Method and apparatus for calibrating degradable components using process state data

• US 7,153,709 B1
• Filed: 08/31/2004
• Issued: 12/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
• Inventors: Purdy, Matthew A., Markle, Richard J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Picardat, Kevin M.
• Application Number:
  US10/930,257
• Time in Patent Office: 847 Days
• Field of Search: 438/4, 438/5, 438/7, 438/10, 438/12, 438/14, 438/16, 438/17, 700/121
• US Class Current: 438/4
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/50129 Setup machines as function of process model, control strategy for optimum use of machines
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67288 Monitoring of warpage, curvature, damage, defects or the like

Abstract

The present invention is generally directed to various methods and systems for calibrating degradable components using process state data. In one illustrative embodiment, the method includes providing a tool comprised of at least one process chamber, providing at least one process state sensor that is adapted to obtain process state data regarding at least one characteristic of a process environment established in the chamber in performance of a process operation, operatively coupling at least one of a new or repaired degradable component to the tool, and calibrating the new or repaired degradable component based upon the process state data. In further embodiments, the method comprises processing a plurality of additional workpieces in the tool after the new or repaired degradable components have been calibrated using process state data in accordance with one aspect of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

providing a tool comprised of at least one process chamber;

providing at least one process state sensor that is adapted to obtain process state data regarding at least one characteristic of a process environment established in said process chamber in performance of a process operation;

operatively coupling at least one of a new or repaired degradable component to said tool; and

calibrating said new or repaired degradable component based upon said process state data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said new or repaired degradable component comprises at least one of a sensor, a flow control device and an electrical control device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said tool is adapted to perform at least one of a deposition process, a metrology process, a photolithography process, and exposure process, an etching process, an ion implant process and a heating process.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said process state data is comprised of at least one of a temperature, a pressure, a partial pressure of a gas species, an identification of multiple gas species within said processor environment, an RF voltage, and an RF current.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said process state sensor comprises at least one of a residual gas analysis sensor, an optical emission spectrometry sensor, a Fourier transform infra red sensor, an RF sensor, an RF current sensor, a temperature sensor and a pressure sensor.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein calibrating said new or repaired degradable component based upon said process state data comprises confirming that an initial calibration of said new or repaired component is correct based upon said process state data.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a controller is adapted to access said process state data and perform the step of calibrating said new or repaired degradable component.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising declaring a fault condition if said step of calibrating said new or repaired degradable component comprises determining a correction factor in excess of a preselected allowable limit.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising processing a plurality of additional wafers through said tool after said step of calibrating said new or repaired degradable component has been performed.

10. A method, comprising:

providing a tool comprised of at least one process chamber;

providing at least one process state sensor that is adapted to obtain process state data regarding at least one characteristic of a process environment established in said chamber in performance of a process operation;

providing a controller that is adapted to access said process state data;

operatively coupling at least one of a new or repaired degradable component to said tool; and

wherein said controller performs the step of calibrating said new or repaired degradable component based upon said process state data.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said new or repaired degradable component comprises at least one of a sensor, a flow control device and an electrical control device.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein said tool is adapted to perform at least one of a deposition process, a metrology process, a photolithography process, and exposure process, an etching process, an etching process, an ion implant process and a heating process.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein said process state data is comprised of at least one of a temperature, a pressure, a partial pressure of a gas species, an identification of multiple gas species within said processor environment, an RF current and an RF voltage.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein said process state sensor comprises at least one of a residual gas analysis sensor, an optical emission spectrometry sensor, a Fourier transform infra red sensor, a temperature sensor an RF voltage sensor, an RF current sensor, and a pressure sensor.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein calibrating said new or repaired degradable component based upon said process state data comprises confirming that an initial calibration of said new or repaired component is correct based upon said process state data.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising declaring a fault condition if said step of calibrating said new or repaired degradable component comprises determining a correction factor in excess of a preselected allowable limit.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising processing a plurality of additional wafers through said tool after said step of calibrating said new or repaired degradable component has been performed.

18. A method, comprising:

providing a tool comprised of at least one process chamber;

providing at least one process state sensor that is adapted to obtain process state data regarding at least one characteristic of a process environment established in said chamber in performance of a process operation;

providing a controller that is adapted to access said process state data;

operatively coupling at least one of a new or repaired degradable component to said tool, said at least one of a new or repaired degradable component having an initial calibration; and

wherein said controller performs the step of confirming that said initial calibration of said new or repaired degradable component is correct based upon said process state data.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said new or repaired degradable component comprises at least one of a sensor, a flow control device and an electrical control device.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein said tool is adapted to perform at least one of a deposition process, a metrology process, a photolithography process, and exposure process, an etching process, an etching process, an ion implant process and a heating process.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein said process state data is comprised of at least one of a temperature, a pressure, a partial pressure of a gas species, an identification of multiple gas species within said processor environment, an RF voltage sensor, and an RF current sensor.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein said process state sensor comprises at least one of a residual gas analysis sensor, an optical emission spectrometry sensor, a Fourier transform infra red sensor, a temperature sensor and a pressure sensor.

23. The method of claim 18, further comprising processing a plurality of additional wafers through said tool after said step of calibrating said new or repaired degradable component has been performed.