US 6,415,193 B1 · Recipe editor for editing and creating process recipes with parameter-level semiconductor-manufacturing equipment

Abstract

A universal recipe editor is for off-line viewing and editing of semiconductor-manufacturing recipes. The universal recipe editor can read recipes from a wide variety of semiconductor-manufacturing machines from different manufacturers using recipe distributed object model (R-DOM) files. An R-DOM file is generated for each kind of recipe-file format to locate process parameters within proprietary recipe-file formats. The sequence of parameters in the R-DOM file matches the sequence in the recipe data file so that parameters may be mapped from recipe data files for display and editing. ASCII or binary recipe file formats are mapped from the recipe data file using R-DOM objects. Revision and authoring information is kept in a recipe information file for each recipe. Each line of the recipe data file can specify a different process parameter. Security or access rights for each parameter is added for each parameter by including security codes on each line in the R-DOM file. A security system is queried before each parameter is updated to determine if the user has sufficient privilege to update that parameter. Parameter-level security is thus provided for process recipes for a variety of semiconductor equipment. R-DOM files may contain other information not provided for by the recipe format, such as parameter-level functions and limits. User-defined validation functions that depend on multiple parameters can be executed as each parameter is edited

Claims16

Dependent claims

A universal semiconductor-recipe editing system comprising:

a recipe data object model (R-DOM), coupled to read and write recipe data files, each recipe data file for controlling a process performed on a wafer by a semiconductor-manufacturing machine, wherein the R-DOM includes means for reading recipe data files for a plurality of semiconductor-manufacturing machines from different vendors that require different native formats of the recipe data files, the R-DOM for locating and reading a desired parameter within a recipe data file;
a visual recipe editor, coupled to the R-DOM, for displaying parameters from the recipe data file to a user, the R-DOM sending the desired parameter to the visual recipe editor for display to the user;
and
an R-DOM file, accessed by the R-DOM, for identifying locations of parameters in the recipe data file, the R-DOM file containing a sequence of parameters, the sequence of parameters being in a same order as a native sequence of parameters in the recipe data file;
wherein the R-DOM determines the location of the desired parameter in the recipe data file, the R-DOM reading the desired parameter at the location in the recipe data file and sending the desired parameter to the visual recipe editor for display to the user,
whereby the R-DOM uses the R-DOM file to locate the desired parameter in the recipe data file.

3 more elements

A computer-program product comprising:

a computer-usable medium having computer-readable program code means embodied therein for editing process recipes from a variety of semiconductor-manufacturing machines from different machine manufacturers, the computer-readable program code means in the computer-program product comprising:
program means, coupled to read and write recipe data files, for reading recipe data files for a plurality of semiconductor-manufacturing machines from different vendors that require different native formats of the recipe data files, the program means locating and reading a desired parameter within a recipe data file;
visual recipe editor means, coupled to the program means, for displaying parameters from the recipe data file to a user, the program means sending the desired parameter to the visual recipe editor means for display to the user;
and
recipe data object model (R-DOM) file means, accessed by the program means, for identifying locations of parameters in the recipe data file, the R-DOM file means containing a sequence of parameters, the sequence of parameters being in a same order as a native sequence of parameters in the recipe data file;
wherein the program means determines a location of the desired parameter in the recipe data file, the program means reading the desired parameter at the location in the recipe data file and sending the desired parameter to the visual recipe editor means for display to the user,
security means for storing security groups of users that have access rights to view parameters from one of the recipe data files;
access controller means, coupled to the program means and coupled to the security means, for determining when the user belongs to a security group of users that are allowed to view parameters from the recipe data file, the program means denying access to the recipe data file when the user does not belong to the security group,
whereby the program means uses the R-DOM file means to locate the desired parameter in the recipe data file.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Recipe editor for editing and creating process recipes with parameter-level semiconductor-manufacturing equipment

Life of this patent

Recipe editor for editing and creating process recipes with parameter-level semiconductor-manufacturing equipment

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims16