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System and method for using first-principles simulation to facilitate a semiconductor manufacturing process

  • US 8,032,348 B2
  • Filed: 09/30/2003
  • Issued: 10/04/2011
  • Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2003
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A method of facilitating a process performed by a semiconductor processing tool, comprising:

  • inputting a first principles physical model including a set of computer-encoded differential equations, the first principles physical model describing at least one of a basic physical or chemical attribute of the semiconductor processing tool and including

         1) a spatially resolved model of a physical geometry of the semiconductor processing tool and

         2) a grid set addressing the semiconductor processing tool or a geometry of the semiconductor processing tool;

    inputting process data related to an actual process being performed by the semiconductor processing tool;

    setting boundary conditions for the spatially resolved model of the physical geometry of the semiconductor processing tool based on said process data related to the actual process being performed by the semiconductor processing tool;

    storing in a fab-level library known simulation results obtained from simulation modules in a device manufacturing fab and distributing the known simulation results to other semiconductor processing tools in the device manufacturing fab;

    solving the computer-encoded differential equations of the first principles physical model for the spatially resolved model concurrently with the actual process being performed and in a time frame shorter in time than the actual process being performed to produce a first principles simulation by;

    using code parallelization techniques on multiple simulation modules in the device manufacturing fab, andre-using known simulation solutions as initial conditions for the first principles simulation,wherein re-using known simulation solutions comprises searching in the fab-level library for a closest fitting solution which if used for the initial condition would reduce the number of iterations required by the simulation module;

    providing from the solution of the computer-encoded differential equations solved concurrently with the actual process being performed a first principles simulation result; and

    using the first principles simulation result obtained during the performance of the actual process to facilitate the actual process being performed by the semiconductor processing tool.

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