In-line lithography and etch system
First Claim
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1. A method of processing a plurality of wafers comprising:
- receiving the plurality of wafers by a processing system, the processing system including Site-Dependent (S-D) and Non-Site-Dependent (N-S-D) subsystems, each wafer having wafer data associated therewith, wherein the wafer data includes S-D confidence data and/or N-S-D confidence data;
establishing a first set of S-D wafers using the S-D confidence data and/or N-S-D confidence data;
determining first S-D processing sequences for the first set of S-D wafers, the first set of S-D wafers being processed in first S-D subsystems using the first S-D processing sequences, wherein wafer state data is used to establish the first S-D processing sequences;
transferring the first set of S-D wafers to one or more first S-D processing elements in the first S-D subsystems, the first S-D processing sequences being used to determine the one or more first S-D processing elements;
collecting first S-D subsystem processing data before, during, and/or after the first S-D processing sequences are performed using the first set of S-D wafers;
establishing first S-D confidence data for one or more wafers in the first set of S-D wafers using the wafer data and/or the first S-D subsystem processing data;
establishing additional sets of S-D wafers using the first S-D confidence data, the S-D confidence data, or the N-S-D confidence data, or any combination thereof; and
transferring the additional sets of S-D wafers to one or more additional S-D processing elements in additional subsystems, with additional S-D processing sequences being used to determine the one or more additional S-D processing elements.
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Abstract
The invention can provide a method of processing a wafer using Site-Dependent (S-D) processing sequences that can include S-D creation procedures, S-D evaluation procedures, and S-D transfer sequences. The S-D creation procedures can be performed using S-D processing elements, the S-D evaluation procedures can be performed using S-D evaluation elements, and S-D transfer sequences can be performed using site-dependent transfer subsystems. Site-dependent data can be stored in site-dependent libraries and/or databases.
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Citations
41 Claims
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1. A method of processing a plurality of wafers comprising:
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receiving the plurality of wafers by a processing system, the processing system including Site-Dependent (S-D) and Non-Site-Dependent (N-S-D) subsystems, each wafer having wafer data associated therewith, wherein the wafer data includes S-D confidence data and/or N-S-D confidence data; establishing a first set of S-D wafers using the S-D confidence data and/or N-S-D confidence data; determining first S-D processing sequences for the first set of S-D wafers, the first set of S-D wafers being processed in first S-D subsystems using the first S-D processing sequences, wherein wafer state data is used to establish the first S-D processing sequences; transferring the first set of S-D wafers to one or more first S-D processing elements in the first S-D subsystems, the first S-D processing sequences being used to determine the one or more first S-D processing elements; collecting first S-D subsystem processing data before, during, and/or after the first S-D processing sequences are performed using the first set of S-D wafers; establishing first S-D confidence data for one or more wafers in the first set of S-D wafers using the wafer data and/or the first S-D subsystem processing data; establishing additional sets of S-D wafers using the first S-D confidence data, the S-D confidence data, or the N-S-D confidence data, or any combination thereof; and transferring the additional sets of S-D wafers to one or more additional S-D processing elements in additional subsystems, with additional S-D processing sequences being used to determine the one or more additional S-D processing elements. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method of processing a plurality of wafers comprising:
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receiving the plurality of wafers by a non-site dependent transfer subsystem in a processing system, the processing system including Site-Dependent (S-D) and Non-S-D (N-S-D) subsystems, each wafer having wafer data associated therewith, wherein the wafer data includes S-D confidence data and/or N-S-D confidence data, wherein at least one wafer has one or more evaluation structures thereon; establishing a first set of S-D measurement wafers by using the using the S-D confidence data and/or N-S-D confidence data, each wafer in the first set of S-D measurement wafers having one or more evaluation structures thereon, wherein the first set of S-D measurement wafers are transferred from a N-S-D transfer subsystem to a S-D transfer subsystem; determining first S-D measurement procedures for the first set of S-D measurement wafers, the first set of S-D measurement wafers being measured in first S-D measurement subsystems using the first S-D measurement procedures, wherein the wafer data is used to establish the first S-D measurement procedures; transferring the first set of S-D measurement wafers to one or more first S-D measurement-related elements in the first S-D subsystems using the S-D transfer subsystem, a first S-D transfer sequence, a first S-D processing sequence, or the first S-D measurement procedures, or any combination thereof being used to determine the one or more first S-D measurement-related elements; and performing the first S-D measurement procedures. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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Specification