# US 2022/0285231 A1 · Semiconductor element characteristic value estimation method and semiconductor element characteristic value estimation system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2022/0285231 A1 - Document ID: US20220285231A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/624,936 - Filed: 2020-06-30 - Published: 2022-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2019-07-12 - Assignees: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Junpei MOMO; Tatsuya OKANO - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20220285231A1 ## CPC - H10P 74/23: {characterised by multiple measurements, corrections, marking or sorting processes} - G05B 19/41875: {characterised by quality surveillance of production} - H10P 95/00: Generic processes or apparatus for manufacture or treatments not covered by the other groups of this subclass - G05B 2219/45031: Manufacturing semiconductor wafers - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) ## Abstract A semiconductor element characteristic value estimation system is provided. The semiconductor element characteristic value estimation system includes an input portion, a database, and a processing portion. A first step list, a second step list, and a characteristic value of a semiconductor element are input to the input portion. The database has a function of storing a group of step lists and a group of characteristic values of semiconductor elements. The processing portion has a function of performing comparison between two step lists selected from the first step list and the group of step lists; a function of performing a test using two or more characteristic values of semiconductor elements selected from the characteristic value of the semiconductor element and the group of characteristic values of the semiconductor elements; a function of performing regression analysis of parameters for a step and two or more characteristic values of semiconductor elements selected from the characteristic value of the semiconductor element and the group of characteristic values of the semiconductor elements; and a function of estimating a characteristic value of a semiconductor element from the second step list. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A semiconductor element characteristic value estimation system comprising: an input portion; a database; and a processing portion, wherein a first step list, a second step list, and a characteristic value of a semiconductor element are input to the input portion, wherein the database is configured to store a group of step lists and a group of characteristic values of semiconductor elements, wherein the processing portion is configured to perform comparison between two step lists selected from the first step list and the group of step lists, wherein the processing portion is configured to perform a test using two or more characteristic values of semiconductor elements selected from the characteristic value of the semiconductor element and the group of characteristic values of the semiconductor elements, wherein the processing portion is configured to perform regression analysis of parameters for a step and two or more characteristic values of semiconductor elements selected from the characteristic value of the semiconductor element and the group of characteristic values of the semiconductor elements, and wherein the processing portion is configured to estimate a characteristic value of a semiconductor element from the second step list. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The semiconductor element characteristic value estimation system according to claim 1, wherein a diff algorithm is used in the comparison, and wherein in the test, a t-test is used as a test using two characteristic values of semiconductor elements and a nonparametric test is used as a test using three or more characteristic values of semiconductor elements. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The semiconductor element characteristic value estimation system according to claim 1, wherein the database comprises a first memory portion and a second memory portion, wherein the first memory portion has a function of storing the group of step lists, and wherein the second memory portion has a function of storing the group of characteristic values of the semiconductor elements. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The semiconductor element characteristic value estimation system according to claim 1, wherein the processing portion comprises: a first processing portion having a function of performing the comparison; a second processing portion having a function of performing the test; a third processing portion having a function of performing the regression analysis; and a fourth processing portion having a function of estimating a characteristic value of a semiconductor element from the second step list. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The semiconductor element characteristic value estimation system according to claim 1, wherein the characteristic value of the semiconductor element estimated by the processing portion is one or more of a threshold voltage, a subthreshold swing value, an on-state current, and a field-effect mobility. ### Claim 6 A semiconductor element characteristic value estimation method comprising: a first step of inputting a first step list included in a first lot and a characteristic value of a first semiconductor element manufactured in accordance with the first step list; a second step of collecting a second step list whose degree of similarity to the first step list is higher than or equal to a certain level from a group of step lists; a third step of performing a test using the characteristic value of the first semiconductor element and a characteristic value of a second semiconductor element manufactured in accordance with the second step list; a fourth step of performing, among a first plurality of semiconductor elements manufactured in accordance with a first plurality of step lists included in the first lot, analysis of variance on characteristic values of the first plurality of semiconductor elements and comparison of the first plurality of step lists and recording whether a step which is different among the first plurality of step lists influences the characteristic values of the first plurality of semiconductor elements; a fifth step of collecting a third step list whose degree of similarity to each of the first plurality of step lists is higher than or equal to a certain level from the group of step lists; a sixth step of performing regression analysis of parameters for a step influencing the characteristic values of the first plurality of semiconductor elements and a characteristic value of a third semiconductor element manufactured in accordance with the third step list; and a seventh step of estimating, from a second plurality of step lists included in a second lot, characteristic values of a second plurality of semiconductor elements manufactured in accordance with the second plurality of step lists before the second plurality of semiconductor elements are manufactured. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The semiconductor element characteristic value estimation method according to claim 6, wherein data is output in the case where there is a significant difference between the characteristic value of the first semiconductor element and the characteristic value of the second semiconductor element in the test performed in the third step.