Wafer scanning system, wafer scanning method and electronic equipment

Abstract

The invention discloses a wafer scanning system, a wafer scanning method and electronic equipment, and relates to the technical field of wafer scanning. The wafer scanning system comprises a workpiece table controller which is used for controlling a workpiece table to start to move from an initial position of a preset scanning area; the positioning module is used for collecting a position signal of the workpiece table in real time under the condition that the workpiece table starts to move from the initial position of the preset scanning area, and synchronously sending the position signal to the workpiece table controller and the scanning electron microscope controller of the scanning electron microscope; the workpiece table controller is also used for controlling the movement of the workpiece table according to the position signal; and the scanning electron microscope controller is used for controlling the scanning action of the scanning electron microscope according to the position signal. According to the scheme, the position signals of the workpiece tables are accurately distributed, cooperative control is achieved, it is ensured that the workpiece tables and the scanning electron microscope work synchronously in the scanning process, and therefore the scanning precision is effectively improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the technical field of wafer scanning, and particularly relates to a wafer scanning system, a wafer scanning method, and an electronic device. Background Art

[0002] During the wafer manufacturing process, an electron beam defect detection device positions the wafer on a high-precision workbench and uses a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) for defect detection. Continuous scanning is a commonly used scanning path planning method, that is, the workbench continuously moves at a designed speed, and at the same time, the SEM scans the wafer on the workbench.

[0003] However, the current continuous scanning method has a problem of insufficient coordination. The movement of the workbench and the scanning of the scanning electron microscope are not precisely coordinated, resulting in a deviation between the two. This deviation causes the scanning area and the wafer positioning to be out of sync, which will affect the scanning accuracy and image quality. Especially in high-precision defect detection, it may lead to the omission of tiny defects or reduce the detection accuracy. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Embodiments of this application provide a wafer scanning system, a wafer scanning method, and an electronic device, which can coordinately control the operation of the workbench and the scanning electron microscope during the scanning process, and improve the scanning accuracy of the wafer.

[0005] In a first aspect of the embodiments of this application, a wafer scanning system is provided, including: a positioning module, a workbench controller, a workbench, and a scanning electron microscope. The workbench is used to carry the wafer, and the scanning electron microscope is used to scan the wafer; the workbench controller is used to control the workbench to start moving from the starting position of a preset scanning area; the positioning module is used to, when the workbench starts moving from the starting position of the preset scanning area, collect the position signal of the workbench in real time and synchronously send the position signal to the workbench controller and the scanning electron microscope controller of the scanning electron microscope; the workbench controller is further used to control the movement of the workbench according to the position signal; the scanning electron microscope controller is used to control the scanning action of the scanning electron microscope according to the position signal.

[0006] In a possible implementation manner of the first aspect, the positioning module includes a laser ruler locator and an analog quantity segmentation module;

[0007] The laser ruler locator is used to collect the position signal of the workbench in real time;

[0008] The analog quantity segmentation module is used to obtain two identical copies of the position signal according to the position signal, and synchronously send the two identical copies of the position signal to the workbench controller and the scanning electron microscope controller respectively.

[0009] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the system further includes a main controller, which is configured to obtain the starting position coordinates and ending position coordinates of a preset scanning area before the positioning module collects the position signals of the worktable in real time, and send the starting position coordinates and the ending position coordinates to the worktable controller and the scanning electron microscope controller.

[0010] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the worktable controller is further configured to control the worktable to move to the starting position of the preset scanning area according to the starting position coordinates.

[0011] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the worktable controller is further configured to determine the first position coordinates of the worktable according to the position signals, compare the first position coordinates with the ending position coordinates, and control the worktable to stop moving when the first position coordinates reach the ending position coordinates.

[0012] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the scanning electron microscope controller is further configured to determine the second position coordinates of the worktable according to the position signals, compare the second position coordinates with the ending position coordinates, and control the scanning electron microscope to stop scanning when the second position coordinates reach the ending position coordinates.

