Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100228370 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR TUNING ADVANCED PROCESS CONTROL PARAMETERS - A method of advanced process control (APC) for semiconductor fabrication is provided. The method includes providing a present wafer to be processed by a semiconductor processing tool, providing first data of previous wafers that have been processed by the semiconductor processing tool, decoupling noise from the first data to generate second data, evaluating an APC performance based on proximity of the second data to a target data, determining a control parameter based on the APC performance, and controlling the semiconductor processing tool with the control parameter to process the present wafer. | 09-09-2010 |
20100248398 | E-CHUCK FOR AUTOMATED CLAMPED FORCE ADJUSTMENT AND CALIBRATION - The present disclosure provides a semiconductor manufacturing method. The method includes performing a first process to a wafer; measuring the wafer for wafer data after the first process; securing the wafer on an E-chuck in a processing chamber; collecting sensor data from a sensor embedded in the E-chuck; adjusting clamping forces to the E-chuck based on the wafer data and the sensor data; and thereafter performing a second process to the wafer secured on the E-chuck in the processing chamber. | 09-30-2010 |
20100249974 | ADVANCED PROCESS CONTROL WITH NOVEL SAMPLING POLICY - The present disclosure provides a semiconductor manufacturing method. The method includes performing a first process to a first plurality of semiconductor wafers; determining a sampling rate to the first plurality of semiconductor wafers based on process quality; determining sampling fields and sampling points to the first plurality of semiconductor wafers; measuring a subset of the first plurality of semiconductor wafers according to the sampling arte, the sampling fields and the sampling points; modifying a second process according to the measuring; and applying the second process to a second plurality of semiconductor waders. | 09-30-2010 |
20100250172 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR IMPLEMENTING WAFER ACCEPTANCE TEST ("WAT") ADVANCED PROCESS CONTROL ("APC") WITH ROUTING MODEL - System and method for implementing wafer acceptance test (“WAT”) advanced process control (“APC”) are described. In one embodiment, the method comprises performing an inter-metal (“IM”) WAT on a plurality of processed wafer lots; selecting a subset of the plurality of wafer lots using a lot sampling process; and selecting a sample wafer group using the wafer lot subset, wherein IM WAT is performed on wafers of the sample wafer group to obtain IM WAT data therefore. The method further comprises estimating final WAT data for all wafers in the processed wafer lots from IM WAT data obtained for the sample wafer group and providing the estimated final WAT data to a WAT APC process for controlling processes. | 09-30-2010 |
20100268367 | METHOD FOR BIN-BASED CONTROL - A method for providing bin-based control when manufacturing integrated circuit devices is disclosed. The method comprises performing a plurality of processes on a plurality of wafer lots; determining a required bin quantity, an actual bin quantity, and a projected bin quantity; comparing the determined required bin quantity with the determined actual bin quantity and determined projected bin quantity; and modifying at least one of the plurality of processes on the plurality of wafer lots if the determined actual bin quantity and determined projected bin quantity fail to satisfy the determined required bin quantity. | 10-21-2010 |
20100292824 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR IMPLEMENTING A WAFER ACCEPTANCE TEST ("WAT") ADVANCED PROCESS CONTROL ("APC") WITH NOVEL SAMPLING POLICY AND ARCHITECTURE - System and method for implementing wafer acceptance test (“WAT”) advanced process control (“APC”) are described. In one embodiment, the method comprises performing a key process on a sample number of wafers of a lot of wafers; performing a key inline measurement related to the key process to produce metrology data for the wafers; predicting WAT data from the metrology data using an inline-to-WAT model; and using the predicted WAT data to tune a WAT APC process for controlling a tuning process or a process APC process. | 11-18-2010 |
20100294955 | METHOD AND SYSTEM OF MONITORING E-BEAM OVERLAY AND PROVIDING ADVANCED PROCESS CONTROL - A method for monitoring overlay of a direct-write system. The method includes providing a substrate having a pattern formed thereon by the direct-write system, generating data associated with the substrate pattern, decomposing the data by applying a transformation matrix, and determining an overlay index based on the decomposed data, the overlay index corresponding to a variation component of the substrate pattern relative to a target pattern. | 11-25-2010 |
