System for wafer quality predictive modeling based on multi-source information with heterogeneous relatedness

摘要

The present invention generally relates to the monitoring and controlling of a semiconductor manufacturing environment and, more particularly, to methods and systems for virtual meteorology (VM) applications based on data from multiple tools having heterogeneous relatedness. The methods and systems leverage the natural relationship of the multiple tools and take advantage of the relationship embedded in process variables to improve the prediction performance of the VM predictive wafer quality modeling. The prediction results of the methods and systems can be used as a substitute for or in conjunction with actual metrology samples in order to monitor and control a semiconductor manufacturing environment, and thus reduce delays and costs associated with obtaining actual physical measurements.

主权项

1. A system for predicting quality of wafers produced by production equipment that includes multiple chambers in each of which multiple wafers are simultaneously processed, comprising:
means for measuring process variables of each of the wafers; means for sending the process variables to a central database; a virtual metrology machine implemented on a computer configured for
receiving the process variables of each of the wafers and historical measurements;representing respective sides of the multiple chambers as wafer quality predictive modeling tasks based on the historical measurements:grouping the wafer quality predictive modeling tasks according to heterogeneous relatedness of the production equipment, said means for grouping including, for each chamber in which multiple wafers are simultaneously processed, means for grouping wafer quality predictive modeling tasks for all of the respective sides of the each chamber, each chamber of the multiple chambers being treated as a group of one or more wafer quality predictive modeling tasks;partitioning the process variables into two sets;generating a prediction model that accommodates the grouping of the wafer quality predictive modeling tasks from the means for grouping and the partitioned process variables from the means for partitioning;predicting a quality of each of the wafers produced in individual sides of the multiple chambers based on the prediction model generated by the means for generating; means for sending the predicted quality of each of the wafers to an advanced process controller and the central database; an actual metrology tool for measuring an actual quality of at least one sample of the wafers; means for sending the actual quality of at least one sample of the wafers to the advanced process controller and the virtual metrology machine; means for updating the virtual metrology machine with the actual quality of at least one sample of the wafers; means for determining a feedback control by the advanced process controller; and means for processing the wafers by the production equipment in accordance with the feedback control; wherein for each chamber in which multiple wafers are simultaneously processed, each side of the each chamber processes only one wafer at a time.