METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR WIRELESS TRANSMISSION OF DIAGNOSTIC INFORMATION

• US 20110035043A1
• Filed: 11/10/2009
• Published: 02/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Liu, Hsu-Shui, Wang, Yeh-Chieh, Pai, Jiun-Rong
• Granted Patent: US 8,712,571 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/110
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41875 characterised by quality surveillance of production
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67253 Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 22/24 Optical enhancement of defects or not directly visible states, e.g. selective electrolytic deposition, bubbles in liquids, light emission, colour change voltage contrast G01R31/311
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 22/34 Circuits for electrically characterising or monitoring manufacturing processes, e. g. whole test die, wafers filled with test structures, on-board-devices incorporated on each die, process control monitors or pad structures thereof, devices in scribe line switching, multiplexing, gating devices G01R19/25; process control with lithography, e.g. dose control, G03F7/20; structures for alignment control by optical means G03F7/70633
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a system for fabricating a semiconductor device. The system includes a semiconductor fabrication tool. The semiconductor fabrication tool has an integrated inter interface that measures a first process parameter of the fabrication tool. The system also includes a wireless sensor. The wireless sensor is detachably coupled to the fabrication tool. The wireless sensor measures a second process parameter of the fabrication tool. The second process parameter is different from the first process parameter.

Claims

1. A system for fabricating a semiconductor device, comprising:

a semiconductor fabrication tool having an integrated interface that measures a first process parameter of the fabrication tool; and

a wireless sensor detachably coupled to the fabrication tool, wherein the sensor measures a second process parameter of the fabrication tool, the second process parameter being different from the first process parameter.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the integrated interface is operable to measure a first group of process parameters that includes the first process parameter but not the second process parameter, and the wireless sensor is operable to measure a second group of process parameters that includes both the first and second process parameters.

3. The system of claim 1, further including a diagnostic tool that is wirelessly coupled to the wireless sensor, the diagnostic tool being operable to wirelessly communicate with the wireless sensor.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the wireless sensor wirelessly transmits measured values of the first and second process parameters, and wherein the diagnostic tool includes:

a further wireless sensor that receives the measured values of the first and second process parameters; and

a centralized server that retrieves the measured values of the first and second process parameters from the further wireless sensor, that performs an analysis on the measured values of the first and second process parameters, and that generates a control signal in response to the analysis.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the fabrication tool receives the control signal from the diagnostic tool through the wireless sensor and adjusts its operation in response to the control signal.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the centralized server is a computer integration system that is operable to monitor and control a semiconductor fabrication process.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the fabrication tool includes a machine that is selected from the group consisting of:

a transfer robot that moves objects of the fabrication tool;

a vacuum system that controls a pressure of the fabrication tool;

a power supply that provides electrical power to the fabrication tool;

a temperature control that regulates a temperature of the fabrication tool;

a chemical-mechanical-polishing tool that polishes and removes a surface layer of a semiconductor wafer;

a circulation system that performs a chemical process; and

a high-frequency impedance matching system that tunes effective input and output impedances of the fabrication tool in a high frequency operation.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the fabrication tool is selected from the group consisting of:

a transfer robot, wherein the wireless sensor detachably coupled to the transfer robot is selected from the group consisting of a current sensor, a pressure sensor, and a vibration sensor.

a vacuum system, wherein the wireless sensor detachably coupled to the vacuum system is a pressure sensor;

a power supply, wherein the wireless sensor detachably coupled to the power supply is a power sensor;

a temperature control, wherein the wireless sensor detachably coupled to the temperature control is selected from the group consisting of a current sensor, a resistance sensor, and a temperature sensor;

a chemical-mechanical-polishing tool, wherein the wireless sensor detachably coupled to the chemical-mechanical-polishing tool is selected from the group consisting of a vibration sensor, a temperature sensor, and a resistance sensor;

a circulation system, wherein the wireless sensor detachably coupled to the circulation system is selected from the group consisting of a flow rate sensor, a temperature sensor, a radiation sensor, and a level sensor; and

a high-frequency impedance matching system, wherein the wireless sensor detachably coupled to the high-frequency impedance matching system is selected from the group consisting of a power sensor, a current sensor, a temperature sensor, and a position sensor.

