Advanced finishing control

• US 7,572,169 B1
• Filed: 05/08/2007
• Issued: 08/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Semcon Tech LLC (IPNav)
• Original Assignee: Beaver Creek Concepts, Inc.
• Inventors: Molnar, Charles J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hail, III, Joseph J
• Assistant Examiner(s): SCRUGGS, ROBERT J
• Application Number:
  US11/801,031
• Time in Patent Office: 826 Days
• Field of Search: 451 4- 11, 451/36, 451/41, 451/60, 451/63, 451285-290, 451/449, 438690-693, 216/38, 216 88- 91, 252/79.1
• US Class Current: 451/8
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 37/013 Devices or means for detecting lapping completion
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 37/042 operating processes therefor

Abstract

A factory, an apparatus, and methods of using an in situ finishing information for finishing workpieces and semiconductor wafers are described. Changes or improvements to cost of manufacture of a workpiece using in-process cost of manufacture information, tracked in-process cost of manufacture information, or cost of manufacture parameters are discussed. Appreciable changes to quality or cost of manufacture of a workpiece using tracking, using in-process tracked information, networks including a multiplicity of apparatus, and using in situ finishing information are discussed. A factory, apparatus, and methods to change or improve process control are discussed. A factory, apparatus, and methods to change or improve real-time process control are discussed. A factory, apparatus, and methods to change or improve predictive control are discussed. The workpieces can be tracked individually or by process group such as a process batch.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a workpiece, the method comprising:

providing a manufacturing predictive control information for a finishing operation previously used by an at least one processor for an at least one predictive control and wherein the manufacturing predictive control information is at least in part derived from an operative network including an at least one finishing apparatus, an at least one piece of workpiece fabrication machinery other than the at least one finishing apparatus, and an at least one piece of metrology equipment, and wherein the manufacturing predictive control information includes information members comprising;

(i) an in-process cost of manufacture information related to the finishing operation,

(ii) an information at least in part derived from the at least one piece of workpiece fabrication machinery other than the at least one finishing apparatus,

(iii) an information at least in part derived from the at least one piece of metrology equipment,

(iv) an in situ finishing information,

(v) an at least one manufacturing control parameter related to the finishing operation, and

(vi) an at least one process model;

supplying the manufacturing predictive control information to an at least one computer;

using the at least one computer to determine a change to an at least one information member in the manufacturing predictive control information;

changing the at least one information member in the manufacturing predictive control information forming a changed manufacturing predictive control information; and

supplying the changed manufacturing predictive control information for a changed predictive control for use in an at least one operative controller for controlling manufacturing related to the finishing operation.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the in-process cost of manufacture information related to the finishing operation comprises a tracked and updated in-process cost of manufacture information including cost information related to the finishing operation on a current workpiece and on prior workpieces.

3. The method of claim 2 additionally comprising:

storing the changed manufacturing predictive control information; and

using the changed manufacturing predictive control information for a changed predictive control during manufacture of the workpiece.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one piece of workpiece fabrication machinery other than the at least one finishing apparatus comprises an apparatus for forming a low-k dielectric on the workpiece and wherein the manufacturing predictive control information additionally includes an additional information member comprising an information at least in part derived from the apparatus for forming the low-k dielectric on the workpiece.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one piece of workpiece fabrication machinery other than the at least one finishing apparatus includes an apparatus for forming a low-k dielectric on the workpiece and a patterning apparatus and wherein the manufacturing predictive control information additionally includes information members comprising an information at least in part derived from the apparatus for forming the low-k dielectric on the workpiece and an additional information member comprising an information at least in part derived from the patterning apparatus.

6. The method of claim 5 additionally comprising:

storing the changed manufacturing predictive control information; and

using the changed manufacturing predictive control information for a changed predictive control during manufacture of the workpiece.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the at least one process model comprises a multiplicity of process models related to the finishing operation and wherein the manufacturing predictive control information additionally includes an additional information member comprising a cost of manufacture model including a tracked and updated in-process cost of manufacture information related to the finishing operation.

8. The method of claim 7 additionally comprising:

storing the changed manufacturing predictive control information; and

using the changed manufacturing predictive control information for at least in part determining an appreciable change for a forecast cost of manufacture; and

changing the forecast cost of manufacture forming a changed forecast cost of manufacture.

