Patent · US Expired

Semiconductor factory automation system and method for resetting process recipe by employing trace file

US6438441B1 · kind B1 · utility

15Cited by
26References
21Claims
0Family size

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Key dates

Filing dateJun 28, 2000
Grant dateAug 20, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 21, 2020

Classification

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

Abstract

A method for resetting a process recipe in a semiconductor factory automation (FA) system, includes the steps of: a) sending the process recipe and a lot identifier inputted from an operator to a process equipment, wherein the process recipe represents a set of semiconductor process conditions corresponding to a lot of semiconductor wafers and the lot identifier corresponds to the lot of semiconductor wafers; b) processing the lot of semiconductor wafers according to the process recipe; c) measuring the processed lot of semiconductor wafers to generate semiconductor measurement data; d) writing the semiconductor measurement data to a trace file, wherein the trace file includes the process recipe, the semiconductor measurement data and the lot identifier; e) retrieving the semiconductor measurement data contained in the trace file in response to a retrieval command inputted from the operator; and f) resetting the process recipe in response to a reset command inputted from the operator if the process recipe is not conformable, wherein the operator compares reference data with the retrieved semiconductor measurement data to determine whether the process recipe is conformable.

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