Intelligent measurement modular semiconductor parametric test system

• US 20030028343A1
• Filed: 04/25/2002
• Published: 02/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Blunn, Robert G., Velichko, Sergey A., Dorough, Michael J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,337,088 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/122
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/025 concerning dedicated user interfaces, e.g. GUI, or dedicated keyboards G01R31/31912 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2831 Testing of materials or semi-finished products, e.g. semiconductor wafers or substrates G01R31/318511 takes precedence; testing during manufacture H01L22/00
• 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

Abstract

An intelligent measurement modular semiconductor parametric test system comprises an engine control module. The engine control module is operable to communicate with a user via a user interface, and is further operable to communicate with and to control the state of at least one other module in the semiconductor parametric test system including pluggable modules. The engine control module is further operable to control test flow via a test monitor module based on data and control events received from an intelligent measurement module. Other modules in various embodiments comprise prober monitor modules.

Claims

1. A modular semiconductor parametric test system, comprising:

an engine control module, operable to communicate with a user via a user interface and further operable to communicate with and to control the state of at least one other module in the semiconductor parametric test system, wherein the at least one other module comprises at least one pluggable module.

2. The modular semiconductor parametric test system of claim 1, wherein the at least one pluggable module is a measurement module.

3. The modular semiconductor parametric test system of claim 1, wherein the at least one pluggable module comprises a test monitor module.

4. The modular semiconductor parametric test system of claim 1, wherein the at least one pluggable module comprises a prober monitor module.

5. The modular semiconductor parametric test system of claim 1, wherein the engine control module is further operable to receive user commands, the user commands comprising start test, pause test, and abort test.

6. The modular semiconductor parametric test system of claim 1, wherein the engine control module is operable to communicate with and control the state of the at least one other module via a supercontrol, the supercontrol operable to change the state of a deadlocked at least one other module.

7. A modular semiconductor parametric test system, comprising:

an engine control module, operable to communicate with a user via a user interface and further operable to communicate with and to control the state of at least one other module in the semiconductor parametric test system, wherein the at least one other module comprises a pluggable measurement module.

8. The modular semiconductor parametric test system of claim 7, wherein the measurement module is operable to store test data.

9. The modular semiconductor parametric test system of claim 7, wherein the measurement module is operable to store test data attributes.

10. The modular semiconductor parametric test system of claim 7, wherein the measurement module contains data attributes indicating bad measurement data.

11. The modular semiconductor parametric test system of claim 7, wherein the measurement module contains augmented test data, the augmented test data comprising data derived from measured test data.

12. The modular semiconductor parametric test system of claim 7, wherein the measurement module is operable to communicate events that govern the engine control module and test flow.

13. A modular semiconductor parametric test system, comprising:

an engine control module, operable to communicate with a user via a user interface and further operable to communicate with and to control the state of at least one other module in the semiconductor parametric test system, wherein the at least one other module comprises a test monitor module.

14. The modular semiconductor parametric test system of claim 13, wherein the test monitor module provides an interface between the engine control module and a measurement module.

15. The modular semiconductor parametric test system of claim 13, wherein the test monitor module is operable to load and execute a test.

16. The modular semiconductor parametric test system of claim 13, wherein the engine control module is operable to control test flow via the test monitor module based on data and control events received from a measurement module.

17. The modular semiconductor parametric test system of claim 14, wherein the measurement module comprises a lockout mechanism that is operable to halt testing of a wafer based on augmented test data in the measurement module.

18. The modular semiconductor parametric test system of claim 14, wherein the measurement module comprises a lockout that is operable to halt testing of a wafer lot based on augmented test data in the measurement module.

19. The modular semiconductor parametric test system of claim 13, wherein the test monitor module is operable to perform a controlled abort in which subsite tests in progress complete before the test aborts.

20. The modular semiconductor parametric test system of claim 13, wherein the test monitor module is operable to perform an emergency abort in which testing is immediately aborted irrespective of the current test state.

21. The modular semiconductor parametric test system of claim 13, wherein the test monitor module provides event data to the engine control module.

22. A modular semiconductor parametric test system, comprising:

an engine control module, operable to communicate with a user via a user interface and further operable to communicate with and to control the state of at least one other module in the semiconductor parametric test system, wherein the at least one other module comprises a pluggable prober monitor module.

23. The modular semiconductor parametric test system of claim 22, wherein the prober monitor module is operable to provide prober event data to the engine control module.

