Macronix International Co., Ltd.

Jung-Kuei Lu

Ta-Hung Yang

Chih-Ping Chen

Cheng-Yi Lin

Hsin-Cheng Liu

Mao-I Ting

Shao-Chung Hsu

Yih-Cheng Shih

De-Chuan Liu

The current invention provides a method for analyzing process variations that occur during integrated circuit fabrication. Critical dimension data is collected for each layer of the integrated circuit fabrication process for a period of time and a shift indicator that indicates variation in the critical dimension data for each layer of the integrated circuit fabrication process is calculated. A machine drift significance indicator is also calculated for each machine used in each layer of the integrated circuit fabrication process, and a maximum shift of mean value for each layer of the integrated circuit fabrication process is defined. The shift indicator, the maximum shift of mean value and the machine drift significance indicator are used to determine at least one likely cause of variation in critical dimension for each layer of the integrated circuit fabrication process.

Critical dimension statistical process control in semiconductor fabrication

Growing community of inventors

Hsinchu, Taiwan

Jung-Kuei Lu