JPH11219996A - Thin film quality comprehensive analysis support system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To allow efficient failure analysis, by providing effective combination of failure analysis attribute and analysis tool and assay tool. SOLUTION: A storage device 4 comprises a characteristics factor knowledge data 1 where factor items related to target factor for each process are accumulated, an analysis tool knowledge data 2 where an analysis tool information usable for each type of data, and an assay tool knowledge data 3 where an assay tool information assayable for each data to be a factor are accumulated. A control device 9 deduces a factor based on the characteristics factor knowledge data 1 by user's input of abnormality causing factor, deduces an analysis tool corresponding to each of interested factor based on the analysis tool knowledge data 2, deduces an assay tool corresponding to each of interested factor based on the assay tool knowledge data 3, and outputs it to an output device.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention provides efficient combination of failure analysis data and analysis tools and analysis tools in the field of thin film products such as semiconductor products, thereby improving the efficiency of failure analysis. The present invention relates to a thin film quality integrated analysis support system suitable for realization.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a production line for a thin film product such as a semiconductor product, a workpiece is processed through a plurality of manufacturing facilities in accordance with a process flow set in advance for each workpiece, and an inspection process during the production is performed. Perform quality inspection of dimensions, misalignment, film thickness, appearance, number of foreign substances, etc. In the final stage of the process flow, it is essential to inspect the product characteristics with a probe inspection facility and analyze the cause of the failure determined as a defective chip or a defective cell in order to improve the yield. As this failure analysis method, there is an inspection data analysis system which compares a defective chip of the workpiece with a foreign matter inspection result and an appearance inspection result and analyzes a manufacturing process caused by the quality inspection data (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 03-44054). No.).

Further, based on the coordinates of a foreign substance or a defective cell, S
2. Description of the Related Art When observing with an electron microscope such as an EM, or analyzing a component of a foreign substance using an analytical facility such as an emission analyzer, it is widely performed to estimate a cause of a defect.

[0004] It is also possible to collect equipment monitor data when a manufacturing facility treats a workpiece, and there is an international standard "1" that defines communication specifications for online collection.
993 SEMI INTERNALION ST
ANDARDS. "

In the field of failure diagnosis expert systems, a causal relationship rule base between a failure phenomenon and a component of the device has been conventionally constructed in order to diagnose the cause of the failure of the device. There is a failure diagnosis support system aiming at easily correcting the problem (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 07-84795).

[0006]

As described above, when the inspection result becomes abnormal in the standard value judgment of the quality inspection data in the course of manufacturing, it is necessary to specify the factor of the manufacturing equipment which causes the abnormality. In the inspection data analysis system disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 03-44054, the manufacturing process in question can be narrowed down based on the inspection data. However, since it does not support which data item of the manufacturing equipment is closely related to the cause of the defect, Relying on the prerequisite knowledge of each user, efficient analysis was not always possible.

In addition, since it becomes possible to collect equipment monitor data when a manufacturing equipment processes a workpiece, it is possible to analyze more detailed factors as compared with a conventional analysis method mainly based on inspection data. However, for example, in the case of etching equipment, for example, it is possible to collect about 450 items of equipment monitor data for one process, and from this, the data items that cause a defect are firstly obtained. Because attention must be paid, individual differences appear in the analysis.

[0008] This is because process technicians and PQC staff who analyze the cause of failure have different prerequisite knowledge.
This is because there is a difference in the knowledge of which factors to focus on. Even with other sites that manufacture the same product, the premise knowledge is different because each person in charge is different, and similarly, efficient analysis could not be supported.

Further, as in the failure diagnosis support system disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H07-84795, a causality rule base is created using failure phenomena as failure results and equipment components as inspection data items or equipment monitor data items. Does not support the analysis of the data of interest with which analysis tool, or which analysis tool, when the data item to be focused on or the factor for which you want to analyze the details in detail is found. Therefore, efficient analysis was not always possible.

