Process parameter event monitoring system and method for process

• US 20040082083A1
• Filed: 10/28/2002
• Published: 04/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Desco Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: 3M Company
• Inventors: Kraz, Vladimir, Martin, Kirk Alan
• Granted Patent: US 7,038,279 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/14
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/18 Subjecting similar articles in turn to test, e.g. go/no-go tests in mass production
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67253 Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 13/0413 with orientation of the component while holding it; Drive mechanisms for gripping tools, e.g. lifting, lowering or turning of gripping tools
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 13/082 Integration of non-optical monitoring devices, i.e. using non-optical inspection means, e.g. electrical means, mechanical means or X-rays

Abstract

A system and method for measuring process parameters in a process machine is described. The system is synchronized to the operation of the process machine so that spurious process parameters events are filtered out.

Claims

1. An apparatus for monitoring an electrostatic discharge (ESD) occurrence in a semiconductor process tool that affects a device being processed by the semiconductor process tool, the apparatus comprising:

one or more sensors, each sensor being located adjacent to a part of the semiconductor process tool to detect an ESD occurrence near the part of the semiconductor process tool;

a control unit coupled to each sensor, the control unit further comprising a processor that receives the signals from each sensor and generates ESD occurrence signal; and

a semiconductor tool coupled to the control unit, the semiconductor process tool communicating a gating signal to the control unit corresponding to an event of the semiconductor tool which may expose a device to an ESD occurrence so that ESD occurrence signals that do not occur during the gating signal time period are filtered out.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the gating signal further comprises a time window during which a device is most likely to be exposed to an ESD occurrence.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the time window further comprises a time period during which the semiconductor process tool is handling the device.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the semiconductor process tool further comprises a integrated circuit handler.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the semiconductor process tool further comprises a pick-and-place tool.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the semiconductor process tool further comprises a photolithography tool.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the device further comprises a photolithography reticle.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor of the control unit communicates a threshold setting to the sensors so that the sensors filters out ESD occurrences which are less than the threshold setting.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor of the control unit communicates a threshold setting to each sensor so that the each sensor filters out ESD occurrences which are less than the threshold setting for the particular sensor.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each sensor further comprises a processor that determines if the electrostatic discharge event is greater than a damage threshold value;

and

wherein the semiconductor tool automatically places the particular device into a separate tray if the electrostatic discharge is greater than the damage threshold value.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor of each sensor determines if the electrostatic discharge event is greater than a latent threshold value, but less than the damage threshold value;

and

wherein the semiconductor tool automatically places the particular device into a separate re-test tray if the electrostatic discharge is greater than the latent threshold value, but less than the damage threshold value.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an external sensor located outside of the semiconductor process tool that is connected to the control unit and wherein the control unit processor receives an ESD occurrence signal from the external sensor and determines if the ESD occurrence occurred in the semiconductor process tool by comparing the ESD occurrence signal from a particular sensor in the semiconductor process tool with the ESD occurrence signal from the external sensor.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the control unit processor determines that an ESD occurrence did not occur in the semiconductor process tool when the magnitude of the ESD occurrence signal from the external sensor is at least equal to the ESD occurrence signal from the particular sensor in the semiconductor process tool.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit processor determines if the ESD occurrence occurred in the semiconductor process tool at a particular sensor by determining if a change in static voltage occurred adjacent the particular sensor in the semiconductor process tool.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit processor determines a location of the ESD occurrence in the semiconductor process tool based on a triangulation of the one or more sensors in the semiconductor process tool.

16. A method for monitoring a process parameter that occurs in a process tool that affect a device being processed by the process tool, the method comprising:

detecting a process parameter near the part of the process tool to generate a process parameter signal; and

synchronizing the generation of a process parameter signal with the operation of the process tool so that a process parameter event that is detected during predetermined periods of time are filtered out and do not generate a process parameter signal.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the synchronization further comprises determining a time window during which a device is most likely to be exposed to a process parameter event.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the time window further comprises a time period during which the process tool is handling the device.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the process tool further comprises a semiconductor process tool.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the semiconductor process tool further comprises a integrated circuit handler.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the semiconductor process tool further comprises a pick-and-place tool.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the semiconductor process tool further comprises a photolithography tool.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the device further comprises a photolithography reticle.

24. The method of claim 16, wherein the process tool further comprises a disk drive manufacturing process tool.

25. The method of claim 16, wherein the process tool further comprises an electronic assembly tool.

26. The method of claim 16, wherein the process tool further comprises a medical device manufacturing tool.

27. The method of claim 16 further comprising setting a threshold for the sensors so that the sensors filters out process parameter events which are less than the threshold setting.

28. The method of claim 16 further comprising setting a threshold for each sensor so that each sensor filters out process parameter events which are less than the threshold setting for the particular sensor.

29. The method of claim 16, wherein the process parameter event further comprises an electrostatic discharge event.

30. The method of claim 16, wherein the process parameter event further comprises an electrostatic voltage.

31. The method of claim 16, wherein the process parameter event further comprises a pressure event.

32. The method of claim 16, wherein the process parameter event further comprises a temperature event.

33. The method of claim 29 further comprising determining, in the sensor, if the electrostatic discharge event is greater than a damage threshold value;

and

automatically placing the particular device into a separate tray if the electrostatic discharge is greater than the damage threshold value.

34. The method of claim 33 further comprising determining, in the sensor, if the electrostatic discharge event is greater than a latent threshold value, but less than the damage threshold value;

and

automatically placing the particular device into a separate re-test tray if the electrostatic discharge is greater than the latent threshold value, but less than the damage threshold value.

