Patent ID: 7765077
Filing Date: 2010-07-27
Classification: H01L

Abstract:
1. A method of creating a Spacer-Optimization (S-O) evaluation library comprising: receiving a plurality of S-O substrates by a first transfer subsystem in a processing system, the first transfer subsystem being coupled to a first group of subsystems, each S-O substrate having substrate data associated therewith, wherein the substrate data includes historical and/or real-time data, wherein the S-O substrates comprise a plurality of S-O structures, each S-O substrate having one or more spacer layers, the plurality of S-O structures including a plurality of gate structures and one or more evaluation structures; establishing a library-creation sequence for each S-O substrate, the library-creation sequence being used to create a library of S-O evaluation data, the library-creation sequence being created using the substrate data, wherein the library-creation sequence comprises a partial-etch procedure, a Chemical Oxide Removal (COR)-etch procedure, or a S-O evaluation procedure, or any combination thereof; performing a first partial-etch procedure using one or more of the S-O substrates, wherein the one or more spacer layers on the S-O substrates are partially etched, and one or more partially-etched evaluation structures are created at a first number of partial-etch sites on one or more partially-etched substrates; obtaining first optical data from a first partial-etch site on a first partial-etch evaluation substrate selected from the one or more partially-etched substrates; obtaining first library data from an S-O evaluation library; establishing a first partial-etch risk factor for the first partial-etch evaluation substrate using first differences between the first optical data and the first library data; identifying the first optical data as historical data in the library when the first partial-etch risk factor is less than or equal to a first partial-etch risk limit, wherein a first amount of partial-etch risk is allowed; storing the first optical data as verified data in the S-O evaluation library when the first partial-etch risk factor is greater than the first partial-etch risk limit and the first partial-etch risk factor is less than or equal to a second partial-etch risk limit, wherein a second amount of partial-etch risk is allowed; and performing a first corrective action and identifying the first optical data as unverified data when the first partial-etch risk factor is greater than the second partial-etch risk limit, wherein one or more corrective actions can be performed during risk mitigation.