20110010215 | METHOD FOR A BIN RATIO FORECAST AT NEW TAPE OUT STAGE - A method for providing a bin ratio forecast at an early stage of integrated circuit device manufacturing processes is disclosed. The method comprises collecting historical data from one or more processed wafer lots; collect measurement data from one or more skew wafer lots; generating an estimated baseline distribution from the collected historical data and collected measurement data; generating an estimated performance distribution based on one or more specified parameters and the generated estimated baseline distribution; determining a bin ratio forecast by applying a bin definition and a yield degradation factor estimation to the generated estimated performance distribution; determining one or more production targets based on the bin ratio forecast; and processing one or more wafers based on the one or more determined production targets. | 01-13-2011 |
20110042006 | E-CHUCK WITH AUTOMATED CLAMPED FORCE ADJUSTMENT AND CALIBRATION - The present disclosure describes a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. The apparatus includes a processing chamber designed to perform a process to a wafer; an electrostatic chuck (E-chuck) configured in the processing chamber and designed to secure the wafer, wherein the E-chuck includes an electrode and a dielectric feature formed on the electrode; a tuning structure designed to hold the E-chuck to the processing chamber by clamping forces, wherein the tuning structure is operable to dynamically adjust the clamping forces; a sensor integrated with the E-chuck and sensitive to the clamping forces; and a process control module for controlling the tuning structure to adjust the clamping forces based on pre-measurement data from the wafer and sensor data from the sensor. | 02-24-2011 |
20110112678 | ADVANCED PROCESS CONTROL FOR NEW TAPEOUT PRODUCT - The present disclosure provides a semiconductor manufacturing method. The method includes providing product data of a product, the product data including a sensitive product parameter; searching existing products according to the sensitive product parameter to identify a relevant product from the existing products; determining an initial value of a processing model parameter to the product using corresponding data of the relevant product; assigning the initial value of the processing model parameter to a processing model associated with a manufacturing process; thereafter, tuning a processing recipe using the processing model; and performing the manufacturing process to a semiconductor wafer using the processing recipe. | 05-12-2011 |
20110238197 | DYNAMIC COMPENSATION IN ADVANCED PROCESS CONTROL - A method of semiconductor fabrication is provided. The method includes providing a model for a device parameter of a wafer as a function of first and second process parameters. The first and second process parameters correspond to different wafer characteristics, respectively. The method includes deriving target values of the first and second process parameters based on a specified target value of the device parameter. The method includes performing a first fabrication process in response to the target value of the first process parameter. The method includes measuring an actual value of the first process parameter thereafter. The method includes updating the model using the actual value of the first process parameter. The method includes deriving a revised target value of the second process parameter using the updated model. The method includes performing a second fabrication process in response to the revised target value of the second process parameter. | 09-29-2011 |
20110238198 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR IMPLEMENTING VIRTUAL METROLOGY IN SEMICONDUCTOR FABRICATION - The present disclosure provides a method of fabricating a semiconductor device. The method includes collecting a plurality of manufacturing data sets from a plurality of semiconductor processes, respectively. The method includes normalizing each of the manufacturing data sets in a manner so that statistical differences among the manufacturing data sets are reduced. The method includes establishing a database that includes the normalized manufacturing data sets. The method includes normalizing the database in a manner so that the manufacturing data sets in the normalized database are statistically compatible with a selected one of the manufacturing data sets. The method includes predicting performance of a selected one of the semiconductor processes by using the normalized database. The selected semiconductor process corresponds to the selected manufacturing data set. The method includes controlling a semiconductor processing machine in response to the predicted performance. | 09-29-2011 |
20110282885 | Processing Exception Handling - In accordance with an embodiment, a method for exception handling comprises accessing an exception type for an exception, filtering historical data based on at least one defined criterion to provide a data train comprising data sets, assigning a weight to each data set, and providing a current control parameter. The data sets each comprise a historical condition and a historical control parameter, and the weight assigned to each data set is based on each historical condition. The current control parameter is provided using the weight and the historical control parameter for each data set. | 11-17-2011 |
20110301736 | APC Model Extension Using Existing APC Models - A method of extending advanced process control (APC) models includes constructing an APC model table including APC model parameters of a plurality of products and a plurality of work stations. The APC model table includes empty cells and cells filled with existing APC model parameters. Average APC model parameters of the existing APC model parameters are calculated, and filled into the empty cells as initial values. An iterative calculation is performed to update the empty cells with updated values. | 12-08-2011 |
20110314336 | Physical Failure Analysis Guiding Methods - A method includes providing a plurality of failure dies, and performing a chip probing on the plurality of failure dies to generate a data log comprising electrical characteristics of the plurality of failure dies. An automatic net tracing is performed to trace failure candidate nodes in the failure dies. A failure layer analysis is performed on results obtained from the automatic net tracing. Physical failure analysis (PFA) samples are selected from the plurality of failure dies using results obtained in the step of performing the failure layer analysis. | 12-22-2011 |
20110320026 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DATA MINING AND FEATURE TRACKING FOR FAB-WIDE PREDICTION AND CONTROL - System and method for data mining and feature tracking for fab-wide prediction and control are described. One embodiment is a system comprising a database for storing raw wafer manufacturing data; a data mining module for processing the raw wafer manufacturing data to select the best data therefrom in accordance with at least one of a plurality of knowledge-, statistic-, and effect-based processes; and a feature tracking module associated with the data mining module and comprising a self-learning model wherein a sensitivity of the self-learning model is dynamically tuned to meet real-time production circumstances, the feature tracking module receiving the selected data from the data mining module and generating prediction and control data therefrom; wherein the prediction and control data are used to control future processes in the wafer fabrication facility. | 12-29-2011 |
20120009692 | System and Method of Dosage Profile Control - A system and method for controlling a dosage profile is disclosed. An embodiment comprises separating a wafer into components of a grid array and assigning each of the grid components a desired dosage profile based upon a test to compensate for topology differences between different regions of the wafer. The desired dosages are decomposed into directional dosage components and the directional dosage components are translated into scanning velocities of the ion beam for an ion implanter. The velocities may be fed into an ion implanter to control the wafer-to-beam velocities and, thereby, control the implantation. | 01-12-2012 |
20120016509 | Semiconductor Processing Dispatch Control - An embodiment is a method for semiconductor processing control. The method comprises identifying a key process stage from a plurality of process stages based on a parameter of processed wafers, forecasting a trend for a wafer processed by the key process stage and some of the plurality of process stages based on the parameter, and dispatching the wafer to one of a first plurality of tools in a tuning process stage. The one of the first plurality of tools is determined based on the trend. | 01-19-2012 |
20120129431 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR TARGET THICKNESS AND SURFACE PROFILE UNIFORMITY CONTROL OF MULTI-HEAD CHEMICAL MECHANICAL POLISHING PROCESS - An apparatus and method for providing target thickness and surface profile uniformity control of a multi-head chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process is disclosed. An exemplary method includes providing at least two wafers; determining a surface profile of each of the at least two wafers; determining an operation mode for a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process based on the surface profiles of the at least two wafers; determining a CMP polishing recipe for each of the at least two wafers based on the operation mode; and performing the CMP process on the at least two wafers based on the determined CMP polishing recipes. | 05-24-2012 |
20120130525 | ADAPTIVE AND AUTOMATIC DETERMINATION OF SYSTEM PARAMETERS - A MIMO optimizer is used to identify tunable process parameters for processing equipment. | 05-24-2012 |
