System, method and computer program product for object examination

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021109029-A1
Application number	US-202017129745-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 21, 2020
Priority date	Sep 13, 2017
Publication date	Apr 15, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

Inspection data that corresponds to potential defects of an object may be received. A first set of locations of first potential defects can be identified. The first set of locations of the first potential defects can be imaged with a review tool to obtain a first set of review images. The first potential defects can be classified based on the first set of review images to obtain first classification results of the first potential defects. An instruction can be determined for the review tool based on the first classification results, the instruction being associated with detecting potential defects. Using the instruction, a second set of locations of second potential defects of the plurality of potential defects to be imaged with the review tool can be identified.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system comprising:
a memory; and a processor, operatively coupled with the memory, to:
receive inspection data that corresponds to a plurality of potential defects of an object;
identify a first set of locations of first potential defects of the plurality of potential defects;
image the first set of locations of the first potential defects with a review tool to obtain a first set of review images;
classify the first potential defects based on the first set of review images to obtain first classification results of the first potential defects;
determine an instruction for the review tool based on the first classification results, the instruction being associated with detecting potential defects; and
identify, using the instruction, a second set of locations of second potential defects of the plurality of potential defects to be imaged with the review tool.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the object is a semiconductor wafer.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further to:
determine whether an examination stopping criterion has been satisfied, wherein the examination stopping criterion corresponds to a number of review operations, and wherein the examination stopping criterion is not satisfied responsive to the number of review operations not satisfying a threshold number of review operations.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further to:
wherein the examination stopping criterion corresponds to a number of defects that have been identified, and wherein the examination stopping criterion is not satisfied responsive to the number of defects not satisfying a threshold number of defects.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the second set of locations is different from the first set of locations.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first classification results are associated with whether a respective potential defect is a correctly-identified defect or is not the correctly-identified defect.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first classification results are associated with an identification of a type of defect of a respective potential defect.

8 . A method comprising:
receiving inspection data that corresponds to a plurality of potential defects of an object; identifying a first set of locations of first potential defects of the plurality of potential defects; imaging the first set of locations of the first potential defects with a review tool to obtain a first set of review images; classifying the first potential defects based on the first set of review images to obtain first classification results of the first potential defects; determining an instruction for the review tool based on the first classification results, the instruction being associated with detecting potential defects; and identifying, using the instruction, a second set of locations of second potential defects of the plurality of potential defects to be imaged with the review tool.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the object is a semiconductor wafer.

10 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
determining whether an examination stopping criterion has been satisfied, wherein the examination stopping criterion corresponds to a number of review operations, and wherein the examination stopping criterion is not satisfied responsive to the number of review operations not satisfying a threshold number of review operations.

11 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
determining whether an examination stopping criterion has been satisfied, wherein the examination stopping criterion corresponds to a number of defects that have been identified, and wherein the examination stopping criterion is not satisfied responsive to the number of defects not satisfying a threshold number of defects.

12 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the second set of locations is different from the first set of locations

13 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the first classification results are associated with whether a respective potential defect is a correctly-identified defect or is not the correctly-identified defect.

14 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the first classification results are associated with an identification of a type of defect of a respective potential defect.

15 . A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
receiving inspection data that corresponds to a plurality of potential defects of an object; identifying a first set of locations of first potential defects of the plurality of potential defects; imaging the first set of locations of the first potential defects with a review tool to obtain a first set of review images; classifying the first potential defects based on the first set of review images to obtain first classification results of the first potential defects; determining an instruction for the review tool based on the first classification results, the instruction being associated with detecting potential defects; and identifying, using the instruction, a second set of locations of second potential defects of the plurality of potential defects to be imaged with the review tool.

16 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the object is a semiconductor wafer.

17 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the processor is to perform further operations comprising:
determining whether an examination stopping criterion has been satisfied, wherein the examination stopping criterion corresponds to a number of review operations, and wherein the examination stopping criterion is not satisfied responsive to the number of review operations not satisfying a threshold number of review operations.

18 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the processor is to perform further operations comprising:
determining whether an examination stopping criterion has been satisfied, wherein the examination stopping criterion corresponds to a number of defects that have been identified, and wherein the examination stopping criterion is not satisfied responsive to the number of defects not satisfying a threshold number of defects.

19 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the second set of locations is different from the first set of locations

20 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the first classification results are associated with whether a respective potential defect is a correctly-identified defect or is not the correctly-identified defect.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Israel Ltd

Inventors

• Shabtay Saar
• Amzaleg Moshe
• Goren Zvi

Classifications

• G01N21/8851 Primary

  Scan or image signal processing specially adapted therefor, e.g. for scan signal adjustment, for detecting different kinds of defects, for compensating for structures, markings, edges (G01N21/8806 and G01N21/93 - G01N21/95692 take precedence; optical measurement of dimensions G01B11/00; optical scanning G02B26/10; image transformation G06T3/00; computerised image enhancement G06T5/00; image processing per se for flaw detection G06T7/0002) · CPC title

• G06T7/0006

  using a design-rule based approach · CPC title

• G06T2207/30148

  Semiconductor; IC; Wafer · CPC title

• G06T2207/10061

  from scanning electron microscope · CPC title

• G01N2021/8461

  Investigating impurities in semiconductor, e.g. Silicon · CPC title