System and method for semiconductor device print check alignment

1. A system, comprising:

a controller communicatively coupled to an optical inspection sub-system, the controller including one or more processors configured to execute a set of program instructions stored in memory, the set of program instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to:

receive one or more training images of a sample, the sample including a master die;

identify one or more alignment targets in the master die and store the one or more alignment targets in memory;

receive a first set of one or more reference images of a first die row of a sample, the first die row including a master die and a first set of one or more reference die;

align the first set of one or more reference die to the master die via one or more alignment processes to generate a first set of one or more aligned reference images of the first row;

receive a second set of one or more reference images of a second die row of the sample, the second die row including a second set of one or more reference die;

align the second set of one or more reference die to the master die based on the alignment targets and the one or more training images using a course alignment offset value; and

align the second set of one or more reference die to the master die via the one or more alignment processes to generate a second set of one or more aligned reference images of the second die row.

2. The system in claim 1 , determine one or more characteristics of the sample based on one or more differences between the one or more training images and at least one of the first set of one or more aligned reference images or the second set of one or more aligned reference images.

3. The system in claim 2 , wherein the one or more characteristics of the sample comprise one or more defects of the sample.

4. The system in claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the coarse alignment offset value by:

determining an offset value between the second set of one or more reference images and the one or more training images for each of the one or more alignment targets;

calculating a normalized cross correlation (NCC) value for each of the one or more alignment targets;

generating a sorted list of the one or more alignment targets according to the associated NCC values from largest to smallest;

identifying a cluster of alignment targets in the sorted list which exhibit offset values within a selected range of one another; and

determining the coarse alignment offset value based on the offset values of the identified cluster of alignment targets.

5. The system in claim 4 , wherein determining the coarse alignment offset value based on the offset values of the identified cluster of alignment targets comprises:

determining at least one of a median or a mean of the offset values of the identified cluster of alignment targets.

6. The system in claim 4 , wherein identifying a cluster of alignment targets in the sorted list which exhibit offset values within a selected range of one another comprises:

identifying a two or more clusters of alignment targets in the sorted list which exhibit offset values within a selected range of one another; and

identifying the cluster of alignment targets with the largest average NCC value.

7. The system in claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the coarse alignment offset value by:

determining an offset value between the second set of one or more reference images and the one or more training images for each of the one or more alignment targets;

calculating a sum squared difference (SSD) value for each of the one or more alignment targets;

generating a sorted list of the one or more alignment targets according to the associated SSD values from smallest to largest;

identifying a cluster of alignment targets in the sorted list which exhibit offset values within a selected range of one another; and

determining the coarse alignment offset value based on the offset values of the identified cluster of alignment targets.

8. The system in claim 1 , wherein the first set of one or more aligned reference images of the first row are stored in memory.

9. The system in claim 1 , wherein the second set of one or more aligned reference images of the second row are stored in memory.

10. The system in claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:

receive at least one additional set of one or more reference images of at least one additional die row of the sample, the at least one additional die row including at least one additional set of one or more reference die;

align the at least one additional set of one or more reference die to the master die based on the alignment targets and the one or more training images using a course alignment offset value; and

align the at least one additional set of one or more reference die to the master die via the one or more alignment processes to generate at least one additional set of one or more aligned reference images of the at least one additional die row.

11. The system in claim 10 , wherein the coarse alignment offset value used to align the second die row is different from the coarse alignment offset value used to align the at least one additional die row.

12. The system in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more training images, the first set of one or more reference images, or the second set of one or more reference images are received from the optical inspection sub-system.

13. The system in claim 1 ,

wherein the one or more training images are acquired during a scan of a first sample,

wherein the first set of one or more reference images are acquired during a first swath scan of a second wafer, and

wherein the second set of one or more reference images are acquired during a second swath scan of the second wafer.

14. The system in claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to align the second set of one or more reference die to the master die via the one or more alignment processes by measuring a plurality of individual offsets of the one or more alignment targets between the second set of one or more reference images and the one or more training images.

15. The system in claim 14 , wherein the controller is configured to align the second set of one or more reference die to the master die via the one or more alignment processes by adjusting the measured plurality of individual offsets to correct distortion.