[0013] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the system further includes a vacuum chamber; the electron gun in the worktable and the scanning electron microscope are both arranged in the vacuum chamber, and the positioning module, the worktable controller, the scanning electron microscope controller and the main controller are all arranged outside the vacuum chamber. A second aspect of the embodiments of the present application provides a wafer scanning method, including:

[0014] When the worktable controller controls the worktable to start moving from the starting position of the preset scanning area, collect the position signals of the worktable in real time;

[0015] Synchronously send the position signals to the worktable controller and the scanning electron microscope controller, so that the worktable controller controls the movement of the worktable according to the position signals, and so that the scanning electron microscope controller controls the scanning action of the scanning electron microscope according to the position signals.

[0016] In a possible implementation of the second aspect, the method for synchronously sending the position signals to the worktable controller and the scanning electron microscope controller includes:

[0017] Obtain two identical copies of the position signals according to the position signals, and synchronously send the two identical copies of the position signals to the worktable controller and the scanning electron microscope controller respectively.

[0018] In a third aspect of the embodiments of the present application, an electronic device is provided. The device includes: a memory and a program or instructions stored on the memory and executable on a processor. When the program or instructions are executed by the processor, the wafer scanning method provided in any aspect of the embodiments of the present application as described above is implemented.

[0019] In a fourth aspect of the embodiments of the present application, a readable storage medium is provided. A program or instructions are stored on the readable storage medium. When the program or instructions are executed by the processor, the wafer scanning method provided in any aspect of the embodiments of the present application as described above is implemented.

[0020] In a fifth aspect of the embodiments of the present application, a computer program product is provided. When the instructions in the computer program product are executed by the processor of an electronic device, the electronic device is caused to execute the wafer scanning method provided in any aspect of the embodiments of the present application as described above.

[0021] The wafer scanning system provided by the embodiments of the present application synchronously sends the workpiece stage position signals collected in real time by the positioning module to the workpiece stage controller and the scanning electron microscope controller, thereby achieving precise synchronous control between the workpiece stage and the scanning electron microscope. In this way, the delay in signal transmission can be reduced, ensuring that the movement of the workpiece stage and the scanning action of the scanning electron microscope are precisely coordinated at the same time, avoiding errors caused by the delay, and thus significantly improving the accuracy and efficiency of wafer scanning. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the drawings required to be used in the embodiments of the present application will be briefly introduced below. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other drawings can also be obtained based on these drawings without creative efforts.

[0023] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a wafer scanning system provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0024] Figure 2 is a schematic flowchart of a wafer scanning method provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0025] Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of an electronic device provided by an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0026] The features and exemplary embodiments of various aspects of the present application will be described in detail below. To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present application more clear, the present application will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only intended to explain the present application and not to limit the present application. For those skilled in the art, the present application can be implemented without some of these specific details. The following description of the embodiments is only intended to provide a better understanding of the present application by showing examples of the present application.

[0027] It should be noted that in this document, relational terms such as first and second are only used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Moreover, the term "comprising", "including" or any other variant thereof is intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article or device comprising a series of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article or device. Without further limitation, an element defined by the statement "comprising..." does not exclude the presence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article or device comprising the said element.

[0028] It should be noted that the acquisition, storage, use, processing, etc. of data in the technical solution of the present application all comply with the relevant provisions of national laws and regulations. In the embodiments of the present application, certain industry-existing solutions such as software, components, models, etc. may be mentioned, and they should be considered exemplary. The purpose is only to illustrate the feasibility in the implementation of the technical solution of the present application, but it does not mean that the applicant has already or necessarily used this solution.

[0029] First, the noun terms involved in one or more embodiments of the present application will be explained.

[0030] Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), which uses a focused high-energy electron beam to scan a sample, and through the interaction between the electron beam and the substance, various physical information is excited. By collecting, amplifying, and re-imaging this information, the purpose of characterizing the microscopic morphology of the substance can be achieved.

[0031] As described in the background art section, during the wafer manufacturing process, an electron beam defect detection device accurately places the wafer on a high-precision worktable and uses a scanning electron microscope to detect defects on the wafer. Traditional scanning methods mostly adopt continuous scanning path planning, where the worktable continuously moves at a predetermined speed while the SEM scans the wafer on the worktable. However, the existing continuous scanning method has the problem of insufficient coordinated control, specifically manifested as the movement of the worktable and the scanning process of the scanning electron microscope not achieving precise synchronization, resulting in a displacement deviation between the two. This deviation causes the scanned area to be out of sync with the actual position of the wafer, seriously affecting the scanning accuracy and image quality. In the scenario of high-precision defect detection, it is particularly prone to missing small defects, thereby reducing the accuracy of the detection results.