9. The system of claim 1, further including an input/output tool that provides a simulated input/output port and a system variable identification for the second process parameter.

10. A system for fabricating a semiconductor device, comprising:

a semiconductor fabrication tool having a sensor that gathers fabrication data from the fabrication tool;

a first wireless transceiver that is coupled to the sensor, the first wireless transceiver transmitting wireless signals that include the fabrication data;

a second wireless transceiver that wirelessly communicates with the first wireless transceiver and that receives fabrication data from the first transceiver; and

a diagnostic device that is coupled to the second transceiver and that receives the fabrication data and performs analysis in response to the fabrication data.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the diagnostic device generates a control signal as a function of the fabrication data and sends the control signal to the fabrication tool using the first and second transceivers, and wherein the fabrication tool adjusts its operation in response to the control signal.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the fabrication data includes a first subset of fabrication data and a second subset of fabrication data, the fabrication tool including an integrated interface that gathers the first subset of fabrication data, the sensor gathering the second subset of fabrication data and receiving the first subset of fabrication data from the integrated interface.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the first subset of fabrication data includes measured values of a first process parameter, and the second subset of fabrication data includes measured values of a second process parameter that is different from the first process parameter.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the fabrication tool includes a machine that is selected from the group consisting of:

a transfer robot that moves objects that are parts of the fabrication tool;

a vacuum system that controls a pressure of the fabrication tool;

a power supply that provides electrical power to the fabrication tool;

a temperature control that regulates a temperature of the fabrication tool;

a chemical-mechanical-polishing tool that polishes and removes a surface layer of a semiconductor wafer;

a circulation system that performs a chemical process; and

a high-frequency impedance matching system that tunes effective input and output impedances of the fabrication tool in a high frequency operation.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the fabrication tool is selected from the group consisting of:

a transfer robot, wherein the wireless sensor is selected from the group consisting of a current sensor, a pressure sensor, and a vibration sensor.

a vacuum system, wherein the wireless sensor is a pressure sensor;

a power supply, wherein the wireless sensor is a power sensor;

a temperature control, wherein the wireless sensor is selected from the group consisting of a current sensor, a resistance sensor, and a temperature sensor;

a chemical-mechanical-polishing tool, wherein the wireless sensor is selected from the group consisting of a vibration sensor, a temperature sensor, and a resistance sensor;

a circulation system, wherein the wireless sensor is selected from the group consisting of a flow rate sensor, a temperature sensor, a radiation sensor, and a level sensor; and

a high-frequency impedance matching system, wherein the wireless sensor is selected from the group consisting of a power sensor, a current sensor, a temperature sensor, and a position sensor.

16. The system of claim 10, further including an input/output tool that provides a simulated input/output port and a system variable identification for the second process parameter.

17. A method of fabricating a semiconductor device, comprising:

measuring a first semiconductor fabrication process parameter of a semiconductor fabrication tool using an integrated interface of the fabrication tool; and

measuring a second semiconductor fabrication process parameter of the fabrication tool using a wireless sensor that is detachably coupled to the fabrication tool, the second semiconductor fabrication process parameter being different from the first semiconductor fabrication process parameter.

18. The method of claim 17, further including wirelessly communicating with a diagnostic tool.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the communicating includes:

transmitting a first wireless signal that includes the measured first and second process parameters from the wireless sensor to the diagnostic tool; and

transmitting a second wireless signal that includes a control signal from the diagnostic tool to the wireless sensor.

20. The method of claim 19, further including:

performing data analysis on the measured first and second process parameters using the diagnostic tool;

generating the control signal using the diagnostic tool in response to the data analysis; and

adjusting an operation of the fabrication tool in response to the control signal.