Systems and methods of controlling a manufacturing process for a microelectronic component

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9995692-B2
Application number	US-201615015614-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 4, 2016
Priority date	Feb 18, 2015
Publication date	Jun 12, 2018
Grant date	Jun 12, 2018

Abstract

Systems and methods for controlling manufacturing processes for microelectronic components are provided. In an exemplary embodiment, a method includes determining a specification range for a desired parameter. The microelectronic component is processed in a manufacturing tool, and a trace data set is recorded during the processing. An estimated trace data parameter is determined with the trace data set, and a first measured value of the microelectronic component is measured in a measurement tool. An estimated desired parameter is determined using the first measured value and the estimated trace data parameter, and the manufacturing process is adjusted when the estimated desired parameter is outside of the specification range.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of controlling a manufacturing process for a microelectronic component comprising:
determining a specification range for a desired parameter of the microelectronic component;
processing the microelectronic component in a manufacturing tool;
recording a trace data set while processing the microelectronic component in the manufacturing tool;
determining an estimated trace data parameter with the trace data set, wherein the estimated trace data parameter is a dimension or property of the microelectronic component;
measuring a first measured value of the microelectronic component in a measurement tool;
determining an estimated desired parameter using the first measured value and the estimated trace data parameter, wherein the estimated desired parameter is a dimension or property of the microelectronic component that is different than the estimated trace data parameter; and
adjusting the manufacturing process when the estimated desired parameter is outside of the specification range for the desired parameter.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein measuring the first measured value comprises measuring the first measured value in a scatterometer.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein measuring the first measured value comprises measuring the microelectronic component with one measurement tool.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
adjusting the manufacturing process when the estimated desired parameter is within the specification range but outside of a process adjustment range.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the estimated trace data parameter is determined prior to measuring the first measured value.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the estimated trace data parameter of the microelectronic component comprises using a plurality of trace data sets.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
developing a model to determine the estimated desired parameter using the first measured value and at least one estimated trace data parameter.

8. A method of controlling a manufacturing process for a microelectronic component comprising:
determining a specification range for a desired parameter of the microelectronic component;
processing the microelectronic component in a manufacturing tool;
recording a sensor data while processing the microelectronic component in the manufacturing tool;
determining an estimated sensor data parameter with the sensor data, wherein the estimated sensor data parameter is a dimension or property of the microelectronic component;
measuring a first measured value of the microelectronic component in a single measurement tool;
determining an estimated desired parameter using the first measured value and the estimated sensor data parameter, wherein the estimated desired parameter is a dimension or property of the microelectronic component that is different than the estimated sensor data parameter; and
adjusting the manufacturing process when the estimated desired parameter is outside of the specification range.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the estimated sensor data parameter is determined prior to measuring the first measured value of the microelectronic component.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein determining the estimated sensor data parameter comprises determining the estimated sensor data parameter with a plurality of sensor data.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein determining the estimated desired parameter comprises using a model to determine the estimated desired parameter.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein determining the estimated sensor data parameter comprises correlating the estimated sensor data parameter with the sensor data.

13. The method of claim 8 further comprising:
developing a model to determine the estimated desired parameter from the first measured value and the estimated sensor data parameter.

14. A system for controlling a manufacturing process for a microelectronic component comprising:
a manufacturing tool comprising a manufacturing tool sensor, wherein the manufacturing tool is configured to process the microelectronic component, and wherein the manufacturing tool sensor is configured to produce a trace data set during processing within the manufacturing tool;
a measurement tool configured to receive the microelectronic component after processing in the manufacturing tool, and wherein the measurement tool is further configured to measure a first measured value of the microelectronic component; and
a computer configured to receive the trace data set from the manufacturing tool and the first measured value from the measurement tool, wherein the computer is configured to produce an estimated trace data parameter of the microelectronic component with the trace data set, and wherein the computer is configured to determine an estimated desired parameter with a model, wherein the estimated trace data parameter and the estimated desired parameter are different dimension(s) or property(ies) of the microelectronic component, wherein the model is configured to use the estimated trace data parameter and the first measured value to determine the estimated desired parameter, and wherein the computer is configured to adjust the manufacturing process when the estimated desired parameter is outside of a specification range.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the measurement tool comprises a scatterometer.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the measurement tool comprises one measurement tool.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein the computer is further configured to adjust the manufacturing tool when the estimated desired parameter is outside of the specification range.

18. The system of claim 14 wherein the computer is configured to utilize a correlation between the estimated trace data parameter and the trace data set to determine the estimated trace data parameter.

19. The system of claim 14 wherein the computer is configured to utilize a correlation between the estimated trace data parameter and a plurality of trace data sets to determine the estimated trace data parameter.

20. The system of claim 14 wherein the manufacturing tool is selected from the group consisting of an epitaxial growth tool, a reactive ion etch tool, a wet etch tool, a chemical vapor deposition tool, an atomic vapor deposition tool, and a chemical mechanical planarization tool.

Assignees

• Globalfoundries Inc

Inventors

• Iddawela Givantha
• Vaid Alok

Classifications

• H10P74/20

  characterised by the properties tested or measured, e.g. structural or electrical properties · CPC title

• G05B2219/32187

  Correlation between controlling parameters for influence on quality parameters · CPC title

• G05B2219/32182

  If state of tool, product deviates from standard, adjust system, feedback · CPC title

• G05B19/41875

  characterised by quality surveillance of production · CPC title

• H01L22/10

  Electricity · mapped topic