Run-to-run controller for use in microelectronic fabrication
June 20, 2020. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.Patent ReferencesSystem for optimizing process parameters in photoactive semiconductor manufacturing in-situ Process control and data collection system Method and apparatus for quality measure driven process control Manufacturing adjustment during article fabrication Method and system employing optical emission spectroscopy for monitoring and controlling semiconductor fabrication Multi-variable statistical process controller for discrete manufacturing Apparatus for movement of an object System for automatically producing different semiconductor products in different quantities through a plurality of processes along a production line System and method for controlling semiconductor wafer processing Use of spatial models for simultaneous control of various non-uniformity metrics InventorsAssigneeApplicationNo. 599357 filed on 06/20/2000US Classes:700/121, Integrated circuit production or semiconductor fabrication438/5, INCLUDING CONTROL RESPONSIVE TO SENSED CONDITION438/14, WITH MEASURING OR TESTING438/17, Electrical characteristic sensed700/7, Including sequence or logic processor700/17, Operator interface (e.g., display with control)700/29, Having model700/30, Comparison with model (e.g., model reference)700/31, Having adjustment of model (e.g., update)700/45, Combined with feedback700/95, Product assembly or manufacturing714/51Control flow state sequence monitored (e.g., watchdog processor for control-flow checking)ExaminersPrimary: Follansbee, JohnAssistant: Pham, Thomas Attorney, Agent or FirmInternational ClassG06F 019/00AbstractA automated run-to-run controller for controlling manufacturing processes comprises set of processing tools, a set of metrology tools for taking metrology measurements from the processing tools, and a supervising station for managing and controlling the processing tools. The supervising station comprises an interface for receiving metrology data from the metrology tools and a number of variable parameter tables, one for each of the processing tools, collectively associated with a manufacturing process recipe. The supervising station also includes one or more internal models which relate received metrology data to one or more variables for a processing tool, and which can modify variables stored in the variable parameter table to control the process tools using feedback and/or feed-forward control algorithms. Feed-forward control algorithms may, in certain embodiments, be used to adjust process targets for closed loop feedback control. The supervising station may have a user interface by which different feedback or feed-forward model formats (single or multi-variate) may be interactively selected based upon experimental or predicted behavior of the system, and may also permit users to utilize their own models for run-to-run control.Field of SearchHaving modelComparison with model (e.g., model reference) Having adjustment of model (e.g., update) Integrated circuit production or semiconductor fabrication Product assembly or manufacturing Including sequence or logic processor Operator interface (e.g., display with control) Combined with feedback INCLUDING CONTROL RESPONSIVE TO SENSED CONDITION WITH MEASURING OR TESTING Electrical characteristic sensed Control flow state sequence monitored (e.g., watchdog processor for control-flow checking) | |
