Patent ID: 7899637
Filing Date: 2011-03-01
Classification: G06F,H01L

Abstract:
1. A method of creating a gate-optimization evaluation library comprising: receiving a plurality of gate-optimization wafers by a first transfer subsystem in a processing system, the first transfer subsystem being coupled to a first group of subsystems, each gate-optimization wafer having wafer data associated therewith, wherein the wafer data includes historical and/or real-time data; establishing a library-creation sequence for each gate-optimization wafer, the library-creation sequence being used to create a library of gate-optimization evaluation data, the library-creation sequence being created using the wafer data, wherein the library-creation sequence comprises a gate-etch procedure, a chemical oxide removal (COR)-etch procedure, or a gate-optimization evaluation procedure, or any combination thereof; performing a first gate-etch procedure using one or more of the gate-optimization wafers, wherein one or more gate-etched wafers are created by the first gate-etch procedure and one or more gate-etch features are created at a first number of evaluation sites on each of the gate-etched wafers; performing a first gate-etch evaluation procedure using a first gate-etch evaluation wafer, wherein first gate-etch risk data is established for the first gate-etch evaluation wafer by using gate-etch data from a gate-optimization evaluation library; identifying the first gate-etch evaluation wafer as a verified gate-etch wafer when the first gate-etch risk data is less than or equal to a first gate-etch risk limit; and obtaining additional evaluation data and identifying the first gate-etch evaluation wafer as an unverified gate-etch wafer when the first gate-etch risk data is greater than the first gate-etch risk limit, wherein the identifying the first gate-etch evaluation wafer as a verified gate-etch wafer further comprises: selecting a first site from the first number of evaluation sites on the first gate-etch evaluation wafer, wherein the first site has a first gate-etch feature associated therewith that was created using the first gate-etch procedure; obtaining first gate-etch evaluation data from the first site on the first gate-etch evaluation wafer wherein the first site has first gate-etch measurement data associated therewith; establishing first predicted gate-etch data for the first site on the first gate-etch evaluation wafer, wherein the first predicted gate-etch data comprises predicted gate-etch measurement data; establishing first gate-etch confidence data using a first difference calculated using the first gate-etch evaluation data and the first predicted gate-etch data; and establishing the first gate-etch risk data for the first gate-etch evaluation wafer using the gate-etch confidence data, the first difference, or the wafer data, or any combination thereof.