# US 2025/0155879 A1 · System for process development assistance

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 2025/0155879 A1
- Document ID: US20250155879A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 18/389,207
- Filed: 2023-11-13
- Published: 2025-05-15
- Earliest claimed: 2023-11-13
- Applicants: Tokyo Electron Limited
- Inventors: Sergey AVERKIN; Pingshan LUAN; Toru HISAMATSU
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20250155879A1

## CPC

- G05B 19/41865: {characterised by job scheduling, process planning, material flow}
- G06F 16/3344: {using natural language analysis}
- G05B 2219/45031: Manufacturing semiconductor wafers
- 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)
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)

## Abstract

Systems and methods for process development assistance are disclosed. A system includes one or more processors and memory. The system receives a scorecard including a set of criteria for fabricating a semiconductor device. The system obtains, based on the scorecard, a set of recipes stored in a knowledge base. The system obtains a set of feature dimensions associated with the set of recipes. The system obtains, using an analytic hierarchy process on the set of feature dimensions, the set of criteria, and weights of the set of criteria, an objective function value of each of the set of recipes. The system selects a subset of recipes according to the objective function value of each of the set of recipes. The system generates at least one recipe according to the selected subset of recipes and the objective function value. The system displays, via a display device, the at least one recipe.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system, comprising:
one or more processors and memory, the one or more processors configured to:
obtain, based on a scorecard for a set of criteria for fabricating a semiconductor device, a set of recipes stored in a knowledge base;
obtain a set of feature dimensions associated with the set of recipes;
obtain, using an analytic hierarchy process on the set of feature dimensions, the set of criteria, and weights of the set of criteria, an objective function value of each of the set of recipes;
select a subset of recipes according to the objective function value of each of the set of recipes;
generate at least one recipe according to the selected subset of recipes and the objective function value; and
display, via a display device, the generated at least one recipe.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein to obtain the set of feature dimensions, the one or more processors are configured to:
obtain a set of metrology images associated with the respective set of recipes; and
convert the set of metrology images to the respective set of feature dimensions.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein to obtain the set of feature dimensions, the one or more processors are configured to:
obtain a plurality of sets of feature dimensions, each set associated with a recipe of the set of recipes.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein to obtain the set of recipes, the one or more processors are configured to:
execute a semantic search in the knowledge base according to the set of criteria; and
receive, responsive to the semantic search, the set of recipes comprising one or more recipes having a set of features satisfying at least one criterion of the set of criteria.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to:
obtain an identifier associated with the scorecard;
store the identifier in the knowledge base; and
obtain the set of recipes associated with the identifier.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The system of claim 5, wherein the one or more processors are configured to:
store at least one of a set of metrology images, the set of feature dimensions, the subset of recipes, or the at least one recipe in association with the identifier.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein a set of metrology images corresponds to scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein to use the analytic hierarchy process, the one or more processors are configured to:
perform a pairwise comparison between a set of features associated with the set of feature dimensions and the set of criteria;
obtain a weight of each feature of the set of features according to the pairwise comparison; and
obtain the objective function value of each of the set of recipes by using the respective set of feature dimensions, the set of criteria, and the weight as input for an objective function.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8, wherein each of the set of recipes is ranked according to the respective objective function value, and wherein the subset of recipes is selected according to smallest objective function value.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein to generate the at least one recipe, the one or more processors are configured to:
determine, using at least the objective function value and at least one parameter of the subset of recipes associated with the set of criteria as inputs for an optimization function, an adjustment value for the at least one parameter; and
generate the at least one recipe including the adjustment value of the at least one parameter.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to:
determine whether the set of feature dimensions of a recipe satisfies the set of criteria of the scorecard; and
responsive to the set of feature dimensions satisfying the set of criteria, provide the recipe for display via the display device.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors obtain the objective function value subsequent to determining that the set of feature dimensions of the recipe does not satisfy the set of criteria of the scorecard.

### Claim 13

A method, comprising:
obtaining, by a device comprising one or more processors and memory, based on a scorecard including a set of criteria for fabricating a semiconductor device, a set of recipes stored in a knowledge base;
obtaining, by the device, a set of feature dimensions associated with the set of recipes;
obtaining, by the device, using an analytic hierarchy process on the set of feature dimensions, the set of criteria, and weights of the set of criteria, an objective function value of each of the set of recipes;
selecting, by the device, a subset of recipes according to the objective function value of each of the set of recipes;
generating, by the device, at least one recipe according to the selected subset of recipes and the objective function value; and
displaying, by the device, via a display device, the generated at least one recipe.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein obtaining the set of feature dimensions further comprises:
obtaining, by the device, a set of metrology images associated with the respective set of recipes; and
converting, by the device, the set of metrology images to the respective set of feature dimensions.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein obtaining the set of feature dimensions further comprises:
obtaining, by the device, a plurality of sets of feature dimensions, each set associated with a recipe of the set of recipes.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
obtaining, by the device, an identifier associated with the scorecard;
storing, by the device, the identifier in the knowledge base; and
obtaining, by the device, the set of recipes associated with the identifier.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, further comprising:
storing, by the device, at least one of a set of metrology images, the set of feature dimensions, the subset of recipes, or the at least one recipe in association with the identifier.

### Claim 18 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein using the analytic hierarchy process further comprises:
performing, by the device, a pairwise comparison between a set of features associated with the set of feature dimensions and the set of criteria;
obtaining, by the device, a weight of each feature of the set of features according to the pairwise comparison; and
obtaining, by the device, the objective function value of each of the set of recipes by using the respective set of feature dimensions, the set of criteria, and the weight as input for an objective function.

### Claim 19

An apparatus, comprising:
a device comprising one or more processors and memory, configured to:
obtain, based on a scorecard including a set of criteria for fabricating a semiconductor device, a set of recipes stored in a knowledge base;
obtain a set of feature dimensions associated with the set of recipes;
obtain, using an analytic hierarchy process on the set of feature dimensions, the set of criteria, and weights of the set of criteria, an objective function value of each of the set of recipes;
select a subset of recipes according to the objective function value of each of the set of recipes;
generate at least one recipe according to the selected subset of recipes and the objective function value; and
display, via a display device, the generated at least one recipe.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the device is configured to:
determine whether the set of feature dimensions of a recipe satisfies the set of criteria of the scorecard; and
responsive to the set of feature dimensions satisfying the set of criteria, provide the recipe for display via the display device.
