Semiconductor device manufacturing method and semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus

A semiconductor device manufacturing method comprising a film formation process to form a film on a plurality of wafers placed in a processing chamber while heated by a heat source outside the processing chamber through a wall of the processing chamber, the film formation process comprising the steps of:

• computing a predicted film formation rate value based on a prediction formula obtained in advance which expresses a relationship between an amount of thermal energy reaching the wafer, the amount varying depending on a deposited film thickness on an inner wall of the processing chamber, and a film formation rate on the wafer as a function including multiple apparatus parameters, the apparatus parameters being obtained during a previously-performed film formation process;
• computing, based on the computed predicted film formation rate value and a scheduled processing time, an amount of film formed on the wafer after the scheduled processing time has passed;
• determining whether the computed formed film amount is within a predetermined range;
• and
• forming the film on the plurality of wafers when it is determined that the computed formed film amount is within the predetermined range.

A semiconductor device manufacturing method comprising a film formation process to form a film on a plurality of wafers placed in a processing chamber while heated by a heat source outside the processing chamber through a wall of the processing chamber, the film formation process comprising the steps of:

• computing a predicted base film formation rate value based on a base film formation rate prediction formula which expresses a relationship between an amount of thermal energy reaching the wafer, the amount varying depending on a deposited film thickness on an inner wall of the processing chamber, and a film formation rate on the wafer as a function including multiple apparatus parameters, the apparatus parameters being obtained during a film formation process performed immediately before, the base film formation rate prediction formula being obtained in advance in a state that bare wafers are placed on all wafer mounting positions in the processing chamber;
• determining whether the computed predicted base film formation rate value is within a predetermined range;
• computing a predicted film formation rate value based on a film formation rate prediction formula obtained in advance which expresses a relationship between the amount of thermal energy and a film formation rate on a product wafer mounted on the wafer mounting position in the processing chamber, and based on the apparatus parameters obtained during the film formation process performed immediately before, when it is determined that the computed predicted base film formation rate value is within the predetermined range;
• computing, based on the computed predicted film formation rate value and a predetermined target film thickness, a processing time required for an amount of film formed on the product wafer in the processing chamber to reach the predetermined target film thickness;
• and
• forming the film on a plurality of the product wafers in the processing chamber according to the computed processing time.

A semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus forming a film on a plurality of wafers placed in a processing chamber while heated by a heat source outside the processing chamber through a wall of the processing chamber, comprising:

• a film formation rate computing unit configured to compute a predicted film formation rate value by substituting apparatus parameters into a prediction formula preregistered which expresses a relationship between an amount of thermal energy reaching the wafer, the amount varying depending on a deposited film thickness on an inner wall of the processing chamber, and a film formation rate on the wafer as a function including multiple apparatus parameters, the apparatus parameters being obtained during a previously-performed film formation process;
• a data collection unit configured to obtain the apparatus parameters during a film formation process;
• a processing condition computing unit configured to compute, based on the predicted film formation rate value computed by the film formation rate computing unit and a predetermined target film thickness, a processing time required for an amount of film formed on the wafer to reach the predetermined target film thickness;
• and
• a control unit configured to perform a film formation process for the plurality of wafers according to the processing time computed by the processing condition computing unit.

A semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus forming a film on a plurality of wafers placed in a processing chamber while heated by a heat source outside the processing chamber through a wall of the processing chamber, comprising:

• a film formation rate computing unit configured to compute a predicted film formation rate value by substituting apparatus parameters into a prediction formula preregistered which expresses a relationship between an amount of thermal energy reaching the wafer, the amount varying depending on a deposited film thickness on an inner wall of the processing chamber, and a film formation rate on the wafer as a function including multiple apparatus parameters, the apparatus parameters being obtained during a previously-performed film formation process, and to compute, based on the predicted film formation rate value and a scheduled processing time, an amount of film formed on the wafer after the scheduled processing time has passed;
• a data collection unit configured to obtain the apparatus parameters during a film formation process;
• an anomaly determination unit configured to determine whether the formed film amount computed by the film formation rate computing unit is within a predetermined range;
• and
• a control unit configured to perform a film formation process for the plurality of wafers when the anomaly determination unit determines that the formed film amount is within a predetermined range.