Automatic visual inspection of integrated circuits using an SEM
The author investigates the complex problem of designing an integrated-circuit inspection system that will be used in controlling an automated semiconductor manufacturing facility. To satisfy the accuracy requirements, he proposes a system that integrates information supplied by multiple intelligent (virtual) sensors. Most of his work concentrated on the design of two scanning-electron-microscope (SEM)-based, intelligent sensors. One of them extracts 3D IC surface-topography information using computer stereo-vision techniques, and the other identifies shape defects in IC patterns using the IC design file as the reference. Both of these problems are viewed as constrained contour-matching problems. In stereo matching, feature contours extracted from the left and right stereo images are matched, where in pattern-shape inspection, pattern boundary contours extracted from the image and the IC design file are matched. An optimization technique is presented for solving the matching problem that results in both cases. This general approach simplifies the task of transforming the specifications of a physical problem into a computational form and results in a modular system.
- Research Organization:
- Michigan Univ., Ann Arbor, MI (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 5725249
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Thesis (Ph. D.)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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