The present invention relates generally to semiconductor devices, more particularly to analysis of electrical failures of semiconductor devices.
Semiconductor devices are usually fabricated on wafers. Typically, hundreds of identical devices are fabricated on the same wafer. The devices on the wafer are cut into single pieces. Each piece is individually packaged and becomes a chip such as a memory device or a microprocessor.
At the end of fabrication process, the devices on the wafer are tested for many electrical functions. Electrical failures are major contributors to the yield loss in semiconductor device fabrication. To improve the yield, failure analysis is often performed on test results to help correct the failures. However, the test results accumulate over time and may be massive and complex, causing the failure analysis to become difficult and time consuming. Furthermore, the test results may incorporate multiple failure mechanisms, which may be very hard to decouple.
The present invention provides a system and method for an efficient analysis of electrical failures of semiconductor devices.
In one aspect, the system includes an input device for inputting requested information. A controller retrieves data associated with a group of wafers based on the requested information. Each wafer in the group of wafers includes one or more circuit dice. Each of the circuit dice is located at a coordinate. A calculating unit performs a calculation on the data. A display unit displays results from the calculation in the form of a wafer map. The wafer map includes many map sections representing the circuit dice of the group of wafers. Each of the map sections includes an indicator representing a calculation result for circuit dice located at the same coordinate among the wafers.
Another aspect provides a method for analyzing electrical failures of semiconductor devices. The method includes inputting requested information and retrieving data associated with a group of wafers based on the requested information. Each wafer in the group of wafers includes one or more circuit dice. Each of the circuit dice is located at a coordinate. The method further includes performing a calculation on the data and displaying a wafer map, in which the wafer map includes a plurality of map sections representing the circuit dice of the group of wafers. Each of the map sections includes an indicator representing a calculation result for circuit dice located at the same coordinate among the wafers.
FIG. 8–
FIG. 14–
The following description and the drawings illustrate specific embodiments of the invention sufficiently to enable those skilled in the art to practice it. Other embodiments may incorporate structural, logical, electrical, process, and other changes. In the drawings, like numerals describe substantially similar components throughout the several views. Examples merely typify possible variations. Portions and features of some embodiments may be included in or substituted for those of others. The scope of the invention encompasses the full ambit of the claims and all available equivalents.
Connection 110 includes any data transmission medium. For example, connection 110 can be any combination of the following: network cable, telephone line, coax cable, fiber optic cable, radio signal, and satellite signal.
In some embodiments, any combination of tester 102, storage 104, and computer may be included in the same unit. For example, tester 102 and storage 104 may be included in the same unit located at one location and analyzer 106 may be a computer located at another location.
Input device 208 includes any combination of a keyboard, a computer mouse, a touch pad, and other devices used for inputting data.
Controller 210 can include a processor, a microprocessor, an application specific integrated circuit, or other types of circuits. In some embodiments, controller 210 can include instructions for performing analysis on the test results.
Calculating unit 212 includes hardware, software, or a combination of both hardware and software. Examples of software include programming instructions that can be stored in memory devices. Examples of hardware include devices such as EPROM, EEPROM, flash memory, and microprocessors that can be programmed to perform math functions. Other examples of hardware include logic circuits.
Communication interface 214 includes any combination of a modem, a network card, a wireless receiver, a wireless transmitter, and other types of communication interfaces. Communication interface 214 further includes a machine readable unit 250 for reading data such as programming instructions from a machine readable medium 252. In some embodiments, analyzer 106 is a computer and machine readable medium 252 can be a magnetic medium, an optical medium, or other storage medium known in the art. Machine readable medium 252 can be portable and removable. An example of a magnetic medium includes a floppy disk or a tape cartridge. An example of an optical medium includes a compact disk.
Memory unit 220 includes any combination of a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) device, a static random access memory (SRAM) device, a flash memory device, EPROM, EEPROM, a magnetic storage device such as those used in a computer hard drive, and other types of memory devices. In some embodiments, memory unit 220 is used to store applications, programs, or instructions for performing analysis on the test results.
During an analyzing process, requested information is inputted using input device 208. Examples of the requested information include fabrication area, design ID, failure category, and range of test date. Based on the requested information, controller 210 causes communication interface 214 to retrieve data (test results) via communication line 110. In some embodiments, the data is transferred and stored in memory unit 220. Calculating unit 212 performs math functions such as statistical functions on the data. Display 216 displays the results of the calculation.
ICs 101 of each of the wafers 103.1–103.3 may be memory devices, processors, or other types of integrated circuits. The physical location of each of the ICs 101 is identified by an (x,y) coordinate pair (x,y location). For example, in wafer 103.1, IC(x1,y1) is located at coordinate x1, y1 and IC(x2,y2) is located at coordinate (x2,y2). Similarly, wafers 103.2 and 103.3, IC(x2,y2) also have IC(x1,y1) located at coordinate x1,y1 and IC(x2,y2) is located at coordinate (x2,y2). Thus, for N wafers, there are N integrated circuits 101 at each (x,y) (or at the same) coordinate.
During manufacturing, the ICs 101 of each of the wafers 103.1–103.3 are tested. Test results are stored for analysis. In some embodiments, the test results include the numbers (occurrences) of electrical failures in certain failure categories. There are many failure categories. Thus, the test results may include a number of failures in one or more failure categories. For example, when ICs 101 are memory devices, the failure categories may include single memory cell failure, entire row or column of memory cells failure, sense amplifier failure, and other kinds of failure categories. In the example, for each of the ICs 101 in each of the wafers 103.1–103.3, the test results may include a different number of failures in a different one of these failure categories.