[0032] To solve this problem, the present application proposes a wafer scanning system, a wafer scanning method, and a device, aiming to accurately distribute the worktable position signal and achieve coordinated control to ensure the synchronization of the worktable and the scanning electron microscope during the scanning process, thereby effectively improving the scanning accuracy.

[0033] Figure 1 FIG. shows a schematic architecture diagram of a wafer scanning system 100 provided by an embodiment of the present application.

[0034] As Figure 1 shown, the wafer scanning system 100 includes a main controller 110, a worktable controller 120, a worktable 130, a scanning electron microscope controller 140, a scanning electron microscope 150, and a positioning module 160.

[0035] It should be noted that Figure 1 the wafer scanning system 100 shown is only an example and should not limit the present application. For example, the wafer scanning system 100 may further include more or fewer modules, devices, or equipment.

[0036] First, a brief description of the architecture of the wafer scanning system 100 is given.

[0037] The main controller 110 is respectively connected to the worktable controller 120 and the scanning electron microscope controller 140, and is used to send control instructions (such as a scanning start instruction) to the worktable controller 120 and the scanning electron microscope controller 140.

[0038] Exemplarily, the main controller 110 communicates with the worktable controller 120 through an Ethercat (Ethernet for Control Automation Technology) network.

[0039] Exemplarily, the main controller 110 communicates with the scanning electron microscope controller 140 through PCIE (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express).

[0040] By way of example and not limitation, the main controller 110 may be a computer device with main control software applied thereto.

[0041] The stage controller 120 is configured to control the operating state of the stage 130.

[0042] Exemplarily, the stage controller 120 controls the operation of the stage 130 through the motor phase wires, and the stage 130 returns its own information to the stage controller 120 through the encoder.

[0043] The scanning electron microscope controller 140 is configured to control the operating state of the scanning electron microscope 150.

[0044] Exemplarily, the scanning electron microscope controller 140 communicates with the scanning electron microscope 150 through an optical fiber.

[0045] By way of example and not limitation, the scanning electron microscope controller 140 may be a scanning electron microscope waveform generator.

[0046] The positioning module 160 is configured to collect the position signal of the stage 130 and synchronously send the position signal to the stage controller 120 and the scanning electron microscope controller 140.

[0047] Exemplarily, the positioning module 160 is respectively connected to the stage controller 120 and the scanning electron microscope controller 140 through a serial communication interface.

[0048] Next, in combination with the application scenario of wafer scanning, the operation process of the wafer scanning system 100 will be introduced.

[0049] The main controller 110 obtains the starting position coordinates and the ending position coordinates of a preset scanning area, and sends the starting position coordinates and the ending position coordinates to the stage controller 120 and the scanning electron microscope controller 140.

[0050] The preset scanning area is the area range that the scanning electron microscope can scan. During the wafer scanning process, the preset scanning area defines the scanning area when the scanning electron microscope actually works, so as to ensure that the scanning covers a specific part of the wafer.

[0051] The starting position coordinates of the preset scanning area are the coordinates of the starting point of the scanning area of the scanning electron microscope.

[0052] The end position coordinates of the preset scanning area are the coordinates of the end point position of the scanning area of the scanning electron microscope.

[0053] The above two coordinates determine the boundary of the scanning area.

[0054] In some embodiments, the start position coordinates and end position coordinates of the preset scanning area can be used as preset fixed parameters and stored in the system in advance. In this case, the main controller 110 can directly read the preset start coordinate position and preset end position coordinates from the system without additional external input, thus simplifying the operation process.

[0055] In some embodiments, the start position coordinates and end position coordinates of the preset scanning area can be pre-acquired by the positioning module 160 and sent to the main controller 110. This method does not rely on the fixed parameters pre-stored in the system and allows the coordinates of the scanning area to be dynamically adjusted according to the actual situation, with high flexibility.

