Abstract: In accordance with the present invention, a method, which may be implemented by employing a program storage device, for determining yield loss for a device includes the steps of determining killing probabilities corresponding to values of inspection parameters based on historic inspection information, determining defects on the device and ordering the defects by classifying the defects according to the inspection parameters. The defects adopt the killing probabilities associated with the same values of the inspection parameters. The method further includes the step of calculating a predicted yield loss based on the defects and the adopted killing probabilities. The method further includes the step of applying statistical process control to the predicted yield loss for all in-line inspection (process) steps.

Abstract: A method for yield correlation for semiconductor chips, in accordance with the present invention, includes providing test data for a plurality of tests on each of a plurality of semiconductor chips. A global parameter is assigned to each chip as a quality measure based on the test data for that chip. Values for a plurality of parameter classes are determined, and each parameter class represents a parameter measured for each chip tested. A correlation between the values of the parameter classes and the global parameter values for the plurality of chips is then determined. The correlation for each of the parameter classes is compared to identify at least one parameter class, which detracts from chip yield.

Abstract: A method for determining yield impact of process steps for semiconductor wafers having a plurality of dies includes the steps of correlating defects on the dies to electrical failures on the dies to determine hits on the dies, computing kill rates for the dies based on hits for each inspection process, determining a number of dies to be killed by considering kill rates for the dies with hits to weight the defects of each die and determining a yield loss for each inspection process based on the number of dies to be killed and a total number of dies on the semiconductor wafer. A system is also included.

Abstract: A method for determining yield impact of process steps for semiconductor wafers having a plurality of dies includes the steps of correlating defects on the dies to electrical failures on the dies to determine hits on the dies, computing kill rates for the dies based on hits for each inspection process, determining a number of dies to be killed by considering kill rates for the dies with hits to weight the defects of each die and determining a yield loss for each inspection process based on the number of dies to be killed and a total number of dies on the semiconductor wafer. A system is also included.