Method and system for modeling in semiconductor fabrication
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorChun-Hsien Lin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for use in semiconductor fabrication is provided that includes providing manufacturing data of a semiconductor process, providing a plurality of functional transformations, optimizing each of the functional transformations based on the manufacturing data, selecting one of the functional transformations that has a least deviation with respect to the manufacturing data, predicting performance of the semiconductor process using the selected transformation function, and controlling a fabrication tool based on the predicted performance.
Claims20
A method, comprising:
- providing manufacturing data of a semiconductor process performed with a fabrication tool, the manufacturing data including a set of wafer data and a set of tool data;
- providing a plurality of functional transformation equations, each functional transformation equation being different;
- optimizing, with a virtual metrology system, each of the functional transformation equations using the same set of wafer data and the same set of tool data;
- selecting, with the virtual metrology system, one of the functional transformation equations that has a least deviation with respect to the set of wafer data and the set of tool data;
- predicting, with the virtual metrology system, performance of the semiconductor process using the selected functional transformation equation;
- and
- controlling the fabrication tool based on the predicted performance.
A method, comprising:
- collecting manufacturing data including a set of wafer data and a first set of tool data associated with a semiconductor process that was performed on a first wafer;
- providing a pool of functions including non-linear functions, each function being different and configured to model the semiconductor process;
- optimizing, with a virtual metrology system, each of the different functions in the pool based on the same set of wafer data and the same first set of tool data;
- selecting, with the virtual metrology system, one of the functions in the pool that has a least deviation with respect to the set of wafer data and the first set of tool data;
- determining, with the virtual metrology system, a result of the semiconductor process using the selected function and second set of tool data different from the first set of tool data;
- and
- controlling a fabrication tool based on the predicted result, the fabrication tool being operable to perform the semiconductor process on a second wafer.
A semiconductor fabrication system, comprising:
- a first module for providing manufacturing data including a set of wafer data and a set of tool data associated with a semiconductor process;
- a second module for providing a plurality of functional transformation equations, each functional transformation equation being different;
- a virtual metrology module operable to:
- optimize each of functional transformation equations using the same set of wafer data and the same set of tool data;
- select one of the functional transformation equations that has a least deviation with respect to the set of wafer data and the set of tool data;
- and
- predict performance of the semiconductor process using the selected functional transformation equation;
- and
- a controller operable to receive the predicted performance to control a fabrication tool associated with the semiconductor process.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.