[0010]

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention does not rely only on the prerequisite knowledge of individual users when performing a failure analysis of a thin film product. Characteristic factor knowledge data that stores causal factor items, analysis tool knowledge data that stores analysis tool information that can be used for each data type, and analysis tool information that can be analyzed for each factor data are stored. Analysis tool knowledge data, the control device has an integrated analysis knowledge guidance unit, and based on the characteristic factor knowledge data, means for deriving the factor from the abnormality occurrence factor input from the input device, based on the analysis tool knowledge data Means for deriving an analysis tool corresponding to each factor of interest, and means for deriving an analysis tool corresponding to each factor of interest based on analysis tool knowledge data , To provide a thin film quality integrated analysis support system characterized by outputting the analysis tools and analysis tools the deduced the cause and corresponding to the output device.

When an analysis tool is actually used, it has a history of processing of a workpiece in a thin film product manufacturing line, processing parameters of a manufacturing facility, and actual data accumulating various inspection results of an inspection facility. The analysis knowledge guidance department obtains the actual data necessary for the analysis from the above actual data for each derived analysis tool, and analyzes the results.
A thin film quality integrated analysis support system characterized by causing the output device to output.

Further, when a factor for which further analysis is desired is found, the integrated analysis knowledge guidance unit instructs an analysis person to perform analysis by a network communication means such as a mail for each analysis tool derived. A thin film quality integrated analysis support system is provided in which an analysis tool is remotely operated via a network, and the analysis result of the object is output to the output device after the analysis is completed.

[0013]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing one embodiment of a system configuration of the present invention. In the system of the present embodiment, the storage device 4, the control device 9, the input device 10, and the output device 1
And 1.

The storage device 4 stores characteristic factor knowledge data 1 storing factor items having a causal relationship with an objective factor for each process,
It has analysis tool knowledge data 2 that stores analysis tool information that can be used for each type of data, and analysis tool knowledge data 3 that stores analysis tool information that can be analyzed for each factor data.

The control device 9 comprises a failure factor knowledge acquiring means 5 for deriving the factor from the failure phenomenon input from the input device based on the characteristic factor knowledge data 1 and an analysis tool knowledge data 2 for each factor of interest. Analysis tool knowledge acquisition means 6 for deriving a corresponding analysis tool, analysis tool knowledge analysis means 7 for deriving a corresponding analysis tool for each factor of interest based on the analysis tool knowledge data 3, and an input device 10 such as a keyboard or a mouse. The integrated analysis knowledge guidance unit 8 which outputs the factors derived from the knowledge acquisition means and the information of the corresponding analysis tools and analysis tools to the output device 11 such as a CRT based on the determined abnormality occurrence factor to provide the user with guidance is provided. Have.

Next, the contents of data 1 to data 3 managed by the storage device 4 will be described. Characteristic factor knowledge data 1
Consists of a basic characteristic factor data table, a facility-specific characteristic factor data table, and an all process characteristic factor data table. In conventional quality control, a characteristic factor diagram (commonly known as a fishbone diagram) that illustrates the relationship between characteristics (results of processes) and causes that are considered to affect them technically is created, and the relative consequences of each process are created. Organizing relationships has been done. The characteristic factor knowledge data 1 is obtained by organizing such characteristic factor diagrams as knowledge and accumulating them in a database. However, in the case of the semiconductor product of the present embodiment, film formation,
For each typical process of oxidation / diffusion, photolithography, etching, and ion implantation, characteristics (objective factors) and typical causes (factors) considered to have a causal relationship to the objective factors are summarized. This is a factor data table.

At this time, the objective factor of the certain process A is set so that the etching time, which is one of the factors of the etching process, has a causal relationship with the film thickness which is the objective factor of the previous film forming process.
It also includes the causal relationship when it is a factor in another process. FIG. 2 shows an example of a basic characteristic factor data table in the case of etching. When the objective factor is a dimension, a factor group in which individual factors are summarized includes process conditions and equipment management, and is a result of listing typical factors for each factor group.

