Automated design and execution of experiments with integrated model creation for semiconductor manufacturing tools

• US 7,333,871 B2
• Filed: 01/20/2004
• Issued: 02/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Schwarm, Alexander T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jarrett; Ryan A.
• Application Number:
  US10/759,108
• Publication Number:
  US 20040148049A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,491 Days
• Field of Search: 700/29, 700/31, 700/108, 700/109, 700/97, 700/121, 703/2
• US Class Current: 700/108
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 17/02 electric

Abstract

A method, system and medium of automation performed on a semiconductor manufacturing tool. The method creates a designed set of experiments for the tool and runs the created set of experiments. The method also collects data resulting from running the experiments and creates a model based on the collected data. The created model is used in automatically controlling the tool.

Claims

1. A method of automation performed on a semiconductor manufacturing tool, comprising:

(a) allowing a user to select one or more recipe parameters for a set of designed experiments;

(b) allowing a user to specify that the recipe parameters are not a linear function of time,

(c) automatically running the set of designed experiments on the tool;

(d) collecting data resulting from running the experiments;

(e) time-scaling the collected data from running experiments based on recipe parameters specified as not a linear function of time to make the collected data appear as a linear function in a segment of time;

(f) creating a model based on the time-scaled collected data; and

(g) using the model to control the tool.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein (d) is performed automatically.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein (f) is performed automatically.

4. The method of claim 1, further including:

automatically creating the set of designed experiments for the tool.

5. The method of claim 1, further including:

importing one or more designed experiments from an external system.

6. The method of claim 1, further including at least one of:

importing data collected by running at least one experiment on an external system; and

importing data collected during at least one previously run experiment.

7. The method of claim 6, further including:

automatically creating a model based on the imported data and user input.

8. The method of claim 6, further including:

automatically creating a model based on the collected data, the imported data and user input.

9. The method of claim 1, further including:

allowing a user to interactively select one or more recipe parameters to be adjusted between the experiments of the designed set of experiments and select one or more set of data to be collected.

10. The method of claim 9, further including:

automatically generating the design set of experiments based on the user selected recipe parameters and set of data to be collected.

11. The method of claim 1, further including:

collecting the data based on a wafer-by-wafer basis.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the tool is a Chemical-Mechanical-Planarization tool.

13. A method of automation performed on a tool to manufacture devices, comprising:

(a) automatically creating a set of designed experiments based on one or more recipe parameters;

(b) allowing a user to specify that the recipe parameters are not a linear function of time;

(c) automatically running the set of designed experiments on the tool;

(d) automatically collecting data resulting from running the experiments, wherein the data are collected on a wafer-by-wafer basis;

(e) time-scaling the collected data from running experiments based on recipe parameters specified as not a linear function of time to make the collected data appear as a linear function in a segment of time;

(f) automatically creating a model based on the collected data; and

(g) using the model to control the tool.

14. A method of automation performed on a tool to manufacture devices, comprising:

(a) automatically running a set of designed experiments based on one or more recipe parameters on the tool;

(b) automatically collecting data resulting from running the experiments;

(c) where the recipe parameters are not a linear function of time, time-scaling the collected data to make the collected data appear as a linear function in a segment of time;

(d) creating a model based on the time-scaled collected data and imported data; and

(e) using the model to control the tool.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the imported data are from running at least one experiment on an external system.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the imported data are from previously run experiments.

17. A computer-implemented system of automating a semiconductor manufacturing tool, comprising:

(a) a computer;

(b) a DOE system configured to automatically create a designed set of experiments based on one or more recipe parameters for the tool;

(c) a controller configured to automatically run the created set of experiments on the tool and collect data resulting from running the experiments; and

(d) a modeling environment configured to create a model based on the time-scaled collected data, wherein the controller is further configured to control the tool based on the created model, and wherein the DOE system, controller and modeling environment are integrated with each other, wherein the DOE system is further configured to allow a user to specify whether the recipe parameters are not a linear function of time, and to time-scale the collected data to make the collected data appear as a linear function in a segment of time if the recipe parameters are not a linear function of time.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the DOE system is further configured to import one or more designed experiments from an external system.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the DOE system is further configured to import at least one of data collected by running at least one experiment on an external system and data collected during at least one previously run experiment.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the DOE system is further configured to create a model based on the imported data and user input.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the DOE system is further configured to create a model based on the time-scaled collected data, the imported data, and user input.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein the DOE system is further configured to allow a user to interactively select one or more recipe parameters to be adjusted between the experiments of the designed set of experiments and select one or more set of data to be collected.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the DOE system is further configured to generate automatically the design set of experiments based on the user selected recipe parameters and set of data to be collected.

24. The system of claim 17, wherein the controller is further configured to collect the data based on a wafer-by-wafer basis.

25. The system of claim 17, wherein said tool is a Chemical-Mechanical-Planarization tool.

26. A computer readable medium for storing instructions being executed by one or more computers, the instructions directing the one or more computers for automatically generating design of experiment (DOE), the instructions comprising implementation of:

(a) automatically running a set of designed experiments based on one or more recipe parameters on the tool;

(b) allowing a user to specify that the recipe parameters are not a linear function of time;

(c) automatically collecting data resulting from running the experiments;

(d) time-scaling the collected data from running experiments based on recipe parameters specified as not a linear function of time to make the collected data appear as a linear function in a segment of time;

(e) creating a model based on the time-scaled collected data; and

(f) using the model to control the tool.

27. The medium of claim 26, further including the instructions for implementing:

automatically creating the set of designed experiments for the tool.

28. The medium of claim 26, further including the instructions for implementing:

importing one or more designed experiments from an external system.

29. The medium of claim 26, further including the instructions for implementing:

importing data collected by running at least one experiment on an external system; and

importing data collected during at least one previously run experiment.

30. The medium of claim 29, further comprising the instructions for implementing:

automatically creating a model based on the imported data and user input.

31. The medium of claim 29, further including the instructions for implementing:

automatically creating a model based on user input, the time-scaled collected data and the imported data.

32. The medium of claim 26, further including the instructions for implementing:

allowing a user to interactively select one or more recipe parameters to be adjusted between the experiments of the designed set of experiments and select one or more set of data to be collected.

33. The medium of claim 32, further including the instructions for implementing:

automatically generating the design set of experiments based on the user selected recipe parameters and set of data to be collected.

34. The medium of claim 26, further including the instructions for implementing:

collecting the data based on a wafer-by-wafer basis.