Balancing the Efficiency and Sensitivity of Defect Inspection of Non-Patterned Wafers with TDI-Based Dark-Field...

Area of Science:

• Semiconductor Manufacturing
• Optical Inspection Technologies
• Integrated Circuit Quality Control

Background:

• Defect inspection is critical in semiconductor manufacturing for high-quality integrated circuits.
• Achieving high efficiency and sensitivity simultaneously in wafer inspection presents a significant challenge due to their inherent constraints.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an improved method for defect inspection in non-patterned semiconductor wafer production lines.
• To achieve a better trade-off between detection efficiency and sensitivity in wafer defect detection.

Main Methods:

• Integration of time delay integration (TDI) technology into dark-field microscopy.
• Utilization of a TDI image sensor for multi-point simultaneous scanning, replacing traditional photomultiplier tubes.

Main Results:

• The proposed method effectively improves the signal-to-noise ratio for detecting particle defects.
• Increased TDI stages and reduced column fixed pattern noise contribute to enhanced defect signal detection.
• Detection efficiency is maintained without sacrifice, achieving the desired trade-off.

Conclusions:

• The integration of TDI technology in dark-field microscopy offers a viable solution for enhancing defect inspection in semiconductor manufacturing.
• This approach provides a practical method to balance sensitivity and efficiency, crucial for high-volume production lines.