Request on EEQA upon Equipment Installation
Version 1.0-7

Requirement on
Enhanced Equipment Quality Assurance
upon Equipment Installation (EEQA)

Version 1.0-7[2005/06/9]

Japan Electronics Information Technology Association (JEITA)
Semiconductor Leading Edge Technologies (Selete)

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Table of Contents

1.

Background .................................................................................................................. 5
1.1. Activity Framework .............................................................................................. 5
1.2. Outline...................................................................................................................6
1.2.1 History ................................................................................................................. 6
1.2.2. Expansion of EES Concept ................................................................................ 7
1.2.3. Purpose of This Guidebook ................................................................................ 7
1.3. Related Guidelines in Equipment Engineering Capabilities Guiidelines .......... 9
2. Purpose of Enhancement in Equipment QA ............................................................. 12
3. Common Focus Areas in EEQA ................................................................................. 14
4. Process Set-up Functionality..................................................................................... 16
5. Agreement Formation Procedure of Details of EEQA.............................................. 17
6. Contents of QA Enhancement ................................................................................... 19
6.1. Check List as a Media for EEQA Collaboration ................................................ 19
6.2. Outline of EEQA Checklist ................................................................................. 19
7. EEQA Checklist Example .......................................................................................... 23
7.1. Characteristic Metrics Example......................................................................... 23
7.2. Detailed Example of EEQA Contents ................................................................ 25
8. EEQA Checklist.......................................................................................................... 27
8.1. EEQA Item Checklist for Equipment Purchasing (issued by users) ................ 27
8.2. EEQA Item Checklist for Equipment Delivery (issued by suppliers)............... 30
8.3. EEQA Contents Captured in EEQA Checklist for Equipment Delivery .......... 32
9. Practical Use of EE Data during Equipment Operation .......................................... 34
9.1. Utilization of EE Data during Equipment Production Period .......................... 34
9.2. Utilization of EE data at the time of equipment maintenance / repair............ 34
9.3. Utilization of EE Data at Modification of Equipment....................................... 35
9.4. Utilization of EE Data at Disposal of Equipment (Relocation)......................... 35
10.
Appendix ................................................................................................................. 36
10.1.
Glossary ........................................................................................................... 36
10.2.
Acronyms (as of March 2004).......................................................................... 41
10.3.
Contact Information (as of March 2004) ........................................................ 41

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Table of Figures

Fig. 1

Industry Collaboration Scheme of EES Development as of March 2004 ...................... 5

Fig. 2

EES Development Activity History......................................................................... 6

Fig. 3

EES Service Examples by Business Regimes ........................................................... 8

Fig. 4

Important EEC Guidelines for EES Start Up .......................................................... 9

Fig. 5

Scheme of EE Data Sharing ................................................................................ 10

Fig. 6

MTTR Analysis for Process Tools on Factory Floor ................................................. 12

Fig. 7Focus Area for EEQA Upon Equipment Ramp-up................................................... 14

Fig. 8

Two Regimes of Interest; Process Set-up Capability Performance and Product Quantity

Performance ........................................................................................................... 15
Fig. 9Focus Area for EEQA Upon Ramp-Up ................................................................. 16

Fig. 10

Business Flow Assumed .................................................................................... 17

Fig. 11Equipment Capability Representations ............................................................... 19

Fig. 12Capability Axis and Performance Metrics Axis ..................................................... 20

Fig. 13

EEQA Checklist as a Jump Table for QA Contents ............................................... 23

Fig. 14

QA Contents Example (1) .................................................................................. 24

Fig. 15QA Contents Example (2) .................................................................................. 24

Fig. 16

QA Contents Example (3) .................................................................................. 24

Fig. 17

Life Cycle for Semiconductor Process Equipment (translation version of SEAJ’s EES

Business Model Study Report) .................................................................................. 34
Fig. 18

Transient/Stability/Repeatability/Fidelity ........................................................... 40

TablesTable 1

Purpose of EEQA Upon Equipment Ramp-Up ..................................................... 12

Table 2Equipment QA Enhancement Expectations ......................................................... 15

Table 3

Example of Capability Axis (1) .......................................................................... 20

Table 4

Example of Performance Metrics Axis (2) ............................................................ 21

Table 5

Performance Metrics Example........................................................................... 22

Table 6

Details of EEQA Contents Example ................................................................... 25

Table 7

Example of EEQA Item List Presumably Issued by Equipment User ..................... 28

Table 8

Example of EEQA Item List Presumably Issued by Equipment Supplier (Etcher case)31

Table 9

Example of EEQA Detailed Contents ................................................................. 33

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1.

Background

1.1.

Activity Framework

The Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology Committee of Japan Electronics
Information Technology Association (JEITA) has selected the action challenges which
the industry should face with among the challenges of semiconductor manufacturingissues and possible solutions discussed at the Factory Integration Technology Working
Group (FITWG) of Semiconductor Technology Roadmap of Japan/the International
Technology Roadmap of Semiconductor (ITRS). The selected challenges have beensummarized in the form of users’ guideline as the requirements from device
manufacturers.
The Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology Committee of JEITA also has beenpromoting to the semiconductor related industry the direction of the technology
development and of the response based on the guideline.
Semiconductor Leading Edge Technologies (Selete), has carried out the examinationof further detail requirements and the system specification for materializing the users’
guideline, the examination of system from business standpoint, and the verification of
fundamental technologies from implementation viewpoint. Furthermore, Selete
participates in the standardization activities of Semiconductor Equipment andMaterials International (SEMI) to reflect the voice of device manufacturers in various
stages of standardization process of various kinds of standards.
JEITA and Selete, in order to get cooperation of equipment suppliers, have been trying
to enhance information exchange and to cooperate in prototype equipment withequipment suppliers individually.
JEITA and Selete also cooperates with
Semiconductor Equipment Association of Japan (SEAJ), and have been doing
information exchange including business aspects issues and PR and promotional
activities. The figure 1 shows the industry collaboration scheme.
Problem extraction and analysis
Direction to solutions
Needs allocation
High level requirement
Publicity activity body assignment(Semiconductor Manufacturing
Technology Committee)

Technology standard development

SEMI

Guideline development
Elemental technology development
Implementation specification
development
Prototyping & verification
Industry promotion

Fig. 1ITRS/STRJ
JEITA

Selete

SEAJ

ISMT

ASPLA

Industry Collaboration Scheme of EES Development as of March 2004

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1.2.

