Patent ID: 9183624
Filing Date: 2015-11-10
Classification: G06T

Abstract:
1. A method for detecting defects on a wafer, comprising: creating a database for a design for a wafer, wherein said creating comprises assigning values to different portions of the design based on patterns in the different portions of the design and storing the assigned values in the database, and wherein the different portions of the design having substantially the same patterns are assigned the same values in the database; scanning the wafer with a wafer inspection system, wherein one or more detectors of the wafer inspection system generate output for the wafer during the scanning, while the scanning is being performed, searching the database for patterns in the output, wherein the searching is synchronized with generation of the output for the wafer by the wafer inspection system; determining values for different portions of the output as the values assigned to the different portions of the design having the patterns that substantially match the patterns in the output, and detecting defects on the wafer by applying one or more defect detection algorithms to the output based on the values assigned to the different portions of the output, wherein creating the database, searching the database, determining the values, and detecting the defects are performed with one or more computer systems, and wherein applying the one or more defect detection algorithms comprises: