Patents by Inventor Kara L. Sherman

Kara L. Sherman has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11798827
    Abstract: Systems and methods for semiconductor adaptive testing using inline defect part average testing are configured to receive a plurality of inline defect part average testing (I-PAT) scores from an I-PAT system, where the plurality of I-PAT scores is generated by the I-PAT system based on semiconductor die data for a plurality of semiconductor dies, where the semiconductor die data includes characterization measurements for the plurality of semiconductor dies, where each I-PAT score of the plurality of I-PAT scores represents a weighted defectivity determined by the I-PAT system based on a characterization measurement of a corresponding semiconductor die of the plurality of semiconductor dies; apply one or more rules to the plurality of I-PAT scores during a dynamic decision-making process; and generate one or more adaptive tests for at least one semiconductor die of the plurality of semiconductor dies based on the dynamic decision-making process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: KLA Corporation
    Inventors: Robert J. Rathert, David W. Price, Chet V. Lenox, Oreste Donzella, Kara L. Sherman, John Robinson
  • Patent number: 11754625
    Abstract: A system and method for identifying latent reliability defects (LRD) in semiconductor devices are configured to perform one or more stress tests with one or more stress test tools on at least some of a plurality of wafers received from one or more in-line sample analysis tools to determine a passing set of the plurality of wafers and a failing set of the plurality of wafers, perform a reliability hit-back analysis on at least some of the failing set of the plurality of wafers, analyze the reliability hit-back analysis to determine one or more geographic locations of one or more die fail chains caused by one or more latent reliability defects (LRD), and perform a geographic hit-back analysis on the one or more geographic locations of the one or more die fail chains caused by the LRD.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: KLA Corporation
    Inventors: David W. Price, Robert J. Rathert, Chet V. Lenox, Robert Cappel, Oreste Donzella, Kara L. Sherman
  • Publication number: 20220359247
    Abstract: Systems and methods for semiconductor adaptive testing using inline defect part average testing are configured to receive a plurality of inline defect part average testing (I-PAT) scores from an I-PAT system, where the plurality of I-PAT scores is generated by the I-PAT system based on semiconductor die data for a plurality of semiconductor dies, where the semiconductor die data includes characterization measurements for the plurality of semiconductor dies, where each I-PAT score of the plurality of I-PAT scores represents a weighted defectivity determined by the I-PAT system based on a characterization measurement of a corresponding semiconductor die of the plurality of semiconductor dies; apply one or more rules to the plurality of I-PAT scores during a dynamic decision-making process; and generate one or more adaptive tests for at least one semiconductor die of the plurality of semiconductor dies based on the dynamic decision-making process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2021
    Publication date: November 10, 2022
    Inventors: Robert J. Rathert, David W. Price, Chet V. Lenox, Oreste Donzella, Kara L. Sherman, John Robinson
  • Publication number: 20220196723
    Abstract: Automatically identifying defect-based test coverage gaps in semiconductor devices includes determining a plurality of apparent killer defects on one or more semiconductor devices with a plurality of semiconductor dies based on characterization measurements of the one or more semiconductor devices acquired by one or more semiconductor fabrication subsystems, determining at least one semiconductor die which passes at least one test based on test measurements acquired by one or more test tool subsystems, correlate the characterization measurements with the test measurements to determine at least one apparent killer defect on the at least one semiconductor die which passes the at least one test, and determining one or more gap areas on the one or more semiconductor devices for defect-based test coverage based on the at least one apparent killer defect on the at least one semiconductor die which passes the at least one test.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2021
    Publication date: June 23, 2022
    Inventors: David W. Price, Robert J. Rathert, Chet V. Lenox, Kara L. Sherman, Teng Song Lim, Thomas Groos, Mike Von Den Hoff, Oreste Donzella, Narayani Narasimhan, Barry Saville, Justin Lach, John Robinson
  • Patent number: 11293970
