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US 8,296,687 B2Granted
System and method for using first-principles simulation to analyze a process performed by a semiconductor processing tool
AssigneeTokyo Electron Limited
InventorsEric J. Strang, Andrej Mitrovic
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method, system and computer readable medium for analyzing a process performed by a semiconductor processing tool. The method includes inputting data relating to a process performed by the semiconductor processing tool, and inputting a first principles physical model relating to the semiconductor processing tool. First principles simulation is performed using the input data and the physical model to provide a first principles simulation result; and the first principles simulation result is used to determine a fault in the process performed by the semiconductor processing tool.
Claims59
A method for analyzing a process performed by a semiconductor processing tool, comprising:
- inputting a first principles physical model including a set of computer-encoded differential equations, the first principles physical model describing at least one of a basic physical or chemical attribute of the semiconductor processing tool and including 1) a spatially resolved model of a physical geometry of the semiconductor processing tool and 2) a grid set addressing the semiconductor processing tool or a geometry of the semiconductor processing tool;
- inputting process data related to an actual process being performed by the semiconductor processing tool;
- setting boundary conditions for the spatially resolved model of a physical geometry of the semiconductor processing tool based on said process data related to the actual process being performed by the semiconductor processing tool;
- storing in a fab-level library known simulation results obtained from simulation modules in a device manufacturing fab and distributing the known simulation results to other semiconductor processing tools in the device manufacturing fab;
- solving the computer-encoded differential equations of the first principles physical model for the spatially resolved model concurrently with the actual process being performed and in a time frame shorter in time than the actual process being performed to produce a first principles simulation by:
- using code parallelization techniques on multiple simulation modules in the device manufacturing fab, and
- re-using known simulation solutions as initial conditions for the first principles simulation,
- wherein re-using known simulation solutions comprises searching in the fab-level library for a closest fitting solution which if used for the initial condition would reduce the number of iterations required by the simulation module;
- providing from the solution of the computer-encoded differential equations solved concurrently with the actual process being performed a first principles simulation result;
- and
- using the first principles simulation result obtained during the performance of the actual process to determine a fault in the actual process being performed by the semiconductor processing tool.
8 more elements
A system comprising:
- a semiconductor processing tool configured to perform a process;
- a fab-level library storing known simulation results obtained from simulation modules in a device manufacturing fab;
- a fab-level process controller distributing the known simulation results to other semiconductor processing tools in the device manufacturing fab;
- a first principles simulation processor configured to input a first principles physical model including a set of computer-encoded differential equations describing at least one of a basic physical or chemical attribute of the semiconductor processing tool and including 1) a spatially resolved model of a physical geometry of the semiconductor processing tool and 2) a grid set addressing the semiconductor processing tool or a geometry of the semiconductor processing tool;
- an input device configured to input process data related to an actual process being performed by the semiconductor processing tool;
- and
- said first principles simulation processor further configured to:
- set boundary conditions for the spatially resolved model of a physical geometry of the semiconductor processing tool based on said process data related to the actual process being performed by the semiconductor processing tool,
- solve the computer-encoded differential equations of the first principles physical model for the spatially resolved model concurrently with the actual process being performed and in a time frame shorter in time than the actual process being performed to produce a first principles simulation by:
- using code parallelization techniques on multiple simulation modules in the device manufacturing fab, and
- re-using known simulation solutions as initial conditions for the first principles simulation,
- wherein re-using known simulation solutions comprises searching in the fab-level library for a closest fitting solution which if used for the initial condition would reduce the number of iterations required by the simulation module, and
- provide from the solution of the computer-encoded differential equations solved concurrently with the actual process being performed a first principles simulation result, and
- wherein said first principles simulation result obtained during the performance of the actual process is used to determine a fault in the actual process being performed by the semiconductor processing tool.
11 more elements
A non-transitory computer readable medium containing program instructions for execution on a processor, which when executed by the computer system, cause the processor to perform the steps of:
- inputting a first principles physical model including a set of computer-encoded differential equations, the first principles physical model describing at least one of a basic physical or chemical attribute of the semiconductor processing tool and including 1) a spatially resolved model of a physical geometry of the semiconductor processing tool and 2) a grid set addressing the semiconductor processing tool or a geometry of the semiconductor processing tool;
- inputting process data related to an actual process being performed by the semiconductor processing tool;
- setting boundary conditions for the spatially resolved model of a physical geometry of the semiconductor processing tool based on said process data related to the actual process being performed by the semiconductor processing tool;
- storing in a fab-level library known simulation results obtained from simulation modules in a device manufacturing fab and distributing the known simulation results to other semiconductor processing tools in the device manufacturing fab;
- solving the computer-encoded differential equations of the first principles physical model for the spatially resolved model concurrently with the actual process being performed and in a time frame shorter in time than the actual process being performed to produce a first principles simulation by:
- using code parallelization techniques on multiple simulation modules in the device manufacturing fab, and
- re-using known simulation solutions as initial conditions for the first principles simulation,
- wherein re-using known simulation solutions comprises searching in the fab-level library for a closest fitting solution which if used for the initial condition would reduce the number of iterations required by the simulation module;
- providing from the solution of the computer-encoded differential equations solved concurrently with the actual process being performed a first principles simulation result;
- and
- using the first principles simulation result obtained during the performance of the actual process to determine a fault in the actual process being performed by the semiconductor processing tool.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.