Each of the wafer maps 403.1–403.3 shows test results of a single wafer. For example, wafer map 403.1 shows test results for only wafer 103.1. Wafer map 403.2 shows test results for only wafer 103.2. And wafer map 403.3 shows test results for only wafer 103.3. Each failure category has its own wafer map. Wafer maps 403.1–403.3 show test results for only one failure category.
Each of the wafer maps 403.1–403.3 shows a number at a particular IC location. For example, each of the wafer maps 403.1–403.3 shows the number 3, 5 or 0 at IC (circuit die) located at coordinate (xi,yj). Each of the numbers 3, 5 and 0 represents the number of failures in a failure category of an IC at a particular coordinate (xi,yj).
In this description, IC(xi,yj) refers to an IC (circuit die) located at coordinate (xi,yj) or location (xi,yj). For the failure category in this example, wafer map 403.1 shows IC(xi,yj) has three failures. Wafer map 403.2 shows IC(xi,yj) has five failures. And wafer map 403.3 shows IC(xi,yj) has no failures.
Portion 502 shows test results for failure categories A through Z of the IC at coordinate (x0,y0). Portion 504 shows test results for failure categories A through Z of the IC at coordinate (xi,yj). Portion 506 shows test results for failure categories A through Z of the IC at coordinate (xn,ym).
As can be seen from
Method 600 includes inputting requested information in box 605. For example, the requested information can be the name of a particular failure category and the quantity of wafers tested during a certain period. Based on the requested information, method 600 retrieves data or the test results in box 610.
Method 600 performs calculations on the data in box 615. For example, method 600 may calculate one or all of the following: a total number of failures of circuit dice at the same coordinate, a number of circuit dice at the same coordinate with at least one failure, an average number of failures of circuit dice at the same coordinate, and a mean value of circuit dice at the same coordinate with at least one failure.
Method 600 displays the calculation results as a wafer map in box 620. Method 600 can be performed using hardware, software, or a combination of both hardware and software.
In some embodiments, the requested information in list 700 is shown in one or more interactive windows such as that of FIG. 8–
FIG. 8–
In
In
Field 1006 selects design ID. Field 1007 is a list of electrical failure categories. Field 1008 is used for inputting information such as lot list file name, wafer list file name, or date range. A “Run” button 1005, when activated (clicked) activates the analysis based on the requested information. An “Exit” button 1006, when activated, exits the method without performing the analysis. During inputting requested information in a method such as method 600 (
T(xi,yj) is the total number of failures of a certain failure category of all circuit dice (ICs) at a particular coordinate (xi,yj) of a certain number of wafers. T(xi,yj) is calculated based on the formula:
where ICwk is a circuit die at coordinate (xi,yj) of wafer k (wk), and N is the total number of wafers. Thus, in
D(xi,yj) is the number of circuit dice at a particular coordinate (xi,yj) having at least one failure of a certain number of wafers. D(xi,yj) is calculated based on the formula:
In this formula, if ICwk(xi,yj)=0 (a circuit die has no failure for a certain failure category), then F(ICwk(xi,yj))=0. However, if ICwk(xi,yj)≧1 (a die has at least one failure for a certain failure category), then F(ICwk(xi,yj))=1. For example, in
Hence, in
A(xi,yj) is the average number of failures of a certain failure category of all circuit dice at a particular coordinate (xi,yj) of a certain number of wafers. A(xi,yj) is calculated based on the formula:
Therefore, in
which is the average of failure category B of all circuit dice at coordinate (xi,yj) among a certain number of wafers.
M(xi,yj) is the arithmetic mean of the number of circuit dice at a particular coordinate (xi,yj) having at least one failure. M(xi,yj) is calculated based on the formula:
Thus, in
is the arithmetic mean of the number of circuit dice at a particular coordinate (xi,yj) having at least one failure of wafers 1, 2 and 3.
In some embodiments, besides, T(xi,yj), D(xi,yj), A(xi,yj), and M(xi,yj), method 600 (
Method 600 may be carried out by any combination of hardware, software, and other calculating means. For example, the hardware may be logic circuits or circuits that perform math functions. An example of software may include computer program or programming instructions.
As a result of the analysis, each of the map sections 1305 at other coordinates besides (xi,yj) also displays a number representing the statistical value for failure category B of all the dice at each of the others corresponding coordinates of wafers 1, 2, and 3. However, the other numbers are omitted for simplicity. The pattern of the numbers (statistical values) displayed on wafer map 1303 can be studied to discover patterns useful in correcting the failures to improve the yield.
In embodiments of
The Example of
In some embodiments, instead of using different colors to represent different statistical values or a different range of statistical values, elements associated with color such as intensity, brightness, contrast, and others can also be used. For example, different intensity, brightness, or contrast of the same color can be used to represent different statistical values or a different range of statistical values.
After the analysis, wafer map 1403 may show a gradient color map such as wafer map 1503 shown in
In some embodiments, any combination of the indicators 1210 (a number, a color, and a symbol) can be simultaneously displayed in one map section of the wafer map. For example, both number and color of
Various embodiments of the invention provide a system and method for an efficient analysis of electrical failures of semiconductor devices. Although specific embodiments are described herein, those skilled in the art recognize that other embodiments may be substituted for the specific embodiments shown to achieve the same purpose. This application covers any adaptations or variations of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is limited only by the claims and all available equivalents.
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