Electronic Device Defect Cause Identification via Simulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional testing methods for identifying defects in electronic devices, such as semiconductors and liquid crystal displays, are destructive, time-consuming, and costly, requiring extensive sample preparation and estimation processes.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the storage and conversion of quality control (QC) data into a common format, creation of singularity maps by superimposing contours from multiple processes, and comparison with failure generation maps to determine causal processes for defects, utilizing a testing system with data storage, conversion, and calculation units.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If destructive testing methods (cutting wafer at defect point) are used to identify defect causes, then measurement precision is improved, but loss of time and productivity deteriorate due to extensive sample preparation and observation processes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual model (copy) of the wafer and its manufacturing processes through simulation, replacing the need for physical destructive testing. The simulation system reproduces the wafer structure and process history digitally, allowing defect analysis without physically cutting or destroying the actual wafer sample.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical destructive testing system (cutting wafers with diamond saws, manual sample preparation, physical microscopy) with a computational simulation system. The simulation uses algorithms to model wafer fabrication processes and predict defect locations, substituting physical mechanical operations with digital calculations.
2Measurement precision
If destructive testing methods are used to determine defect causes, then measurement precision is improved, but loss of time and costs worsen due to extensive preparation and verification experiments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary simulation of the manufacturing processes before actual defect analysis. By pre-modeling the wafer fabrication steps and predicting potential defect locations in advance, the system prepares the analysis framework beforehand, eliminating the need for time-consuming post-defect preparation and verification experiments.
Solution Approach 2:
The simulation creates a digital copy of the entire manufacturing process and wafer structure, allowing repeated analysis of the same defect scenario without requiring repeated physical sample preparation and verification experiments, thus saving significant time.
3Measurement precision
If conventional testing methods are used, then measurement precision is improved through cross-section observation, but device complexity increases due to multiple preparation steps and equipment requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The simulation system performs multiple functions within a single integrated platform: it models wafer fabrication processes, predicts defect locations, analyzes defect causes, and generates visualizations. This universal system replaces multiple specialized devices (diamond saws, sample preparation tools, microscopes, verification equipment) with one multi-functional software system.
Solution Approach 2:
The digital model created by the simulation serves as a virtual representation that can be analyzed repeatedly without requiring physical sample preparation equipment. The same digital copy can be examined from any angle, at any magnification, and subjected to various analysis methods without additional hardware complexity.
4Productivity
If simulation method is used to simplify defect analysis, then productivity is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates compared to physical observation methods
Solution Approach 1:
The simulation system incorporates feedback mechanisms where simulation results are compared with actual defect data, and the model is refined iteratively. This feedback loop continuously improves the accuracy of the simulation predictions, ensuring that the virtual model converges toward the actual physical reality and maintains high measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The simulation model is designed to be dynamic and adaptable, allowing parameters and conditions to be adjusted based on actual observations. The system can incorporate new data, refine its algorithms, and update its predictions in real-time, maintaining precision while preserving the speed advantages of simulation.
Data Source
AI summary
A testing method includes: storing QC data for each of electronic device manufacturing processes in a storage unit; changing the QC data for each of the processes to a common fixed form of data; providing a contour for the QC data for each of the processes using the common fixed form of data; comparing a singularity map to a failure generation map for a completed device; and finding a causal process for a failure and a defect through the comparison.