The equipment-specific characteristic factor data table is based on the basic characteristic factor data table. Specifically, in the manufacturing equipment used in the process of processing a workpiece, data that can be controlled and collected and the equipment state are stored. Because different parts and maintenance methods affect each other, more detailed data items are collected for each manufacturing facility. In this equipment-specific characteristic factor data table, the importance as viewed from the engineer is set. 4 shows an example of a characteristic factor data table for each facility in the case of the plasma dry etching facility A shown in FIG.
The factors are the results listed as data that can be actually controlled or collected. As the importance, a value such as a numerical value or a symbol that can be relatively compared is set.

The all-process-characteristic-factor data table is created based on a process flow that differs for each product type. The process flow includes a process name, an order, names of manufacturing facilities and names of inspection facilities that can be used for each process, and the like. Based on the process flow data and the equipment-specific characteristic factor data table, the result of summarizing all processes is the all-process characteristic factor data table. At this time, a specific objective factor may be newly generated for each process. If necessary, the causal relationship between the objective factor and the factor extending between steps may be corrected. FIG. 4 shows an example of an all-process-characteristic-factor data table in the case of a semiconductor product type A. Further, as in the conventional failure analysis support system, the data includes a list of failures found in the final probe inspection and data listing failure states as objective factors of each process considered as a cause thereof.

The analysis tool knowledge data 2 comprises an analysis data classification table, a data type analysis tool correspondence table, and a data item matching table.

The analysis data classification table shown in FIG.
It lists the data that can be actually controlled and collected, and the parts and maintenance methods that affect the equipment status, and shows the correspondence between the results of extracting and classifying the analysis data type from each data item. The analysis data type is a unique value such as an integer-based measured value, a real-number-based measured value, a time base, a position coordinate base, a processing position base, a binary base of 0 or 1, a text base, an image base, and lot information. Classification like name-based. This data type identifies the available analysis tools.

The data type analysis tool correspondence table shown in FIG. 6 is a result of listing correspondences of analysis tools that can be used for each data type combination.
The information of the analysis tool includes, in addition to the analysis tool name, location information such as where the analysis tool is located on the control device on the network, the number of times of use, and the like.

The data item matching table shown in FIG. 7 is used for, for example, a case where the dimension inspection data is correlated with the etching time of the etching equipment, or a case where the coordinates of the defective chip and the coordinates of the foreign particles in a certain process are displayed on the same screen. As described above, when it is necessary to match data between a plurality of different data types and analyze the data, for example, matching can be performed if data of a product name, a process name, and a lot number exist in both of them. This is the result of listing the patterns.

The analysis tool knowledge data 3 is constituted by a factor-specific analysis tool correspondence table. The analysis data correspondence table for each factor shown in FIG. 8 includes the analysis contents that can be analyzed among the factors that have become the factors in the characteristic factor knowledge data 1,
It summarizes the name of the analysis equipment to be actually analyzed, the specification of the analysis equipment, and the analysis instruction information. The analysis instruction information includes information such as a mail address and the like, a method of contacting a person in charge of analysis, an analysis sample, and various instruction items including coordinate data necessary for analysis.

The characteristic factor knowledge data 1, the analysis tool knowledge data 2, and the analysis tool knowledge data 3 described above are created once and registered in the database, and then individually edited by adding or updating the contents of the data. By doing
It is possible to accumulate the latest knowledge information.

Next, a description will be given of an example of a flow for analyzing the cause of the out-of-spec value in the inspection process during the manufacture of a semiconductor product using the present system (FIG. 9).

Step 91: The user uses the keyboard of the input device 10 to input the objective factor of the failure analysis, in this case, the data item out of the inspection standard value. For example, it is assumed that the dimensions after the M1 etching process are out of the standard.

Step 92: The integrated analysis knowledge guidance unit 8 sends the objective factor, for example, M1
Send the etching process dimensions.

