"run-to-run control system and operating method of the same"

Abstract

A run-to-run control system and a run-to-run controlling method are proposed. The tool process parameters are real-time collected during the semiconductor process is performed and are regarded as the effective factors in the process for providing an optimal operation variables to the tool for the next process run. After modeling the metrology parameters with a set of the tool process parameters with respect to the semiconductor process for its corresponding process run, a set of optimal operation variables is determined by the controller and output to the tool to modify the process recipe of the process. Hence, the process recipe is real-time changed with the process environment to obtain the optimal process performance.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a control system and a method for operating the system. More particularly, the present invention relates to a run-to-run control system and a run-to-run controlling method. [0003] 2. Description of Related Art [0004] Currently, in the semiconductor process, a metrology process for checking the process performance is performed every several process runs. The metrology process includes several measurement categories, such as thickness, depth, uniformity, critical dimension, defect count, film quality etc. When the result of the metrology process of the current tool shows that the process performance is abnormal, a feed-back signal is transmitted to the process controller of the current tool to modify the current process recipe in order to adjust the process performance to be normal. Sometimes, if the performance shifting of the current tool is not serious, a feed-forward signal is transmit...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0006] Accordingly, at least one objective of the present invention is to provide a run-to-run control system and a run-to-run controlling method for controlling a tool to perform a semiconductor process for a plurality of process runs. During the process is performed by the tool, the tool process parameters are real-time collected. By referring the tool process parameters of the current process run or historic process runs with the metrology parameters of the current process run or the historic process runs, the model for relating the tool process parameters to the metrology parameters is updated for each or several process runs and the process controller can provide the optimal operation variables for the tool every process run based on the modeling result from the model. Hence, the process recipe is real-time changed with the process environment to provide the optimal process performance.

Problems solved by technology

However, the metrology process is not performed for every process run of each wafer since it takes long time to perform the metrology process.

Therefore, the modified process recipe is not the optimal process recipe for the current tool to perform the current semiconductor process on that moment.

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