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.

Date of Patent:
Apr. 09, 2002

Filed:

Jul. 07, 1999
Applicant:
Inventors:

Lalitha Balasubramhanya, Santa Clara, CA (US);

Moshe Sarfaty, Cupertino, CA (US);

Jed Davidow, Santa Clara, CA (US);

Dimitris Lymberopoulos, Santa Clara, CA (US);

Assignee:

Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US);

Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Assistant Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
H01L 2/1302 ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
H01L 2/1302 ;
Abstract

A method and apparatus for monitoring a process by employing principal component analysis are provided. Correlated attributes are measured for the process to be monitored (the production process). Principal component analysis then is performed on the measured correlated attributes so as to generate at least one production principal component; and the at least one production principal component is compared to a principal component associated with a calibration process (a calibration principal component). The calibration principal component is obtained by measuring correlated attributes of a calibration process, and by performing principal component analysis on the measured correlated attributes so as to generate at least one principal component. A principal component having a feature indicative of at least one of a desired process state, process event and chamber state then is identified and is designated as the calibration principal component. Preferably the at least one production principal component is compared to the calibration principal component by computing the inner product of the calibration and production principal components.


Find Patent Forward Citations

Loading…