Patent ID: 6373033
Filing Date: 2002-04-16
Classification: G05B

Abstract:
A temperature-controlled thermal process system, comprising:a softsensor model for generating an estimated wafer temperature from one or more previous susceptor setpoint temperatures, said softsensor model comprising one or more inputs configured to receive said one or more previous susceptor setpoint temperatures, said softsensor model further comprising at least one output configured to provide said estimated wafer temperature, said estimated wafer temperature computed from at least a portion of said previous susceptor setpoint temperatures; a setpoint generator for generating a new susceptor setpoint temperature from a desired wafer temperature provided by a wafer processing recipe and from said estimated wafer temperature; and a model-based predictive temperature controller for controlling a wafer heat source, said new susceptor setpoint temperature provided to a control input of said model-based predictive temperature controller, and said susceptor temperature provided to a feedback input of said model-based predictive temperature controller.