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Surface Defect Inspection

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Surface Defect Inspection

Small particles can damage or "kill" the semiconductors. These "killer defects" must be detected during the manufacturing process and their sources mitigated to reach and maintain high manufacturing yields. Surface inspection systems are used for process tool monitoring to identify defects on wafer and photomask surfaces as a crucial part of the advanced process control (APC).

Macro of silicon wafer in semiconductor industry

Surface Defect Calibration Standards

Calibration Standards are essential for maintaining the effectiveness of defect inspection equipment in semiconductor manufacturing. Inspection range from bare wafers to wafers with uniform films, examining both unpatterned surfaces and films for particles that could lead to critical defects. The use of Calibration Standards aim to verify the integrity of the tools involved in the process and detect contamination excursions promptly, allowing for timely corrective actions to maintain process integrity and product quality. These Standards are critical to optimize and ensure proper operation of defect inspection systems.

Particle Removal Efficiency (PRE)

Verifying the efficiency of your wafer and photomask cleaning processes is crucial for maintaining high yields and minimizing contamination excursions in electronics manufacturing. Previously, validating cleaning processes involved rudimentary and instable methods of creating standards or resource-intensive in-house operations, often yielding results that lacked confidence. With MSP's PRE Challenge Wafers and Photomasks, you can ensure the effectiveness of your cleaning processes reliably, accurately and affordably.

Particle Size Standard

Reliable particle suspensions are essential in creating Contamination Standards for us in calibrating surface scanning equipment or particle counters in electronics manufacturing. MSP offers uniform and narrowly distributed Particle Standards consisting of specific size ranges and number concentrations of solid particles suspended in ultra-pure water (UPW). These suspensions are dispersed into clean air or nitrogen and deposited onto wafers and reticles in precise patterns and particle sizes. Our standards ensure the accurate calibration, qualification, and monitoring of wafer and photomask inspection systems.

Sources of Defects

Defects in electronics manufacturing can arise from various sources such as materials, processes, equipment, water supplies or the wafer itself. Identifying the origin requires thorough inspection at each manufacturing stage, utilizing tailored measurement technology and tools.

The earlier inspection steps focus on bare wafers, while later stages involve examining wafers with a uniform film. These unpatterned surfaces are scrutinized for particles that could lead to critical defects. Inspection between process steps verify tool integrity and detect contamination excursions caused by unidentified process issues and is the starting point for further metrology assisting in root cause analysis.

Types of Defects

Hard defects are typically physical imperfections in the semiconductor material or device structure that are typically permanent and often irreparable. These are typically scratches, voids, cracks, dislocations, pits or other defects. They may be caused by contamination on wafers or reticles. Hard defects often cause short circuits, open circuits or other severe electrical malfunctions and are identified via SEM, optical or X-ray microscopy.
Soft defects are usually less severe but still impact device performance. Particle contamination are often referred to as soft defects, however they can still be extremely disruptive for example if there is contamination on a photomask which causes repeating print errors resulting in hard defects on a wafer surface. It can also be responsible for creating shorts, voids, pitting or other defects. These types of defects are typically initially identified using optical inspection systems.

"Killer Defects"

As devices decrease in size, smaller particles can damage or "kill" the components. These "killer defects" can be costly if not identified and must be detected during the manufacturing process and their sources mitigated to reach and maintain high manufacturing yields. Surface inspection systems are used to find defects on wafer and photomask surfaces as a crucial part of the advanced process control (APC) applied to electronics integrated circuit fabrication.

Frequently asked questions

Q. What are surface defect calibration standards?

Surface defect calibration standards, often referred to as contamination standards, are tools and materials used to optimize the detection processes of surface defects in electronic devices during semiconductor manufacturing. These standards help maintain and ensure high product quality throughout production and optimize or minimize yield loss.

Q. What is Particle Removal Efficiency (PRE) in the context of wafer cleaning?

Particle Removal Efficiency (PRE) quantifies the effectiveness of cleaning processes in semiconductor manufacturing. It measures the ability of a cleaning system to remove contaminants, such as particles and residues, from wafer surfaces to ensure high product quality and yield. --> Read More How to Validate Performance of Your Cleaning Process

Q. Why is Particle Removal Efficiency important in wafer cleaning?

PRE directly impacts the cleanliness of semiconductor wafers, crucial for ensuring device manufacturing yield, reliability and performance. Higher PRE values indicate better cleaning efficacy, reducing the risk of defects that can impair semiconductor functionality. --> Read More How to Validate Performance of Your Cleaning Process

Q. Why do Integrated Device Manufacturers (IDMs) need advanced process control (APC) and how do they use it?

MSP designed highly-automated particle deposition systems, which produce custom wafer contamination standards for inspection system calibration, qualification, and performance monitoring. MSP offers both services to create custom contamination standards to user specifications or the equipment to create their own standards. Knowing the strengths and limitations of the inspection systems allows IDMs to ultimately improve their yield of viable microchips.

Q. How do you detect surface defects in semiconductor manufacturing?

Surface defects in semiconductor manufacturing are detected using advanced inspection techniques such as optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and automated optical inspection (AOI). These methods enable high-resolution analysis to identify imperfections like particles, scratches, or pattern deviations on semiconductor surfaces. Regular inspections, and therefore routine equipment calibration and verification, are crucial to maintaining product quality and reliability in semiconductor fabrication processes.

Q. Are glass or silicon wafers preferable in electronics manufacturing?

Glass and silicone carbide wafers have certain advantages over silicon wafers and are growing in popularity in the semiconductor manufacturing industry for specific applications. --> Read More About the Benefits of Glass Wafers

High yields and minimal defects in semiconductor wafer production depend on effective cleaning systems. Proper validation ensures contaminants are removed, preserving wafer integrity throughout production.

Tool Qualification & Calibration

Surface Defect Inspection

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