Automatic in-line inspection system

• Main Authors: Chuang, Sheng-Hsiang, Pai, Jiun-Rong, Liao, Chien-Ko, Kuo, Shou-Wen, Liu, Hsu-Shui, Hsueh, Ya Hsun
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 22.12.2020
• Subjects: BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; CALCULATING; COMPUTING; COUNTING; ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE; ELECTRIC SOLID STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRICITY; IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL; PHYSICS; PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION; SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES

A system and method for inline detection of defects on a semiconductor wafer surface during a semiconductor device manufacturing process is disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a method includes: automatically transporting the wafer from a first processing station to an inspection station; scanning a wafer surface using a camera in the inspection station; generating at least one image of the wafer surface; analyzing the at least one image to detect defects on the wafer surface based on a set of predetermined criteria; if the wafer is determined to be defective, automatically transporting the wafer from the inspection station to a stocker; and if the wafer is determined to be not defective, automatically transporting the wafer to a second processing station for further processing in accordance with the semiconductor device manufacturing process.