ACID: Automatic Sort-Map Classification for Interactive Process Diagnosis

Process diagnosis is critical to the semiconductor industry. Early detection of faulty process steps can dramatically reduce business losses and accelerate the development cycle of new products. This article proposes a novel methodology called AC/ID (automatic classification/interactive diagnosis) that can isolate the root causes of yield loss by combining end-of-line tests (such as wafer sort test) with process history information. The authors have automated the AC/ID methodology in a software tool, ACID (Automatic Classification for Interactive Design), which is fully operational at industrial production sites.