Resource consumption calculator

• US 6,782,343 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2001
• Issued: 08/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ASM International NV
• Original Assignee: ASM International NV
• Inventors: Hasper, Albert
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoff, Marc S
• Assistant Examiner(s): TSAI, CAROL S W
• Application Number:
  US09/893,176
• Publication Number:
  US 20020120425A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,154 Days
• Field of Search: 702/136, 702/22-24, 702/27, 702/28, 702/30-36, 702/40, 702/56, 702/57, 702/64, 702/65, 702/81-84, 702/99, 702/104, 702/113-119, 702/124, 702/126, 702/130, 702/133, 702/132, 702/134, 702/138, 702/183, 702/184, 702/189, 700/51, 700/80, 700/83, 700/89, 700/101, 700/109, 700/110, 700/121, 700/169, 700/291, 700/19-21, 700/50, 700/108.9, 438/5, 438/10, 438/14, 438/17, 716/2, 716/1
• US Class Current: 702/182
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67253 Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring

Abstract

A process tool controller of a semiconductor processing tool is provided with software that enables collecting, monitoring and logging information regarding the tool'"'"'s consumption. Data is collected from the devices used for control of process conditions via the analog and digital inputs and outputs of the process tool controller. Consequently, the devices for controlling the process conditions have the additional function of measuring the tool'"'"'s consumption. In this way the information regarding the tool'"'"'s consumption is completely collected on board of the process tool. The parameters to be monitored and reported can be configured by the user, with use of a configuration editor, resulting in optimum flexibility of the system. In the illustrated embodiment, the user interface of the consumption monitoring and logging software is integrated into the user interface of the process control and monitoring software. The information regarding the tool'"'"'s consumption can be communicated to a supervisor computer via a network.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring consumption of utilities by semiconductor fabrication processes, comprising:

at least one semiconductor process tool comprising a plurality of process-control devices for controlling process conditions within the process tool;

at least one tool controller communicating with the plurality of process-control devices according to a process recipe for treating workpieces within the process tool; and

computer software residing in a memory of said tool controller, the computer software configured to collect data reflecting resource consumption from the plurality of devices and to compile and store said data, wherein the computer software is configured to collect data reflecting resource consumption from the plurality of devices at a high frequency and to sum the data at a low frequency.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of process-control devices include at least one heating element and at least one mass flow controller.

3. The stem of claim 2, wherein the computer software compiles and stores data relating to the power output to the at least one heating element and gas flow through the at least one mass flow controller.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer software calculates resource consumption from inputs originating from the process-control devices and fed back into the tool controller.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the computer software further calculates resource consumption from outputs from the tool controller to the process-control devices.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein data collected at the high frequency is stored in a short-term memory data summed at the low frequency is stored in a long-term memory.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein data collected at the high frequency is collected at least as frequently as about every 10 seconds, and data summed at the low frequency is summed no more frequently than about every 10 minutes.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein data collected at the high frequency is collected at least as frequently at about every second, and data summed at the low frequency is summed no more frequently than bout every hour.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein a frequency ratio of data collection to data summing is greater than about 100.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein a frequency ratio of data collection to data summing is greater than about 1000.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein a user interface of the computer software is integrated into a user interface of the tool controller.

11. A system for monitoring consumption of utilities by semiconductor fabrication processes, comprising:

at least one semiconductor process tool comprising a plurality of process-control devices for controlling process conditions within the process tool;

at least one tool controller communicating with the plurality of process-control devices according to a process recipe for treating workpieces within the process tool; and

computer software residing in a memory of said tool controller, the computer software configured to collect data reflecting resource consumption from the plurality of devices and to compile and store said data,

wherein the computer software comprises an editor configured to select user-defined parameters for monitoring, wherein the user-defined parameters include parameters selected from the group consisting of process gas flows, purge gas flows, electrical power consumption, and cooling water flows, wherein the user defined parameters include parameters obtained from the plurality of process control devices and wherein the user-defined parameters are monitored by high-frequency sampling of parameter values reported to the process tool controller by the process-control devices.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein a rate of the high-frequency sampling is user-controlled at the editor.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the high-frequency sampling rate is at least as frequent as once every 10 seconds.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the high-frequency sampling is at least as frequent as every second.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the high-frequency sampling is summed in a low-frequency summing of sampled parameter value.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein a rate of the low-frequency summing is user-controlled at the editor.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the low-frequency summing is conducted at a frequency of no more than once about every ten minutes.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the low-frequency summing is conducted at a frequency of no more than once about every hour.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the computer software comprises a report generator configured to generate resource consumption reports relating to user-selected ones of parameters being monitored for consumption of resources.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the report generator allows user selection of a report time span.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the report generator allows user selection of a report time resolution, wherein the report time resolution establishes a time interval represented by parameter values displayed in the report.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the resource consumption reports contain summed parameter values and process recipe details.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein the resource consumption reports contain summed parameter values.

25. A method for automatically monitoring consumption of utilities in at least one process tool with software connected to the process tool, comprising:

conducting continual high-frequency sampling of data relating to consumption of utilities from a plurality of devices comprising said process tool and storing said data in short-term memory;

at specified intervals, calculating sums of said data, storing said sums in long-term memory, and erasing said data from short-term memory; and

based on said sums, generating reports relating to said utility consumption data in response to requests from a user.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising allowing user specification of the intervals for calculating sums.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising allowing user definition of parameters to monitor for sampling of data.

28. The method of claim 26, further comprising allowing user selection of the user-defined parameters for generating the reports.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising allowing user selection of time periods and resolutions for generating the reports.