Wafer Inspection Using Latin Hypercube Sampling

The wafer surface is divided into multiple coordinate sets (first polar coordinate set, second polar coordinate set, or first and second cartesian coordinate sets) that do not overlap each other. Each coordinate set covers a specific region of the wafer, allowing the inspection to be performed in segmented portions rather than as a single comprehensive scan, thereby reducing total inspection time while maintaining coverage of the entire wafer surface.

Instead of inspecting every point on the wafer surface, the system uses sampling-based coordinate sets derived by Latin hypercube sampling to select representative inspection points. This partial action approach inspects sufficient points to detect defects with high probability while avoiding the time cost of exhaustive inspection of the entire surface.

The inspection system is designed to handle multiple types of coordinate sets (polar and cartesian) through a unified inspection apparatus. The system can derive and process different coordinate set types using the same Latin hypercube sampling method, making the device multi-functional and reducing the need for separate specialized systems for different inspection patterns.

The system creates virtual wafer representations with overlaid coordinate sets to plan and visualize the inspection paths before actual inspection. These virtual copies allow for complex coordinate set management and optimization without adding physical complexity to the inspection apparatus itself.