20120215337 | TWO-DIMENSIONAL MULTI-PRODUCTS MULTI-TOOLS ADVANCED PROCESS CONTROL - The present disclosure provides a method. The method includes gathering advanced process control (APC) data from a subset of available wafers and a subset of available processing chambers. The method includes establishing a matrix that contains a plurality of cells. The cells each correspond to one of the available wafers and one of the available processing chambers. The matrix is partially filled by populating cells for which the APC data has been gathered. The method includes determining a plurality of chamber-coverage-rate (CCR) parameters associated with the matrix. The method includes optimizing the CCR parameters through an iteration process to obtain optimized CCR parameters. The method includes predicting an APC data value for a designated cell of the matrix based on the optimized CCR parameters. The designated cell is an empty cell before the predicting and is populated by the predicting. | 08-23-2012 |
20120239178 | DEVICE PERFORMANCE PARMETER TUNING METHOD AND SYSTEM - A method comprises computing respective regression models for each of a plurality of failure bins based on a plurality of failures identified during wafer electrical tests. Each regression model outputs a wafer yield measure as a function of a plurality of device performance variables. For each failure bin, sensitivity of the wafer yield measure to each of the plurality of device performance variables is determined, and the device performance variables are ranked with respect to sensitivity of the wafer yield measure. A subset of the device performance variables which have highest rankings and which have less than a threshold correlation with each other are selected. The wafer yield measures for each failure bin corresponding to one of the selected subset of device performance variables are combined, to provide a combined wafer yield measure. At least one new process parameter value is selected to effect a change in the one device performance variable, based on the combined wafer yield measure. The at least one new process parameter value is to be used to process at least one additional wafer. | 09-20-2012 |
20130013097 | Semiconductor Processing Dispatch Control - An embodiment is a method for semiconductor processing control. The method comprises identifying a key process stage from a plurality of process stages based on a parameter of processed wafers, forecasting a trend for a wafer processed by the key process stage and some of the plurality of process stages based on the parameter, and dispatching the wafer to one of a first plurality of tools in a tuning process stage. The one of the first plurality of tools is determined based on the trend. | 01-10-2013 |
20130068162 | System and Method of Dosage Profile Control - A system and method for controlling a dosage profile is disclosed. An embodiment comprises separating a wafer into components of a grid array and assigning each of the grid components a desired dosage profile based upon a test to compensate for topology differences between different regions of the wafer. The desired dosages are decomposed into directional dosage components and the directional dosage components are translated into scanning velocities of the ion beam for an ion implanter. The velocities may be fed into an ion implanter to control the wafer-to-beam velocities and, thereby, control the implantation. | 03-21-2013 |
20130144419 | INTEGRATED CIRCUIT MANUFACTURING TOOL CONDITION MONITORING SYSTEM AND METHOD - A system and method for monitoring a process tool of an integrated circuit manufacturing system are disclosed. An exemplary method includes defining zones of an integrated circuit manufacturing process tool; grouping parameters of the integrated circuit manufacturing process tool based on the defined zones; and evaluating a condition of the integrated circuit manufacturing process tool based on the grouped parameters. | 06-06-2013 |
20130144423 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS OF AUTOMATIC BOUNDARY CONTROL FOR SEMICONDUCTOR PROCESSES - A system and method of automatically calculating boundaries for a semiconductor fabrication process. The method includes selecting a first parameter for monitoring during a semiconductor fabrication process. A first set of values for the first parameter are received and a group value of the first set is determined. Each value in the first set of values is normalized. A first weighting factor is selected based on a number of values in the first set. The embodiment also includes generating a first and a second boundary value as a function of the weighting factor, the first set normalized values and the group value of the first set and applying the first and second boundary values to control the semiconductor fabrication process. | 06-06-2013 |