Outline1.2.1 History
In December, 1999 when the construction of 300mm factories started in Japan, Intelbrought up a concept about e-Diagnostics and the proposal led discussion. The
e-Diagnostics concept proposed from Intel showed that the equipment information issent to equipment suppliers outside of the factories so that the equipment
maintenance support can be expected to receive from them. There was a need to
improve manufacturing productivity by increasing low equipment operation ratio
through introduction of IT technologies into manufacturing. That is a background of
e-Diagnostic proposal. The proposal was discussed at ITRS meetings, however, thechange of security procedure and the way of business was pointed out as critical issues.
Then, in the U.S., the project centering on ISMT was formed, the examination of
e-Diagnostics progressed, and the announcement of the guideline was done in July
2000. In response, the e-Manufacturing examination WG was formed by JEITA under
the Subcommittee on Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology and examination wasstarted also in Japan. In this examination WG, the device maker, the equipment
supplier, and the software supplier collaborated with cooperation from SEMI andSEAJ from the beginning stage.
At the training camp during three consecutive national holidays in Nagano in
September 2000, the new system concept called EES (Equipment Engineering System:
equipment engineering system) was completed. Afterward, through the collaboration
among ISMT (International SEMATECH) , JEITA, and Selete, the EES guideline
reached to a global consensus. Consequently, EES became one of a few fundamental
system concept originated from Japan and has been accepted all over the world widely.
Refer to the Figure 2 for the activity history of the EES development.
2000
/6

e-Dig
SEMI Std.
Develop.

2000
/7

2000
/12

2001
/ 3

2001
/7

ISMT e- Data security
andDiagtransportation
G/Ls

DDA
-TF

SEMI
Std
ramp-up

EES
Concept
Development

JEITA /SEMI-J /SEAJ WG

2001
/12

2002
/7

2002
/ 12

2004
/3

SEMI Stdframe work

E-Diagprototype

Phase
1.5

Phase
2.0

Phase
2.5

Basic EE
Capabilities

Data
Quality

Mainte-nanceEq. Control

G/L Dev.
completed

Ｓｅｌｅｔｅ EES specification
development

WG formation

ＳＥＡＪ EES businessmodel study

Selete EES prototype

GJG300

200３
/ 12

Phase
1

Start ofcollaboration

ISMT /
SeleteEEC G/Ls

2001
/10

EEQA

ISSM Sept. 2002 by Shigeru Kobayashi

Fig. 2

EES Development Activity History

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1.2.2. Expansion of EES Concept
In the conventional factories, the system called Manufacturing Execution System(MES) has supported products handling work which was done by the operators andconveyers facing with the front face of the equipment. The automation technology ofprocess progress control and dispatch technology was the typical MES function. On theother hand, EES is a support system to equipment engineering including maintenancework and various works responding to conditions at the back face of the equipment.
Originally EES was expected that it would contribute to raise the equipment operating
ratio and the examination started.
However, a role of a platform on which various kinds of support functions can be put
has come to be recognized as a main function of EES. Unlike the conventional system,
in EES, utilizing of internet into the base technology is recognized as a direction fromthe start. EES is defined by not only its macroscopic function between the equipment
in a micro factory but also among factories and over between companies. Therefore,
EES came to be considered as a platform which enables to exchange detailed
information widely as a hierarchical system. Various application contents such asarrangements for improvement of equipment operating ratio and delivery for materials,
relation between equipment and facilities, cost calculation system, and a system that
handles information of conditions and equipment performance are to be appeared on
this platform, and are expected to bring the result.
At the same time, the importance of the platform of the information exchange whichconnects from design to mask manufacturing, and through wafer manufacturing in
SoC has been recognized in Japan. This brought a new concept called Engineering
Chain Management (ECM). This new concept and the concept of the platform of EES
were combined, and the concept of new e-Manufacturing was born. The new
e-Manufacturing concept became a hierarchical system which shows platforms divided
by layers. It enabled to clarify function and relations of intra-equipment platform,
inter equipment platform, and inter factories/inter companies/inter functions platform.
The new e-Manufacturing concept came to be recognized as a unified platform whichhandles both micro and macro information as being related to.
Although it is the concept originally developed to build a new environment of Japan, it
has been spread globally, now, advanced research is going on briskly not only in the
U.S. but also in Taiwan and Europe.

1.2.3. Purpose of This Guidebook
The concept of EES spread much wider than previously thought and it surely helps toestablish the original vision of EES at the beginning of development. However, inorder to promote implementation of EES into system and to achieve the result at the

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earliest possible date, the necessity of specifying the field which concentrates thepower of the industry came out. Then, JEITA tried to narrow down the application field
to be carried out selectively for the time. The Figure 3 shows EES application service
by industry.
As shown in the Figure 3, EES provides many application fields where the equipment
suppliers and the device manufacturers use on both sides. Among those application
fields, JEITA focused on the detection function of unscheduled equipment down timeand applications at the time of equipment install to the factories. Furthermore, thisguidebook narrows down to the requirements of quality assurance (QA) at theequipment installment. Although this guidebook summarizes the enhancement ofequipment quality assurance at the time of the equipment installment with using EES ,however the enhancement of quality assurance which does not use EES is also taken
into consideration.
¾Energy consumption visualization, manufacturing support activity visualization¾Manufacturing and device design adjustment¾Recipe management•Reticle information handling capability
Device Maker¾Equipment’s process performance adjustment @process module level•Intra-process-module information handling capability¾Network and software component environment services¾Wafer-to-wafer process matching¾NPW management and reduction¾Machine-to-machine matching¾In-situ process control with process sensors¾Remote support service

Collaboration¾Unscheduled down time reduction• Equipment malfunction prediction, detection, equipment function adjustment• Equipment ramp-up and maintenance support
Equipment Suppliers¾Equipment Engineering data base schema provider

Fig. 3

EES Service Examples by Business Regimes

The requirements for enhancement of quality assurance are summarized by thefollowing items at the time of equipment installation.
1.

Qualified equipment without down time-

Extermination of initial failure
Reduction of failure of maintenance time during operation.

2. Shortening ramp-up time (Reduction of process steps)- Time before installation- Time after installation (Ramp-up time at equipment suppliers side and basic
process condition generation)
3.

Reduction of difference among different equipment

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Difference between equipment and chamber

In order to guarantee cost effective quality assurance to supply equipment which
satisfies those requirements, the new quality assurance method is needed to take overthe conventional method, and it is necessary to develop the efficient quality assurance
method. It is expected to establish win-win relation between device manufacturesand equipment suppliers, to change the way of business to meet with the change ofcircumstance of a time, and to improve productivity of the factories.
1.3.

