US 6,714,884 B2 · Method and apparatus for providing communication between a defect source identifier and a tool data collection and control system

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing communication between a defect source identifier and a tool data collection and control system. The defect source identifier collects wafer data until a defect is identified. Upon identification of a defect, a request is sent to the tool data collection and control system to request data of the tool parameters at the time the defect occurred. The tool data collection and control system retrieves the tool parameters and communicates them to the defect source identifier through a network. The tool parameters are processed by the defect source identifier to extract certain wafer data. The selected wafer data is communicated to the tool data collection and control system and is used to execute a prediction model to predict failure possible of the tool elements.

Claims20

Dependent claims

Apparatus for processing a semiconductor wafer comprising:

a semiconductor wafer processing tool;
a defect source Identifier, coupled to at least one metrology station, for collecting wafer data from wafers that are processed in the defect source identifier;
a tool data collection and control system coupled to the defect source identifier and the semiconductor wafer processing tool, for predicting component failure within the semiconductor wafer processing tool in response to the wafer data collected by the defect source identifier;
and
a data mining engine coupled to the defect source identifier and the tool data collection and control system, wherein the data mining engine correlates the wafer data with process tool data collected by the tool data collection and control system.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and apparatus for providing communication between a defect source identifier and a tool data collection and control system

Life of this patent

Method and apparatus for providing communication between a defect source identifier and a tool data collection and control system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20