[0056] The main controller 110 obtains the start position coordinates and end position coordinates of the preset scanning area and transmits this coordinate information to the workpiece stage controller 120 and the scanning electron microscope controller 140, thereby realizing the precise positioning and synchronous control of the scanning area. In this way, it can ensure that the workpiece stage 130 and the scanning electron microscope 150 can work in coordination within the same coordinate range, avoiding scanning deviation or repeated scanning problems caused by inconsistent or inaccurate coordinate transmission.

[0057] After receiving the start position coordinates and end position coordinates sent by the main controller 110, the workpiece stage controller 120 controls the workpiece stage 130 to move to the start position of the preset scanning area according to the start position coordinates therein, and sends a ready signal to the main controller 110.

[0058] The ready signal is used to indicate that the workpiece stage 130 is in place and ready to start scanning. It can be understood that the ready signal can be regarded as the trigger condition for the main controller 110 to start wafer scanning.

[0059] After receiving the ready signal sent by the workpiece stage controller 120, the main controller 110 simultaneously sends a start instruction for wafer scanning to the workpiece stage controller 120 and the scanning electron microscope controller 140.

[0060] In response to this start instruction, at the same moment, the workpiece stage controller 120 controls the workpiece stage 130 to start moving from the start position of the preset scanning area, and the scanning electron microscope controller 140 controls the scanning electron microscope 150 to start scanning.

[0061] When the positioning module 160 moves the worktable 130 starting from the starting position of the preset scanning area, it real-time collects the position signal of the worktable 130 and synchronously sends the position signal to the worktable controller 120 and the scanning electron microscope controller 140.

[0062] The position signal is a signal real-time collected by the positioning module 160 and is used to reflect the current position of the worktable 130 within the scanning area.

[0063] Exemplarily, the position signal includes the coordinate information of the worktable 130.

[0064] Correspondingly, the worktable controller 120 precisely controls the movement of the worktable 130 according to the position signal sent by the positioning module 160.

[0065] The worktable 130 is used to carry wafers.

[0066] Similarly, the scanning electron microscope controller 140 controls the scanning action of the scanning electron microscope 150 according to the position signal sent by the positioning module 160.

[0067] The scanning electron microscope 150 is used to scan wafers.

[0068] Exemplarily, the scanning electron microscope 150 includes an electron gun 151 for generating an electron beam.

[0069] The scanning electron microscope controller 140 controls the scanning action by controlling the action of the electron gun 151 in the scanning electron microscope 150 to emit an electron beam.

[0070] The wafer scanning system provided by the embodiments of the present application realizes precise synchronous control between the worktable and the scanning electron microscope by synchronously sending the position signal of the worktable real-time collected by the positioning module to the worktable controller and the scanning electron microscope controller. In this way, the delay in signal transmission can be reduced, ensuring that the movement of the worktable and the scanning action of the scanning electron microscope are precisely coordinated at the same time, avoiding errors caused by the delay, and thus significantly improving the accuracy and efficiency of wafer scanning.

[0071] The control process executed by the worktable controller 120 includes:

[0072] Determine the first position coordinate of the worktable 130 according to the position signal;

[0073] Compare the first position coordinate with the end position coordinate;

[0074] When the first position coordinate reaches the end position coordinate, control the worktable 130 to stop moving.

[0075] The first position coordinate is the real-time position coordinate of the worktable 130 calculated by the worktable controller 120 based on the position signal.

[0076] For example, assume the end position coordinate is (10, 0), and the obtained first position coordinate is (5, 0). The worktable controller 120 determines that the two are not equal and continues to control the worktable 130 to move. After moving for a period of time, when the first position coordinate is (10, 0), the worktable controller 120 determines that the two are equal and controls the worktable 130 to stop moving.

[0077] The above control method ensures that the worktable can accurately stop at the predetermined position during the scanning process, avoiding unnecessary movement, thereby improving the accuracy and stability of the scanning process.

[0078] The control process executed by the scanning electron microscope controller 140 includes:

[0079] Determine the second position coordinate of the worktable 130 according to the position signal;

[0080] Compare the second position coordinate with the end position coordinate;

[0081] In the case where the second position coordinate reaches the end position coordinate, control the scanning electron microscope 150 to stop scanning.

[0082] The second position coordinate is the real-time position coordinate of the worktable 130 calculated by the scanning electron microscope controller 140 based on the position signal.

