Metrology management

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9652729-B2
Application number	US-201113282776-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 27, 2011
Priority date	Oct 27, 2011
Publication date	May 16, 2017
Grant date	May 16, 2017

Abstract

A method for managing a metrology system includes receiving a part, identifying, with a processing device, a part type associated with the part, retrieving, with the processing device, test rule logic associated with the part type from a database, retrieving, with the processing device, measurement data associated with the identified part type, processing, with the processing device, the measurement data, applying, with the processing device, the test rule logic to the processed measurement data to determine whether the part should be measured, outputting the part responsive to determining that the part should not be measured, and incrementing, with the processing device, a counter and saving a value of the counter in the database responsive to outputting the part responsive to determining that the part should not be measured.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method fabricating a semiconductor device utilizing a metrology system, the method comprising:
receiving, at a metrology tool in the metrology system, a part, wherein the part is a fabricated part in a fabrication process for semiconductor devices;
identifying, with a visual sensor in communication with the metrology tool, a part type associated with the part;
retrieving, with the processing device, test rule logic associated with the part type from a database, wherein the test rule logic includes a threshold value of parts that should be measured;
retrieving, with the processing device, previous measurement data associated with the identified part type that includes a number of parts measured;
determining, with the processing device, if the number of parts measured is equal to or exceeds the threshold value of parts that should be measured;
processing, with the processing device, the previous measurement data, including calculating a process capability index (C pk ) with the previous measurement data in response to the number of parts measured being equal to or exceeding the threshold value of parts;
applying, with the processing device, the test rule logic to the processed previous measurement data including the C pk to determine whether the part should be measured;
outputting, from the metrology tool, the part in response to determining that the part should not be measured; and
incrementing, with the processing device, a counter and saving a value of the counter in the database responsive to outputting the part responsive to determining that the part should not be measured and iteratively returning to the receiving operation to receive another part at the metrology tool when another part is provided,
wherein the C pk changes as additional measurement data is retrieved, and
wherein applying the test rule logic further comprises for the identified part type:
providing a first C pk threshold value (x), a second C pk threshold value (y), and a third C pk threshold value (z);
measuring every n th part in response to determining that the part should be measured when x<C pk <y;
measuring every m th part in response to determining that the part should be measured when z<C pk <x; and
measuring every part in response to determining that the part should be measured when C pk <Z;
wherein z<x<y, 1<m<n, and m and n are integers and C pk <y.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
measuring the part responsive to determining that the part should be measured;
outputting measured data to the database; and
outputting, from the metrology tool, the part.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining if the number of parts measured is equal to or exceeds the threshold value of parts that should be measured comprises:
counting a number of parts of an identified part type that have been measured responsive to retrieving the previous measurement data associated with the identified part type;
comparing the number of parts of the identified part type that have been measured to a threshold value;
measuring the part responsive to determining that the number of parts of the identified part type that have been measured is below the threshold value;
outputting measured data to the database; and
outputting the part.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the applying the test rule logic to the processed previous measurement data to determine whether the part should be measured comprises:
matching the processed previous measurement data to a function of the test rule, the function of the test rule including a threshold unmeasured part value;
counting a number of parts of an identified part type that have not been previously measured; and
measuring the part responsive to determining that the number of parts of the identified part type that have not been previously measured is equal to a threshold value.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising resetting the counter responsive to measuring the part.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein x=1.5, y=1.8, z=1.0, n=10 and m=5.

7. A metrology system comprising:
a metrology tool operative to perform a measurement and output data;
a processor communicatively connected to the metrology tool, the processor operative to:
identify a part type, via a visual sensor, associated with a part received by the metrology tool, wherein the part is a fabricated part in a fabrication process for semiconductor devices,
retrieve test rule logic associated with the part type from a database, wherein the test rule logic includes a threshold value of parts that should be measured,
retrieve previous measurement data associated with the identified part type that includes a number of parts measured,
determine if the number of parts measured is equal to or exceeds the threshold value of parts that should be measured,
process the previous measurement data, including calculating a process capability index (C pk ) with the previous measurement data in response to the number of parts measured being equal to or exceeding the threshold value of parts,
apply the test rule logic to the processed previous measurement data including the C pk to determine whether the part should be measured,
send an instruction to the metrology tool to output the part in response to determining that the part should not be measured, and
increment a counter and saving a value of the counter in the database responsive to outputting the part responsive to determining that the part should not be measured and iteratively returning to the receiving operation to receive another part at the metrology tool when another part is provided,
wherein the C pk changes as additional measurement data is retrieved, and
wherein applying the test rule logic further comprises for the identified part type:
providing a first C pk threshold value (x), a second C pk threshold value (y), and a third C pk threshold value (z);
measuring every n th part in response to determining that the part should be measured when x<C pk <y;
measuring every m th part in response to determining that the part should be measured when z<C pk <x; and
measuring every part in response to determining that the part should be measured when C pk <Z;
wherein z<x<y, 1<m<n, and m and n are integers and C pk <y.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the system is further operative to measure the part responsive to determining that the part should be measured, output measured data to the database, and send an instruction to the metrology tool to output the part.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the processor is further operative to:
count a number of parts of an identified part type that have been measured responsive to retrieving the previous measurement data associated with the identified part type, compare the number of parts of the identified part type that have been measured to a threshold value, send an instruction to the metrology tool to measure the part responsive to determining that the number of parts of the identified part type that have been measured is below the threshold value, output measured data to the database, and send an instruction to the metrology tool to output the part.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein the applying the test rule logic to the processed previous measurement data to determine whether the part should be measured comprises:
matching the processed previous measurement data to a function of the test rule, the function of the test rule including a threshold unmeasured part value;
counting a number of parts of an identified part type that have not been previously measured; and
sending an instruction to the metrology tool to measure the part responsive to determining that the

Assignees

• Hoffman Jr William K
• Holmes Timothy L
• Levy Jonathan
• Pepe Christopher E
• Restaino Darryl D
• Solecky Eric P
• Young Roger M
• IBM

Inventors

• Hoffman Jr William K
• Holmes Timothy L
• Levy Jonathan
• Pepe Christopher E
• Restaino Darryl D
• Solecky Eric P
• Young Roger M

Classifications

• G06Q10/06395 Primary

  Quality analysis or management · CPC title