Lam Research Corporation

Applied Materials, Inc.

Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc.

Vijayakumar C Venugopal

Eric A Pape

Ashish Kumar

Sathyendra Ghantasala

Hyun-Ho Doh

Gunsu Yun

Brian D Choi

Luc Albarede

Jean-Paul Booth

Mark Robert Denome

Andrew J Perry

Ching-Hong Hsieh

Vijai Thangamany

Vikram Singh

Richard John Hertel

Dragan Valentin Podlesnik

Neil Martin Paul Benjamin

Tom A Kamp

Alan Jeffrey Miller

Ernest E Allen

Andreas Neuber

Chung Ho Huang

Norman Williams

Ramachandra Murthy Gunturi

Stephen C Wolgast

Somil Kapadia

Connie Lam

Niladri Roy

Jiangxin Wang

Andrew James Perry

Somil Kapdia

A method includes determining, by a processing device, a first eco-efficiency characterization associated with a first design of manufacturing equipment based on one or more of water eco-efficiency characterization, emissions eco-efficiency characterization, or electrical energy eco-efficiency characterization. The water eco-efficiency characterization, the emissions eco-efficiency characterization, the electrical energy eco-efficiency characterization, and the first eco-efficiency characterization are associated with an amount of environmental impact generated by the manufacturing equipment per unit product produced by the manufacturing equipment. The method further includes comparing the first eco-efficiency characterization to a second eco-efficiency characterization that is associated with a second design of the manufacturing equipment. The method further includes implementing the second design of the manufacturing equipment responsive to determining, based on the comparing, that the second eco-efficiency characterization is associated with a lower amount of environmental impact per unit product than the first eco-efficiency characterization.

Eco-efficiency characterization tool

Methods of operating and assembling a plasma chamber are disclosed. An operating method includes tuning a match network of a plasma chamber while running a non-plasma discharge recipe. A hardware impedance of the plasma chamber is calculated from the match network settings from the tuning. A match loss for the plasma chamber is also calculated according to match network settings. A radio frequency (RF) power setting for the first plasma chamber is set according to the calculated hardware impedance and the calculated match loss. Such methods can be utilized to provide chamber-to-chamber performance matching across different plasma chambers. Certain disclosed methods of operating the plasma chamber can be utilized to identify hardware faults during operation and/or assembly processes.

Methods and apparatuses for plasma chamber matching and fault identification

A method of assigning faults to a processing chamber is described. Some embodiments include applying a radio frequency (RF) signal to a processing chamber to stimulate resonance in the chamber, measuring resonances of the applied RF signal in the chamber, extracting a fingerprint from the measured resonances, comparing the extracted fingerprint to a library of fingerprints, assigning a similarity index to combinations of the extracted fingerprint with at least one fingerprint in the fingerprint library, comparing each similarity index to a threshold, and if the similarity is greater than a threshold, then assigning a fault to the processing chamber using the library fingerprint.

Processing chamber hardware fault detection using spectral radio frequency analysis

Embodiments of a system, a gas panel and method thereof having reduced exhaust requirements for the delivery of gases include distributing an inert gas in at least one interior portion of the gas panel in which a gas to be delivered by the gas panel is present. Embodiments can further include monitoring for leaks in the interior portion of the gas panel and, in response to a detected leak, increasing the distribution of the inert gas in at least the portion of the gas panel in which the leak was detected. Embodiments may further include exhausting gases out of the gas panel. In such embodiments, in response to a detected leak, a rate of the exhausting of the gases is increased. The gas panel can also be sealed to reduce an amount of gas that leaks out of or air that enters into the gas panel.

Gas panel apparatus and method for reducing exhaust requirements

A method for wafer point by point analysis includes receiving a selection of manufacturing equipment, utility use data, and utilization data. A water eco-efficiency characterization is calculated based on the utilization data and the utility use data. An emissions eco-efficiency characterization is calculated based on the utilization data and the utility use data. An electrical energy eco-efficiency characterization is calculated based on the utilization data and the utility use data. A combined eco-efficiency characterization is calculated based on the utilization data and water eco-efficiency characterization, emissions eco-efficiency characterization, and electrical energy eco-efficiency characterizations. The combined eco-efficiency characterization is provided for display by a graphical user interface.

A processing apparatus may include a plasma chamber to house a plasma; and an extraction assembly disposed along a side of the plasma chamber. The extraction assembly may be configured to direct ions from the plasma to a substrate, wherein the ions generate etched species comprising material that is etched from the substrate; and wherein the extraction assembly comprises at least one component having a recess that faces the substrate and is configured to intercept and retain the etched species.

Apparatus and method for efficient materials use during substrate processing

A method for automatically detecting fault conditions and classifying the fault conditions during substrate processing is provided. The method includes collecting processing data by a set of sensors during the substrate processing. The method also includes sending the processing data to a fault detection/classification component. The method further includes performing data manipulation of the processing data by the fault detection/classification component. The method yet also includes executing a comparison between the processing data and a plurality of fault models stored within a fault library. Each fault model of the plurality of fault models represents a set of data characterizing a specific fault condition. Each fault model includes at least a fault signature, a fault boundary, and a set of principal component analysis (PCA) parameters.