24. A modular semiconductor parametric test system, comprising:

an engine control module, operable to communicate with a user via a user interface and further operable to communicate with and to control the state of at least one other module in the semiconductor parametric test system, wherein the at least one other module comprises at least one pluggable module;

a test monitor module, operable under the control of the engine control module to load and control the state of a semiconductor parametric test;

a prober monitor module, operable under control of the engine control module to control operation of a prober; and

at least one pluggable expansion module, the expansion module operable under control of the engine control module to provide further functionality under the control of the engine control module.

25. A method of controlling a modular semiconductor parametric test system, comprising:

communicating with a user via user interface linked to an engine control module;

communicating with at least one other module in the semiconductor parametric test system via the engine control module, where the at least one other module is a pluggable module; and

controlling the state of the at least one other pluggable module in the semiconductor parametric test system via the engine control module.

26. The method of controlling a modular semiconductor parametric test system of claim 25, wherein the at least one pluggable module is a measurement module.

27. The method of controlling a modular semiconductor parametric test system of claim 25, wherein the at least one pluggable module comprises a test monitor module.

28. The method of controlling a modular semiconductor parametric test system of claim 25, wherein the at least one pluggable module comprises a prober monitor module.

29. The method of controlling a modular semiconductor parametric test system of claim 25, wherein the engine control module is further operable to receive user commands, the user commands comprising start test, pause test, and abort test.

30. The method of controlling a modular semiconductor parametric test system of claim 25, wherein the engine control module is operable to communicate with and control the state of the at least one other module via a supercontrol, the supercontrol operable to change the state of a deadlocked at least one other module.

31. A method of controlling a modular semiconductor parametric test system, comprising:

communicating with a user via user interface linked to an engine control module;

communicating with a pluggable measurement module in the semiconductor parametric test system via the engine control module; and

controlling the state of the pluggable measurement module in the semiconductor parametric test system via the engine control module.

32. The method of controlling a modular semiconductor parametric test system of claim 31, wherein the pluggable measurement module is operable to store test data.

33. The method of controlling a modular semiconductor parametric test system of claim 31, wherein the pluggable measurement module is operable to store test data attributes.

34. The method of controlling a modular semiconductor parametric test system of claim 31, wherein the pluggable measurement module contains data attributes indicating bad measurement data.

35. The method of controlling a modular semiconductor parametric test system of claim 31, wherein the pluggable measurement module contains augmented test data, the augmented test data comprising data derived from measured test data.

36. The method of controlling a modular semiconductor parametric test system of claim 31, wherein the pluggable measurement module is operable to communicate events that govern the engine control module and test flow.

37. A method of controlling a modular semiconductor parametric test system, comprising:

communicating with a user via a user interface linked to an engine control module;

communicating with a pluggable test monitor module in the semiconductor parametric test system via the engine control module; and

controlling the state of the pluggable test monitor module in the semiconductor parametric test system via the engine control module.

38. The method of controlling a modular semiconductor parametric test system of claim 37, wherein the pluggable test monitor module provides an interface between the engine control module and a measurement module.

39. The method of controlling a modular semiconductor parametric test system of claim 37, wherein the pluggable test monitor module is operable to load and execute a test.

40. The method of controlling a modular semiconductor parametric test system of claim 37, wherein the engine control module is operable to control test flow via the pluggable test monitor module based on data and control events received from a measurement module.

41. The method of controlling a modular semiconductor parametric test system of claim 38, wherein the measurement module is operable to communicate events that govern the engine control module and test flow.

42. The method of controlling a modular semiconductor parametric test system of claim 38, wherein the measurement module comprises a lockout mechanism that is operable to halt testing of a wafer based on augmented test data in the measurement module.

43. The method of controlling a modular semiconductor parametric test system of claim 38, wherein the measurement module comprises a lockout that is operable to halt testing of a wafer lot based on augmented test data in the measurement module.

44. The method of controlling a modular semiconductor parametric test system of claim 37, wherein the pluggable test monitor module is operable to perform a controlled abort in which subsite tests in progress complete before the test aborts.

45. The method of controlling a modular semiconductor parametric test system of claim 37, wherein the pluggable test monitor module is operable to perform an emergency abort in which testing is immediately aborted irrespective of the current test state.

46. The method of controlling a modular semiconductor parametric test system of claim 37, wherein the test monitor module provides event data to the engine control module.

47. A method of controlling a modular semiconductor parametric test system, comprising:

communicating with a user via a user interface linked to an engine control module;

communicating with a pluggable prober monitor module in the semiconductor parametric test system via the engine control module; and

controlling the state of the pluggable prober monitor module in the semiconductor parametric test system via the engine control module.

48. The method of controlling a modular semiconductor parametric test system of claim 47, wherein the pluggable prober monitor module is operable to provide prober event data to the engine control module.