20130150997 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR TOOL CONDITION MONITORING - A method and system for removing control action effects from inline measurement data for tool condition monitoring is disclosed. An exemplary method includes determining a control action effect that contributes to an inline measurement, wherein the inline measurement indicates a wafer characteristic of a wafer processed by a process tool; and evaluating the inline measurement without the control action effect contribution to determine a condition of the process tool. | 06-13-2013 |
20130171746 | MULTI-ZONE TEMPERATURE CONTROL FOR SEMICONDUCTOR WAFER - An apparatus and a method for controlling critical dimension (CD) of a circuit is provided. An apparatus includes a controller for receiving CD measurements at respective locations in a circuit pattern in an etched film on a first substrate and a single wafer chamber for forming a second film of the film material on a second substrate. The single wafer chamber is responsive to a signal from the controller to locally adjust a thickness of the second film based on the measured CD's. A method provides for etching a circuit pattern of a film on a first substrate, measuring CD's of the circuit pattern, adjusting a single wafer chamber to form a second film on a second semiconductor substrate based on the measured CD. The second film thickness is locally adjusted based on the measured CD's. | 07-04-2013 |
20130288403 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS OF AUTOMATICALLY DETECTING FAILURE PATTERNS FOR SEMICONDUCTOR WAFER FABRICATION PROCESSES - A system and method of automatically detecting failure patterns for a semiconductor wafer process is provided. The method includes receiving a test data set collected from testing a plurality of semiconductor wafers, forming a respective wafer map for each of the wafers, determining whether each respective wafer map comprises one or more respective objects, selecting the wafer maps that are determined to comprise one or more respective objects, selecting one or more object indices for selecting a respective object in each respective selected wafer map, determining a plurality of object index values in each respective selected wafer map, selecting an object in each respective selected wafer map, determining a respective feature in each of the respective selected wafer, classifying a respective pattern for each of the respective selected wafer maps and using the respective wafer fingerprints to adjust one or more parameters of the semiconductor fabrication process. | 10-31-2013 |
20130306621 | REAL-TIME CALIBRATION FOR WAFER PROCESSING CHAMBER LAMP MODULES - An apparatus, a system and a method are disclosed. An exemplary apparatus includes a wafer processing chamber. The apparatus further includes radiant heating elements disposed in different zones and operable to heat different portions of a wafer located within the wafer processing chamber. The apparatus further includes sensors disposed outside the wafer processing chamber and operable to monitor energy from the radiant heating elements disposed in the different zones. The apparatus further includes a computer configured to utilize the sensors to characterize the radiant heating elements disposed in the different zones and to provide a calibration for the radiant heating elements disposed in the different zones such that a substantially uniform temperature profile is maintained across a surface of the wafer. | 11-21-2013 |
20130335109 | METHOD OF TEST PROBE ALIGNMENT CONTROL - A system and method for aligning a probe, such as a wafer-level test probe, with wafer contacts is disclosed. An exemplary method includes receiving a wafer containing a plurality of alignment contacts and a probe card containing a plurality of probe points at a wafer test system. A historical offset correction is received. Based on the historical offset correct, an orientation value for the probe card relative to the wafer is determined. The probe card is aligned to the wafer using the orientation value in an attempt to bring a first probe point into contact with a first alignment contact. The connectivity of the first probe point and the first alignment contact is evaluated. An electrical test of the wafer is performed utilizing the aligned probe card, and the historical offset correction is updated based on the orientation value. | 12-19-2013 |
20140033159 | Method of Optimizing Design for Manufacturing (DFM) - The present disclosure describes a method of optimizing a design for manufacture (DFM) simulation. The method includes receiving an integrated circuit (IC) design data having a feature, receiving a process data having a parameter or a plurality of parameters, performing the DFM simulation, and optimizing the DFM simulation. The performing the DFM simulation includes generating a simulation output data using the IC design data and the process data. The optimizing the DFM simulation includes generating a performance index of the parameter or the plurality of parameters by the DFM simulation. The optimizing the DFM simulation includes adjusting the parameter or the plurality of parameters at outer loop, middle loop, and the inner loop. The optimizing the DFM simulation also includes locating a nadir of the performance index of the parameter or the plurality of parameters over a range of the parameter or the plurality of parameters. | 01-30-2014 |