Automatic fault detection and classification in a plasma processing system and methods thereof

A process-level troubleshooting architecture (PLTA) configured to facilitate substrate processing in a plasma processing system is provided. The architecture includes a process module controller. The architecture also includes a plurality of sensors, wherein each sensor of the plurality of sensors communicates with the process module controller to collect sensed data about one or more process parameters. The architecture further includes a process-module-level analysis server, wherein the process-module-level analysis server communicates directly with the plurality of sensors and the process module controller. The process-module-level analysis server is configured for receiving data, wherein the data include at least one of the sensed data from the plurality of sensors and process module and chamber data from the process module controller. The process-module-level analysis server is also configured for analyzing the data and sending interdiction data directly to the process module controller when a problem is identified during the substrate processing.

Arrangement for identifying uncontrolled events at the process module level and methods thereof

A test system for facilitating determining whether a plasma processing system (which includes a plasma processing chamber) is ready for processing wafers. The test system may include a computer-readable medium storing at least a test program. The test program may include code for receiving electric parameter values derived from signals detected by at least one sensor when no plasma is present in the plasma processing chamber. The test program may also include code for generating electric model parameter values using the electric parameter values and a mathematical model. The test program may also include code for comparing the electric model parameter values with baseline model parameter value information. The test program may also include code for determining readiness of the plasma processing system based on the comparison. The test system may also include circuit hardware for performing one or more tasks associated with the test program.

Determining plasma processing system readiness without generating plasma

A method for detecting an in-situ fast transient event within a processing chamber during substrate processing is provided. The method includes a set of sensors comparing a data set to a set of criteria (in-situ fast transient events) to determine if the first data set includes a potential in-situ fast transient event. If the first data set includes the potential in-situ fast transient event, the method also includes saving an electrical signature that occurs in a time period during which the potential in-situ fast transient event occurs. The method further includes comparing the electrical signature against a set of stored arc signatures. If a match is determined, the method yet also includes classifying the electrical signature as a first in-situ fast transient event and determining a severity level for the first in-situ fast transient event based on a predefined set of threshold ranges.

A method for automatically identifying an optimal endpoint algorithm for qualifying a process endpoint during substrate processing within a plasma processing system is provided. The method includes receiving sensor data from a plurality of sensors during substrate processing of at least one substrate within the plasma processing system, wherein the sensor data includes a plurality of signal streams from a plurality of sensor channels. The method also includes identifying an endpoint domain, wherein the endpoint domain is an approximate period within which the process endpoint is expected to occur. The method further includes analyzing the sensor data to generate a set of potential endpoint signatures. The method yet also includes converting the set of potential endpoint signatures into a set of optimal endpoint algorithms. The method yet further includes importing one optimal endpoint algorithm of the set of optimal endpoint algorithms into production environment.

Methods for constructing an optimal endpoint algorithm

A method for assessing health status of a processing chamber is provided. The method includes executing a recipe. The method also includes receiving processing data from a set of sensors during execution of the recipe. The method further includes analyzing the processing data utilizing a set of multi-variate predictive models. The method yet also includes generating a set of component wear data values. The method yet further includes comparing the set of component wear data values against a set of useful life threshold ranges. The method moreover includes generating a warning if the set of component wear data values is outside of the set of useful life threshold ranges.

Methods and apparatus for predictive preventive maintenance of processing chambers

A processing system having a chamber for in-situ optical interrogation of plasma emission to quantitatively measure normalized optical emission spectra is provided. The processing chamber includes a confinement ring assembly, a flash lamp, and a set of quartz windows. The processing chamber also includes a plurality of collimated optical assemblies, the plurality of collimated optical assemblies are optically coupled to the set of quartz windows. The processing chamber also includes a plurality of fiber optic bundles. The processing chamber also includes a multi-channel spectrometer, the multi-channel spectrometer is configured with at least a signal channel and a reference channel, the signal channel is optically coupled to at least the flash lamp, the set of quartz windows, the set of collimated optical assemblies, the illuminated fiber optic bundle, and the collection fiber optic bundle to measure a first signal.

Methods and apparatus for normalizing optical emission spectra

A method for predicting etch rate uniformity for qualifying health status of a processing chamber during substrate processing of substrates is provided. The method includes executing a recipe and receiving processing data from a first set of sensors. The method further includes analyzing the processing data utilizing a subsystem health check predictive model to determine calculated data, which includes at least one of etch rate data and uniformity data. The subsystem health check predictive model is constructed by correlating measurement data from a set of film substrates with processing data collected during analogous processing of a set of non-film substrates. The method yet also includes performing a comparison of the calculated data against a set of control limits as defined by the subsystem health check predictive model. The method yet further includes generating a warning if the calculated data is outside of the set of control limits.

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Berkely, CA, United States of America

Vijayakumar C Venugopal