Defects, Faults and Semiconductor Device Yield

Semiconductor device yield, defined as the average fraction of devices on a wafer that passes final test, is directly measured. Yield is limited by the occurrence of faults. The average number of faults per chip is in principle obtainable from direct measurement, but in practice is inferred from the observed yield. Faults result from the interaction between the device structure and defects of all sizes. Defects, or defect density, is ill-defined, and in turn needs to be inferred from the average number of faults. This paper discusses the relation between defects, faults and semiconductor yield, and attempts to illuminate areas that invite closer attention.

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