US 12,032,355 B2
Virtual metrology model based seasoning optimization
Jun Shinagawa, Fremont, CA (US); Brian Pfeifer, Hopewell Junction, NY (US); John Solis, Austin, TX (US); Brian Gessler, Hillsboro, OR (US); Koichiro Nakamura, Miyagi (JP); and Yutaka Hirooka, Hillsboro, OR (US)
Assigned to Tokyo Electron Limited, Tokyo (JP)
Filed by Tokyo Electron Limited, Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Mar. 31, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/710,362.
Prior Publication US 2023/0315047 A1, Oct. 5, 2023
Int. Cl. G05B 19/4099 (2006.01); H01J 37/32 (2006.01)
CPC G05B 19/4099 (2013.01) [H01J 37/32963 (2013.01); G05B 2219/45031 (2013.01); H01J 37/32935 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for detecting an endpoint of a seasoning process for a plasma tool, the method comprising:
(a) operating the plasma tool to run a seasoning recipe on at least one seasoning wafer before running a monitoring recipe on at least one monitoring wafer;
(b) collecting, while running the monitoring recipe on the monitoring wafer, monitoring data associated with the running the monitoring recipe;
(c) generating an estimated product parameter using a virtual metrology (VM) model that is configured to estimate a product parameter using the monitoring data, wherein the VM model is based on production data associated with running a production recipe on production wafers and product parameters of the production wafers measured after the running the production recipe; and
(d) obtaining the endpoint of the seasoning process by repeating (a), (b) and (c), wherein the endpoint is obtained when the estimated product parameter stabilizes.