Method and system for run-to-run control
AssigneesTokyo Electron Limited, Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
InventorsHongyu Yue, Joseph William Wiseman
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and system of controlling a process from run-to-run for semiconductor manufacturing. The method of control utilizes a process model to establish a relationship between process control input data and process control output data. The method of control involves minimizing the difference between target process control output data and process control output data predicted by applying the process model to the new process control input data.
Claims51
A method of controlling a process in a semiconductor manufacturing system, comprising:
- setting process control input data for said process in said semiconductor manufacturing system;
- measuring process control output data from said process in said semiconductor manufacturing system;
- determining a functional relationship between said process control output data and said process control input data along a plurality of process control output data points;
- setting target process control output data to a target result of the process;
- and
- calculating new process control input data based on the target result by,
- producing predicted process control output data associated with the plurality of process control output data points by applying the functional relationship to the new process control input data, and
- revising the new process control input data by minimizing an integrated difference between said target process control output data and the predicted process control output data to thereby improve control of the process.
A control system for controlling a process in a semiconductor manufacturing system, comprising:
- a process tool controller configured to be coupled to a process tool for executing said process,
- said process tool controller further comprises,
- a process recipe controller configured to set and adjust process control input data for said process, and set target process control output data to a target result of the process, and
- a process model coupled to said process recipe controller and configured to provide a functional relationship between said process control input data and said process control output data along a plurality of process control output data points,
- wherein said process recipe controller is configured to generate new process control input data based on the target result;
- to produce predicted process control output data associated with the plurality of process control output data points by applying the functional relationship to the new process control input data;
- and to revise the new process control input data by minimizing an integrated difference between said target process control output data and the predicted process control output data to thereby improve control of the process.
A semiconductor manufacturing system for performing a process comprising:
- a process tool for executing said process;
- and
- a process tool controller coupled to said process tool, wherein said process tool controller further comprises,
- a process recipe controller configured to set and adjust process control input data for said process, and set target process control output data to a target result of the process, and
- a process model coupled to said process recipe controller and configured to provide a functional relationship between said process control input data and said process control output data along a plurality of process control output data points,
- said process recipe controller is configured to generate new process control input data based on the target result, to produce predicted process control output data associated with the plurality of process control output data points by applying the functional relationship to the new process control input data;
- and to revise the new process control input data by minimizing an integrated difference between said target process control output data and the predicted process control output data to thereby improve control of the process.
A computer readable medium containing program instructions for execution on a computer system controlling a semiconductor manufacturing system, which when executed by the computer system, cause the computer system to perform the steps of:
- setting process control input data for said process in said semiconductor manufacturing system;
- measuring process control output data from said process in said semiconductor manufacturing system;
- determining a functional relationship between said process control output data and said process control input data along a plurality of process control output data points;
- setting target process control output data to a target result of the process;
- and
- calculating new process control input data based on the target result by,
- producing predicted process control output data associated with the plurality of process control output data points by applying the functional relationship to the new process control input data, and
- revising the new process control input data by minimizing an integrated difference between said target process control output data and the predicted process control output data to thereby improve control of the process.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.