Wafer defect prediction with statistical machine learning

Abstract

In the semiconductor industry where the technology continues to grow in complexity while also striving to achieve lower manufacturing costs, it is becoming increasingly important to drive cost savings by screening out defective die upstream. The primary goal of the project is to build a statistical prediction model to facilitate operational improvements across two global manufacturing locations. The scope of the project includes one high-volume product line, an off-line statistical model using historical production data, and experimentation with machine learning algorithms. The prediction model pilot demonstrates there exists a potential to improve the wafer sort process using random forest classifier on wafer and die-level datasets. Yet more development is needed to conclude final memory test defect die-level predictions are possible. Key findings include the importance of model computational performance in big data problems, necessity of a living model that stays accurate over time to meet operational needs, and an evaluation methodology based on business requirements. This project provides a case study for a high-level strategy of assessing big data and advanced analytics applications to improve semiconductor manufacturing.