Processing condition setting apparatus, processing condition setting method, and wafer production system

A processing condition setting apparatus comprising a controller that selects a parameter set to be applied to a wafer processing apparatus from a plurality of parameter sets,

• each of the parameter sets includes a combination of setting values set for each of a plurality of setting items that specify processing operation of the wafer processing apparatus,
• each of the setting items is applied in one processing step performed by the wafer processing apparatus,
• the controller, before the wafer processing apparatus processes a wafer to be processed:
• obtains changes in wafer characteristics before and after processing when a wafer is processed by applying each of the parameter sets, as processing data for each of the parameter sets;
• obtains pre-processing characteristics of the wafer to be processed;
• estimates, for each of the parameter sets, post-processing characteristics of the wafer to be processed, based on the pre-processing characteristics of the wafer to be processed and the processing data, assuming that the wafer to be processed has been processed by applying each of the parameter sets, and calculates two or more indicators for each of the post-processing characteristics;
• obtains constraints on the indicators;
• and
• selects a parameter set, which is to be applied to the wafer processing apparatus when processing the wafer to be processed, from among conformed parameter sets in which the indicators satisfy the constraints,
• wherein the controller acquires, as the processing data, the changes in wafer characteristics before and after processing assuming the setting values of each of two or more of the setting items in one or more of the processing steps, or the changes in wafer characteristics before and after processing assuming the setting values of each of one or more of the setting items in two or more of the processing steps.

A processing condition setting method for selecting a parameter set to be applied to a wafer processing apparatus from among a plurality of parameter sets, wherein

• each of the parameter sets includes a combination of setting values set for each of a plurality of setting items that specify processing operation of the wafer processing apparatus,
• each of the setting items is applied in one processing step performed by the wafer processing apparatus,
• the processing condition setting method includes:
• obtaining changes in wafer characteristics before and after processing when a wafer is processed by applying each of the parameter sets, as the processing data for each of the parameter sets, before the wafer processing apparatus processes a wafer to be processed;
• obtaining pre-processing characteristics of the wafer to be processed;
• estimating, for each of the parameter sets, post-processing characteristics of the wafer to be processed, based on the pre-processing characteristics of the wafer to be processed and the processing data, assuming that the wafer to be processed has been processed by applying each of the parameter sets, and calculating two or more indicators for each of the post-processing characteristics;
• obtaining constraints on the indicators;
• and
• selecting a parameter set, which is to be applied to the wafer processing apparatus when processing the wafer to be processed, from among conformed parameter sets in which the indicators satisfy the constraints,
• wherein the processing condition setting method further includes:
• classifying the conformed parameter sets into parameter groups;
• selecting one parameter group from the parameter groups as a selected group;
• selecting a parameter set, which is to be applied when processing the wafer to be processed, from the conformed parameter sets classified in the selected group, as a processing parameter set;
• mapping each of the parameter sets to a grid point defined in a multidimensional vector space with each of the setting items as a basis;
• classifying grid points that correspond to the conformed parameter sets and are adjacent to each other in the multidimensional vector space into the same grid point group;
• and
• classifying the parameter sets that correspond to the grid points classified in the grid point group into the same parameter group.