IP Library Granted Patent US 12,386,342
Granted Patent B2
US 12,386,342 · App. 17/742,332 · Granted Aug 12, 2025

Holistic analysis of multidimensional sensor data for substrate processing equipment

Inventors: Chao Liu (Singapore, SG); Yudong Hao (Fremont, CA); Shifang Li (Pleasanton, CA); Andreas Schulze (Campbell, CA)
Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
G05B19/41885G05B2219/33034G06F18/20G06F18/23G06N20/00G06N20/20H01L21/67
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,386,342
App. No.
17/742,332
Granted
Aug 12, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method includes receiving, by a processing device, first data. The first data includes data from one or more sensors of a processing chamber and is associated with a processing operation. The first data is resolved in at least two dimensions, one of which is time. The method further includes providing the first data to a model. The method further includes receiving from the model second data. The second data includes an indication of an evolution of a processing parameter during the processing operation. The method further includes causing performance of a corrective action in view of the second data.

Claims (53)

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a processing device, first data, wherein the first data comprises data generated by one or more sensors of a processing chamber associated with a processing operation and indicative of a first property of a substrate, and wherein the first data is multi-dimensional data comprising at least two dimensions, wherein one of the at least two dimensions is time;

providing the first data as input to a model, wherein the model is configured to fit a temporal evolution of the first data over a duration associated with the processing operation;

obtaining second data as output of the model, wherein the second data comprises an indication of an evolution of a processing parameter comprising the first property of the substrate during the processing operation;

determining, based on the second data, that a temporal evolution of the first property is indicative of a corrective action to be performed; and

causing performance of the corrective action in view of the second data, wherein causing performance of the corrective action comprises one or more of:

updating a process recipe associated with the substrate;

scheduling corrective maintenance of the processing chamber; or

scheduling preventative maintenance of the processing chamber.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first data comprises in-situ measurements of a substrate in the processing chamber.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least two dimensions comprise frequency of a signal.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first data comprises spectrally resolved data associated with detecting electromagnetic radiation.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the model comprises a physics-based model, and wherein the model is configured to fit parameters to a multi-dimensional fit function.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the model comprises a trained machine learning model.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

receiving first historical data, wherein the first historical data is of the same type as the first data;

receiving second historical data, wherein the second historical data is of the same type as the second data; and

training the machine learning model by providing the first historical data as training input and the second historical data as target output.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein causing performance of the corrective action in view of the second data comprises:

providing a user interface that presents the indication of the evolution of the processing parameter during the processing operation;

receiving, via the user interface, user input; and

determining the corrective action based on the user input.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the process parameter comprises an etch rate or a deposition rate.

10. A system, comprising memory and a processing device coupled to the memory, wherein the processing device is to:

receive first data, wherein the first data comprises data from one or more sensors of a processing chamber associated with a processing operation and indicative of a first property of a substrate, and wherein the first data is multi-dimensional data comprising at least two dimensions, wherein one of the at least two dimensions is time;

provide the first data to a model;

receive, from the model, second data, wherein the second data comprises an indication of an evolution of a processing parameter comprising the first property of the substrate during the processing operation;

determine, based on the second data, that a temporal evolution of the first property is indicative of a corrective action to be performed; and

cause performance of the corrective action in view of the second data, wherein causing performance of the corrective action comprises one or more of:

updating a process recipe associated with the substrate;

scheduling corrective maintenance of the processing chamber; or

scheduling preventative maintenance of the processing chamber.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the first data comprises in-situ measurements of a substrate in the processing chamber.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein one of the at least two dimensions comprises frequency.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the first data comprises data associated with spectrally resolved detection of electromagnetic radiation.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the model comprises a physics-based model, and wherein the model fits a temporal evolution of the first data over a duration associated with the processing operation.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the processing device is further to:

receive first historical data, wherein the first historical data is of the same type as the first data;

receive second historical data, wherein the second historical data is of the same type as the second data; and

training a machine learning model by providing the first historical data as training input and the second historical data as target output.

16. The system of claim 10 , wherein the process parameter comprises an etch rate or a deposition rate.

17. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed, cause a processing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving first data, wherein the first data comprises data generated by one or more sensors of a processing chamber associated with a processing operation and indicative of a first property of a substrate, and wherein the first data is multi-dimensional data comprising at least two dimensions, wherein one of the at least two dimensions is time;

providing the first data to a model;

receiving, from the model, second data, wherein the second data comprises an indication of an evolution of a processing parameter comprising the first property of the substrate during the processing operation;

determining, based on the second data, that a temporal evolution of the first property is indicative of a corrective action to be performed; and

causing performance of the corrective action in view of the second data, wherein causing performance of the corrective action comprises one or more of:

updating a process recipe associated with the substrate;

scheduling corrective maintenance of the processing chamber; or

scheduling preventative maintenance of the processing chamber.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the first data comprises in-situ measurements of a substrate in the processing chamber.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the first data comprises spectrally resolved data associated with detecting electromagnetic radiation.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the model comprises a physics-based model, and wherein the model fits a temporal evolution of the first data over a duration associated with the processing operation.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 11, 2022
From: LIU, CHAO; HAO, YUDONG; LI, SHIFANG; SCHULZE, ANDREAS
To: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
Reel/Frame 059952/0410 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230367302A1 · Nov 16, 2023
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