Identifying Defective Semiconductor Components on a Wafer Using Thermal Imaging
Methods and apparatus are disclosed to simultaneously, wirelessly test semiconductor components formed on a semiconductor wafer. The semiconductor components transmit respective outcomes of a self-contained testing operation to wireless automatic test equipment via a common communication channel. Multiple receiving antennas observe the outcomes from multiple directions in three dimensional space. The wireless automatic test equipment determines whether one or more of the semiconductor components operate as expected and, optionally, may use properties of the three dimensional space to determine a location of one or more of the semiconductor components. The wireless testing equipment may additionally determine performance of the semiconductor components by detecting infrared energy emitted, transmitted, and/or reflected by the semiconductor wafer before, during, and/or after a self-contained testing operation.
1 . A wireless automatic test equipment for simultaneously testing a performance of a plurality of semiconductor components formed onto a semiconductor wafer, comprising:
a thermal imaging module configured to observe infrared energy produced by the semiconductor wafer to provide an observed thermal infrared energy.
2 . The wireless automatic test equipment of claim 1 , wherein the thermal imaging module comprises:
a thermal imaging device configured to detect the infrared energy of the electromagnetic spectrum from the semiconductor wafer.
3 . The wireless automatic test equipment of claim 1 , further comprising:
a thermogram processor configured to determine a semiconductor wafer thermogram based upon the observed thermal infrared energy and to isolate a plurality of semiconductor component thermograms from the semiconductor wafer thermogram.
4 . The wireless automatic test equipment of claim 3 , wherein the thermogram processor is further configured to compare each of the plurality of semiconductor component thermograms to plurality of predetermined semiconductor component thermograms to provide a performance measure from among a plurality of performance measurements.
5 . The wireless automatic test equipment of claim 4 , further comprising:
a testing processor configured to determine a first group of semiconductor components from among the plurality of semiconductor components that operate as expected based upon the plurality of performance measurements.
6 . The wireless automatic test equipment of claim 5 , further comprising:
a testing processor configured to determine a second group of semiconductor components from among the plurality of semiconductor components that operate unexpectedly based upon the plurality of performance measurements.
7 . The wireless automatic test equipment of claim 3 , wherein the thermogram processor is further configured to determine a first group of semiconductor components from among the plurality of semiconductor components that operate as expected based upon the plurality of performance measurements.
8 . The wireless automatic test equipment of claim 7 , wherein the thermogram processor is further configured to determine a second group of semiconductor components from among the plurality of semiconductor components that operate unexpectedly based upon the plurality of performance measurements.
9 . The wireless automatic test equipment of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of predetermined semiconductor component thermograms are assigned to a corresponding indicia of performance from among a plurality of indices of performance.
10 . The wireless automatic test equipment of claim 9 , wherein the thermogram processor is further configured to compare each of the plurality of semiconductor component thermograms to plurality of predetermined semiconductor component thermograms and to assign the corresponding indicia of performance that is assigned to a corresponding one of the plurality of predetermined semiconductor component thermograms that closely approximates each of the plurality of semiconductor component thermograms.
11 . A method for simultaneously testing a performance of a plurality of semiconductor components formed onto a semiconductor wafer, comprising:
(a) observing infrared energy produced by the semiconductor wafer to provide an observed thermal infrared energy.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein step (a) comprises:
(a) observing, by a thermal imaging device, the infrared energy of an electromagnetic spectrum produced by the semiconductor wafer.
13 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
(b) determining a semiconductor wafer thermogram based upon the observed thermal infrared energy; and
(c) isolating a plurality of semiconductor component thermograms from the semiconductor wafer thermogram.
14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
(d) comparing each of the plurality of semiconductor component thermograms to plurality of predetermined semiconductor component thermograms to provide a performance measure from among a plurality of performance measurements.
15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
(e) determining a first group of semiconductor components from among the plurality of semiconductor components that operate as expected based upon the plurality of performance measurements.
16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
(f) determining a second group of semiconductor components from among the plurality of semiconductor components that operate unexpectedly based upon the plurality of performance measurements.
17 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of predetermined semiconductor component thermograms are assigned to a corresponding indicia of performance from among a plurality of indices of performance.
18 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
(d) comparing each of the plurality of semiconductor component thermograms to plurality of predetermined semiconductor component thermograms; and
(e) assigning the corresponding indicia of performance that is assigned to a corresponding one of the plurality of predetermined semiconductor component thermograms that closely approximates each of the plurality of semiconductor component thermograms.