Method of manufacturing a semiconductor device and manufacturing system

• US 20020103563A1
• Filed: 02/26/2001
• Published: 08/01/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Izawa, Masaru, Negishi, Nobuyuki, Mori, Masahito, Tachi, Shinichi
• Granted Patent: US 6,842,658 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/121
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41875 characterised by quality surveillance of production
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31288 Archive collected data into history file
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32053 Adjust work parameter as function of other cell
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32198 Feedforward inspection data for calibration, manufacturing next stage
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45031 Manufacturing semiconductor wafers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67276 Production flow monitoring, e.g. for increasing throughput program-control systems per se G05B19/00, e.g. total factory control G05B19/418
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/80 Management or planning

Abstract

Automatic generation of processing conditions will be provided, based on a database and process modeling by a computer equipped in semiconductor device fabrication equipment, by using input of wafer processing history including the thickness and quality. The computer equipped in semiconductor device fabrication equipment obtains the wafer processing and inspection results from a production line management computer in order to assist input of the process history. The computer in the fabrication equipment can be connected to computers in a fabrication equipment manufacturer on a communication network to automatically provide process conditions and maintenance schedule.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising the steps of:

in one production step of a semiconductor device manufacturing process, recording a process history and inspection result of production steps performed prior to said one production step in said semiconductor device manufacturing process into a computer readable recording medium; and

determining processing conditions in said one production step based on said process history and inspection result recorded in said computer readable recording medium;

wherein,

said steps are performed by at least one computer.

3. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein:

said one production step is a manufacturing process step of semiconductor devices for processing semiconductor wafers by plasma by introducing a feeding gas and high frequency wave into a plasma chamber to generate plasma;

said at least one computer is connected to fabrication equipment for processing said wafers by plasma by a communication network; and

gas flow rate and gas pressure of said feeding gas and output power of said high frequency wave are determined based on a deposition condition and mask information used prior to said plasma processing of said wafers.

4. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 3, in which:

processing conditions of said plasma processing is determined based on the process flow at the starting point of said semiconductor wafer manufacturing process.

5. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 3, wherein:

said plasma processing is a dry etching.

6. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein:

said at least one computer is also connected to computers in fabrication equipment manufacturer through a communication network.

2. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising the steps of:

connecting a plurality of fabrication equipment used in a manufacturing process of semiconductor devices through a communication network to at least one computer;

recording on said at least one computer a process history and inspection result performed prior to one production step of production steps of semiconductor devices in said manufacturing process of semiconductor devices;

determining processing conditions used in said one production step based on said processing history and inspection result recorded.

7. A manufacturing system of a semiconductor device, comprising:

a first computer provided for controlling fabrication equipment used in one production step of semiconductor device manufacturing;

a second computer provided for managing a semiconductor device production step in one production line of said semiconductor device;

said first computer being connected to said second computer on a communication network;

measuring equipment provided for measuring data in a processing chamber of said fabrication equipment;

said measuring equipment being operatively connected to said first computer; and

said first computer monitoring processing time and fluctuation of measurement data in said fabrication equipment.

8. A manufacturing system of a semiconductor device according to claim 7, wherein:

said one production step of said semiconductor device manufacturing is a manufacturing process step of semiconductor devices for processing semiconductor wafers by plasma by introducing a feeding gas and high frequency wave into a plasma chamber to generate plasma;

said first computer is connected to fabrication equipment for plasma processing said wafers on a communication network;

gas flow rate and gas pressure of said feeding gas and output power of said high frequency wave are determined based on a deposition condition and mask information used prior to said plasma processing of said wafers.

9. A manufacturing system of a semiconductor device according to claim 7, wherein:

said one production step of said semiconductor device manufacturing is a manufacturing process step of semiconductor devices for processing semiconductor wafers by plasma by introducing a feeding gas and high frequency wave into a plasma chamber to generate plasma; and

said measuring equipment is an interferometry for measuring spectra of optical emission lines originated from said plasma.

10. A manufacturing system of a semiconductor device according to claim 7, wherein:

said one production step of said semiconductor device manufacturing is a manufacturing process step of semiconductor devices for processing semiconductor wafers by plasma by introducing a feeding gas and high frequency wave into a plasma chamber to generate plasma;

said fabrication equipment is plasma etching equipment for plasma processing said wafers.

11. A manufacturing system of a semiconductor device, comprising:

plasma processing equipment including a processing chamber held in a vacuum state for introducing a feeding gas, for processing a substance placed in said processing chamber by generating plasma from said feedging gas introduced into said processing chamber;

a first computer associated with said plasma processing equipment, operatively connected to a second computer associated with other processing equipment via a communication network cabling,

said first computer associated with said plasma processing equipment being operatively connected to a third computer via another communication network cabling.