March 22, 2011 — Reticle Labs released RS-Mini, an enterprise-class highly compact mask inspection defect management framework for mask and wafer fabrication plant infrastructure. It allows fabs to share inspection results, track defect trends, summarize inspection results from multiple systems, and more.
It provides information on mask quality, process health, and steps needed to improve yield and throughput time. For mask and wafer fabs, the RS-Mini central server brings the inspection tool’s terminal to the user via a desktop application.
Hundreds of users can simultaneously classify, annotate repair history, query and summarize year’s worth of inspection results with images from tens of tools, as well as establish defect and process health trends in seconds. The RS-Mini mask defect management framework fits in a compact rack-mountable server blade less than 2" thick. It acts as a search engine for tracking and managing defects.
Users can manually and automatically classify defects offline, not interfering with inspection tool utilization, and allowing double checks on already classified defects. Transmitted and reflected light automatic defect dispositioning are supported. Repair engineers can annotate comments on every repaired and dispositioned defect in the fab. Provisions exist in the software to overlay and compare defects coordinates in repeated inspections of the same mask.
Fabs can share inspection results with the end customers by shipping binary records, with classification, repair histories and defect images with every mask. Process engineers can establish defect trends, quantify state of the manufacturing process and compute yield. Inspection engineers can summarize aggregate results, and monitor the performance and the health of inspection tools. Overall the RS-Mini provides a robust means to track reticles throughout the entire life cycle. The RS-Mini is capable of mimicking the inspection tools terminal on a user’s desktop via a client application. It essentially brings the inspection tools terminal to any user on the network. A single RS-Mini is capable of launching hundreds of client applications. Inspection results from a host of vendors can be entered. The system features automated algorithms to heuristically disposition defects, mimicking the rules followed by the inspection technicians while classifying defects.
Reticle Labs is a consulting firm that specializes in image processing, software development and engineering analysis. The company develops software and automation solutions to aid in the manufacturing processes for the semiconductor and storage industry. Learn more at www.reticlelabs.com
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