Patents by Inventor Richard A. Burch

Richard A. Burch 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: 11972987
    Abstract: A machine learning model for each die for imputing process control parameters at the die. The model is based on wafer sort parametric measurements at multiple test sites across the entire wafer, as well as yield results for the wafer. This allows for a better analysis of outlier spatial patterns leading to improved yield results.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: PDF Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Burch, Qing Zhu, Jonathan Holt
  • Patent number: 11972552
    Abstract: A semiconductor image classifier. Convolution functions are applied to modify the wafer images in order to extract key information about the image. The modified images are condensed then processed through a series of pairwise classifiers, each classifier configured to determine that the image is more like one of the pair than the other. Probabilities from each classifier are collected to form a prediction for each image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: PDF Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Tomonori Honda, Richard Burch, Qing Zhu, Jeffrey Drue David
  • Publication number: 20240086952
    Abstract: An improved computing system can use mobility data corresponding to a particular mobile device to identify one or more geographic locations to which the mobile device traveled within a certain period of time. The computing system can use parcel data to identify parcels that are located at any one of the identified geographic locations. The computing system can further use the parcel data to identify a subset of the identified parcels that are listed for sale or rent. If the computing system identifies at least one parcel that the mobile device visited that is available on the market, this may indicate that the user who operates the mobile device may be shopping for a home. In response, the computing system can update information about the user to indicate that the user may be shopping for a home.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2023
    Publication date: March 14, 2024
    Inventors: Brian Battaglia, Heidi Russell, Praveen Chandramohan, Rohnak Habeeb, Heather Burch, Richard Teachout, Stacy Griggs, William McConnell, Rorie Lizenby
  • Publication number: 20230377132
    Abstract: A template for assigning the most probable root causes for wafer defects. The bin map data for a subject wafer can be compared with bin map data for prior wafers to find wafers with similar issues. A probability can be determined as to whether the same root cause should be applied to the subject wafer, and if so, the wafer can be labeled with that root cause accordingly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2023
    Publication date: November 23, 2023
    Applicant: PDF Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Tomonori Honda, Lin Lee Cheong, Richard Burch, Qing Zhu, Jeffrey Drue David, Michael Keleher
  • Patent number: 11763446
    Abstract: A template for assigning the most probable root causes for wafer defects. The bin map data for a subject wafer can be compared with bin map data for prior wafers to find wafers with similar issues. A probability can be determined as to whether the same root cause should be applied to the subject wafer, and if so, the wafer can be labeled with that root cause accordingly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: PDF Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Tomonori Honda, Lin Lee Cheong, Richard Burch, Qing Zhu, Jeffrey Drue David, Michael Keleher
  • Patent number: 11687439
    Abstract: Automatic definition of windows for trace analysis. For each process step, the trace data are aligned to both the start of the process step and the end of the process step, and statistics including rate of change are calculated from both the start of the process step and the end of the process step. Windows are generated based on analysis of the calculated statistics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: PDF Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Burch, Kazuki Kunitoshi, Michio Aruga, Nobichika Akiya
  • Patent number: 11640328
    Abstract: A predictive model for equipment fail modes. An anomaly is detected in a collection of trace data, then key features are calculated. A search is conducted for the same or similar anomalies having the same key features in a database of past trace data. If the same anomaly occurred before and is in the database, then the type of anomaly, its root cause, and action steps to correct can be retrieved from the database.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: PDF Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Burch, Kazuki Kunitoshi
  • Patent number: 11640160
    Abstract: Enhancement of less dominant patterns for parametric wafer measurements. Dominant patterns are removed from the parametric pattern thereby revealing a less dominant pattern. The less dominant patterns can be used to identify root causes for yield loss that are not visible in the original parametric measurements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: PDF Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Burch, Qing Zhu
  • Patent number: 11609812
    Abstract: Scheme for detection and classification of semiconductor equipment faults. Sensor traces are monitored and processed to separate known abnormal operating conditions from unknown abnormal operating conditions. Feature engineering permits focus on relevant traces for a targeted feature. A machine learning model is built to detect and classify based on an initial classification set of anomalies. The machine learning model is continuously updated as more traces are processed and learned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: PDF Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Burch, Jeffrey D. David, Qing Zhu, Tomonori Honda, Lin Lee Cheong
  • Patent number: 11328108
    Abstract: Semiconductor yield is modeled at the die level to predict die that are susceptible to early lifetime failure (ELF). A first die yield calculation is made from parametric data obtained from wafer testing in a semiconductor manufacturing process. A second die yield calculation is made from die location only. The difference between the first die yield calculation and the second die yield calculation is a prediction delta. Based on an evaluation of the first die yield calculation and the prediction delta, the likelihood of early lifetime failure can be identified and an acceptable level of die loss can be established to remove die from further processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: PDF Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Burch, Qing Zhu, Keith Arnold