35. The method of claim 29 further comprising receiving an electrostatic discharge event signal from an external sensor located outside of the process tool that is connected to the control unit and determining if the electrostatic discharge event occurred in the semiconductor process tool by comparing the electrostatic discharge signal from a particular sensor in the process tool with the electrostatic discharge signal from the external sensor.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the determining step further comprises determining that an electrostatic discharge event did not occur in the process tool when the magnitude of the electrostatic discharge signal from the external sensor is at least equal to the electrostatic discharge signal from the particular sensor in the process tool.

37. The method of claim 29 further comprising determining if the electrostatic discharge event occurred in the process tool at a particular sensor by determining if a change in static voltage occurred adjacent the particular sensor in the process tool.

38. The apparatus of claim 29 further comprising determining a location of the electrostatic discharge event in the process tool based on a triangulation of the one or more sensors in the process tool.

39. A method for handling integrated circuit devices in a semiconductor process machine, the method comprising:

detecting an electrostatic discharge occurrence that has occurred in the semiconductor process tool near a particular device using a sensor;

determining, in the sensor, if the electrostatic discharge occurrence is greater than a damage threshold value; and

automatically placing the particular device into a separate tray if the electrostatic discharge occurrence is greater than the damage threshold value.

40. The method of claim 39 further comprising determining, in the sensor, if the electrostatic discharge occurrence is greater than a latent threshold value, but less than the damage threshold value;

and

automatically placing the particular device into a separate re-test tray if the electrostatic discharge occurrence is greater than the latent threshold value, but less than the damage threshold value.

41. An event monitoring apparatus for a process tool, the apparatus comprising:

one or more sensors, each sensor being located adjacent to a part of the process tool to detect an event near the part of the process tool; and

a control unit coupled to each sensor, the control unit further comprising a processor that receives the signals from each sensor and generates an event signal and wherein the control unit receives a gating signal from the process tool so that an event signal that does not occur during the gating signal is filtered out.

42. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the gating signal further comprises a time window during which a device is most likely to be exposed to an event.

43. The apparatus of claim 42, wherein the time window further comprises a time period during which the process tool is handling the device.

44. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the process tool further comprises a semiconductor process tool.

45. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein the semiconductor process tool further comprises a integrated circuit handler.

46. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein the semiconductor process tool further comprises a pick-and-place tool.

47. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein the semiconductor process tool further comprises a photolithography tool.

48. The apparatus of claim 47, wherein the device further comprises a photolithography reticle.

49. The method of claim 41, wherein the process tool further comprises a disk drive manufacturing process tool.

50. The method of claim 41, wherein the process tool further comprises an electronic assembly tool.

51. The method of claim 41, wherein the process tool further comprises a medical device manufacturing tool.

52. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the processor of the control unit communicates a threshold setting to the sensors so that the sensors filters out events which are less than the threshold setting.

53. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the processor of the control unit communicates a threshold setting to each sensor so that the each sensor filters out events which are less than the threshold setting for the particular sensor.

54. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the event further comprises an electrostatic discharge occurrence.

55. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the event further comprises a pressure event.

56. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the event further comprises a temperature event.

57. The apparatus of claim 54, wherein each sensor further comprises a processor that determines if the electrostatic discharge occurrence is greater than a damage threshold value;

and

wherein the semiconductor tool computer automatically places the particular device into a separate tray if the electrostatic discharge occurrence is greater than the damage threshold value.

58. The apparatus of claim 57, wherein the processor of each sensor determines if the electrostatic discharge event is greater than a latent threshold value, but less than the damage threshold value;

and

wherein the semiconductor tool computer automatically places the particular device into a separate re-test tray if the electrostatic discharge is greater than the latent threshold value, but less than the damage threshold value.

59. The apparatus of claim 41 further comprising an external sensor located outside of the process tool that is connected to the control unit and wherein the control unit processor receives an event signal from the external sensor and determines if the event occurred in the process tool by comparing the event signal from a particular sensor in the process tool with the event signal from the external sensor.

60. The apparatus of claim 59, wherein the control unit processor determines that an event did not occur in the process tool when the magnitude of the event signal from the external sensor is at least equal to the event signal from the particular sensor in the process tool.

61. An apparatus for monitoring an electrostatic discharge (ESD) occurrence in a semiconductor process tool that affects a device being processed by the semiconductor process tool, the apparatus comprising:

one or more sensors, each sensor being located adjacent to a part of the semiconductor process tool to detect an ESD occurrence near the part of the semiconductor process tool;

an external sensor located outside of the semiconductor process tool;

a control unit coupled to each sensor, the control unit further comprising a processor that receives the signals from each sensor in the semiconductor process tool and the signal from the external sensor and determines if the ESD occurrence occurred in the semiconductor process tool by comparing the ESD occurrence signal from a particular sensor in the semiconductor process tool with the ESD occurrence signal from the external sensor.

62. The apparatus of claim 61wherein the control unit processor determines that an ESD occurrence did not occur in the semiconductor process tool when the magnitude of the ESD occurrence signal from the external sensor is at least equal to the ESD occurrence signal from the particular sensor in the semiconductor process tool.

63. A method for monitoring a process parameter that occurs in a process tool that affect a device being processed by the process tool, the method comprising:

detecting a process parameter near the part of the process tool using a sensor within the process tool to generate a process parameter signal;

receiving a process parameter signal from a sensor located outside of the process tool; and

determining if the process parameter event occurred in the process tool by comparing the process parameter signal from the in the process tool with the process parameter signal from the external sensor.

64. The method of claim 63, wherein the determining step further comprises determining that a process parameter event did not occur in the process tool when the magnitude of the process parameter signal from the external sensor is at least equal to the process parameter from the sensor within the semiconductor process tool.