Patent ID: 6254717
Filing Date: 2001-07-03
Classification: G01J

Abstract:
A wafer production system, comprising:first and second processing chambers each comprising a wafer access, wherein at least one wafer may be introduced into and removed from each of said first and second processing chambers through said wafer access associated with said first and second processing chambers, respectively;first and second means for evaluating plasma in said first and second processing chambers, respectively, during a plasma process conducted on said at least one wafer, wherein said first means for evaluating comprises means for comparing a pattern of a plot of optical emissions data from a first current plasma process in said first processing chamber at each of a plurality of times with a pattern of at least one plot of optical emissions data from a first stored plasma process previously conducted in said first processing chamber that is stored on a computer-readable storage medium in association with said first stored plasma process, wherein said computer-readable storage medium comprises a plurality of said plots of optical emissions data from a plurality of different times in said first stored plasma process, wherein said second means for evaluating comprises means for comparing a pattern of a plot of optical emissions data from a second current plasma process in said second processing chamber at each of a plurality of times with a pattern of at least one plot of optical emissions data from a second stored plasma process previously conducted in said second processing chamber that is stored on said computer-readable storage medium in association with said second stored plasma process, wherein said computer-readable storage medium comprises a plurality of said plots of optical emissions data from a plurality of different times in said second stored plasma process, wherein each said plot from said first current plasma process, said first stored plasma process, said second current plasma process, and said second stored plasma process is of raw optical emissions data at a fixed point in time over a fixed wavelength range and with a maximum spacing between adjacent wavelengths throughout said fixed wavelength range being 1 nanometer; andmeans for distributing wafers to said first and second processing chambers, said means for distributing being operatively interfaced with each of said first and second means for evaluating, wherein an output from said first and second means for evaluating has an effect on a distribution sequence used by said means for distributing.