PARSEC - PROCESS ANALYSIS WITH RECIPE SUPPORT FOR ETCHER CONTROL

Automated process management offers several solutions to the problems associated with an increased number of processes. Most problems stem from an increased number of responsibilities being placed upon the operator. For example, the correct recipe with the proper process conditions must be manually loaded into the etcher. The recipe must then be compared to the process specification. Once processing has begun, endpoint signals plotted on strip chart recorders must be inspected to monitor etch performance. Tracking lot movement and status within an etch process step is another problem that can be addressed by automated process management. PARSEC has been developed to automate processing, perform endpoint signal analysis, and monitor wafer movement within the plasma area. The system provides automatic download of process recipes, detection of defined process problems via automated analysis of endpoint signals, automatic archive of these signals, and automated data logging for increased lot tracking efficiency. © 1990 IEEE