Patent · US Active

Method to characterize post-processing data in terms of individual contributions from processing stations

US11709432B2 · kind B2 · utility

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20Claims
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Key dates

Filing dateSep 19, 2019
Grant dateJul 25, 2023
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 3, 2040

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02P90/02
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A method for characterizing post-processing data in terms of individual contributions from processing stations, the post-processing data relating to a manufacturing process for manufacturing integrated circuits on a plurality of substrates using a corresponding processing apparatus for each of a plurality of process steps, at least some of the processing apparatuses each including a plurality of the processing stations, and wherein the combination of processing stations used to process each substrate defines a process thread for the substrate; the method including: obtaining post-processing data associated with processing of the plurality of substrates in a cyclic sequence of processing threads; and determining an individual contribution of a particular processing station by comparing a subset of the post-processing data corresponding to substrates having shared process sub-threads, wherein a process sub-thread describes the process steps of each process thread other than the process step to which the particular processing station corresponds.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.