Patent ID: 7531368
Filing Date: 2009-05-12
Classification: G03F,G05B,Y02P

Abstract:
1. A method of processing a plurality of wafers comprising: receiving the plurality of wafers by a processing system, the processing system including Site-Dependent (S-D) and Non-Site-Dependent (N-S-D) subsystems, each wafer having wafer data associated therewith, wherein the wafer data includes S-D confidence data and/or N-S-D confidence data; establishing a first set of S-D wafers using the S-D confidence data and/or N-S-D confidence data; determining first S-D processing sequences for the first set of S-D wafers, the first set of S-D wafers being processed in first S-D subsystems using the first S-D processing sequences, wherein wafer state data is used to establish the first S-D processing sequences; transferring the first set of S-D wafers to one or more first S-D processing elements in the first S-D subsystems, the first S-D processing sequences being used to determine the one or more first S-D processing elements; collecting first S-D subsystem processing data before, during, and/or after the first S-D processing sequences are performed using the first set of S-D wafers; establishing first S-D confidence data for one or more wafers in the first set of S-D wafers using the wafer data and/or the first S-D subsystem processing data; establishing additional sets of S-D wafers using the first S-D confidence data, the S-D confidence data, or the N-S-D confidence data, or any combination thereof; and transferring the additional sets of S-D wafers to one or more additional S-D processing elements in additional subsystems, with additional S-D processing sequences being used to determine the one or more additional S-D processing elements.