System and method to predict the state of a process controller in a semiconductor manufacturing facility

A system operative to determine a substantially optimal target controller state of a target process control system, the target process control system utilizing a target process control model in conjunction with the determined substantially optimal target controller state to direct a target semiconductor processing tool to execute a target process so as to likely achieve substantially optimal process results from the target process without further substantial adjustment of the determined substantially optimal target controller state, the system comprising:

• first logic operative to identify an exemplar semiconductor processing tool having an exemplar process control system and an exemplar process control model, the exemplar process control model and exemplar semiconductor processing tool being substantially similar to the target process control model and the target semiconductor processing tool, the exemplar process control model and exemplar semiconductor processing tool having been used previously to execute both the target process and an exemplar process;
• second logic coupled with the first logic and operative to determine a first controller state of the exemplar process control system as a result of at least one execution of the target process on the exemplar semiconductor processing tool;
• third logic coupled with the first logic and operative to determine a second controller state of the exemplar process control system as a result of at least one execution of the exemplar process on the exemplar semiconductor processing tool;
• fourth logic coupled with the first logic and operative to determine a third controller state of the target process control system as a result of at least one execution of the exemplar process on the target semiconductor processing tool;
• a fifth logic coupled with the second, third and fourth logic and operative to compute a process delta between the first and second controller states, compute a tool delta between the second and third controller states and compute the substantially optimal target controller state based on the third controller state and the process delta and the tool delta.

A system for determining a substantially optimal target controller state of a target process control system, the target process control system utilizing a target process control model in conjunction with the determined substantially optimal target controller state to direct a target semiconductor processing tool to execute a target process so as to likely achieve substantially optimal process results from the target process without further substantial adjustment of the determined substantially optimal target controller state, the method comprising:

• means for identifying an exemplar semiconductor processing tool having an exemplar process control system and an exemplar process control model, the exemplar process control model and exemplar semiconductor processing tool being substantially similar to the target process control model and the target semiconductor processing tool, the exemplar process control model and exemplar semiconductor processing tool having been used previously to execute both the target process and an exemplar process;
• means for determining a first controller state of the exemplar process control system as a result of at least one execution of the target process on the exemplar semiconductor processing tool;
• means for determining a second controller state of the exemplar process control system as a result of at least one execution of the exemplar process on the exemplar semiconductor processing tool;
• means for determining a third controller state of the target process control system as a result of at least one execution of the exemplar process on the target semiconductor processing tool;
• means for computing a process delta between the first and second controller states, computing a tool delta between the second and third controller states and computing the substantially optimal target controller state based on the third controller state and the process delta and the tool delta.