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US 7,346,407 B2Granted
Method of operating an advanced process controller by dynamically adapting hierarchy levels
AssigneeAdvanced Micro Devices, Inc.
InventorsHeiko Wagner, Jan Raebiger
Life of this patent
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Abstract
By providing a detailed hierarchical structure for an APC algorithm and by dynamically adapting a hierarchical level in this structure, an efficient utilization of controller data is ensured, while at the same time a large number of process conditions may be taken into consideration without requiring a re-design of the hierarchical structure.
Claims6
A method, comprising:
- establishing a hierarchy structure for an APC algorithm designed to provide a parameter setting for a first process tool of a specified manufacturing environment, said hierarchy structure including a plurality of hierarchy levels, each hierarchy level comprising a plurality of items associated with the first process tool;
- determining a parameter setting for each item in each of the hierarchy levels based on measurement data;
- comparing, on a hierarchy level basis, said parameter settings of items of a current hierarchy level with each other to obtain a comparison result;
- and
- selecting a second hierarchy level above the current hierarchy level for controlling said first process tool based on said determined parameter settings responsive to said comparison result indicating a difference less than a predefined range.
2 more elements
A method, comprising:
- establishing an APC algorithm for a specified manufacturing environment including at least a first process tool and a second process tool to be controlled based on a parameter setting provided by said APC algorithm based on measurement data, said APC algorithm comprising a hierarchy structure comprising a plurality of items arranged in a plurality of hierarchy levels;
- and
- dynamically selecting some of the plurality of items at a first hierarchy level for controlling the first process tool and at a second hierarchy level different than the first hierarchy level for controlling the second process tool based on parameter settings determined for said plurality of items for items in levels below the first hierarchy level for the first process tool and items below the second hierarchy level for the second process tool by:
- considering a parameter setting for each item in each of the hierarchy levels below the first and second hierarchy levels;
- selecting a different hierarchy level for controlling a selected one of the first or second process tools based on said considered parameter settings by comparing, on a level basis, said parameter settings of items of a current hierarchy level associated with the selected process tool and hierarchy levels below said current hierarchy level, which are correlated by said hierarchy structure with one item of a hierarchy level below said current hierarchy level, with each other to obtain a comparison result;
- and
- selecting the different hierarchy level to be one level above said current hierarchy level when said comparison result for items of the current hierarchy level indicates a difference that is less than a predefined range.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.