SBIR Phase I: Rapid In-Line Detection of Macro Defects in Semiconductor Manufacturing

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project aims to demonstrate the feasibility of rapid in-line detection of visible (macro) defects on wafers in semiconductor industry. The semiconductor manufacturing industry is a major contributor to the U.S. economy. Chips produced by this industry are used in a broad range of devices including PC's and cell phones. There are about 500 processing steps involved in fabrication of a typical chip using dozens of processing equipment. Defects may be introduced anywhere in the processing chain. This project catch large (macro) defects that are visible to human eye as soon as they occur. The idea uses off-the-shelf scanner technology but sophisticated image processing algorithms to detect and classify such faults and identify remedies to fix the faulty equipment right away before any further processing. This approach will significantly reduce costs and increase the output of fabs by minimizing the production of bad chips. This equipment can be inserted throughout the fabrication plant and catches faults without disrupting wafer processing. Wide adoption of this technology can provide significant savings and provide the U.S. semiconductor industry with a competitive advantage. The commercial potential of this project is enabling widespread adoption of macro-defect detection at every step and every wafer in semiconductor manufacturing. There is substantial potential in the semiconductor industry for an inexpensive tool for real-time detection of macro defects right at the equipment where the defect is generated. The successful commercialization of the proposed defect detection tool will assist in significantly increasing manufacturing yields and thus lowering costs. The global semiconductor defect-detection market has experienced significant growth over the past decade with the total market for automated test equipment expected to exceed $2 billion in 2010. This product will find use in several other secondary markets such as MEMS, solar energy devices, LED, photonics, etc. Finally, microelectronics affects almost every aspect of our lives. Hence, a product that makes a significant contribution to lowering the cost of manufacturing ICs will positively affect the society at large.