Patent ID: 6890775

Claim:
A method for processing semiconductor dice on a wafer comprising: determining defects on the semiconductor dice on the wafer; classifying each of the defects by size and location, determining and classifying comprising classifying each of the defects into one of size range populations of defects; assigning a weight to each of the defects representing an estimated effect of each defect on die yield for the semiconductor dice; determining an estimated die yield loss (DYL) for each semiconductor die of the semiconductor dice based on number and weight of the defect(s) on each semiconductor die of the semiconductor dice, determining the estimated DYL including calculating an estimated die yield loss having lower and upper limits; summing all of the DYL of the semiconductor dice on the wafer to obtain a wafer yield loss (WYL); subdividing the defects into a plurality of size range populations of defects for the semiconductor dice; and determining a relative contribution of each size range population of defects of the plurality of the semiconductor dice to the wafer yield loss WYL.