Related Guidelines in Equipment Engineering Capabilities Guiidelines

This chapter introduces the EEC guideline of ISMT/JEITA/Selete, the current
requirements of JEITA to EEC, and a relation with the contents of this guidebook. As
the Figure 4 shows, there are 29 items of the guideline.
JEITA selected five items of guideline as the first priority for implementation for thetime being. The aims for having extracted these five items include that all equipment
engineering data (EE data) is taken out from equipment first, then the platform which
utilizes EE data is established, and EE data starts to be used both by the equipment
supplier and the device maker from the beginning of equipment life cycle by using at
the initial stage of equipmentg
pg
p
installment. Further detail of the
ISMT//JEITA/Selete EEC Guidelines Ver. 2.5
five items of guideline is described•General guidelines (10 items)•Equipment engineering data integrity (4 items)
below.
The outline of the•Ramp-up and maintenance support guidelines (3 items)
requirements for advanced quality•e-Diagnostics capability guidelines (4 items)
assurance at the time of•Single point of control (5 guidelines)
equipment installment can be•Process specification management (3 items)
29 items in total
shown in the combination of theseguideline items.
6.1 Equipment engineering data sharing
6.2 Determination of equipment engineering data
It is an extract from the guideline
Japanese version text henceforth.
7.1 EE data availability
The line with an underline is the
8.1 Initiation of EE data sharing
main text of guideline, and the
8.2 Historical EE data
rest is incidental explanation.

Fig. 4

Important EEC Guidelines for EES Start Up(6.1) Equipment Engineering Data Sharing(Extract of the text)
Selected equipment engineering data must be shared between equipment supplier anddevice maker for equipment engineering operation purposes.

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Standards:
Standards are needed to define how to publish data from the equipment to an external
system.
(Explanation)
The figure 5 shows the scheme of EE data sharing. The data taken out fromequipment is used by both equipment supplier and device manufacturer. Moreover, theexchange of the information between equipment supplier and device manufacturer
should be standardized for cost down of system development.

Device Maker
Iimplementation

Equipment
Supplier
Implementation

Fig. 5

Appl. Provided bydevice maker(Pluggable)

Appl. Provided bydevice maker(Pluggable)

Appl.
Appl.

Factory
Factory Level
Level
DB
DB

Tool
Tool
Data
Data I/F
I/F

Appl.
Appl.

Tool
Tool
Data
Data I/F
I/F

Standardizationof data I/F isimportant

Appl.
Appl.

Scheme of EE Data Sharing(6.2) A Determination of Equipment Engineering Data
(Extract of the text)
The equipment supplier shall determine all the data related to equipment engineeringwith relevant documentation. It is the equipment supplier’s primary responsibility tounderstand the scope of equipment engineering in order to maintain and improveequipment performance. The device maker will collaborate with equipment supplierson the equipment engineering data list.
Remarks:
equipment engineering data may be used for at least the following capabilities:
maintenance and improvement of basic equipment performance and process
performance, improvement in maintenance operations, and prediction of required.
(Explanation)
It is described that the determination of EE data is a primary responsibility forequipment supplier and device manufacturer should cooperate to make EE data listing.
This chapter summarizes the business flow based on the above flow.
(7.1) EE Data Availability(Extract of the text)-Product and process outcome objectives and equipment process condition set points.

Page 10Request on EEQA upon Equipment Installation
Version 1.0-7-The actual values achieved by the equipment including; measured process conditions,
measured process end results, and calibration values, and;-Time-varying “actuator” control signals, measured controller outputs, and controller
coefficients used by any embedded controllers.
(Explanation) This chapter required about the kind of data. Data required for quality
assurance at the equipment installment is requested to be structured.

(8.1) Initiation of EE Data Sharing (extract of the text)- EE data collection, analysis and distributions shall begin prior to shipment.
- Equipment suppliers and device makers shall initiate EE data sharing prior to thetime the equipment is shipped from supplier to the user.
- The equipment supplier shall make EE data and any derived analysis/reports fromeach individual equipment available to the device maker prior to shipment of theequipment.
(8.2) Historical EE Data
(Extract of the text)- EE data collected during acceptance and ramp-up will be used as an historicalbaseline for equipment.
- The equipment supplier shall define and provide data to show detailed equipment
performance through the ramp-up period and at the time of acceptance.
- The device maker may also choose to collect and analyze detailed equipment
performance data for their own purposes, at their discretion and at any time before
or after shipment of the equipment.
(Explanation)
The guideline of the above (8.1) (8.2) is the background of this guidebook. Theyrequests data collection and indication before and after the equipment installment.
This guidebook is written based on the above EEC guideline. This guidebook can beused as further detail contents of requirements with operation image attached to theguideline.

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2.

Purpose of Enhancement in Equipment QA

Figure 6 analyzes mean time trouble
repair (MTTR) of equipment in a factory.
The chart shows that MTTR caused by
the process performance related factor is
not major factor and base functionality
related factor accounts for a larger
proportion of MTTR.
At the semiconductor manufacturing
factory, the monitoring data aboutprocess state taken from the equipment
is used to eliminate the production of
scrap wafers through monitoring thedata. The another important indicationof figure 6 is that it is easily understoodthat the above effort of monitoring data
about process state is mainly spent for
detecting failure of equipment basefunctionality related.
Fig. 6

Process
performance
relatedProcess chambers
Particles

6.9%
10.7%

30.9%

2.7%
4.7%

21.2%
4.4%

10.8%

7.7%

Base
functionality
relatedWafer handlingGas control
Temperature cntrl
Source:Evacuation
Control
Sensors
OthersDevice maker’s expectation to EES and e-Diagnostics” by

Tadashi Kiriseko in SEMI Workshop on e-Manufacturing & APC/FDC ,MTTR Analysis for Process Tools on Factory Floor

Therefore, it is still important to detect the failure and breakdown at the based offactory operation, however at the same time, it is essential to improve the reliability ofthe base functionality of equipment. In order to improve the reliability of equipmentbase functionality, it is an inevitable measure to improve in the completeness ofequipment by activating feedback to equipment design and assembly & packaging
field.
Table 1The prioritized purposeofequipment
engineering system isto improve equipment
fundamentallydescribed above. The
result will be expected
only
when
the
industry-wide activities
to improve equipment
basefunctionality
insteadthat
only
equipment
suppliers

Purpose of EEQA Upon Equipment Ramp-Up

Primary Goal
1

Reliable and consistent verification of equipment base functionalities

2

More efficient and rapid equipment’s ramp-up

3

Reduce Machine-to-Machine or Chamber-to-Chamber difference in terms ofequipments’ base functionalities

