Patent ID: 7029930

Claim:
A system for detecting, identifying, and locating any mechanical malfunction, which has caused, or could cause, defects in a wafer manufactured by semiconductor process and inspection machines in the course of the actual manufacturing process or in test cycles of said machines, said system comprising: a test wafer, comprising a miniature electronic recording system, which comprises at least one accelerometer and circuitry for recording data that characterizes the motion of said test wafer, including fine perturbations and vibrations in its motion during its progress through and between said semiconductor process and inspection machines; a computer, comprising: software for initializing and downloading recorder programs to said miniature electronic recording system before said test wafer is placed in said semiconductor process and inspection machines; software for transferring said data that characterizes the motion of said test wafer from said miniature electronic recording system to said computer; known data, which describes the “known good” behavior of a wafer during its progress through and between said semiconductor process and inspection machines; and software for detecting, identifying, and locating said mechanical malfunction; and a reader station, comprising an AC power supply, interface circuits between said test wafer and said computer, and, if necessary, a battery charger; wherein; said recorder programs cause said data that characterizes the motion of said test wafer to be recorded along the entire path of said test wafer through and between said semiconductor process and inspection machines; and said software for detecting, identifying, and locating said mechanical malfunction detects, identifies, and locates said mechanical malfunction by comparing said recorded data that characterizes the motion of said test wafer with said known data.