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US 6,556,959 B1Granted
Method and apparatus for updating a manufacturing model based upon fault data relating to processing of semiconductor wafers
AssigneeAdvanced Micro Devices, Inc.
InventorsMichael L. Miller, Qingsu Wang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for performing automated development and updating of a manufacturing model for a manufacturing process. An initial manufacturing model is developed. Tolerances of the manufacturing model are expanded using additional production data. The manufacturing model is then re-developed using the expanded tolerances.
Claims32
A method, comprising:
- developing an initial manufacturing model,
- processing a semiconductor wafer based upon said manufacturing model;
- determining fault data based upon said processing of said semiconductor wafer;
- expanding a tolerance level related to said manufacturing model based upon said fault data, said expanding of tolerances comprising checking a principle component analysis and checking a square prediction error analysis record corresponding to said semiconductor device for expanding said tolerance level;
- re-developing said initial manufacturing model using said expanded tolerances;
- wherein developing said initial model comprises:
- acquiring data for at least one semiconductor device;
- performing a first inspection upon said semiconductor device based upon said principle component analysis and said square prediction error analysis;
- determining whether said semiconductor device passes said first inspection;
- storing said semiconductor data into a manufacturing model database based upon a determination that said semiconductor device passes said first inspection;
- performing a second inspection on said semiconductor devices based upon a determination that said semiconductor device fails said first inspection;
- determining whether said semiconductor device passes said second inspection;
- storing said semiconductor data into a manufacturing model database based upon a determination that said semiconductor device passes said manual inspection;
- storing said semiconductor data into a fault database based upon a determination that said semiconductor device fails said manual inspection;
- assigning a fault cause for said failed semiconductor device;
- and
- updating said manufacturing model using said stored semiconductor data and said assigned fault cause.
14 more elements
A computer readable program storage device encoded with instructions that, when executed by a computer, performs a method, comprising:
- developing an initial manufacturing model,
- processing a semiconductor wafer based upon said manufacturing model;
- determining fault data based upon said processing of said semiconductor wafer;
- expanding a tolerance level related to said manufacturing model based upon said fault data, said expanding of tolerances comprising checking a principle component analysis and checking a square prediction error analysis record corresponding to said semiconductor device for expanding said tolerance level;
- re-developing said initial manufacturing model using said expanded tolerances;
- wherein developing said initial model comprises:
- acquiring data for at least one semiconductor device;
- performing a first inspection upon said semiconductor device based upon said principle component analysis and said square prediction error analysis;
- determining whether said semiconductor device passes said first inspection;
- storing said semiconductor data into a manufacturing model database based upon a determination that said semiconductor device passes said first inspection;
- performing a second inspection on said semiconductor devices based upon a determination that said semiconductor device fails said first inspection;
- determining whether said semiconductor device passes said second inspection;
- storing said semiconductor data into a manufacturing model database based upon a determination That said semiconductor device passes said manual inspection;
- storing said semiconductor data into a fault database based upon a determination that said semiconductor device fails said manual inspection;
- assigning a fault cause for said failed semiconductor device;
- and
- updating said manufacturing model using said stored semiconductor data and said assigned fault cause.
14 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.