Secondary Goal
Share equipment’s base line data;1

in order to allow reuse for efficient troubleshooting

2

so as to confirm the base functionality performance3

so as to reduce Machine-to-Machine difference in terms of equipments’process performance4

so as to encourage more efficient energy and consumables consumptions andmaintenance

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collaborate to improve just process functionality of the equipment.
It is essential that the first step of equipment improvement at any functionality is to
expose and visualize the failures. It is important to check that the performance of bothprocess and base functionalities have come out as correctly as possible when starting to
use the equipment newly introduced. It will be a precious and important opportunity
for both device manufacturers as users, and the equipment suppliers who deliverequipment to their users to analyze the data of functionality with a serious interestand to expose the failures if any.
It comes near to stating the obvious that both device manufacturers and equipment
suppliers pursuing the opportunity are able to share the purpose described in Chart 1.
The quality control with advanced functionality of equipment with shared purpose
between user and supplier is hereinafter called as “Enhanced Equipment Quality
Assurance”(EEQA).

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3.

Common Focus Areas in EEQA

The focus areas for equipment functionality and performance can be classified into
three categories. (Fig. 7) The upstream category is user
EEQA upon Ramp-Up
own process performance, the second area is verticalstandard process performance executed, then the last one
is process set-up capability performance.
Although the process set-up capability performance asbasic equipment functionalities relates directly to theperformance of devices, in the limited range of theinformation which is available to the equipment operators
usually, the operator can hardly explain the reason of thechange of performance.
However, the device performance can be more efficiently
analyzed by correct understanding of the process set-up
capability performance.
Fig. 7User own process
performanceStd. process (BKM)
process
performance
Process set-up
capability
performance

Focus Area for EEQA Upon Equipment Ramp-up

The purpose of this guideline is to share EEQA through the industry wide using
electronic data information related to equipment. It is desired to make it enable tocollect precisely the reaction on right above or on the wafer and serve the data into
mass production as it is being developed, or to develop ad-hoc observation sensing
technology for making collectable information to be closer tothe performance.
Those capabilities are in the competitive technology area. It is expected to use thoseequipment information obtained by sensing technologies and to understand theequipment functionality more precisely. However it is out of the object range of thisguidebook.
Moreover, the performance of devices depends on the process technology used inequipment. The process technology differs by each device manufacturer and it may
fully be unable to be acquired by process set-up capability performance, therefore, theprocess technology in almost cases is out of the scope range of this guidebook.
Since the equipment is made based on the assumed virtual standard process, thisguidebook can cover a partial functionality performance that determines user
performance.
As mentioned above, the scope of EEQA in this guidebook is the equipment
functionality performance in the range enclosed with the dotted line of Figure 7. Since
the device maker is manufacturing the device on the assumption that a process set-up
capability operates normally, a device manufacturer's concern inclines towardright-hand side by a diagram as shown in Figure 8.

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A device manufacturer requests very much to equipment manufacturer to maintainprocess set-up capabilities or to improve in reliability being made radically shown at
the left side in Figure 8.
Product
Quality

Process Set-Up
Capabilities
Gas flow as
expected;
Burst, off-set
drift, valve
defects becheckedFig. 8Whiletemperatur
e is checked
for proper
operation,

Heaterpower bechecked forconsistency

Whilepressure ischecked forproperoperation,

APC valve
opening bechecked for
φ consistency

Suddenparticle
generation

Anisotropy
be watched
for CD

Surfacemorphology
should bewatched.

Deviceperformanc
e staysstable?

Two Regimes of Interest; Process Set-up Capability Performance and Product Quantity
Performance

Table 2 summarizes the expectation about the equipment QA enhancement. It is
indispensable that the return loop of equipment information for improving thereliability of equipment by utilizing the electronic data from equipment perfectly is
initiated from users through equipment supplier. Since there is almost no experiencein our industry to share the necessary equipment information to build the new
information flow, sufficient examination is indispensable.
Performance
confirmation

ExampleUntil now

Direction

Devicefabrication
results

Pattern definition
Morphology
Step coverage

Direct process
condition
generation
capabilities

Reactant supply
Wafer heating

Confirm process
condition value
rangesNo quantitative
recognition of M-to-M
differences
Paper based report

Quantitative confirmation ofrecipe contents
Statistically verified
confirmation of process
condition repeatability
Quantitative M-to-M difference
visualization

Indirect process
condition
generation
capabilities

Wafer
transportation
Cryogenic pumpcompression

Criteria such as “Nowafer breakage in1000 wafer dry run”

Quantitative mechanicalstability confirmation
Recipe sequence confirmation
with quantitative data

Table 2

No so much to change but withquantitative confirmation ofbasic equipment capabilities

Equipment QA Enhancement Expectations

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4.

Process Set-up Functionality

There are two categories in process set-up functionality as follows;(1) Direct process condition generation capabilitieseg.
- Function of energy required for a reaction- Function of light irradiation- Function of wafer temperature- Function of thermodynamic conditions set-up- Function of supplying reactive gas(2) Indirect process condition generation capabilities- Function of wafer transport to reactive chamber- Function of automation correspondence- Function of exhaust gas- Function of temperature control for exhaust gas piping
Both the functions of these are equally important, and are considered as a scope of
the QA enhancement. It is necessary to decide how far functionality performance
should be checked.
In most cases there are two or more functions are existing behind one direct process
set-up. Furthermore, there may be another function in the back again. Probably, thesubsystem is purchased in many cases from the outside of the equipment supplier,when assembling equipment. This guidebook does not carry out being aimed at all thefunctions that carry out a chain. The
evidential data of QA which a device
EE QA Area
manufacturer can use in a positive
A direct
process set-up
attitude is expected to be offered. A
capability
device manufacturer's concern becomesstronger as it is closer to manufacturing
semiconductor
products.
Therefore,
EEQA area covers the function at one
back as supporting function of theprocess set-up capability for the nearterm. However, if it is a complicatedfunction, a function in back will increasea certain degree, and it will be thoughtthat generalization is difficult (Fig. 9).
Fig. 9An indirectprocess set-up
capability

An indirectprocess set-up
capability

More indirectprocess set-up
capabilities

More indirectprocess set-up
capabilities

Focus Area for EEQA Upon Ramp-Up

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5.

Agreement Formation Procedure of Details of EEQA

There is not an existing industry rule agreed upon about what kind of EEQA should beproceeded or what kind of data should be used. However, the Equipment Engineering
Capabilities (EEC) guidelines have described the equipment engineering data as
follows;
1) Shall be determined by Equipment suppliers2) Shall be agreed with device manufacturers
The sequence flow of the equipment engineering data of EEQA and determination ofdata collection procedure along with EEC Guidelines is shown in Figure 10.
The sequence shows that a device manufacturer first shows its high level requirement
about which function capabilities needed to check by the disclosure of QA enforcement
data, then an equipment supplier considers QA work in which it can succeed with theequipment concerned of its company and proposes concrete QA operation, and finallycomes to the consensus of both parties about details of EEQA. The high level
requirement from a device manufacturer is to be expressed in a function unit.
Although it is natural, depending on the target QA item, it may not be at such asequence.
D/M prepares QA checklist forincoming eq. and submit to E/S

DM requires referencing toconsortia’s EEQA example
Posted by consortia

Concrete
Concreteexampleexample of
of
EEQA
EEQA
contents
contents

E/S creates concrete QA
proposal

QA contents agreement

High level
requirement

Concrete
proposal from eq.
supplier

Agreement?
QA before shipment

E/S
EES DBQA through ramp-up
Acceptance?
Follow-On?

Fig. 10

EE Data may be stored
either in E/S DB or D/M
DB

Follow On

D/M
EES DB

Business Flow Assumed

It is important that the equipment supplier should propose the concrete details of QA
offering the data which shows rationally that the equipment function capabilities haveenough performance and reliability as for mass production equipment. The design
performance value of equipment and the function capability of standard equipment etc.
can be referred to at this time. Moreover, the reliability data in the field may also bereferred to.

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A device manufacturer needs to tell equipment supplier what QA data they expect to bedisclosed as a user. Because, as a user, device manufacturers have suffered from many
experiences of the failures of equipment at their factory, there is a demand forthoroughness of a performance check as a way stage for reducing the failures
generating to a rational level, or delaying it. The demand is not necessarily inagreement with the contents of QA which the equipment supplier is carrying out now.
It is not the purpose of this guidebook to get into the details of each equipment function
nor the concrete method of QA enforcement shown in the Figure 10. Technology has
many peculiar aspects and technology also evolves quickly. This guidebook aims at
transmitting generally summarized expectation of device manufacturers toequipment suppliers. When the concrete example is shown, it should be considered as
an example of many cased and equipment suppliers are required to understandcommon users expectation through the example.

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6.

Contents of QA Enhancement

6.1.

Check List as a Media for EEQA Collaboration

In order to request high level requirement for in what function capabilities a device
manufacture to receive and check QA data, it is desirable to have a template form
covering all QA items of device manufacturers’ interest so that it avoids mistake ofdrop behind about QA items. Moreover, it is also important that the common
checklist make it easier for equipment suppliers to perform comparison and analysis
what difference to be in the demand item among device manufacturers. It should beemphasized that this request does not refer to individual specification of each device
manufacturer.
It is also required for each device manufacturer to standardize their requirement
within each company. Moreover, it is also required to maintain the demand at a long
period of time. From the above-mentioned viewpoint, this guidebook has proposed
sharing a common list for the demand about equipment QA data indication amongdevice manufacturers. The item “QA checklist for incoming equipment” in Figure 10
refers to this list. This will be henceforth called EEQA checklist. In summary, thepurpose of an EEQA checklist includes;
1) Standardization of requirements on EEQA data indication/disclosure from device
manufacturers
2) Maintenance of uniformed requirement among device manufacturers and withineach device manufacturer
3) Easy comparison among requirements from device manufacturers and emphasison common requirements.
6.2.

Outline of EEQA Checklist

It is necessary to have the function and performance of equipment rationally in theoutline EEQA checklist. There are many common functions among equipment
suppliers and at the same time many
p-CDV
CMP
specific functions only available toEtchers
Capability
Capability
each
equipment
also
betweencomponents
components
Plasma control
withrelatively
with relatively
capability
RF feed capability
equipment suppliers. For this reason,
specific
specific totoEq.
equipment
Commonequipment
Eq.
specific
Commonpart
types
it is necessary to decompose all
specific
types
part
part
part
functions of the whole equipment into
Gas feed capability
Evacuation capability“module”, to assemble the modules,
Eq.
Eq.
CommonCommonCapability
specific
Capability
Wafer handlingpart capabilityspecific
part
EFEM
part
components
partand describe the function to many
capability
components
withwith relatively
relatively
Eq.
Eq.
CommonCommonhigherspecific
higherspecificequipment types (Fig. 11).
part
part
part
commonality
commonality

Fig. 11part

Equipment Capability Representations

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In the EEQA checklist, it separated structurally between the function capability items
and the performance items within capability in which QA dated is requested. The
figure 12, as two-dimensional list, shows a horizontal axis refers capability items, andthe vertical axis refers performance metrics.
The usual equipment user engineers
grasp the function capability as a portion(site) of equipment in their operation. If
the categorization of equipment function
into modules is not proceeded along withequipment portion concept, it would
make difficult for the equipment user
engineers to show their requirements.
Therefore, the capability axis is
described relating to the categories by
equipment portion or combined portions.
Fig. 12Capability Axis

Performance
Metrics Axis

Capability Axis and Performance Metrics Axis

Table 3 is an example of a capability axis. The horizontal column called “High level
capabilities” refers module combination of equipment function capabilities and thecolumn called “Subsystem level equipment portion” refers the portion of the equipment
where the function is carried.

High level
capabilities

VacuumGas Supply
Evacuation
Capabilities
Capabilities

Wafer handling capabilities(including whole equipment)

Process
Pressure
Control
Capabilities

Process Chambers

Process chambers

Transfer chamber

Load Lock

Process chambers

Transfer chamber

Load Lock

Whole equipment

Process Chamber

Process Chamber

Gate

Table 3

Transfer chamber

Gate

Load LockDoor

ID reader

Wafer handler

Load Port

Subsystem
level eq.
portionEFEM
capabilities
Load Port
Wafer
handler

Example of Capability Axis (1)Page 20

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Table 4 shows details though function part level. Assume the case where there is ademand about QA data requested from a device manufacturer on the level of thedetails described in Figure 3. In this case, the equipment suppliers are expected todisclose the QA data in function part level for the relevant equipment.

High level
capabilities

Wafer Handling
Capabilities(including whole
equipment)

Vacuum
Evacuation
Capabilities

Gas Supply
Capabilities

Process
Pressure
Control
Capabilities

Pressure Gauge Check
Process Chambers
Automatic Pressure
Control
Wafer stage
Process chambers
Gas Manifold
Mass Flow Controller
Gas Manifold
Transfer chamber
Mass Flow Controller
Venting Function
Load Lock
Gas Manifold
Mass Flow Controller
Leakage Check
Process chambers
Pressure Gauge Check
Leakage Check
Transfer chamberPressure Gauge Check
Leakage Check
Load Lock
Pressure Gauge Check
Whole equipment
Process Chamber
Hoist
Stage
Process Chamber
Push Pin
Gate
Folk
Transfer chamber
Arm
Gate
Wafer positioning sensor
Door
Load LockID reader

Wafer handler

Wafer ID Reader
FOUP ID reader
Arm
FOUP Opener
LoaderFunctionlevel eq.
portionLoad Port

Subsystem
level eq.
portionEFEM
Capabilities
Load Port
Wafer
HandlerTable 4

Example of Performance Metrics Axis (2)In this guidebook, it is assumed that there is hardly necessary for device
manufacturers to describe their requirements in EEQA checklist into this detail level
into function part.
Table 5 is an example of the performance metrics (vertical axis) showing performance
items. It is used for device manufacturers to indicate their requirement for QA data byfunction capability.
Group items include equipment base functionality, process set-up capability, andprocess execution capability. For the sub items, refer to the explanation below for the
open loop characteristics and closed loop characteristic
The open loop characteristics refer so-called bare characteristics of equipment function
capabilities.
For example, in the vacuum processing equipment, the characteristics include thecharacteristics for vacuum achievement degree and evaluation time for the vacuum
achievement. In the wafer thermal processing equipment, although operation whichheats, carries out the monitor of the temperature of a wafer, and is adjusted to thetarget temperature is usually performed, the behavior without feedback of heating
mechanism is the open loop characteristic. The most fundamental example of the open

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Request on EEQA upon Equipment Installation
Version 1.0-7loop characteristics is the temperature rise characteristic at the time of beginning toswitch on fixed electric power, indicial response characteristic.

Mechanical
PerformanceElectrical Performance
Process Set Up &Process Set Up &Response to parameter
Execution Performance Execution Performancesettings (equipment internal(Open Loop
(Closed Loop
constants)
Characteristics)
Characteristics)

Table 5

Response to parametersettings (Recipe Settings)

Process Execution Capability Performance

The items on horizontal may need to be
replaced or to be changed for combination
depending on equipment type. The
performance metrics axis has aimed to be
used without being exchanged by theequipment type. It is because it isimportant to show the similarity of therequirement of device manufacturers about
performance data items and data
granularity which get strong interest fromdevice manufacturers. The interest ofdevice manufacturers regarding QA datasubmission is expressed by the table
mentioned above, and can be shown toequipment suppliers.

Process Set Up Capability Performance
Confirmation

Any sub item is described in almost same
concept
fromaperformance
metrics-criteria
viewpoint.
Thatis,fidelity, stability, repeatability, calibration,a control range, etc.

Equipment Base Functionality Confirmation

On the other hand, an example of theclosed loop characteristics is shown in thecharacteristic with the temperature control
intemperatureadjustment
functional-related area. The most popularcharacteristics for gas pressure adjustment
functional-related case is APC (Automatic
Pressure Control). For example, the degreeof fidelity to setting pressure, the range for
set up, and response to disturbance etc. aretypical closed loop characteristics.

Fidelity
Stability
Repeatability
Transient Response
Calibration
Zero adjustment
Control Range
Fidelity
Stability
Repeatability
Transient Response
Calibration
Zero adjustment
Control Range
Fidelity
Stability
Repeatability
Transient Response
Calibration
Zero adjustment
Control Range
Fidelity
Stability
Repeatability
Transient Response
Calibration
Zero adjustment
Control Range
Response over entire range
Fidelity
Stability
Repeatability
Transient Response
Calibration
Zero adjustment
Specification Achievement
Response over entire range
Fidelity
Stability
Repeatability
Transient Response
Calibration
Zero adjustment
Specification Achievement

Performance Metrics Example

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7. EEQA Checklist Example

Capability
Axis

An equipment supplier will start with the execution plan proposal of QA data
responding to the interest of device manufacturers mentioned above as well as their
original proposal. The final QA proposal from equipment suppliers do not need to beshown in the EEQA checklist format described above, The correspondence state to thedemand.
However,since it is necessary for• Column for Gas feed
device manufacturers
capability vs. Stability
to check the response
Performance– Contents Example;
from suppliers by the
Metrics Axis
• Data items
EEQA checklist format,• Metrics
in the process which• Timing to be focused• Sampling method
reachesagreement• Data repetition needed
betweenadevice• Data granularity
manufacturer and an• Priority of items
equipment
supplier,• Follow-on items after
acceptance
EEQA checklist concept
will be used inevitably.
Fig. 13

EEQA Checklist as a Jump Table for QA Contents

Since the users’ interest shown in their request for QA data need to related with theexecution proposal of QA, in this case, EEQA checklist plays the role of the “jumbtable” for QA. (Figure 13)

7.1.

Characteristic Metrics Example

Figure 14 to figure 16 show the example of the QA contents corresponding to the sub
items and further. It corresponds to evaluation function, temperature control function(electrostatic wafer chuck function), and equipment front end module function (300mm
fixed buffer type), respectively. Each figure describes concrete contents for the
categories of "electrical performance","open loop performance", "closed loop
performance" etc so that readers can easily understand.

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Request on EEQA upon Equipment Installation
Version 1.0-7• Electrical performance– Valves operate as instructed– Vacuum gauges are calibrated– Pumps operate as instructed– Check interlock action• Mechanical performance– Valves are confirmed to open andclose– Pumps are installed not to generate
vibration• Open loop performance– Evacuation speeds to be confirmed– Leak rates to be confirmed– Ultimate vacuum pressures to be
confirmed– Cryogenic panel temperature riseupon gas loading to be confirmed
within the specified range• Closed loop performance– Automatic pressure control• Check fidelity of measured
pressure values against setting
values along with valve opening
value– Gas pressures• Gas pressures against gas flow
rates for linearity and fidelity• Confirmation of equipment
constants (outside of recipe
control)– Fidelity of control point values• Check control point value for therough and high vacuum crossover• Check build-up rate critical value
for cryogenic pump regeneration
procedure• Fidelity to recipe– Check if gas pressure changes as
the recipe specifies• Electrical performance– Resistivity check of heater
elements• Mechanical performance– NA• Open loop performance– Temperature response under aconstant condition• In functions of time, installation,
electrical power, ambience• Step response– Confirmation of indications, meters,
gathered data

Fig. 14

QA

Contents
Example (1)• Closed loop performance– Step response between setting
points• Test wafer with T/Cs

– Step response upon backside gas
introduction– Wafer temperature profile
repeatability and fidelity• Confirmation of equipment
constants (outside of recipe
control)– Check fidelity to the equipment
constants• such as deposition shieldtemperatures• Recipe control performance– Fidelity to recipe description,transient characteristics
repeatability• Under plasma energy
bombardment condition

Fig. 15

QA

Contents
Example (2)•EFEM case (300mm Fixed Buffer type)• Electric characteristics– Motor runs
– Fluorescent lamp shines– Wafer sensors sense wafers– Down flow sensors sense downflow
– Interlock functions accordingly(such as E84)

• Mechanical characteristics– Teaching done accordingly– Operation speeds confirmed
specification– Wafer placement accuracy
confirmed– FOUP opener speed confirmed– Wafer orientation function
confirmed– No wafer breakage• Open loop function– N/A• Optional functions– Orientation On/Off selection
confirmed– Wafer ID read On/Off selection
confirmed

Fig. 16

QA

Contents
Example (3)Page 24

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Detailed Example of EEQA Contents
7.2.

Table 6 is an example showing the detailed methods of execution QA data about highlevel equipment functionality performance with practical data collected. The contentsof Table 6 in evaluation capability shows the detailed conditions at the time of
measuring some of the function performances, precondition, data granularity, etc. The
table also shows data form and the number of measurement time.

:->

:->

:->

:->

:->

Individual part difference:->Part’s specification

Stability

:->

:->

:->

:->

Repeatability

Fidelity

Chamber-to-Chamber
difference

N>=

:->

:->

:->

:->

:->

:->

1

Data precision indecimal digit number of

:->

:->

>

:->

Atmospheric exposure time andany parts replacement in thevacuum chamber

Better than .
sec resolution
sec resolution
Data precision in accordance in
Data precision in
vacuum gauge
decimal digit numberofMeasure pumping
Chamber volume and vacuum
down fromgauge
atmospheric pressure

:->

:->

>

:->

:->

>

:->
>

:->

Design values

:->
N>=

Chamber volume and vacuum
gauge

Previous
maintenance date

Evacuation Capability

5

:->
N>=

Zero pressure set-up,
measurement period

Installation such as exhaust
pipe line

Evacuation Capability

5:->Same model eq. at device
maker

N>=

:->

N>=

1

:->

N>=

1

:->
:->

1
Better than . sec
resolution
Data precision in accordance invacuum gauge

:->

:->

5
Ambient temperature

:->

10

Standard Eq. at eq. supplier

N>=

:->

Instrument used
for calibration

Mating data
Mating data
granularity to the granularity togauge
the display:->

Ambient
temperature

:->

:->

# of data points
Graph
Numeric
Data granularity and like

Methods, instrument orreferenced data

Precondition or ambience

Measurement Items

Contents

Evacuation Capability

Normal predefinedsequence

Read from pump down
urves

2

2

Category

Exported data
value fidelity
to measured
values50
51Machine-to-Machinedifference

:->

N>=

10

Pressure

Ultimatepressure

Confirmationof set value
for cross over

Pumping crossover pressure

2

Electric
current
Vacuum pumpdynamic
characteristics

1
Display value
fidelity tomeasuredvalues05Gradient of
logp/logt at
time=0 to bemeasured
Evacuation
speed
characteristics
in eachevacuation
subsystems

Zero point
drift
Vacuum Gauge
Stability

Environment
temperature
Pressure gauge
calibration suchas vacuum
gauge

Points of Interest
Data Referred
Data Form
Measurement
Methods
Capability Performance

Details of EEQA Contents Example
Table 6

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It is also shown what data should be compared as QA data in the column of data
referred. The most important comparison reference value is a design value. Even if
the provided value is within the permitted range of the characteristic value, when thesame type equipment has been already supplied to the device manufacturer, the new
characteristic value comparison with the existing equipment is important for a device
manufacturers in many cases.
It is also significant in many cases to compare EEQA data with the characteristic valueof the standard equipment which the equipment supplier owns. EEQA enables
equipment suppliers to grasp the equipment capability performance numerically, andto understand precisely about design improvement, and the change of thecharacteristic by equipment installation status.
The table 6 also includes points of interest column at the right side to show the relation
with purpose at performing measurement. The most important message appears in theparticle granularity and data points in Table 6. It is important that the equipment
function capability is supported by the scientific data along with the purpose of QA, i.e.
data granularity and data points. In many cases the QA data of equipment capabilities
achieved through sufficient number of times of electronic measurement methods
precisely is highly marked than the current running equipment. Also it is a common
requirement of the device manufacturers that the data of equipment capability
performance without equipment failure needs to be submitted. An equipment supplierconfers with a device maker about EEQA to the last, Table 6 should be created basedon the consensus on EEQA between equipment manufacturer and device manufacturer
and measurement items should be selected corresponding to the actual equipment, andthe measuring methods also should be practical ones.
Other detailed QA contents are to be referred in “EE Data Practical Use during
Equipment Operation" in Chapter 9.

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8. EEQA Checklist
8.1.

EEQA Item Checklist for Equipment Purchasing (issued by users)

This chapter explains further about the EEQA checklist described in Chapter 7. The
EEQA checklist is first disclosed to equipment suppliers as users requirements ofenhanced equipment QA.
This form is distinguished from the one proposed by equipment supplier for theagreement with device manufacturers (refer to Chapter 8.1). The former checklist may
be called “EEQA Item Checklist for Purchasing Equipment (issued by users)” and thelatter may be called “EEQA Item Checklist for Delivery Equipment (issued bysuppliers)”.
The EEQA check list described in the foregoing paragraph is related to the process
condition set-up capabilities. However, the process set-up capability/ executionfunction of equipment is also the object of the enhancement equipment QA. The
process capability performance which depends on the process condition of device
manufacturers is also the object of QA although this guidebook does not include it as ascope. It is necessary to get a consensus between device manufacturers and equipment
suppliers on what QA should be done for process capability performance.
Table 7 summarizes total QA demands for the performance of process set-up
capability/execution function of equipment collectively. This list is used as asupplement to the purchase order specification form which is prepared by device
manufacturers and given to equipment suppliers at the new equipment purchase. With
this form the device manufacturers request equipment suppliers about the concreteconfirmation items and the way of data submission in detail.
.
The horizontal axis of the table shows the example of the function of equipment. The
2nd line and the 3rd line are expected to be filled in about function parts and further
detail items by parts respectively. The equipment suppliers are expected to fill in those
items specifically with their decomposition of items, determination, and concrete
description of the contents.
A vertical axis is categorized into three major items in order to check the basic
performance metrics of equipment in phases. The three major items include;
equipment base functionality confirmation, process et-up capability performance
confirmation, and process execution capability performance. These major items aresubcategorized by function.
- The equipment base functionality confirmation is divided into mechanicalperformance and electrical performance.
- The process et-up capability performance confirmation is divided into process
set-up & execution (open loop characteristics) and process set-up & execution(closed loop characteristics).
- The process execution capability performance is divided into response to parametersettings (equipment internal constants) and response to parameter settings (recipeinternal constants)

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Table 7

Example of EEQA Item List Presumably Issued by Equipment User

Fail-Safe func.

