Setting up a wafer inspection process using programmed defects

摘要

Methods and systems for setting up a wafer inspection process using programmed defects are provided. One method includes altering a design for a dummy area of a production chip such that printing of the dummy area on a wafer results in printing of a variety of defects. Two or more of the defects have different types, one or more different characteristics, different contexts in the design, or a combination thereof. The dummy area printed on a wafer may then be scanned with two or more optical modes of an inspection system to determine which of the optical mode(s) are better for defect detection. Additional areas of the wafer may then be scanned with the optical mode(s) that are better for defect detection to determine noise information. The noise information may then be used to select one or more of the optical modes for use in a wafer inspection process.

主权项

1. A method for setting up a wafer inspection process, comprising:
altering a design for a dummy area of a production chip such that printing of the dummy area on a wafer results in printing of a variety of defects, wherein two or more of the defects have different types, one or more different characteristics, different contexts in the design, or a combination thereof; scanning the dummy area of a wafer on which the altered design is printed with two or more optical modes of an inspection system thereby generating output with one or more detectors of the inspection system for each of the two or more optical modes; selecting at least one of the two or more optical modes of the inspection system that resulted in the output that is better for detection of one or more of the defects than the output produced by others of the two or more optical modes; scanning additional areas on the wafer with the at least one selected optical mode of the inspection system thereby generating additional output with the inspection system; and selecting one or more of the at least one selected optical mode that resulted in the output and the additional output that are best for the detection of the one or more of the defects for use in the wafer inspection process, wherein the altering and selecting steps are performed with one or more computer systems.