Process abnormality identification using measurement violation analysis

A system comprising:

• a memory;
• and
• an at least one processing device, communicatively coupled to the memory, to:
• receive current metrology data for an operation on a current sample in a fabrication process, the metrology data comprising a current value for a parameter at each of one or more locations on the current sample;
• obtain a reference rate of change of a parameter value of the parameter for each of the one or more locations, wherein the reference rate of change of the parameter value is determined using one or more previous rates of change of the parameter value from previous metrology data for the operation on one or more previous samples in the fabrication process;
• determine a current rate of change of the parameter value for each of the one or more locations, the current rate of change of the parameter value associated with the current sample;
• compare the current rate of change of the parameter value for each of the one or more locations to the reference rate of change of the parameter value for each of the one or more locations;
• identify an instance of abnormality of the fabrication process based on a comparison of the current rate of change of the parameter value and the reference rate of change of the parameter value;
• and
• cause performance of a corrective action associated with fabrication process equipment based on the instance of abnormality.

A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by at least one processing device, cause the at least one processing device to:

• receive current metrology data for an operation on a current sample in a fabrication process, the metrology data comprising a current value for a parameter at each of one or more locations on the current sample;
• obtain a reference rate of change of a parameter value of the parameter for each of the one or more locations, wherein the reference rate of change of the parameter value is determined using one or more historical rates of change of the parameter value from historical metrology data for the operation on one or more previous samples in the fabrication process;
• determine a current rate of change of the parameter value for each of the one or more locations, the current rate of change of the parameter value associated with the current sample;
• compare the current rate of change of the parameter value for each of the one or more locations to the reference rate of change of the parameter value for each of the one or more locations;
• identify an instance of abnormality of the fabrication process based on a comparison of the current rate of change of the parameter value and the reference rate of change of the parameter value;
• and
• cause performance of a corrective action associated with fabrication process equipment based on the instance of abnormality.