Step 93: defect factor knowledge acquiring means 5
Searches for a factor related to the objective factor from the characteristic factor knowledge data 1 created in advance, and transmits the search result to the integrated analysis knowledge guidance unit 8. In this example, a factor related to the M1 etching process size is searched using the all process characteristic factor data table.

Step 94: The integrated analysis knowledge guidance unit 8 displays on the output device 11 the result of sorting the search results according to the factors of high importance.

Step 95: The user selects a factor for which the relationship with the objective factor is desired to be analyzed with reference to the degree of association, for example, a gas pressure in Step 2 using the mouse of the input device 10. Alternatively, for a factor having a high degree of importance, it can be set in advance to proceed to the next step without user input.

Step 96: The integrated analysis knowledge guidance unit 8 transmits the objective factor and the selected factor to the analysis tool knowledge acquisition means 6.

Step 97: Analysis tool knowledge acquisition means 6
Searches the analysis tool knowledge data 2 created in advance for an analysis tool for the objective factor and the selection factor, and transmits the search result to the integrated analysis knowledge guidance unit 8. In this example, a data type is searched for each data item in the analysis data classification table, and a usable analysis tool is searched in the data type analysis tool correspondence table. Next, in the data item matching table, it is determined whether or not analysis is possible by matching between the corresponding data types.

Step 98: The integrated analysis knowledge guidance section 8 outputs the transmitted data items of the individual and combined objective factors and factors, and usable analysis tool name information, for example, a result such as a correlation diagram or a map diagram, to an output device. 11 is displayed. At this time, it is also possible to sort and display by the number of times the analysis tool is used.

FIG. 10 shows an example of an output screen up to step 98. The input unit 101 of the target factor in step 91, the search result factor display unit in step 94, the factor selection unit 102 in step 95, the search result analysis tool display unit 103 in step 98, and the characteristic factor knowledge data 1 used It is composed of a fishbone diagram display section 104 for data contents, an analysis tool activation button 105 described below, and the like.

Further, a method for specifically analyzing the results of processing, such as processing history, processing parameters of manufacturing equipment of a workpiece, and various inspection results of inspection equipment, using search results of analysis tool information will be described. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the system configuration of the present invention. The system of the present embodiment includes a storage device 4, a control device 9, an input device 10, an output device 11, and various analysis tools 13. The storage device 4 also includes actual data 12 in which the processing history of the workpiece, the processing parameters of the manufacturing equipment, and various inspection results of the inspection equipment are accumulated.

The processing flow of the system configuration shown in FIG. 11 will be described (FIG. 12).

Step 121: The user uses the mouse of the input device 10 to select an analysis tool to be used, for example, a correlation diagram or a map diagram from the analysis tool information search result display section 103 on the output screen of FIG.

Step 122: When the user clicks the analysis start button 105 on the output screen of FIG. 10 with a mouse, the integrated analysis knowledge guidance unit 8 temporarily analyzes the location information of the analysis tool on another control device. Even if the tool exists, start the analysis tool via the network and send the data item name.

Step 123: Information necessary for specifying the search of the performance data 12 is stored in various analysis tools 13
Input according to the guidance of.

Step 124: Even if the analysis tool 13 is an analysis tool of another control device, the analysis tool 13 sends the analysis result to the integrated analysis knowledge guidance unit 8 in the case of analysis via a network.

Step 125: The integrated analysis knowledge guidance unit 8 displays the search result on the output device 11.

Next, as another embodiment of the system configuration shown in FIG. 1, when the product characteristics are inspected by a probe inspection facility for manufacturing semiconductor products and the cell is determined to be defective, the cause is determined by using an analysis tool. An example of a flow in the case of performing an analysis will be described (FIG. 13).

Step 131: According to the flow of steps 91 to 94 in FIG. 9, the result of sorting the factors having high importance is displayed on the output device 11. In step 91, the user inputs a failure analysis target factor, in this case, a fail bitmap data item of a failed cell of a probe test result using the input device 10.

