Recipe Trend Graphing for Faster Semiconductor Failure Analysis

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing semiconductor manufacturing systems face challenges in quickly determining the cause of failures due to recipe differences, as current methods require significant time to organize and analyze recipe data, making it difficult to identify trends and overcome failures efficiently.

Innovation Solution

A management apparatus and method that superimposes and displays lot data of different recipes on a single graph, allowing for instant trend analysis and facilitating quick identification of failure causes by comparing recipe trends.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If lot data of different recipes are displayed separately or in traditional formats, then data organization is straightforward, but trend analysis across recipes becomes time-consuming and difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverecipe trend informationVSAvoidfailure analysis time
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges lot data from multiple different recipes into a single unified graph display. The graph superimposes data points from different recipes using different markers or colors, allowing operators to simultaneously view and compare trends across multiple recipes without switching between separate displays or manually organizing data.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent adds a categorical dimension to the graph by incorporating recipe identification markers alongside the traditional time-series or parameter-based dimensions. This allows the graph to encode multiple types of information (temporal trends, parameter variations, and recipe identification) in a single visual space, enabling rapid cross-recipe comparison.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Measurement precision

If detailed recipe data is collected and analyzed manually, then comprehensive failure cause determination is possible, but the process takes significant time

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefailure cause identification accuracyVSAvoidfailure response speed
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system provides immediate visual feedback by automatically plotting lot data from different recipes on a unified graph as data becomes available. The graph dynamically updates to show trends, deviations, and patterns across recipes, enabling operators to quickly identify potential failure causes without waiting for manual analysis completion.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The graph display system automatically performs the analysis function by visually highlighting trends, deviations, and patterns in the superimposed recipe data. The system self-organizes the data presentation to make failure causes apparent through visual inspection, reducing the need for manual data organization and analysis efforts.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP3904978B1Information processing apparatus and information processing method
Publication Date: 2026.04.15 CANON KK
  • EP3904978B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3904978B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3904978B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An information processing apparatus (300) includes an acquisition unit configured to acquire information containing first process data indicating a result of a substrate process in a first process condition (714, 724) and second process data indicating a result of a substrate process in a second process condition (715, 725) different from the first process condition (714, 724), and a display control unit configured to control a display on a display apparatus (306) based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit, wherein the display control unit is configured to display, on the display apparatus (306), a first screen (701, 711) displaying a first data group in which the first process data is arranged chronologically and a second data group in which the second process data is arranged chronologically, the first screen (701, 711) displaying the first data group in a region and the second data group in another region.