Method of controlling semiconductor process distribution

A method of controlling process distribution of an etching process, comprising:

• receiving process distribution data representing the process distribution of the etching process, wherein the etching process is performed on a semiconductor wafer by a semiconductor wafer etching apparatus;
• receiving a parameter related to the process distribution, wherein the parameter is received from the semiconductor wafer etching apparatus and is received at a semiconductor process controlling apparatus;
• generating a virtual metrology model corresponding to the process distribution of the etching process based on a relationship between the process distribution data and the parameter;
• selecting an optimized process variable affecting the process distribution from among a plurality of process variables;
• modifying the optimized process variable affecting the process distribution based on the virtual metrology model;
• and
• transmitting the optimized process variable from the semiconductor process controlling apparatus to the semiconductor wafer etching apparatus to adjust the process distribution of the etching process in real-time while the etching process is being performed.

A method of controlling process distribution of a semiconductor process, comprising:

• receiving process distribution data representing the process distribution of the semiconductor process;
• receiving a first parameter related to the process distribution, wherein the first parameter is received at a semiconductor process controlling apparatus and received from a semiconductor wafer processing apparatus, and the first parameter is an optical emission spectroscopy (OES) variable representing light energy detected at the semiconductor wafer processing apparatus;
• receiving a second parameter related to the process distribution, wherein the second parameter is received at the semiconductor process controlling apparatus and received from the semiconductor wafer processing apparatus, and the second parameter is an environmental variable representing a temperature of a chamber of the semiconductor wafer processing apparatus, a pressure of the chamber, or an amount of reactive gas generated by the chamber;
• receiving a third parameter related to the process distribution, wherein the third parameter is received at the semiconductor process controlling apparatus and received from the semiconductor wafer processing apparatus, and the third parameter is an apparatus variable representing an amount of gas supplied to the chamber, a gas rate of the gas supplied to the chamber, an RF power value applied to a susceptor of the chamber, a temperature of a component of the chamber, or a pressure of the chamber;
• generating a virtual metrology model corresponding to the process distribution based on a relationship between the process distribution data and the first, second and third parameters;
• and
• modifying a process variable affecting the process distribution based on the virtual metrology model.