Defect management and yield enhancement for the semiconductor industry

Defects, particles, and microcontamination - the bane of the semiconductor process engineer! With the urgency to bring new and advanced products to the consumer, there is renewed interest in processing wafers right the first time with high yield. With the advance of 300mm wafer processing and the expense of larger wafers and new more expensive tools, the push for defect-free manufacturing is even more important. There are a battery of in situ detection mechanisms in process tools; defect inspection tools, defect review tools, automatic defect classification, and defect management data systems to aid process engineers in their quest for high yielding wafers. Finding the root cause for defects and eliminating them quickly is paramount to keep our industry thriving. This paper will present advanced methods of defect management and yield enhancement techniques available today, and projections for technologies for our fabs of tomorrow.