US 12,422,378 B2
Substrate defect analysis
Seng Keong Lim, Fremont, CA (US)
Assigned to Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed by APPLIED MATERIALS, INC., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed on Nov. 30, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/072,171.
Prior Publication US 2024/0175824 A1, May 30, 2024
Int. Cl. G01N 21/95 (2006.01); G01N 21/88 (2006.01)
CPC G01N 21/9501 (2013.01) [G01N 2021/8861 (2013.01); G01N 2021/8883 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method comprising:
identifying, by a processing device, property data of a substrate processed by a substrate processing system;
identifying, by the processing device based on a first subset of the property data, a plurality of regions of the substrate corresponding to a first defect category;
sub-categorizing, by the processing device based on a second subset of the property data, the plurality of regions of the substrate corresponding to the first defect category into a plurality of defect sub-categories;
determining, by the processing device, a defect source associated with one or more of the plurality of regions corresponding to the plurality of defect sub-categories; and
responsive to the determining of the defect source, causing, by the processing device, performance of a corrective action associated with the substrate processing system to reduce substrate defects.