Step 132: The user selects, on the screen of the output device 11, a factor whose relationship with the target factor is to be analyzed, for example, a foreign substance with the mouse.

Step 133: The integrated analysis knowledge guidance unit 8 transmits the selected factor to the analysis tool knowledge acquisition means 7.

Step 134: The analysis tool knowledge acquiring means 6 is a factor-based analysis data correspondence table in which the factors selected from the analysis tool knowledge data 3 prepared in advance are used as factors. And transmits the search result to the integrated analysis knowledge guidance unit 8.

Step 135: The integrated analysis knowledge guidance unit 8 transmits the result of the transmitted analysis tool information, for example, SE
The output device 11 displays the shape observation by M, the component analysis by luminescence analysis, and the like.

When performing a failure analysis using the system of this embodiment, the factors are narrowed down to some extent using an analysis tool.
It is possible to select the factors that you want to analyze in detail.
For example, when the analysis is performed according to the analysis support flow shown in FIGS. 9 and 12, the importance of the foreign matter is high as a cause of the fail bit of the defective cell in the probe inspection result, and the fail bit map and the foreign matter map were actually compared by the analysis tool. It is assumed that the result shows that a foreign substance has adhered to the same coordinates. The user further selects a foreign substance as a factor for making an analysis request.

FIG. 14 shows an example of the output screen in step 135. An input unit 141 for an objective factor in step 91 in FIG.
The search result factor display unit of step 94 and the factor selection unit 142 of step 95, the search result analysis tool display unit 143 of step 98, the search result analysis tool display unit 144 of step 135, and the analysis result of the analysis tool of step 125 The display unit 145 includes a display button 145 and an analysis instruction activation button 146 described below.

Further, a case in which a workpiece is specifically analyzed using the search results of the analysis tool information will be described. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the system configuration of the present invention. In the system of the present embodiment, the storage device 4
It has a control device 9, an input device 10, an output device 11, various analysis tools 14, and communication means 15 via a network such as a mail.

The processing flow of the system configuration shown in FIG. 15 will be described (FIG. 16).

Step 161: The user operates the input device 10
Then, from the analysis tool information search result display section 144 in FIG. 14, the analysis contents and the analysis equipment to be actually analyzed, for example, the component analysis, are selected.

Step 162: The user operates the input device 10
For example, X, Y at a specific origin of a foreign substance on a wafer
Create analysis instruction information data required for analysis such as analysis position information.

Step 163: When the user clicks an analysis instruction button 146 on the output screen of FIG. 14 with a mouse, the integrated analysis knowledge guidance unit 8 uses the analysis instruction information of the created analysis tool to send mail or the like. An analysis request is sent to the person in charge of analysis by the network communication means 15.

Step 164: The analysis result analyzed by the analysis person with the analysis tool 14 is transmitted to the user of the requester by the network communication means 15 such as mail. On this occasion,
It is also possible to attach analysis information such as an analyst's comment as a comment.

When the analysis tool 14 can be operated via a network, the user can perform remote analysis via the control device 9 and display the analysis result instead of the analysis result display section 145 of the output device 11. It is.

Further, the user can confirm the analysis result and the analysis result, select another factor with the input device 10, or re-enter the objective factor to continue the failure analysis.

In this embodiment, the characteristic factor knowledge data 1, the analysis tool knowledge data 2, the analysis tool knowledge data 3, and the performance data 12 are stored in the same storage device 4. A storage device may be prepared and held in separate storage devices.

Further, in this embodiment, one control device includes the failure factor knowledge acquiring means 5 and the analysis tool knowledge acquiring means 6
And an analysis tool knowledge analysis unit 7 and an integrated analysis knowledge guidance unit 8. However, two or more control devices may be prepared and the above units may be shared and provided.

