Run-to-run controller for use in microelectronic fabrication
First Claim
1. A run-to-run control system for controlling manufacturing processes, comprising:
- a plurality of processing tools;
a plurality of metrology tools for monitoring operation of said processing tools each metrology tool adapted to obtain metrology data from a corresponding processing tool; and
a supervising station, said supervising station comprising;
an interface for receiving metrology data from each of said metrology tools;
a memory;
a plurality of variable parameter tables, one for each of said processing tools, stored in said memory, said variable parameter tables collectively associated with a manufacturing process or recipe, each variable parameter table being downloaded to a respective processing tool prior to operation of the respective processing tool; and
at least one model structure relating received metrology data received from a prior metrology tool to a target set-point for a subsequent processing tool, and another model structure adapted to control operation of the subsequent processing tool in a feed-back control loop, wherein one or more variables of a subsequent variable parameter tables associated with the subsequent processing tool are modified in response to application of said received metrology data according to said at least one model structure.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A automated run-to-run controller for controlling manufacturing processes comprises set of processing tools, a set of metrology tools for taking metrology measurements from the processing tools, and a supervising station for managing and controlling the processing tools. The supervising station comprises an interface for receiving metrology data from the metrology tools and a number of variable parameter tables, one for each of the processing tools, collectively associated with a manufacturing process recipe. The supervising station also includes one or more internal models which relate received metrology data to one or more variables for a processing tool, and which can modify variables stored in the variable parameter table to control the process tools using feedback and/or feed-forward control algorithms. Feed-forward control algorithms may, in certain embodiments, be used to adjust process targets for closed loop feedback control. The supervising station may have a user interface by which different feedback or feed-forward model formats (single or multi-variate) may be interactively selected based upon experimental or predicted behavior of the system, and may also permit users to utilize their own models for run-to-run control.
272 Citations
56 Claims
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1. A run-to-run control system for controlling manufacturing processes, comprising:
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a plurality of processing tools;
a plurality of metrology tools for monitoring operation of said processing tools each metrology tool adapted to obtain metrology data from a corresponding processing tool; and
a supervising station, said supervising station comprising;
an interface for receiving metrology data from each of said metrology tools;
a memory;
a plurality of variable parameter tables, one for each of said processing tools, stored in said memory, said variable parameter tables collectively associated with a manufacturing process or recipe, each variable parameter table being downloaded to a respective processing tool prior to operation of the respective processing tool; and
at least one model structure relating received metrology data received from a prior metrology tool to a target set-point for a subsequent processing tool, and another model structure adapted to control operation of the subsequent processing tool in a feed-back control loop, wherein one or more variables of a subsequent variable parameter tables associated with the subsequent processing tool are modified in response to application of said received metrology data according to said at least one model structure. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for controlling a manufacturing process, comprising the steps of:
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(a) downloading variables form a plurality of variable parameter tables to a plurality of processing tools prior to operation of each tool;
(b) operating said processing tools according to said downloaded variables;
(c) receiving, at a supervisory station, metrology data from a plurality of metrology tools monitoring operation of said processing tools;
(d) applying said metrology data to at least one model structure relating said metrology data to said variables including a target set-point for a next processing tool, and generating an output thereby; and
(e) updating one or more of said variable parameter tables in response to said output and controlling operation of the next processing tool using another model structure associated with the next processing tool in a feed-back control loop. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A run-to-run controller for controlling a manufacturing process, comprising:
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a first processing tool;
a first metrology tool for obtaining metrology data from said first processing tool;
a second processing tool;
a second metrology tool for obtaining metrology data from said second processing tool; and
a supervisory station, said supervisory station comprising an interface for receiving said metrology data from said first metrology tool; and
a first model structure relating said metrology data from said first metrology tool to a target set-point for said second processing tool;
a second model structure used in controlling operation of said second processing tool in a feed-back control loop; and
a first variable parameter table for said first processing tool and a second variable parameter table for said second processing tool;
wherein all or part of said first variable parameter table is downloaded to said first processing tool prior to operation of said first processing tool, wherein all or part of said second variable parameter table is downloaded to said second processing tool prior to operation of said second processing tool, and wherein one or more variables in said second variable parameter table are modified in response to application of said first model structure to said received metrology data. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A method of controlling a manufacturing process, comprising the steps of:
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(a) obtaining metrology data from a first metrology tool with respect to a first processing tool;
(b) applying said metrology data to a first model structure relating said metrology data to a target set-point for a second processing tool and using a second model structure to control operation of the second processing tool in a feed-back control loop;
(c) modifying one or more variables in a variable parameter table for said second processing tool in response to application of the first model structure to the received metrology data;
(d) downloading said one or more modified variables to said second processing tool;
(e) operating said second processing tool in accordance with said downloaded variables. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
obtaining metrology data from a second metrology tool with respect to said second processing tool;
applying said metrology data from said second metrology tool to a second model structure relating said metrology data from said second metrology tool to said target set-point for said second processing tool; and
modifying one or more variables in said variable parameter table for said second processing tool.
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41. The method of claim 40, wherein said step of applying said metrology data from said second metrology tool to said second model structure comprises the step of applying said metrology data from said second metrology tool to a feedback model.
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42. The method of claim 40, further comprising the step of selecting, via a user interface, a model formats from among a plurality of model formats from which said second model structure is generated.
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43. The method of claim 42, wherein said plurality of model formats comprise a linear model format, a quadratic model format and a cubic model format.
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44. A supervisory station for managing run-to-run control of a manufacturing process, comprising:
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an interface for receiving metrology data from a plurality of said metrology tools;
a control model relating said metrology data from one metrology tool to a target set-point for a next processing tool;
another control model used in controlling operation of said next processing tool in a feed-back control loop; and
a memory, said memory storing a plurality of output control variables for controlling the operation of a plurality of processing tools; and
at least one processor for executing one or more processes for controlling said metrology tools by adjusting said output control variables based upon the received metrology data and one or more control models, said control models selectable from a plurality of control model formats stored in said memory wherein one or more control variables for controlling the operation of the next processing tool are modified in response to application of the control model to the received metrology data. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56)
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Specification