20140067324 | QUALITATIVE FAULT DETECTION AND CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM FOR TOOL CONDITION MONITORING AND ASSOCIATED METHODS - The present disclosure provides various methods for tool condition monitoring, including systems for implementing such monitoring. An exemplary method includes receiving data associated with a process performed on wafers by an integrated circuit manufacturing process tool; and monitoring a condition of the integrated circuit manufacturing process tool using the data. The monitoring includes evaluating the data based on an abnormality identification criterion, an abnormality filtering criterion, and an abnormality threshold to determine whether the data meets an alarm threshold. The method may further include issuing an alarm when the data meets the alarm threshold. | 03-06-2014 |
20140074258 | ADAPTIVE AND AUTOMATIC DETERMINATION OF SYSTEM PARAMETERS - A method of automatically determining process parameters for processing equipment includes processing at least one first substrate in the processing equipment at a first time; and processing at least one second substrate in the processing equipment at a second time. The method includes collecting data on process monitors for the at least one first substrate; and the at least one second substrate. The method includes receiving the data by a multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) optimization system. The method includes revising a sensitivity matrix, by a MIMO optimizer, using the data and an adaptive-learning algorithm, wherein the adaptive-learning algorithm revises the sensitivity matrix based on a learning parameter which is related to a rate of change of the processing equipment over time. The method includes determining a set of process parameters for the processing equipment by the MIMO optimizer, wherein the MIMO optimizer uses the revised sensitivity matrix to determine the process parameters. | 03-13-2014 |
20140100684 | 2D/3D Analysis for Abnormal Tools and Stages Diagnosis - A method for analyzing abnormalities in a semiconductor processing system provides performing an analysis of variance on a production history associated with each of a plurality of tools at each of a plurality of process steps for each of a plurality of processed wafers, and key process steps are identified. A regression analysis on a plurality of measurements of the plurality of wafers at each process step is performed and key measurement parameters are identified. An analysis of covariance on the key measurement parameters and key process steps, and the key process steps are ranked based on an f-ratio, therein ranking an abnormality of the key process steps. Further, the plurality of tools associated with each of the key process steps are ranked based on an orthogonal t-ratio associated with an analysis of covariance, therein ranking an abnormality each tool associated with the key process steps. | 04-10-2014 |
20140207271 | TOOL OPTIMIZING TUNING SYSTEMS AND ASSOCIATED METHODS - The present disclosure provides various methods for tuning process parameters of a process tool, including systems for implementing such tuning. An exemplary method for tuning process parameters of a process tool such that the wafers processed by the process tool exhibit desired process monitor items includes defining behavior constraint criteria and sensitivity adjustment criteria; generating a set of possible tool tuning process parameter combinations using process monitor item data associated with wafers processed by the process tool, sensitivity data associated with a sensitivity of the process monitor items to each process parameter, the behavior constraint criteria, and the sensitivity adjustment criteria; generating a set of optimal tool tuning process parameter combinations from the set of possible tool tuning process parameter combinations; and configuring the process tool according to one of the optimal tool tuning process parameter combinations. | 07-24-2014 |
20140303765 | Semiconductor Processing Dispatch Control - An embodiment is a method for semiconductor processing control. The method comprises identifying a key process stage from a plurality of process stages based on a parameter of processed wafers, forecasting a trend for a wafer processed by the key process stage and some of the plurality of process stages based on the parameter, and dispatching the wafer to one of a first plurality of tools in a tuning process stage. The one of the first plurality of tools is determined based on the trend. | 10-09-2014 |