[0061]

According to the present invention, in the field of the production of thin film products such as semiconductor products, the purpose factor for which a failure analysis is to be performed is to utilize common knowledge accumulated in a database as to which factor to focus on. It is possible to support efficient analysis based not only on the prerequisite knowledge of the analyst but also on the latest knowledge. Further, the present invention provides a suitable thin film quality integrated analysis support system that provides guidance on an analysis tool capable of analyzing failure analysis data and an analysis tool for performing detailed analysis, and supports an actual tool use environment.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the configuration of a thin film quality integrated analysis support system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a basic characteristic factor data table in one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of an equipment-specific characteristic factor data table in one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of an all-process-characteristic-factor data table in one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of an analysis data classification table in one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a data type analysis tool correspondence table according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a data item matching table according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of a factor-specific analysis tool correspondence table in one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of an analysis tool search flow in one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of an output screen of an analysis tool search result in one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of another system configuration of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of an analysis result display flow in one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of an analysis tool search flow in one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram of an output screen of an analysis tool search result in one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of another system configuration of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram of an analysis instruction flow in one embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... knowledge factor knowledge data, 2 ... analysis tool knowledge data,
3 ... analysis tool knowledge data, 4 ... storage device, 5 ... failure factor knowledge acquisition means, 6 ... analysis tool knowledge acquisition means, 7 ... analysis tool knowledge acquisition means, 8 ... integrated analysis knowledge guidance section, 9 ... control device, 10 ... input device, 11 ... output device,
12: Actual data, 13: Analysis tool, 14: Analysis tool, 15: Communication means via network.

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A thin film product production line having a production facility, an inspection facility, various analysis facilities, and a host system connected via a network, comprising a storage means, a control device, an input device, and an output device. In the thin film quality integrated analysis support system that provides a data item having a causal relationship with the abnormal factor and an analysis tool or an analysis tool based on the input of the abnormal occurrence factor, the storage device has a causal relationship with a target factor for each process. Characteristic factor knowledge data that accumulates factor items, analysis tool knowledge data that accumulates analysis tool information that can be used for each data type, and analysis tool knowledge data that accumulates analysis tool information that can be analyzed for each factor data And the control device has an integrated analysis knowledge guidance section, and based on the characteristic factor knowledge data, the abnormality input from the input device. Means for deriving the factor from the raw factors, means for deriving an analysis tool corresponding to each factor of interest based on the analysis tool knowledge data, means for deriving an analysis tool corresponding to each factor of interest based on the analysis tool knowledge data, A thin film quality integrated analysis support system, wherein the derived factor and a corresponding analysis tool or analysis tool are output to the output device. 2. The integrated analysis knowledge guidance unit according to claim 1, wherein the integrated analysis knowledge guidance unit has a history of processing of a workpiece on a thin film product manufacturing line, processing parameters of manufacturing equipment, and various inspection results of inspection equipment. For each analysis tool derived by means of deriving an analysis tool corresponding to each factor of interest based on the analysis tool knowledge data, obtain the actual data required for analysis from the above actual data and analyze the results analyzed by the above analysis tool. A thin film quality integrated analysis support system, wherein the output is output to the output device. 3. An integrated analysis knowledge guidance unit according to claim 1, wherein said integrated analysis knowledge guidance unit transmits a network communication such as a mail for each analysis tool derived by means for deriving an analysis tool corresponding to each factor of interest based on the analysis tool knowledge data. A thin film quality integrated analysis support characterized by instructing an analysis person to perform analysis by means or remotely operating an analysis tool via a network and outputting the analysis result of the object to the output device after the analysis is completed. system. 4. The characteristic factor knowledge data in the storage device according to claim 1, wherein the characteristic factor knowledge data includes a basic characteristic factor data table,
An integrated thin film quality analysis support system comprising a characteristic factor data table for each facility and a characteristic factor data table for all processes. 5. The thin film quality according to claim 1, wherein the analysis tool knowledge data in the storage device comprises an analysis data classification table, a data type analysis tool correspondence table, and a data item matching table. Integrated analysis support system. 6. The integrated thin film quality analysis support system according to claim 1, wherein the analysis tool knowledge data in the storage device is constituted by a factor-specific analysis tool correspondence table.