49. A method of controlling a modular semiconductor parametric test system, comprising:

communicating with a user via user interface linked to an engine control module;

communicating with a prober monitor module, a test monitor module, and at least one pluggable expansion module in the semiconductor parametric test system via the engine control module; and

controlling the state of the prober monitor module, the test monitor module, and the at least one pluggable expansion module via the engine control module.

50. A machine-readable medium with instructions stored thereon, the instructions when executed operable to cause a modular semiconductor parametric test system to perform functions comprising:

communicating with a user via user interface linked to an engine control module;

communicating with at least one other module in the semiconductor parametric test system via the engine control module, where the at least one other module is a pluggable module; and

controlling the state of the at least one other pluggable module in the semiconductor parametric test system via the engine control module.

51. The machine-readable medium of claim 50, wherein the at least one pluggable module is a measurement module.

52. The machine-readable medium of claim 50, wherein the at least one pluggable module comprises a test monitor module.

53. The machine-readable medium of claim 50, wherein the at least one pluggable module comprises a prober monitor module.

54. The machine-readable medium of claim 50, wherein the engine control module is further operable to receive user commands, the user commands comprising start test, pause test, and abort test.

55. The machine-readable medium of claim 50, wherein the engine control module is operable to communicate with and control the state of the at least one other module via a supercontrol, the supercontrol operable to change the state of a deadlocked at least one other module.

56. A machine-readable medium with instructions stored thereon, the instructions when executed operable to cause a modular semiconductor parametric test system to perform functions comprising:

communicating with a user via user interface linked to an engine control module;

communicating with a pluggable measurement module in the semiconductor parametric test system via the engine control module; and

controlling the state of the pluggable measurement module in the semiconductor parametric test system via the engine control module.

57. The machine-readable medium of claim 56, wherein the pluggable measurement module is operable to store test data.

58. The machine-readable medium of claim 56, wherein the pluggable measurement module is operable to store test data attributes.

59. The machine-readable medium of claim 56, wherein the pluggable measurement module contains data attributes indicating bad measurement data.

60. The machine-readable medium of claim 56, wherein the pluggable measurement module contains augmented test data, the augmented test data comprising data derived from measured test data.

61. The machine-readable medium of claim 56, wherein the pluggable measurement module is operable to communicate events that govern the engine control module and test flow.

62. A machine-readable medium with instructions thereon, the instructions when executed operable to cause a modular semiconductor parametric test system to perform functions comprising:

communicating with a user via a user interface linked to an engine control module;

communicating with a test monitor module in the semiconductor parametric test system via the engine control module; and

controlling the state of the test monitor module in the semiconductor parametric test system via the engine control module.

63. The machine-readable medium of claim 62, wherein the test monitor module provides an interface between the engine control and a measurement module.

64. The machine-readable medium of claim 62, wherein the test monitor module is operable to load and execute a test.

65. The machine-readable medium of claim 62, wherein the engine control module is operable to control test flow via the test monitor module based on data and control events received from a measurement module.

66. The machine-readable medium of claim 65, wherein the measurement module comprises a lockout mechanism that is operable to halt testing of a wafer based on augmented test data in the measurement module.

67. The machine-readable medium of claim 65, wherein the measurement module comprises a lockout that is operable to halt testing of a wafer lot based on augmented test data in the measurement module.

68. The machine-readable medium of claim 62, wherein the test monitor module is operable to perform a controlled abort in which subsite tests in progress complete before the test aborts.

69. The machine-readable medium of claim 62, wherein the test monitor module is operable to perform an emergency abort in which testing is immediately aborted irrespective of the current test state.

70. The method of controlling a modular semiconductor parametric test system of claim 62, wherein the test monitor module provides event data to the engine control module.

71. A machine-readable medium with instructions stored thereon, the instructions when executed operable to cause a modular semiconductor parametric test system to perform functions comprising:

communicating with a user via user interface linked to an engine control module;

communicating with a pluggable prober monitor module in the semiconductor parametric test system via the engine control module; and

controlling the state of the pluggable prober monitor module in the semiconductor parametric test system via the engine control module.

72. The method of controlling a modular semiconductor parametric test system of claim 71, wherein the pluggable prober monitor module is operable to provide prober event data to the engine control module.

73. A machine-readable medium with instructions stored thereon, the instructions when executed operable to cause a modular semiconductor parametric test system to perform functions comprising:

communicating with a user via user interface linked to an engine control module;

communicating with a prober monitor module, a test monitor module, and at least one pluggable expansion module in the semiconductor parametric test system via the engine control module; and

controlling the state of the prober monitor module, the test monitor module, and the at least one expansion module via the engine control module.