Automated wafer defect inspection system and a process of performing such inspection

Abstract

An automated defect inspection system has been invented and is used on patterned wafers, whole wafers, broken wafers, partial wafers, sawn wafers such as on film frames, JEDEC trays, Auer boats, die in gel or waffle packs, MCMs, etc., and is specifically intended and designed for second optical wafer inspection for such defects as metalization defects (such as scratches, voids, corrosion, and bridging), diffusion defects, passivation layer defects, scribing defects, glassivation defects, chips and cracks from sawing, solder bump defects, and bond pad area defects.

1 - 53 . (canceled) 
     
     
         54 . An integrated circuit chip generated by a process comprising the steps of:
 moving an unknown quality substrate, wherein the unknown quality substrate comprises at least a portion of a patterned wafer, and wherein the at least a portion of a patterned wafer comprises a semiconductor die of the integrated circuit chip;   automatically strobing the unknown quality substrate while the unknown quality substrate is in motion;   capturing images of the unknown quality substrate while the unknown quality substrate is in motion; and   comparing the images to a reference model to detect defects in the unknown quality substrate and make the unknown quality substrate a known quality substrate.   
     
     
         55 . A system for controlling inspection of a substrate, the system comprising:
 at least one processor configured to cause strobe illumination to be provided to at least a portion of the substrate while the substrate is in motion to facilitate capturing of images of the substrate in motion, the at least one processor configured to detect defects in the substrate based on a comparison of the captured images to a reference model, wherein the substrate comprises at least a portion of a patterned wafer.   
     
     
         56 . The system for controlling inspection of a substrate of  claim 55  comprising:
 an automated system for training a reference model for inspection of an unknown quality substrate for defects, the automated system comprising: 
 a moveable stage configured to move known quality substrates, wherein each of the known quality substrates is selected from a group consisting of a whole patterned wafer, a sawn patterned wafer, a broken patterned wafer, at least one portion of a patterned wafer, an individual patterned die, at least one portion of an individual patterned die, a plurality of individual patterned die, at least one portion of a plurality of individual patterned die, multiple patterned die in a waffle pak, a multi-chip module (MCM), a JEDEC tray, and an Auer boat; 
 a visual inspection device adapted to capture for each of the known quality substrates at least one image associated with the known quality substrate while the known quality substrate is in motion relative to the visual inspection device; 
 a strobing illuminator operative to automatically illuminate at least a portion of each of the known quality substrates while the known quality substrate is in motion relative to the visual inspection device; and 
 a processor configured to create a reference model based on the images associated with at least two of the known quality substrates. 
 
     
     
         57 . The system of  claim 56 , wherein the visual inspection device comprises a grey-scale camera.