Advanced Micro Devices Corporation

Globalfoundries Inc.

Jan Raebiger

Uwe Schulze

Rolf Seltmann

Heiko Wagner

Dirk Wollstein

André Holfeld

Gunter Grasshoff

Gerd Marxsen

Joerg Weigang

Lutz Herrmann

David C Greenlaw

Jens Busch

Andre Holfeld

Uwe Knappe

Robert Barlovic

Andr&eacute; Holfeld

Metrology data associated with a plurality of workpieces processed at a selected operation in the process flow including a plurality of operations is retrieved. A processing context associated with each of the workpieces is determined. The processing context identifies at least one previous tool used to perform an operation on the associated workpiece prior to the selected operation. A plurality of performance metrics is determined for a plurality of tools capable of performing the selected operation based on the metrology data. Each performance metric is associated with a particular tool and a particular processing context. A set of the performance metrics is identified for the plurality of tools having a processing context matching a processing context of a selected workpiece awaiting performance of the selected operation. The selected workpiece is dispatched for processing in a selected one of the plurality of tools based on the set of performance metrics.

Method and apparatus for dispatching workpieces to tools based on processing and performance history

By providing a detailed hierarchical structure for an APC algorithm and by dynamically adapting a hierarchical level in this structure, an efficient utilization of controller data is ensured, while at the same time a large number of process conditions may be taken into consideration without requiring a re-design of the hierarchical structure.

Method of operating an advanced process controller by dynamically adapting hierarchy levels

Methods and systems are disclosed that allow an adjustment of a product parameter, such as operating speed, of a circuit element, such as a field effect transistor, during the fabrication of the device. A manufacturing process downstream of a first controlled process is controlled by a superior control scheme in response to the measurement data of the first and second processes and on the basis of a sensitivity function, which describes the effect a variation of the product parameter generates in the measurement data. The superior control scheme may provide a compensated target value for the downstream process.

Method and system for controlling a product parameter of a circuit element

A method and a controller for the chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) of substrates and, in particular, for the chemical mechanical polishing of metallization layers is disclosed. In a linear model of the CMP process, the erosion of the metallization layer to be treated is determined by the overpolish time and possibly by an extra polish time on a separate polishing platen for polishing the dielectric layer, wherein the CMP inherent characteristics are represented by sensitivity parameters derived empirically. Moreover, the control operation is designed so that even with a certain inaccuracy of the sensitivity parameters due to subtle process variations, a reasonable controller response is obtained.

Method and system for controlling the chemical mechanical polishing of substrates by calculating an overpolishing time and/or a polishing time of a final polishing step

In an improved technique for adjusting an etch time of a resist trim process, additional measurement data representing an optical characteristic, such as the reflectivity of an anti-reflective coating, is used. Since the initial thickness of the resist mask features may significantly depend on the optical characteristics of the anti-reflective coating, the additional measurement data allow compensation for process variations more efficiently as compared to the conventional approach.

Technique for enhancing accuracy of critical dimensions of a gate electrode by using characteristics of an ARC layer

An advanced control system for a photolithography tool that receives measurement data relating to inline parameters varying with position on a substrate surface. The position sensitive measurement data is used to establish a position dependent target offset for an exposure map, thereby effectively compensating for substrate non-uniformities. Since the inline measurement data is available significantly earlier in comparison to electrical measurement data of a completed circuit element, a more accurate exposure map may be obtained taking into account the process history of the substrates.

Method and system for improving exposure uniformity in a step and repeat process

A technique is disclosed that allows alignment of substrates on a run-to-run basis by using the position data of one or more previously aligned substrates to determine a setpoint of a pre-alignment process for one or more subsequent substrates. The setpoint may also be determined on the basis of a predefined characteristic of the substrates to be aligned.

Method and system for improving the efficiency of a mechanical alignment tool

In a method and in a controller for an advanced process control one or more currently valid process states are stored and are compared, upon the occurrence of a reset event, with a subsequent valid process state that has been established after the re-initialization of the process controller. Upon comparison of the previously established process state, including the associated history information to the process state established after occurrence of the reset event on the basis of the newly gathered history information, it is decided whether or not a reset of the process controller has been necessary. If it is assessed that a reset has not been necessary, process control is continued on the basis of the previously established process state and possibly the presently valid process state and the relevant history information. In this way, process accuracy rapidly converges after a reset event has occurred and resetting the process controller is only performed in cases where the reset event has entailed a significant change in any of the involved process components.

Advanced process control for a manufacturing process of a plurality of products with minimized control degradation after re-initialization upon occurrence of reset events

Methods and systems are disclosed that allow an adjustment of an electrical property of a field effect transistor during the fabrication of the device. A manufacturing process downstream of the gate electrode formation step is controlled in response to the measured gate length such that a deviation of the measured gate length is, at least partially, compensated by a subsequent process step in order to maintain the electrical property of the completed field effect transistor within specified tolerances. In one illustrative embodiment, the effective gate length that is defined as the lateral distance of lightly doped regions is controlled so as to substantially maintain it. Moreover, a controller is disclosed that allows the manufacturing of a field effect transistor on a run-to-run basis by which variations of the gate length are at least partially compensated.

Method and system for controlling an electrical property of a field effect transistor

A semiconductor device and a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device with an effective channel length that is less than the physical gate length avoids requiring improving the masking, lithography and etching process steps by increasing the implantation energy of a pre-amorphizing implant. The pre-amorphizing implant is performed after the doping of the source and drain areas and after activation of the dopants. The implantation energy is sufficient to introduce damage into the substrate to allow for increased movement of the dopants in the substrate. Subsequent annealing steps performed during silicidation cause the source and drain areas to expand toward each other and reduce the effective channel length. This channel length reduction leads to improved device performance through higher I.sub.dsat, etc.

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Dresden, Germany

Jan Raebiger