[0083] For example, assume the end position coordinate is (10, 0), and the obtained second position coordinate is (3, 0). The scanning electron microscope controller 140 determines that the two are not equal and continues to control the scanning electron microscope 150 to continue scanning. After scanning for a period of time, when the second position coordinate is (10, 0), the scanning electron microscope controller 140 determines that the two are equal and controls the electron microscope 150 to stop scanning.

[0084] The above control method ensures that the scanning electron microscope can be precisely synchronized with the movement of the worktable and automatically stops scanning after the scanning area is completed, avoiding scanning beyond the predetermined area.

[0085] It should be noted that in the wafer scanning scenario of an embodiment of the present application, the electron gun of the scanning electron microscope 150 and the worktable 130 are both arranged in the vacuum chamber, and the positioning module 160, the worktable controller 120, the scanning electron microscope controller 140, and the main controller 110 are all arranged outside the vacuum chamber.

[0086] This design places the workpiece stage and the electron gun of the scanning electron microscope inside the vacuum chamber, while the control system is set outside the vacuum chamber, ensuring the stable operation of the scanning device in a vacuum environment.

[0087] Based on the vacuum scanning environment proposed in the above embodiments, when designing and deploying the positioning module 160, it is necessary to fully consider the special environmental requirements for signal acquisition and transmission to ensure that signals can be stably and accurately acquired and transmitted to the external control system.

[0088] In some embodiments, the positioning module 160 may include a signal acquisition module and a signal splitting module.

[0089] Exemplarily, the signal acquisition module can be a positioning device deployed inside or outside the vacuum chamber.

[0090] By way of example and not limitation, the signal acquisition module can employ a laser ruler locator 161.

[0091] The laser ruler locator 161 is a positioning device based on the principle of laser beam reflection, which precisely measures the position of an object by emitting a laser beam and receiving its reflected light.

[0092] Since laser signals can penetrate the vacuum and be effectively transmitted through optical fibers or other transmission media, the influence of the vacuum environment on signal acquisition can be avoided, and the position signal can be conveniently transmitted to the device outside the vacuum chamber. Therefore, compared with other positioning devices, using the laser ruler locator 161 in this application has significant advantages.

[0093] Combined with Figure 1 , the working principle of the laser ruler locator 161 for acquiring the position signal of the workpiece stage 130 is introduced:

[0094] Use the laser ruler locator 161 to emit a laser beam into the vacuum chamber (such as the dotted line part in Figure 1 ). After the laser beam irradiates the surface of the workpiece stage 130 and is reflected, the laser ruler locator 161 receives the reflected optical signal and accurately calculates the current position of the workpiece stage 130 by measuring the flight time or phase difference of the laser.

[0095] This method ensures that the real-time position data of the workpiece stage 130 in the vacuum chamber can be accurately fed back to the positioning module 160 for subsequent control operations.

[0096] The signal splitting module is used to receive the position signal from the signal acquisition module and distribute it to multiple devices.

[0097] By way of example and not limitation, the signal splitting module can employ an analog quantity splitting module 162.

[0098] The analog quantity splitting module 162 can copy the workpiece stage position signal, generate two identical copies of the position signal, and synchronously send these two copies of the position signal to the workpiece stage controller 120 and the scanning electron microscope controller 140 to ensure that these two devices can obtain the same position information simultaneously.

[0099] Exemplarily, the analog quantity splitting module 162 has two output terminals, which are respectively connected to the workpiece stage controller 120 and the scanning electron microscope controller 140.

[0100] After receiving the real-time position signal of the workpiece stage 130, the analog quantity splitting module 162 copies the position signal to generate two copies of the position signal. These two copies of the position signal will be transmitted to the workpiece stage controller 120 and the scanning electron microscope controller 140 at the same moment to ensure the coordinated operation of the workpiece stage 130 and the scanning electron microscope 150.

[0101] In some embodiments, when the position signal is a periodic signal, the analog quantity splitting module 162 extracts the signal part with the same frequency and phase as the sine component from the position signal to obtain the first signal copy. Similarly, the analog quantity splitting module 162 extracts the part with the same frequency and phase as the cosine component from the position signal to obtain the second signal copy.