  • Publication number: 20220066410
    Abstract: Wafer quality is determined by modeling equipment history as a sequence of events, then evaluating anomalous results for individual events. Identifying an event that generates bad wafers narrows the list of possible root causes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2021
    Publication date: March 3, 2022
    Applicant: PDF Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Tomonori Honda, Richard Burch, Jeffrey Drue David
  • Publication number: 20220043436
    Abstract: Enhancement of less dominant patterns for parametric wafer measurements. Dominant patterns are removed from the parametric pattern thereby revealing a less dominant pattern. The less dominant patterns can be used to identify root causes for yield loss that are not visible in the original parametric measurements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2021
    Publication date: February 10, 2022
    Applicant: PDF Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Burch, Qing Zhu
  • Publication number: 20220027230
    Abstract: A predictive model for equipment fail modes. An anomaly is detected in a collection of trace data, then key features are calculated. A search is conducted for the same or similar anomalies having the same key features in a database of past trace data. If the same anomaly occurred before and is in the database, then the type of anomaly, its root cause, and action steps to correct can be retrieved from the database.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2021
    Publication date: January 27, 2022
    Applicant: PDF Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Burch, Kazuki Kunitoshi
  • Publication number: 20220027248
    Abstract: Automatic definition of windows for trace analysis. For each process step, the trace data are aligned to both the start of the process step and the end of the process step, and statistics including rate of change are calculated from both the start of the process step and the end of the process step. Windows are generated based on analysis of the calculated statistics.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2021
    Publication date: January 27, 2022
    Applicant: PDF Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Burch, Kazuki Kunitoshi, Michio Aruga, Nobichika Akiya
  • Publication number: 20210342993
    Abstract: A template for assigning the most probable root causes for wafer defects. The bin map data for a subject wafer can be compared with bin map data for prior wafers to find wafers with similar issues. A probability can be determined as to whether the same root cause should be applied to the subject wafer, and if so, the wafer can be labeled with that root cause accordingly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2021
    Publication date: November 4, 2021
    Applicant: PDF Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Tomonori Honda, Lin Lee Cheong, Richard Burch, Qing Zhu, Jeffrey Drue David, Michael Keleher
  • Publication number: 20210334608
    Abstract: A semiconductor image classifier. Convolution functions are applied to modify the wafer images in order to extract key information about the image. The modified images are condensed then processed through a series of pairwise classifiers, each classifier configured to determine that the image is more like one of the pair than the other. Probabilities from each classifier are collected to form a prediction for each image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2021
    Publication date: October 28, 2021
    Applicant: PDF Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Tomonori Honda, Richard Burch, Qing Zhu, Jeffrey Drue David
  • Publication number: 20210279388
    Abstract: Semiconductor yield is modeled at the die level to predict die that are susceptible to early lifetime failure (ELF). A first die yield calculation is made from parametric data obtained from wafer testing in a semiconductor manufacturing process. A second die yield calculation is made from die location only. The difference between the first die yield calculation and the second die yield calculation is a prediction delta. Based on an evaluation of the first die yield calculation and the prediction delta, the likelihood of early lifetime failure can be identified and an acceptable level of die loss can be established to remove die from further processing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2021
    Publication date: September 9, 2021
    Applicant: PDF Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Burch, Qing Zhu, Keith Arnold
  • Publication number: 20210142122
    Abstract: Classifying wafers using Collaborative Learning. An initial wafer classification is determined by a rule-based model. A predicted wafer classification is determined by a machine learning model. Multiple users can manually review the classifications to confirm or modify, or to add user classifications. All of the classifications are input to the machine learning model to continuously update its scheme for detection and classification.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2020
    Publication date: May 13, 2021
    Applicant: PDF Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Tomonori Honda, Richard Burch, John Kibarian, Lin Lee Cheong, Qing Zhu, Vaishnavi Reddipalli, Kenneth Harris, Said Akar, Jeffrey D David, Michael Keleher, Brian Stein, Dennis Ciplickas
  • Publication number: 20210117861
    Abstract: A sequence of models accumulates r-squared values for an increasing number of variables in order to quantify the importance of each variable to the prediction of a targeted yield or parametric response.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2020
    Publication date: April 22, 2021
    Applicant: PDF Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Burch, Qing Zhu, Jonathan Holt, Tomonori Honda
  • Publication number: 20210118754
    Abstract: A machine learning model for each die for imputing process control parameters at the die. The model is based on wafer sort parametric measurements at multiple test sites across the entire wafer, as well as yield results for the wafer. This allows for a better analysis of outlier spatial patterns leading to improved yield results.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2020
    Publication date: April 22, 2021
    Applicant: PDF Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Burch, Qing Zhu, Jonathan Holt