    Abstract: An inspection system may include a controller communicatively coupled to one or more in-line sample analysis tools including, but not limited to, an inspection tool or a metrology tool. The controller may identify defects in a population of dies based on data received from at least one of the one or more in-line sample analysis tools, assign weights to the identified defects indicative of predicted impact of the identified defects on reliability of the dies using a weighted defectivity model, generate defectivity scores for the dies in the population by aggregating the weighted defects in the respective dies in the population, and determine a set of outlier dies based on the defectivity scores for the dies in the population, wherein at least some of the set of outlier dies are isolated from the population.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: KLA Corporation
    Inventors: David W. Price, Robert J. Rathert, Kara L. Sherman, John Charles Robinson, Mike Von Den Hoff, Barry Saville, Robert Cappel, Oreste Donzella, Naema Bhatti, Thomas Groos, Teng-Song Lim, Doug Sutherland
  • Publication number: 20210239757
    Abstract: A system and method for identifying latent reliability defects (LRD) in semiconductor devices are configured to perform one or more stress tests with one or more stress test tools on at least some of a plurality of wafers received from one or more in-line sample analysis tools to determine a passing set of the plurality of wafers and a failing set of the plurality of wafers, perform a reliability hit-back analysis on at least some of the failing set of the plurality of wafers, analyze the reliability hit-back analysis to determine one or more geographic locations of one or more die fail chains caused by one or more latent reliability defects (LRD), and perform a geographic hit-back analysis on the one or more geographic locations of the one or more die fail chains caused by the LRD.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2021
    Publication date: August 5, 2021
    Inventors: David W. Price, Robert J. Rathert, Chet V. Lenox, Robert Cappel, Oreste Donzella, Kara L. Sherman
  • Publication number: 20210215753
    Abstract: An inspection system may include a controller communicatively coupled to one or more in-line sample analysis tools including, but not limited to, an inspection tool or a metrology tool. The controller may identify defects in a population of dies based on data received from at least one of the one or more in-line sample analysis tools, assign weights to the identified defects indicative of predicted impact of the identified defects on reliability of the dies using a weighted defectivity model, generate defectivity scores for the dies in the population by aggregating the weighted defects in the respective dies in the population, and determine a set of outlier dies based on the defectivity scores for the dies in the population, wherein at least some of the set of outlier dies are isolated from the population.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2020
    Publication date: July 15, 2021
    Applicant: KLA Corporation
    Inventors: David W. Price, Robert J. Rathert, Kara L. Sherman, John Charles Robinson, Mike Von Den Hoff, Barry Saville, Robert Cappel, Oreste Donzella, Naema Bhatti, Thomas Groos, Teng-Song Lim, Doug Sutherland
  • Patent number: 10761128
    Abstract: Methods and systems for inline parts average testing and latent reliability defect recognition or detection are disclosed. An inline parts average testing method may include: performing inline inspection and metrology on a plurality of wafers at a plurality of critical steps during wafer fabrication; aggregating inspection results obtained from inline inspection and metrology utilizing one or more processors to obtain a plurality of aggregated inspection results for the plurality of wafers; identifying one or more statistical outliers among the plurality of wafers at least partially based on the plurality of aggregated inspection results obtained for the plurality of wafers; and disqualifying the one or more statistical outliers from entering a supply chain for a downstream manufacturing process, or segregating the one or more statistical outliers for further evaluation, testing or repurposing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: KLA-Tencor Corporation
    Inventors: David W. Price, Robert J. Rathert, Robert Cappel, Kara L. Sherman, Douglas G. Sutherland
  • Publication number: 20180275189
    Abstract: Methods and systems for inline parts average testing and latent reliability defect recognition or detection are disclosed. An inline parts average testing method may include: performing inline inspection and metrology on a plurality of wafers at a plurality of critical steps during wafer fabrication; aggregating inspection results obtained from inline inspection and metrology utilizing one or more processors to obtain a plurality of aggregated inspection results for the plurality of wafers; identifying one or more statistical outliers among the plurality of wafers at least partially based on the plurality of aggregated inspection results obtained for the plurality of wafers; and disqualifying the one or more statistical outliers from entering a supply chain for a downstream manufacturing process, or segregating the one or more statistical outliers for further evaluation, testing or repurposing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2017
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Inventors: David W. Price, Robert J. Rathert, Robert Cappel, Kara L. Sherman, Douglas G. Sutherland