IP Library Granted Patent US 11,688,616
Granted Patent B2
US 11,688,616 · App. 17/379,653 · Granted Jun 27, 2023

Integrated substrate measurement system to improve manufacturing process performance

Inventors: Upendra V. Ummethala (Cupertino, CA); Blake Erickson (Gilroy, CA); Prashanth Kumar (Union City, CA); Michael Kutney (Santa Clara, CA); Steven Trey Tindel (Austin, TX); Zhaozhao Zhu (Milpitas, CA)
Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
H01L21/67253H01L21/67288H01L22/20H01L21/67063H01L21/67167
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,688,616
App. No.
17/379,653
Granted
Jun 27, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for determining whether to modify a manufacturing process recipe is provided. A substrate to be processed at a manufacturing system according to the first process recipe is identified. An instruction to transfer the substrate to a substrate measurement subsystem to obtain a first set of measurements for the substrate is generated. The first set of measurements for the substrate is received from the substrate measurement subsystem. An instruction to transfer the substrate from the substrate measurement subsystem to a processing chamber is generated. A second set of measurements for the substrate is received from one or more sensors of the processing chamber. A first mapping between the first set of measurements and the second set of measurements for the substrate is generated. The first set of measurements mapped to the second set of measurements for the substrate is stored. A determination is made based on the first set of measurements mapped to the second set of measurements for the substrate of whether to modify the first process recipe or a second process recipe for the substrate.

Claims (46)

1. A manufacturing system comprising:

a substrate measurement subsystem configured to generate data associated with a substrate at the manufacturing system, wherein the substrate measurement subsystem comprises one or more first sensors;

a processing chamber configured to process the substrate at the manufacturing system, wherein the processing chamber comprises one or more second sensors;

one or more transfer robots configured to transfer the substrate between the substrate measurement subsystem and the processing chamber; and

a controller operatively coupled to the substrate measurement subsystem, the processing chamber, and the one or more transfer robots, wherein the controller is to:

identify the substrate for processing at the manufacturing system according to a first process recipe and a second process recipe;

generate an instruction to cause the one or more transfer robots to transfer the substrate to the substrate measurement subsystem to obtain a first set of measurements for the substrate;

receive, from the one or more first sensors of the substrate measurement subsystem, the first set of measurements for the substrate;

generate an instruction to cause the one or more transfer robots to transfer the substrate from the substrate measurement subsystem to the processing chamber;

receive, from the one or more second sensors of the processing chamber, a second set of measurements for the substrate;

generate a first mapping between the first set of measurements and the second set of measurements for the substrate;

determine, based on the first set of measurements mapped to the second set of measurements for the substrate, to modify at least one of the first process recipe or the second process recipe; and

modify the at least one of the first process recipe or the second process recipe by at least one of:

modifying an operation of the at least one of the first process recipe or the second process recipe, or

generating an instruction to prevent completion of execution of the first process recipe for the substrate.

2. The manufacturing system of claim 1 , wherein the first set of measurements for the substrate comprises at least one of spectral data, positional data, or property data, and wherein the second set of measurements for the substrate comprises at least one of spectral data, temperature data, pressure data, or power data.

3. The manufacturing system of claim 1 , further comprising a data store that is inaccessible to an operator of the manufacturing system, and wherein the controller is further to:

store the first set of measurements mapped to the second set of measurements for the substrate to the data store.

4. The manufacturing system of claim 1 , wherein to determine, based on the first set of measurements mapped to the second set of measurements for the substrate, to modify the first process recipe or the second process recipe for the substrate, the controller is to:

calculate a difference between a first measurement of the first set of measurements and a second measurement of the second set of measurements; and

determine whether the difference between the first measurement and the second measurement exceeds a difference threshold.

5. The manufacturing system of claim 1 , wherein to determine, based on the first set of measurements mapped to the second set of measurements for the substrate, to modify the first process recipe or the second process recipe for the substrate, the controller is to:

determine a target value associated with a first measurement of the first set of measurement;

calculate a difference between the target value and the first measurement; and

determine whether the difference between the target value and the first measurement exceeds a difference threshold.

6. The manufacturing system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further to:

responsive to determining to modify the first process recipe or the second process recipe for the substrate, transmit, to a client device connected to the manufacturing system, a request to modify the first process recipe or the second process recipe for the substrate;

receive, from the client device, an instruction to modify the first process recipe or the second process recipe for the substrate; and

modify the first process recipe or the second process recipe for the substrate in accordance with the received instruction.

7. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to:

identify a substrate to be processed at a manufacturing system according to a first process recipe and a second process recipe;

generate an instruction to transfer the substrate to a substrate measurement subsystem to obtain a first set of measurements for the substrate;

receive, from one or more first sensors of the substrate measurement subsystem, the first set of measurements for the substrate;

generate an instruction to transfer the substrate from the substrate measurement subsystem to a processing chamber;

receive, from one or more second sensors of the processing chamber, a second set of measurements for the substrate;

generate a first mapping between the first set of measurements and the second set of measurements for the substrate;

determine, based on the first set of measurements mapped to the second set of measurements for the substrate, to modify the first process recipe or the second process recipe; and

modify the at least one of the first process recipe or the second process recipe by at least one of:

modifying an operation of the at least one of the first process recipe or the second process recipe, or

generating an instruction to prevent completion of execution of the first process recipe for the substrate.

8. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 7 , wherein the first set of measurements for the substrate comprises at least one of spectral data, positional data, or property data, and wherein the second set of measurements for the substrate comprises at least one of spectral data, temperature data, pressure data or power data.

9. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 7 , wherein the processing device is further to:

store the first set of measurements mapped to the second set of measurements for the substrate to a data store for the manufacturing system, wherein the data store is inaccessible to an operator of the manufacturing system.

10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 7 , wherein to determine, based on the first set of measurements mapped to the second set of measurements for the substrate, to modify the first process recipe or the second process recipe for the substrate, the processing device is to:

calculate a difference between a first measurement of the first set of measurements and a second measurement of the second set of measurements; and

determine whether the difference between the first measurement and the second measurement exceeds a difference threshold.

Assignments (3)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 25, 2025
From: THE BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA
To: ABC TECHNOLOGIES INC. (AS SUCCESSOR IN INTEREST TO ABC GROUP INC.)
Reel/Frame 070949/0888 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Mar 1, 2022
From: ABC TECHNOLOGIES INC.
To: THE BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA, AS AGENT
Reel/Frame 059278/0485 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 22, 2021
From: UMMETHALA, UPENDRA V.; ERICKSON, BLAKE; KUMAR, PRASHANTH; KUTNEY, MICHAEL; TINDEL, STEVEN TREY; ZHU, ZHAOZHAO
To: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
Reel/Frame 057566/0394 →