[0102] Exemplarily, a low-pass, high-pass or band-pass filter is built in the analog quantity splitting module 162 to extract the sine part and cosine part of the position signal.

[0103] At a certain moment, the analog quantity splitting module 162 will send the first signal copy to the workpiece stage controller 120 for controlling the movement of the workpiece stage; at the same time, it will send the second signal copy to the scanning electron microscope controller 140 to ensure that the scanning electron microscope can perform wafer scanning synchronously.

[0104] It should be noted that in other embodiments, the "one split into two" method of the analog quantity splitting module 162 may be implemented by different technologies, such as using parallel signal processing, distributed signal transmission, etc., to ensure real-time performance and accuracy. According to actual application requirements, the signal splitting module can also be extended to multiple output terminals to adapt to more devices or different control requirements. This application does not make any limitations in this regard.

[0105] In summary, in some embodiments, the positioning module 160 may include a laser ruler locator 161 and an analog quantity segmentation module 162. The laser ruler locator 161 is configured to collect the position signal of the worktable 130 in real time and send the position signal to the analog quantity segmentation module 162. The analog quantity segmentation module 162 is configured to obtain two identical copies of the position signal according to the position signal sent by the laser ruler locator 161, and synchronously send the two identical copies of the position signal to the worktable controller 120 and the scanning electron microscope controller 140 respectively.

[0106] By combining the laser ruler locator with the analog quantity segmentation module, the position signal of the worktable can be collected efficiently and accurately, and it can be distributed to the worktable controller and the scanning electron microscope controller in real time to achieve synchronous control. This design effectively solves the challenge of signal transmission inside and outside the vacuum chamber, ensures the equipment coordination and positioning accuracy during the wafer scanning process, and improves the stability and reliability of the system.

[0107] Based on the wafer scanning system. Correspondingly, the present application also provides specific embodiments of the wafer scanning method.

[0108] As Figure 2 shown, the wafer scanning method provided by the embodiments of the present application includes the following steps:

[0109] S210. When the worktable controller controls the worktable to move from the starting position of the preset scanning area, collect the position signal of the worktable in real time.

[0110] The position signal is the signal collected by the positioning module 160 in real time and is used to reflect the current position of the worktable 130 in the scanning area.

[0111] S220. Synchronously send the position signal to the worktable controller and the scanning electron microscope controller, so that the worktable controller controls the movement of the worktable according to the position signal, and so that the scanning electron microscope controller controls the scanning action of the scanning electron microscope according to the position signal.

[0112] It should be understood that steps S210-S220 can be executed by the positioning module 160 in the wafer scanning system 100.

[0113] In some embodiments, step S220 may further include S221.

[0114] S221. Obtain two identical copies of the position signal according to the position signal, and synchronously send the two identical copies of the position signal to the worktable controller and the scanning electron microscope controller respectively.

[0115] It should be understood that step S221 can be executed by the positioning module 160 in the wafer scanning system 100.

[0116] In one implementation, a hardware signal distributor (such as an analog splitting module) can be used to receive the position signal from the positioning module in real time. This hardware device can replicate the received signal in real time and send the signal copies to the workpiece stage controller and the scanning electron microscope controller respectively through two independent output ports. Due to the high-speed response characteristics of the hardware, this implementation can ensure high-precision and low-latency signal transmission, and is suitable for application scenarios that require high real-time performance.

[0117] In one implementation, a software algorithm can be adopted to implement signal replication within the positioning module. After the positioning module acquires the position signal, the position signal is replicated into two copies in the software through programming, and then the copies are sent to the workpiece stage controller and the scanning electron microscope controller respectively through two independent data channels. This implementation has flexibility and can be dynamically configured and adjusted according to requirements, and is suitable for scenarios with high requirements for system flexibility and scalability.

[0118] By generating two identical copies of the position signal and synchronously sending them to the workpiece stage controller and the scanning electron microscope controller respectively, the synchronization and response speed of the system are further improved. This not only ensures the position coordination between the workpiece stage and the scanning electron microscope, but also avoids the out-of-sync problem caused by signal transmission delay or error.

