Signature analytics for improving lithographic process of manufacturing semiconductor devices

摘要

A number of wafers of a semiconductor device are inspected to generate a plurality of wafer inspection data. A method for identifying critical hot spots to improve lithographic process of manufacturing the semiconductor device uses design signature analytics according to the plurality of wafer inspection data with reference to the design data of the semiconductor device. Design signature analytics includes global alignment, full chip pattern correlation, pattern characterization and design signature inference. The global alignment compensates for the physical coordinate offsets between the chip design data and the wafer inspection data. The full chip pattern correlation uses multi-stage pattern matching and grouping to identify highly repeating defects as hot spots. Pattern characterization extracts the design patterns and design signatures of the highly repeating defects. Design signature inference analyses the design signatures, identifies critical design signatures and determines the criticality of the critical design signatures.

主权项

1. A method of using design signature analytics for improving lithographic process in manufacturing semiconductor devices, comprising the steps of:
manufacturing a plurality of wafers according to a chip design data; inspecting said plurality of wafers to generate a plurality of wafer inspection data; using the plurality of wafer inspection data and the chip design data to perform design signature analytics for identifying critical hot spots; wherein said design signature analytics includes multi-stage pattern matching and grouping for identifying highly repeating defects from the plurality of wafer inspection data as said critical hot spots based on said chip design data.