A yield expectation determination is dynamically provided during
manufacturing of a lot of integrated circuits. In one embodiment, the
determination includes initially establishing a yield expectation for a
lot, which can be based on a process grade, and adjusting the yield
expectation during manufacturing based on test data from the kerf of a
wafer. In addition, the yield expectation can be adjusted based on
inspection data from optical and SEM inspection tools during
manufacturing. Correlation coefficient models that correlate kerf data
and inspection data to a yield expectation adjustment are used to
dynamically adjust the yield expectation, resulting in a more accurate
yield projection during manufacturing. The correlation coefficient models
and/or process grade estimates are updated based on actual yield from a
previous lot, thus further improving yield expectation accuracy.