9. The method of claim 7 additionally comprising:

storing the changed manufacturing predictive control information; and

using the changed manufacturing predictive control information for a changed predictive control during manufacture of the workpiece.

10. The method of claim 1 additionally comprising:

storing the changed manufacturing predictive control information; and

using the changed manufacturing predictive control information for a changed predictive control during manufacture of the workpiece.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one process model comprises a multiplicity of process models related to the finishing operation and wherein the manufacturing predictive control information additionally includes an additional information member comprising a cost of manufacture model related to the finishing operation.

12. The method of claim 11 additionally comprising:

storing the changed manufacturing predictive control information; and

using the changed manufacturing predictive control information for a changed predictive control during manufacture of the workpiece.

13. The method of claim 11 additionally comprising:

storing the changed manufacturing predictive control information; and

using the changed manufacturing predictive control information for at least in part determining an appreciable change for a forecast cost of manufacture; and

changing the forecast cost of manufacture forming a changed forecast cost of manufacture.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one process model comprises a multiplicity of process models related to the finishing operation and wherein the manufacturing predictive control information additionally includes an additional information member comprising a cost of manufacture model including a tracked and updated in-process cost of manufacture information related to the finishing operation.

15. The method of claim 14 additionally comprising:

storing the changed manufacturing predictive control information; and

using the changed manufacturing predictive control information for at least in part determining an appreciable change for a forecast of a consumable cost portion of a cost of manufacture; and

changing the forecast of the consumable cost portion of the cost of manufacture forming a changed forecast of the consumable cost portion of the cost of manufacture.

16. The method of claim 14 additionally comprising:

storing the changed manufacturing predictive control information; and

using the changed manufacturing predictive control information for a changed predictive control during manufacture of the workpiece.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one process model comprises a multiplicity of process models related to the finishing operation and wherein the manufacturing predictive control information additionally includes an additional information member comprising a cost of manufacture model related to the finishing operation and the method additionally comprises:

storing the changed manufacturing predictive control information; and

using the changed manufacturing predictive control information for at least in part determining an appreciable change for a forecast of a consumable cost portion of a cost of manufacture; and

changing the forecast of the consumable cost portion of the cost of manufacture forming a changed forecast of the consumable cost portion of the cost of manufacture; and

using data mining during the method.

18. The method of claim 17 additionally comprising:

storing the changed manufacturing predictive control information; and

using the changed manufacturing predictive control information for a changed predictive control during manufacture of the workpiece.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one process model comprises a multiplicity of process models related to the finishing operation and wherein the manufacturing predictive control information additionally includes an additional information member comprising a cost of manufacture model including a tracked and updated in-process cost of manufacture information related to the finishing operation and the method additionally comprises:

storing the changed manufacturing predictive control information; and

using the changed manufacturing predictive control information for at least in part determining an appreciable change for a forecast of a consumable cost portion of a cost of manufacture; and

changing the forecast of the consumable cost portion of the cost of manufacture forming a changed forecast of the consumable cost portion of the cost of manufacture; and

using data mining during the method.

20. The method of claim 19 additionally comprising:

storing the changed manufacturing predictive control information; and

using the changed manufacturing predictive control information for a changed predictive control during manufacture of the workpiece.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein the workpiece comprises a tracked semiconductor wafer having a diameter of at least 300 millimeters and wherein the manufacturing predictive control information additionally includes an additional information member comprising a tracked information of the semiconductor wafer.

22. The method of claim 21 additionally comprising:

storing the changed manufacturing predictive control information; and

using the changed manufacturing predictive control information for a changed predictive control during manufacture of the workpiece.

23. The method of claim 1 wherein the manufacturing predictive control information additionally includes an additional information member comprising an equipment yield information and additionally comprising:

using data mining during the method.

24. The method of claim 23 additionally comprising:

storing the changed manufacturing predictive control information; and

using the changed manufacturing predictive control information for a changed predictive control during manufacture of the workpiece.

