Method and system supporting production of a semiconductor device using a plurality of fabrication processes

• US 20090146144A1
• Filed: 12/10/2007
• Published: 06/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Syed, Masood
• Application Number:
  US12/001,214
• Publication Number:
  US 20090146144A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/48
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67253 Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring
• 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: H01L 21/67294 using identification means, e.g. labels on substrates or labels on containers

Abstract

There is provided a tuning method for use by a semiconductor device capable of being fabricated using a plurality of fabrication processes comprising reading a fabrication identification included in the semiconductor device, associating the fabrication identification with one of the plurality of fabrication processes to determine an associated fabrication process used for fabrication of the semiconductor device, and tuning at least one parameter of the semiconductor device based on the associated fabrication process.

Claims

1. A tuning method for use by a semiconductor device capable of being fabricated using a plurality of fabrication processes, the method comprising:

reading by the semiconductor device, a fabrication identification included in the semiconductor device;

associating the fabrication identification with one of the plurality of fabrication processes to determine an associated fabrication process used for fabrication of the semiconductor device; and

tuning at least one parameter of the semiconductor device based on the associated fabrication process.

2. The tuning method of claim 1, wherein the tuning is performed by a firmware corresponding to the associated fabrication process.

3. The tuning method of claim 1 further comprising:

running a temperature compensation algorithm, the temperature compensation algorithm being selected by the semiconductor device according to the associated fabrication process.

4. The tuning method of claim 1, wherein the fabrication identification is in a register interfacing analog and digital portions of the semiconductor device.

5. The tuning method of claim 1, wherein the fabrication identification is in a read only memory (ROM) of the semiconductor device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the semiconductor device is a radio frequency (RF) communication device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the semiconductor device is utilized as a part of an electronic system, the electronic system being selected from the group consisting of a wired communications device, a wireless communications device, a cell phone, a switching device, a router, a repeater, a codec, a LAN, a WLAN, a Bluetooth enabled device, a digital camera, a digital audio player and/or recorder, a digital video player and/or recorder, a computer, a monitor, a television set, a satellite set top box, a cable modem, a digital automotive control system, a digitally-controlled home appliance, a printer, a copier, a digital audio or video receiver, an RF transceiver, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a digital game playing device, a digital testing and/or measuring device, a digital avionics device, a medical device, and a digitally-controlled medical equipment.

8. A circuit capable of being patterned on a semiconductor die using a plurality of fabrication processes, the circuit comprising:

a digital circuitry;

an analog circuitry;

a fabrication identification, wherein the fabrication associates the circuit with one of the plurality of fabrication processes used for fabrication of the circuit; and

an interface circuitry interfacing the digital circuitry with the analog circuitry, the interface circuitry for use by the digital circuitry to tune the analog circuitry based on the fabrication identification.

9. The circuit of claim 8, wherein the fabrication identification is in the interface register.

10. The circuit of claim 8, wherein the fabrication identification is in a read-only-memory ROM of the circuit.

11. The circuit of claim 8, wherein the circuit is for use in a radio frequency (RF) communications system.

12. The circuit of claim 8 utilized as a part of an electronic system, the electronic system being selected from the group consisting of a wired communications device, a wireless communications device, a cell phone, a switching device, a router, a repeater, a codec, a LAN, a WLAN, a Bluetooth enabled device, a digital camera, a digital audio player and/or recorder, a digital video player and/or recorder, a computer, a monitor, a television set, a satellite set top box, a cable modem, a digital automotive control system, a digitally-controlled home appliance, a printer, a copier, a digital audio or video receiver, an RF transceiver, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a digital game playing device, a digital testing and/or measuring device, a digital avionics device, a medical device, and a digitally-controlled medical equipment.

13. The circuit of claim 8 further comprising a read-only-memory (ROM) including a firmware, the firmware including a fabrication identification firmware corresponding to the associated fabrication process.

14. The circuit of claim 13, wherein the fabrication identification firmware corresponding to the associated fabrication process determines settings for programmable parameters of the circuit.

15. The circuit of claim 13, wherein the fabrication identification firmware corresponding to the associated fabrication process determines a temperature compensation algorithm for the circuit.

16. A circuit capable of being patterned on a semiconductor die using a plurality of fabrication processes, the circuit comprising:

a fabrication identification, wherein the fabrication associates the circuit with one of the plurality of fabrication processes used for fabrication of the circuit; and

a read-only-memory (ROM);

a fabrication identification firmware in the ROM, the fabrication identification firmware designed to read the fabrication identification and associate the fabrication identification with one of plurality of fabrication processes to determine an associated fabrication process, the fabrication identification firmware further designed to tune the circuit based on the associated fabrication process.

17. The circuit of claim 16, wherein the fabrication identification firmware determines settings for programmable parameters of the circuit based on the associated fabrication process.

18. The circuit of claim 17, wherein the fabrication identification firmware determines a temperature compensation algorithm for the circuit based on the associated fabrication process

19. The circuit of claim 17, wherein the fabrication identification firmware determines a receiver level for the circuit based on the associated fabrication process.

20. The circuit of claim 17, wherein the fabrication identification firmware determines a transmitter level for the circuit based on the associated fabrication process.