection tool system and method for wafer edge inspection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11828713-B1
Application number	US-202218080006-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Dec 13, 2022
Priority date	Jun 30, 2022
Publication date	Nov 28, 2023
Grant date	Nov 28, 2023

Abstract

A semiconductor inspection tool system is disclosed. The system comprises a first illumination setup for generating at least one first illumination radiation and for directing the at least one first illumination radiation to at least one bonding region non-filled volume formed between two layers of a multi-layer stack. The system also comprises a second illumination setup being for generating at least one second illumination radiation and for directing the at least one second illumination radiation at multi-layer stack edges. The second illumination radiation is configured for illuminating at least a normal edge of at least two layers, the second illumination setup has different radiation parameters than the first illumination setup. The system further includes a bonding region sensor unit for collecting reflected electromagnetic radiation from a bonding region volume and generating at least one sensing data being indicative of the bonding region.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A semiconductor inspection tool system comprising:
a first illumination setup being configured and operable to generate at least one first illumination radiation and to direct the at least one first illumination radiation to at least one bonding region non-filled volume being formed between two layers of a multi-layer stack;
a second illumination setup being configured and operable to generate at least one second illumination radiation and to direct the at least one second illumination radiation at multi-layer stack edges, the at least one second illumination radiation being configured for illuminating at least a normal edge of at least two layers, wherein the second illumination setup has different radiation parameters than the first illumination setup; and
a bonding region sensor unit comprising imaging or non-imaging detectors being configured and operable for collecting reflected electromagnetic radiation from a bonding region volume and generating at least one sensing data being indicative of the bonding region.

2. The semiconductor inspection tool system of claim 1 , wherein the second illumination radiation comprises omnidirectional or isotropic light and is further configured and operable for illuminating at least one of a top bevel or a bottom bevel of at least one layer.

3. The semiconductor inspection tool system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one of an edge top sensor for obtaining sensing data of a top surface of a layer proximal to an outer edge of the layer or an edge bottom sensor for obtaining sensing data of a bottom surface of a layer proximal to an outer edge of the layer.

4. The semiconductor inspection tool system of claim 3 , further comprising a processing unit comprising a general-purpose computer processor being configured and operable for receiving and analyzing sensing data from at least one of the following sensors: the bonding region sensor unit, the edge top sensor or the edge bottom sensor.

5. The semiconductor inspection tool system of claim 4 , wherein said processing unit is further configured and operable to analyze the sensing data and determine at least one of layer data, layer anomalies or defect data.

6. The semiconductor inspection tool system of claim 1 , wherein the first illumination radiation is directed towards a bonding region at a direction substantially parallel to bonding region center plane.

7. The semiconductor inspection tool system of claim 6 , wherein at least one of the first or the second illumination setups is configured and operable to generate a fluorescence emission of the bonding layer.

8. The semiconductor inspection tool system of claim 7 , wherein the bonding region sensor unit is configured and operable for collecting fluorescent emission.

9. The semiconductor inspection tool system of claim 1 , wherein the first illumination setup is a part of the second illumination setup.

10. The semiconductor inspection tool system of claim 1 , wherein the second illumination radiation parameters comprise at least one of, focusing, beam size, power, polarization, or direction.

11. The semiconductor inspection tool system of claim 1 , wherein the second illumination radiation parameters comprise beam propagation parameters comprising at least one of, collimation, convergence or divergence.

12. The semiconductor inspection tool system of claim 11 , the first illumination beam parameters are configured to generate an illumination beam having a diameter being in the same order of magnitude larger than a bonding region thickness.

13. The semiconductor inspection tool system of claim 1 , wherein said first and second illumination setups comprises a same type of illumination setup.

14. The semiconductor inspection tool system of claim 13 , wherein said first and second illumination setups comprises at least one of (i) at least one bright field illumination setup or (i) at least one dark field illumination setup.

15. The semiconductor inspection tool system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of said first or second illumination setups further comprises optical elements for at least one of directing or affecting the illumination radiations.

Assignees

• Camtek Ltd

Inventors

• Drillman Carmel Yehuda
• Edri Moshe
• Regensburger Menachem
• Bathish Baheej
• Dahan Mordi

Classifications

• H10P74/203

  Structural properties, e.g. testing or measuring thicknesses, line widths, warpage, bond strengths or physical defects · CPC title

• H10P72/0428

  Apparatus for mechanical treatment or grinding or cutting · CPC title

• H10P72/0604 Primary

  Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring · CPC title

• G01N21/9503 Primary

  Wafer edge inspection · CPC title

• G01N21/8806

  Specially adapted optical and illumination features · CPC title