Method of calibrating and using a semiconductor processing system

A computer-implemented method, comprising:

• measuring a test variable of a test layer formed on a test substrate in a processing chamber;
• using the test variable to select a reference process condition in a consolidated data set of reference variables against reference process variables, a location of the reference process condition among the reference process variables depending on a location of the test variable among the reference variables;
• and
• forming a process layer on a process substrate in a processing chamber, a process variable to form the process layer being based on the reference process condition.

A method, comprising:

• setting a heater to create a test heat flux over a test substrate in a substrate processing chamber;
• forming a test layer on the surface while the heater creates the test heat flux over the surface of the test substrate;
• comparing a test variable indicative of growth rate of the test layer with a reference variable indicative of growth rate of a reference layer when a reference heat flux is created over a surface of a reference substrate;
• inserting a process substrate into the processing chamber;
• setting the heater to create a process heat flux over a surface of the process substrate, the process heat flux being selected based upon the comparison of the test variable with the reference variable;
• forming a process layer on the surface of the process substrate while the heater creates the process heat flux over the surface of the process substrate;
• and
• removing the process substrate from the processing chamber after the process layer is formed.

A method comprising:

• setting a heater to create a test heat flux over a surface of a test substrate in a processing chamber;
• forming a test layer on the surface of the test substrate while the heater creates the test heat flux over the surface of the test substrate;
• utilizing a pyrometer to detect infrared radiation from the test layer while the test layer is being formed, the pyrometer generating a signal varying with variations in magnitude of the infrared radiation;
• calculating a test value indicative of a length of a period of the signal;
• selecting a desired process value from data of different reference process values;
• accessing a desired reference value from the data corresponding to the desired process value and differing from reference values corresponding to other ones of the process values;
• comparing the test value with the desired reference value;
• adjusting the heater based upon said comparison;
• inserting a process substrate into the processing chamber, the heater heating the process substrate after said adjustment;
• forming a process layer on the process substrate while being heated by the heater;
• and
• removing the process substrate from the processing chamber into which the process substrate is inserted.