[0119] The wafer scanning method provided by this application realizes high-precision coordinated work by synchronizing the control signals of the workpiece stage and the scanning electron microscope in real time, and avoids errors caused by control delay or signal inconsistency. By generating and synchronously sending two identical copies of the position signal, it ensures that the movement of the workpiece stage closely cooperates with the scanning action of the scanning electron microscope, thus greatly improving the accuracy and efficiency of wafer scanning.

[0120] Figure 3 The schematic diagram of the hardware structure of the electronic device provided by the embodiment of this application is shown.

[0121] The electronic device may include a processor 7001 and a memory 7002 storing computer program instructions.

[0122] Specifically, the above-mentioned processor 7001 may include a central processing unit (CPU), or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or one or more integrated circuits configured to implement the embodiments of this application.

[0123] The memory 7002 may include a mass storage for data or instructions. By way of example and not limitation, the memory 7002 may include a hard disk drive (HDD), a floppy disk drive, a flash memory, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a magnetic tape, or a universal serial bus (USB) drive, or a combination of two or more of these. Where appropriate, the memory 7002 may include removable or non-removable (or fixed) media. Where appropriate, the memory 7002 may be internal or external to the integrated gateway disaster recovery device. In a particular embodiment, the memory 7002 is a non-volatile solid-state memory.

[0124] The processor 7001 reads and executes the computer program instructions stored in the memory 7002 to implement any one of the wafer scanning methods in the above embodiments.

[0125] In one example, the electronic device may further include a communication interface 7003 and a bus 7004. Among them, as Figure 3 shown, the processor 7001, the memory 7002, and the communication interface 7003 are connected through the bus 7004 to complete communication with each other.

[0126] The communication interface 7003 is mainly used to implement communication between the various modules, devices, units, and / or devices in the embodiments of the present application.

[0127] The bus 7004 includes hardware, software, or both, and couples the components of the electronic device to each other. By way of example and not limitation, the bus may include an accelerated graphics port (AGP) or other graphics bus, an enhanced industry standard architecture (EISA) bus, a front-side bus (FSB), a hypertransport (HT) interconnect, an industry standard architecture (ISA) bus, an infinite bandwidth interconnect, a low-pin count (LPC) bus, a memory bus, a microchannel architecture (MCA) bus, a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus, a PCI-Express (PCI-X) bus, a serial advanced technology attachment (SATA) bus, a video electronics standards association local (VLB) bus, or other suitable buses, or a combination of two or more of these. Where appropriate, the bus 7004 may include one or more buses. Although the embodiments of the present application describe and illustrate specific buses, the present application contemplates any suitable bus or interconnect.

[0128] In addition, in combination with the image defect classification method in the above embodiments, the embodiments of the present application may provide a computer storage medium to implement. Computer program instructions are stored on the computer storage medium; when the computer program instructions are executed by a processor, any one of the wafer scanning methods in the above embodiments is implemented.

[0129] In addition, in combination with the wafer scanning method in the above embodiments, an embodiment of the present application can be implemented by providing a computer program product. When the instructions in the computer program product are executed by a processor of an electronic device, the electronic device is caused to execute the wafer scanning method provided in any aspect of the above embodiments of the present application.

[0130] It should be clear that the present application is not limited to the specific configurations and processes described above and shown in the figures. For the sake of brevity, detailed descriptions of known methods are omitted here. In the above embodiments, several specific steps are described and shown as examples. However, the method process of the present application is not limited to the specific steps described and shown. Those skilled in the art can make various changes, modifications, and additions, or change the order between steps after understanding the spirit of the present application.

[0131] The functional blocks shown in the above block diagrams can be implemented as hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof. When implemented in hardware, it can be, for example, an electronic circuit, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), appropriate firmware, a plug-in, a functional card, and so on. When implemented in software, the elements of the present application are programs or code segments used to perform the required tasks. The program or code segment can be stored in a machine-readable medium or transmitted via a data signal carried in a carrier wave on a transmission medium or a communication link. A "machine-readable medium" can include any medium capable of storing or transmitting information. Examples of machine-readable media include electronic circuits, semiconductor memory devices, ROM, flash memory, erasable ROM (EROM), floppy disks, CD-ROMs, optical discs, hard disks, fiber optic media, radio frequency (RF) links, and so on. The code segment can be downloaded via a computer network such as the Internet, an intranet, and so on.

