Method, system and medium for process control for the matching of tools, chambers and/or other semiconductor-related entities
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
- (A) collecting data representative of one or more behaviors of at least one of one or more semi-conductor processing entities, said one or more behaviors being collected in the course of the one or more semi-conductor processing entities converging to, or attempting to maintain proximity with, a target setting; and
(B) sharing information, relating to the data representative of the one or more behaviors, between at least one of the one or more semi-conductor processing entities and at least one comparably configured semi-conductor processing entity, wherein the sharing of the information facilitates the at least one comparably configured semi-conductor processing entity receiving the information to adjust a recipe that enables the at least one comparably configured semi-conductor processing entity to converge to, or attempt to maintain proximity with, the target setting.
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Abstract
The invention relates to a method, system and computer program useful for producing a product, such as a microelectronic device, for example in an assembly line, where the production facility includes parallel production of assembly lines of products on identically configured chambers, tools and/or modules. Control is provided between such chambers. Behaviors of a batch of wafers (or of each wafer) are collected as the first batch (or each wafer) is processed by one of the identically configured chambers in one assembly line to produce the microelectronic device. The information relating to the behavior is shared with a controller of another one (or more) of the identically configured chambers, process tools and/or modules, to provide an adjustment of the process tool and thereby to produce a second batch (or next wafer) which is substantially identical, within tolerance, to the first batch (or wafer).
423 Citations
43 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
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(A) collecting data representative of one or more behaviors of at least one of one or more semi-conductor processing entities, said one or more behaviors being collected in the course of the one or more semi-conductor processing entities converging to, or attempting to maintain proximity with, a target setting; and (B) sharing information, relating to the data representative of the one or more behaviors, between at least one of the one or more semi-conductor processing entities and at least one comparably configured semi-conductor processing entity, wherein the sharing of the information facilitates the at least one comparably configured semi-conductor processing entity receiving the information to adjust a recipe that enables the at least one comparably configured semi-conductor processing entity to converge to, or attempt to maintain proximity with, the target setting. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A computer program product residing on a computer readable medium the computer program product comprising instructions for enabling a computer to:
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(A) collect data representative of one or more behaviors of at least one of one or more semi-conductor processing entities, said one or more behaviors being collected in the course of the one or more semi-conductor processing entities converging to, or attempting to maintain proximity with a target setting; and (B) share information, relating to the data representative of the one or more behaviors, between at least one of the one or more semi-conductor processing entities and at least one comparably configured semi-conductor processing entity, wherein the information facilitates the at least one comparably configured semi-conductor processing entity receiving the information to adjust a recipe that enables the at least one comparably configured semi-conductor processing entity to converge to, or attempt to maintain proximity with the target setting. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A computer-implemented method of converging, to a target setting, processing results of two or more comparably configured semi-conductor processing entities, comprising:
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obtaining, for one of the comparably configured semi-conductor processing entities, a recipe to be utilized in conjunction with processing a product; measuring at least one product characteristic subsequent to processing; adjusting at least one recipe parameter based upon said measuring step; providing the at least one recipe parameter to at least one other comparably configured semi-conductor conductor processing entity; and utilizing the at least one recipe parameter to adjust a recipe of at least one other comparably configured semi-conductor processing entity and converge the processing results of the one comparably configured semi-conductor processing entity with the at least one other comparably configured semi-conductor processing entity. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A computer-implemented system of converging, to a target setting, processing results generated by comparatively configured process tools operating in parallel in a semiconductor processing environment, said system comprising:
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a module controller containing module level models for setting at least one process tool results target; each of said comparatively configured process tools configured in parallel and communicating with said module controller, each of said comparatively configured process tools comprising an automatic process control module that receives as input from said module controller a module level model, wherein at least one of said respective automatic process control modules adjust at least one recipe processing parameter based on shared information from another automatic process control module to enable at least one of said comparatively configured process tools to converge to or maintain a respective process tool results target. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43)
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Specification