The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 05, 2002
Filed:
Mar. 08, 1999
Warren T. Yu, San Jose, CA (US);
Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Abstract
In order to optimize the speed performance of a microprocessor, mapping of the critical dimension of predetermined features, such as ring oscillators, test transistors, turning forks WET transistors etc., it carried out at various stages of the manufacturing process. For example, a reticle is mapped, the etch mask is produced from the effect of the image on the resist layer, and the results of the etching can be respectively mapped. The data gleaned from these mappings are use to determine from the end result, what stage or operation in a new manufacturing process which should be adjusted to improve the quality of the end product. Therefore, when a new manufacturing process is introduced into production, it is possible to run the process and then work back via the collected critical dimension data to determined appropriate changes in the settings of a manufacturing process, etching process, resist formulation or the like, to improve the resulting semiconductor device and the associated microprocessor speed performance.