Process development visualization tool

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11157661-B2
Application number	US-201916716274-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2019
Priority date	Dec 19, 2018
Publication date	Oct 26, 2021
Grant date	Oct 26, 2021

Abstract

A process development visualization tool generates a first visualization of a parameter associated with a manufacturing process, and provides a GUI control element associated with a process variable of the manufacturing process, wherein the GUI control element has a first setting associated with a first value for the process variable. The process development tool receives a user input to adjust the GUI control element from the first setting to a second setting, determines a second value for the process variable based on the second setting, and determines a second set of values for the parameter that are associated with the second value for the process variable. The process development tool then generates a second visualization of the parameter, wherein the second visualization represents the second set of values for the parameter that are associated with the second value for the process variable.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
generating a first visualization of a first parameter associated with a manufacturing process performed on a wafer, wherein values for the first parameter are dependent on a plurality of process variables of the manufacturing process, and wherein the first visualization represents a first set of values for the first parameter that are associated with a first value for a first process variable of the manufacturing process;
generating a first visualization of a second parameter associated with the manufacturing process, wherein values for the second parameter are dependent on the plurality of process variables of the manufacturing process, and wherein the first visualization of the second parameter represents a first set of values for the second parameter that are associated with the first value for the first process variable of the manufacturing process;
outputting the first visualization of the first parameter in a first window;
concurrently outputting the first visualization of the second parameter in a second window;
providing a first graphical user interface control element associated with the first process variable of the manufacturing process, wherein the first graphical user interface control element has a first setting associated with the first value for the first process variable;
receiving a user input to adjust the first graphical user interface control element from the first setting to a second setting;
determining a second value for the first process variable based on the second setting of the first graphical user interface control element;
determining a second set of values for the first parameter that are associated with the second value for the first process variable of the manufacturing process;
determining a second set of values for the second parameter that are associated with the second value for the first process variable of the manufacturing process;
generating a second visualization of the first parameter associated with the manufacturing process, wherein the second visualization represents the second set of values for the first parameter that are associated with the second value for the first process variable;
generating a second visualization of the second parameter associated with the manufacturing process, wherein the second visualization represents the second set of values for the second parameter that are associated with the second value for the first process variable;
outputting the second visualization of the first parameter in the first window; and
concurrently outputting the second visualization of the second parameter in the second window.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving an export command via user interaction with a second graphical user interface control element;
generating a first file comprising a) the second set of values for the first parameter and b) process variable values of the plurality of process variables associated with the second set of values for the first parameter, the process variable values comprising the second value for the first process variable; and
generating a second file comprising a) the second set of values for the second parameter and b) the process variable values of the plurality of process variables associated with the second set of values for the second parameter.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first graphical user interface control element comprises a slider, and wherein each position of the slider is associated with a different value of the first process variable.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the second set of values for the first parameter that are associated with the second value for the first process variable of the manufacturing process comprises:
generating a query comprising the second value for the first process variable;
sending the query to a remote computing device; and
receiving a response to the query, the response comprising the second set of values for the first parameter.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first set of values for the first parameter that are represented in the first visualization of the first parameter are further associated with a first value for a second process variable of the manufacturing process, the method further comprising:
providing a second graphical user interface control element associated with the second process variable of the manufacturing process, wherein the second graphical user interface control element has a first setting associated with the first value for the first second process variable;
receiving a user input to adjust the second graphical user interface control element from the first setting of the second graphical user interface control element to a second setting of the second graphical user interface control element;
determining a second value for the second process variable based on the second setting of the second graphical user interface control element;
determining a third set of values for the first parameter that are associated with the second value for the first process variable of the manufacturing process and the second value for the second process variable of the manufacturing process; and
generating a third visualization of the first parameter associated with the manufacturing process, wherein the third visualization of the first parameter represents the third set of values for the first parameter that are associated with the second value for the first process variable and the second value for the second process variable.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first parameter comprises a metrology measurement selected from the group consisting of coating thickness, refractive index, sheet resistance, resistivity, conductivity, grain size, roughness, stress across the wafer, coating composition, reflectance, absorbance, angle of observation, angle of incidence, angle of reflection, angle of diffraction, density, etch rate, and step coverage.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first process variable is selected from a group consisting of temperature, chamber pressure, gas flow rate for one or more gasses, one or more device dimensions, process timing, and location within a chamber.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first visualization of the first parameter comprises a first wafer map of the wafer, and the second visualization of the first parameter comprises a second wafer map of the wafer.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the second set of values for the first parameter that are associated with the second value for the first process variable of the manufacturing process comprises:
determining that no real data was generated for the first second value for the first process variable of the manufacturing process; and
interpolating the second set of values based on additional values for the first parameter that are associated with additional values for the first process variable, wherein the second visualization of the first parameter comprises an indicator that the second visualization of the first parameter was not generated using real data.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first parameter comprises a sensor reading of a virtual sensor.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
displaying the first window and the second window in an augmented reality (AR) display.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating a function for a virtual sensor, wherein values of the virtual sensor are based on values of one or more physical sensors, and wherein the first process variable is associated with the values of the virtual sensor.

13. A system comprising:

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Vats Vinayak Veer
• Bhatia Sidharth
• Sin Garrett Ho-Yee
• Nambiar Pramod
• Yu Hang
• Kamath Sanjay
• Padhi Deenesh
• Pai Heng-Cheng

Classifications

• G06F16/248

  Presentation of query results · CPC title

• G05B2219/45031

  Manufacturing semiconductor wafers · CPC title

• G05B2219/2602

  Wafer processing · CPC title

• G05B2219/13144

  GUI graphical user interface, icon, function bloc editor, OI operator interface · CPC title

• G05B19/41885 Primary

  characterised by modeling, simulation of the manufacturing system · CPC title