16. A system, comprising:

an optical inspection sub-system configured to acquire images of a sample;

a controller communicatively coupled to the optical inspection sub-system, the controller including one or more processors configured to execute a set of program instructions stored in memory, the set of program instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to:

receive one or more training images of a first sample from the optical inspection sub-system, the first sample including a master die;

identify one or more alignment targets in the master die and store the one or more alignment targets in memory;

receive a first set of one or more reference images of a first die row of a second sample from the optical inspection sub-system, the first die row including a master die and a first set of one or more reference die;

align the first set of one or more reference die to the master die via one or more alignment processes to generate a first set of one or more aligned reference images of the first row;

receive a second set of one or more reference images of a second die row of the second sample from the optical inspection sub-system, the second die row including a second set of one or more reference die;

align the second set of one or more reference die to the master die based on the alignment targets and the one or more training images using a course alignment offset value; and

align the second set of one or more reference die to the master die via the one or more alignment processes to generate a second set of one or more aligned reference images of the second die row.

17. The system in claim 16 , determine one or more characteristics of the second sample based on one or more differences between the one or more training images and at least one of the first set of one or more aligned reference images or the second set of one or more aligned reference images.

18. The system in claim 17 , wherein the one or more characteristics of the second sample comprise one or more defects of the second sample.

19. The system in claim 16 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the coarse alignment offset value by:

determining an offset value between the second set of one or more reference images and the one or more training images for each of the one or more alignment targets;

calculate a normalized cross correlation (NCC) value for each of the one or more alignment targets;

generate a sorted list of the one or more alignment targets according to the associated NCC values from largest to smallest;

identify a cluster of alignment targets in the sorted list which exhibit offset values within a selected range of one another; and

determine the coarse alignment offset value based on the offset values of the identified cluster of alignment targets.

20. The system in claim 19 , wherein determining the coarse alignment offset value based on the offset values of the identified cluster of alignment targets comprises:

determining at least one of a median or a mean of the offset values of the identified cluster of alignment targets.

21. The system in claim 19 , wherein identifying a cluster of alignment targets in the sorted list which exhibit offset values within a selected range of one another comprises:

identifying a two or more clusters of alignment targets in the sorted list which exhibit offset values within a selected range of one another; and

identifying the cluster of alignment targets with the largest average NCC value.

22. The system in claim 16 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the coarse alignment offset value by:

determining an offset value between the second set of one or more reference images and the one or more training images for each of the one or more alignment targets;

calculate a sum squared difference (SSD) value for each of the one or more alignment targets;

generate a sorted list of the one or more alignment targets according to the associated SSD values from largest to smallest;

identify a cluster of alignment targets in the sorted list which exhibit offset values within a selected range of one another; and

determine the coarse alignment offset value based on the offset values of the identified cluster of alignment targets.

23. The system in claim 16 , wherein the controller is further configured to:

receive at least one additional set of one or more reference images of at least one additional die row of the second sample from the optical inspection sub-system, the at least one additional die row including at least one additional set of one or more reference die;

align the at least one additional set of one or more reference die to the master die based on the alignment targets and the one or more training images using a course alignment offset value; and

align the at least one additional set of one or more reference die to the master die via the one or more alignment processes to generate at least one additional set of one or more aligned reference images of the at least one additional die row.

24. The system in claim 23 , wherein the coarse alignment offset value used to align the second die row is different from the coarse alignment offset value used to align the at least one additional die row.

25. The system in claim 16 , wherein at least one of the one or more training images, the first set of one or more reference images, or the second set of one or more reference images are received from the optical inspection sub-system.

26. The system in claim 16 , wherein the controller is configured to align the second set of one or more reference die to the master die via the one or more alignment processes by measuring a plurality of individual offsets of the one or more alignment targets between the second set of one or more reference images and the one or more training images.

27. The system in claim 26 , wherein the controller is configured to align the second set of one or more reference die to the master die via the one or more alignment processes by adjusting the measured plurality of individual offsets to correct distortion.

28. A method, comprising:

acquiring one or more training images of a sample, the sample including a master die;

identifying one or more alignment targets in the master die and storing the one or more alignment targets in memory;

acquiring a first set of one or more reference images of a first die row of a sample, the first die row including a master die and a first set of one or more reference die;

aligning the first set of one or more reference die to the master die via one or more alignment processes to generate a first set of one or more aligned reference images of the first row;

acquiring a second set of one or more reference images of a second die row of the sample, the second die row including a second set of one or more reference die;

aligning the second set of one or more reference die to the master die based on the alignment targets and the one or more training images using a course alignment offset value; and

aligning the second set of one or more reference die to the master die via the one or more alignment processes to generate a second set of one or more aligned reference images of the second die row.