Method and apparatus for controlling the flow of wafers through a process flow

Patent 6675058 Issued on January 6, 2004. Estimated Expiration Date:

March 29, 2021. 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.

Abstract Claims Description Full Text

Patent References

Apparatus and method for simulating and optimizing a chemical mechanical polishing system
Patent #: 5599423
Issued on: 02/04/1997
Inventor: Parker, et al.

Polishing apparatus including thickness or flatness detector
Patent #: 5838447
Issued on: 11/17/1998
Inventor: Hiyama, et al.

System for real-time control of semiconductor wafer polishing
Patent #: 5851135
Issued on: 12/22/1998
Inventor: Sandhu, et al.

Polish pad with non-uniform groove depth to improve wafer polish rate uniformity
Patent #: 6093651
Issued on: 07/25/2000
Inventor: Andideh, et al.

Polishing system
Patent #: 6120348
Issued on: 09/19/2000
Inventor: Fujita, et al.

System for chemical mechanical polishing having multiple polishing stations
Patent #: 6126517
Issued on: 10/03/2000
Inventor: Tolles, et al.

Method for using wafer navigation to reduce testing times of integrated circuit wafers
Patent #: 6154714
Issued on: 11/28/2000
Inventor: Lepejian

Method and system for in-situ optimization for semiconductor wafers in a chemical mechanical polishing process
Patent #: 6159075
Issued on: 12/12/2000
Inventor: Zhang

Serial intelligent electro-chemical-mechanical wafer processor
Patent #: 6234870
Issued on: 05/22/2001
Inventor: Uzoh, et al.

Method for adjusting incoming film thickness uniformity such that variations across the film after polishing minimized Patent #: 6546306
Issued on: 04/08/2003
Inventor: Bushman, et al.

Inventors

Assignee

Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.

Application

No. 09/821630 filed on 03/29/2001

US Classes:

700/121, Integrated circuit production or semiconductor fabrication438/692, Simultaneous (e.g., chemical-mechanical polishing, etc.)451/5Computer controlled

Examiners

Primary: Picard, Leo P.
Assistant: Kosowski, Alexander

Attorney, Agent or Firm

Williams, Morgan & Amerson, P.C.

International Class

G06F 19/00 (20060101)

Abstract

A method for controlling the flow of wafers through a process flow includes monitoring operating states of a plurality of processing tools adapted to process wafers; measuring a characteristic of a particular incoming wafer; identifying a particular processing tool having an operating state complimentary to the measured characteristic; and routing the particular incoming wafer to the particular processing tool for processing. A manufacturing system includes a plurality of processing tools adapted to process wafers and a process control server. The process control server is adapted to access metrology data related to a characteristic of a particular incoming wafer, identify a particular processing tool having an operating state complimentary to the characteristic, and route the particular incoming wafer to the particular processing tool for processing.