System and software for data collection and process control in semiconductor manufacturing and method thereof

A method comprising:

• establishing a data collection plan using a statistical process control system, the data collection plan identifying data to collect from a semiconductor tool;
• receiving a request from an equipment interface to receive a data collection plan;
• and
• providing the data collection plan to the equipment interface of the semiconductor tool through the statistical process control system in response to receiving the request from the equipment interface.

A computer readable medium tangibly embodying a program of instructions, said program of instructions including instructions to:

• establish a data collection plan using a statistical process control system, the data collection plan identifying data to collect from a semiconductor tool;
• receive a request from an equipment interface to receive a data collection plan;
• and
• provide the data collection plan to the equipment interface of the semiconductor tool through the statistical process control system.

A system comprising:

• a user interface to:
• receive a capability specification identifying a data collection capability of a semiconductor tool;
• receive a data collection plan, the data collection plan used in conjunction with the capability specification to identify data to be collected from a semiconductor tool;
• and
• receive a process control strategy;
• a communications port to configure an equipment interface of a semiconductor tool to collect measurement data from the semiconductor tool;
• a communications port to obtain measurement data from the equipment interface;
• a data broker to:
• receive the measurement data from the communications port;
• and
• provide the measurement data to a statistical process client;
• and
• a statistical process client to evaluate the measurement data in accordance with the process control strategy.

A method comprising:

• receiving, at a statistical process control system, a capability specification identifying a data collection capability of a semiconductor tool;
• receiving a data collection plan at the statistical process control system, the data collection plan used in conjunction with the capability specification to identify data to be collected from a semiconductor tool;
• configuring an equipment interface, using the statistical process control system, to collect measurement data from the semiconductor tool;
• obtaining the measurement data from the semiconductor tool;
• providing the measurement data to a statistical process client through a data broker, the statistical process client being part of the statistical process control system;
• receiving a process control strategy at the statistical process control system;
• and
• evaluating the measurement data in accordance with the process control strategy using the statistical process control client.