25. A method for manufacturing a workpiece, the method comprising:

providing a manufacturing predictive control information for a finishing operation previously used by an at least one processor for an at least one predictive control and wherein the manufacturing predictive control information is at least in part derived from an operative network including an at least one finishing apparatus, an at least one piece of workpiece fabrication machinery other than the at least one finishing apparatus, and an at least one piece of metrology equipment, and wherein the manufacturing predictive control information includes information members comprising;

(i) a tracked and updated in-process cost of manufacture information including a multiplicity of activity based cost of manufacture information related to the finishing operation on a current workpiece and on prior workpieces,

(ii) an information at least in part derived from the at least one piece of workpiece fabrication machinery other than the at least one finishing apparatus,

(iii) an information at least in part derived from the at least one piece of metrology equipment,

(iv) an in situ finishing information,

(v) an at least one manufacturing control parameter related to the finishing operation, and

(vi) an information at least in part derived from a multiplicity of process models related to the finishing operation;

supplying the manufacturing predictive control information to an at least one computer;

using the at least one computer to determine a change to an at least one information member in the manufacturing predictive control information;

changing the at least one information member in the manufacturing predictive control information forming a changed manufacturing predictive control information; and

supplying the changed manufacturing predictive control information for a changed predictive control for use in an at least one operative controller for controlling manufacturing related to the finishing operation.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the manufacturing predictive control information additionally includes an additional information member comprising a business model.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein the manufacturing predictive control information additionally includes an additional information member comprising a sales model.

28. The method of claim 25 wherein the manufacturing predictive control information additionally includes an additional information member comprising a cost of manufacture model including the tracked and updated in-process cost of manufacture information including the multiplicity of activity based cost of manufacture information on the current workpiece and on the prior workpieces related to the finishing operation.

29. The method of claim 28 additionally comprising:

using data mining during the method.

30. The method of claim 28 additionally comprising:

storing the changed manufacturing predictive control information; and

using the changed manufacturing predictive control information for a changed predictive control during manufacture of the workpiece.

31. The method of claim 25 additionally comprising:

storing the changed manufacturing predictive control information; and

using the changed manufacturing predictive control information for at least in part determining an appreciable change for an at least one process model in the multiplicity of process models; and

changing the at least one process model forming a changed at least one changed process model.

32. The method of claim 31 additionally comprising:

storing the changed at least one process model; and

using the changed at least one process model for a changed predictive control during manufacture of the workpiece.

33. The method of claim 25 additionally comprising:

storing the changed manufacturing predictive control information; and

using the changed manufacturing predictive control information for at least in part determining an appreciable change for a forecast cost of manufacture; and

changing the forecast cost of manufacture forming a changed forecast cost of manufacture.

34. The method of claim 25 additionally comprising:

storing the changed manufacturing predictive control information; and

using the changed manufacturing predictive control information for at least in part determining an appreciable change for a forecast of a consumable cost portion of a cost of manufacture; and

changing the forecast of the consumable cost portion of the cost of manufacture forming a changed forecast of the consumable cost portion of the cost of manufacture.

35. The method of claim 25 additionally comprising:

storing the changed manufacturing predictive control information; and

using the changed manufacturing predictive control information for a changed predictive control during manufacture of the workpiece.

36. The method of claim 25 wherein the workpiece comprises a tracked semiconductor wafer having a diameter of at least 300 millimeters and wherein the manufacturing predictive control information additionally includes an additional information member comprising a tracked information of the semiconductor wafer.

37. The method of claim 36 additionally comprising:

storing the changed manufacturing predictive control information; and

using the changed manufacturing predictive control information for a changed predictive control during manufacture of the workpiece.

38. The method of claim 36 wherein the manufacturing predictive control information additionally includes an additional information member comprising an equipment yield information.

39. The method of claim 38 additionally comprising:

storing the changed manufacturing predictive control information; and

using the changed manufacturing predictive control information for a changed predictive control during manufacture of the workpiece.

40. The method of claim 25 wherein the manufacturing predictive control information additionally includes an additional information member comprising an equipment yield information and additionally comprising:

using data mining during the method.

41. The method of claim 40 additionally comprising:

storing the changed manufacturing predictive control information; and

using the changed manufacturing predictive control information for a changed predictive control during manufacture of the workpiece.