[0132] It should also be noted that the exemplary embodiments mentioned in the present application describe some methods or systems based on a series of steps or devices. However, the present application is not limited to the order of the above steps, that is, the steps can be executed in the order mentioned in the embodiments, or different from the order in the embodiments, or several steps can be executed simultaneously.

[0133] Aspects of the present disclosure have been described above with reference to the flowcharts and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatuses (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of the present disclosure. It should be understood that each block in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams, and the combinations of blocks in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus enable the implementation of the functions / operations specified in one or more blocks of the flowcharts and / or block diagrams. Such a processor can be, but is not limited to, a general purpose processor, a special purpose processor, a special application processor, or a field programmable logic circuit. It should also be understood that each block in the block diagrams and / or flowcharts, and the combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and / or flowcharts, can also be implemented by dedicated hardware that performs the specified functions or operations, or by a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0134] As described above, the above is only the specific implementation manner of the present application. Those skilled in the art can clearly understand that for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the above-described systems, modules, and units can refer to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments and will not be repeated here. It should be understood that the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily think of various equivalent modifications or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the present application, and these modifications or substitutions should all be covered by the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A wafer scanning system, characterized in that, Including: A positioning module, a stage controller, a stage, and a scanning electron microscope, where the stage is used to carry a wafer, and the scanning electron microscope is used to scan the wafer; The stage controller is used to control the stage to start moving from the starting position of a preset scanning area; The positioning module is used to, when the stage starts moving from the starting position of the preset scanning area, collect the position signal of the stage in real time, and synchronously send the position signal to the stage controller and the scanning electron microscope controller of the scanning electron microscope; The stage controller is further used to control the movement of the stage according to the position signal; The scanning electron microscope controller is used to control the scanning action of the scanning electron microscope according to the position signal.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein The positioning module includes a laser ruler positioner and an analog quantity segmentation module; The laser ruler positioner is used to collect the position signal of the stage in real time; The analog quantity segmentation module is used to obtain two identical copies of the position signal according to the position signal, and synchronously send the two identical copies of the position signal to the stage controller and the scanning electron microscope controller respectively.

3. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The system further includes a main controller, which is used to, before the positioning module collects the position signal of the stage in real time, obtain the starting position coordinates and the ending position coordinates of the preset scanning area, and send the starting position coordinates and the ending position coordinates to the stage controller and the scanning electron microscope controller.

4. The system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The stage controller is further used to control the stage to move to the starting position of the preset scanning area according to the starting position coordinates.

5. The system according to claim 3, wherein The stage controller is further used to determine the first position coordinates of the stage according to the position signal, compare the first position coordinates with the ending position coordinates, and control the stage to stop moving when the first position coordinates reach the ending position coordinates.

6. The system according to claim 3, wherein The scanning electron microscope controller is further used to determine the second position coordinates of the stage according to the position signal, compare the second position coordinates with the ending position coordinates, and control the scanning electron microscope to stop scanning when the second position coordinates reach the ending position coordinates.

7. The system according to any one of claims 3 to 6, characterized in that, The system further includes a vacuum chamber; the stage and the electron gun in the scanning electron microscope are both arranged in the vacuum chamber, and the positioning module, the stage controller, the scanning electron microscope controller, and the main controller are all arranged outside the vacuum chamber.

8. A wafer scanning method, characterized in that, Including: When the stage controller controls the stage to start moving from the starting position of the preset scanning area, collect the position signal of the stage in real time; Synchronously send the position signal to the stage controller and the scanning electron microscope controller, so that the stage controller controls the movement of the stage according to the position signal, and so that the scanning electron microscope controller controls the scanning action of the scanning electron microscope according to the position signal.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein Synchronously sending the position signal to the stage controller and the scanning electron microscope controller includes: Obtaining two identical copies of the position signal according to the position signal, and synchronously sending the two identical copies of the position signal to the stage controller and the scanning electron microscope controller respectively.

10. An electronic device, characterized in that, The device includes: a processor and a memory storing computer program instructions; When the processor executes the computer program instructions, the wafer scanning method according to any one of claims 8 or 9 is implemented.

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