Miscellaneous capabilities

Material supply

RF energy supply

Process temperature generation

Process pressure generation

Process gas supply

Vacuum generation

Wafer handling in process andtransfer modules

EFEM capabilities incl. load ports
and wafer handler

Capabilities and Services

May be used for equipment functional portions
May be used for further categorization

Fidelity

Base functionality confirmation

Mechanical performance

Stability
Reproducibility
Transient characteristics
Calibration
Zero adjustment
Control coverage confirmation
Fidelity

Electrical performance

Stability
Reproducibility
Transient characteristics
Calibration
Zero adjustment
Control coverage confirmation
Fidelity

Reproducibility
Transient characteristics
Calibration
Zero adjustment
Control coverage confirmation

Performance as closed loop
characteristics

Process condition set up capability confirmation

Performance as open loop
characteristics

Stability

Fidelity
Stability
Reproducibility
Transient characteristics
Calibration
Zero adjustment
Control coverage confirmation
Fidelity

Response characteristics to recipe
settings

Processing execution capability confirmation

Response characteristics toequipment constants

Stability

Fidelity

Reproducibility
Transient characteristics
Calibration
Zero adjustment
Achievement of designed
performance

Stability
Reproducibility
Transient characteristics
Calibration
Zero adjustment
Achievement of designed
performance

Overall Equipment Performance

Equipment physical size

Physical sizes and utility joint locations to specification

Equipment physicalconfiguration

Appearance and physical organization of equipment

Production performancethroughput

Cleanness

Particle generation

Metallic contamination

Contamination by concentration of Al, Fe, Na, Cr, ….

Reliability

MTBF
MTBI and else

Installation environment
dependent performance

Evacuation speed, cooling performance, ….

Utility

Electric energy consumption, gas, chemicals, etc….

Noise immunity and else

Coolant consumption and else

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In each subcategory action for equipment is reviewed by the following perspectives
and the confirmation items are expected to be indicated in the table.
-

Fidelity
Difference with a setting value (time function)
Stability
Variation to the time-axis to the value in a stable state
Repeatability
Variation to the value(time function) when the same processing is repeated)
Transient response
Action in the transient state which can not be set up
Calibration
Correction added on purpose to adjust performance from outside
Zero adjustment
Adjustment of a staring point position
Control range
Confirmation of control range when equipment adjustment is done

Moreover, in the columns of overall equipment performance and process performanceat the bottom of the table, it is expected to fill in the items for check and measurement
after equipment design or equipment manufacturing.
Based on this list, “EEQA Item Checklist for Purchasing Equipment (issued byusers)” and “EEQA Item Checklist for Delivery Equipment (issued by suppliers)” arecreated. After the equipment suppliers and device manufacturers agree on the lists,
the actual QA work will be executed.

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8.2.

EEQA Item Checklist for Equipment Delivery (issued by suppliers)

This checklist is attached to the delivery equipment specifications from equipment
supplier to device manufacturer at the time of equipment delivery with detail
information about confirmation items by equipment manufacturers when they
manufacture and install the equipment.
The draft checklist will be discussed between equipment supplier and device
manufacturer and the equipment manufacturer is expected to submit the final versionof the checklist based on the agreement through the discussion with device
manufacturer. QA work will be done for the items marked in the checklist and therequest and availability of actual data, reference values, data acquisition method will
be filled in “EEQA Item Checklist for Delivery Equipment (issued by suppliers). Table
8 is an example for dry etching equipment with the description of the parts module andparts detail.
The equipment supplier indicates the items of this table which should be checked, fills“EEQA Item Checklist for Delivery Equipment (issued by suppliers)” form, thenexecute QA work both before the time of delivery and at the delivery /installment of
the equipment to device manufacturer.

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Example of EEQA Item List Presumably Issued by Equipment Supplier (Etcher case)
Table 8Process pressure
generation

Process gas supply

Vacuum generation

Wafer handling inprocess andtransfer modules

Process chambers

Process chambers

Transfer chamber

Load lock chambers

Process chambers
Transfer chamber
Load lock

Process chambers

Transfer chamber

Load lock

DID reader

Gas pressure gauge
Automatic pressure control
Gas manifold

Gas showering apparatus

Gas manifold

Mass flow controllers
Mass flow controllers
Gas manifold

Venting apparatus
Mass flow controllers
Vacuum gauge

Leak check apparatus

Vacuum gauge

Leak check apparatus

Vacuum gauge

Leak check apparatus

Wafer folk

Wafer pusher pin

Process stage

Process stage hoist

Gate valve
Wafer handling arm

Wafer ID reader

Wafer position sensor

Gate valve
Door
FOUP ID reader
Wafer handling arm

Detailed location on equipment

Wafer handler
LoaderStability

Reproducibility

Transient characteristics

Calibration

Zero adjustment
Electrical performance

Stability

Reproducibility

Transient characteristics

Calibration

Zero adjustment

Control coverage
confirmation

Fidelity

Reproducibility

Transient characteristics

Calibration

Zero adjustment

Control coverage
confirmation
Performance as closed loop
characteristics

Stability

Process condition set up capability confirmation

Performance as open loop
characteristics

Zero adjustment

Achievement of designed
performance

Stability

Reproducibility

Transient characteristics

Calibration

Zero adjustment

Achievement of designed
performance

Processing execution capability confirmation

Response characteristics to recipe
settings

Calibration

Response characteristics toequipment constants

Transient characteristics

Fidelity

FOUP opener

Stability

Reproducibility

Transient characteristics

Zero adjustment

Control coverage
confirmation
Mechanical performance

Calibration

Fidelity

Base functionality confirmation

Reproducibility
Stability

Load port

Performance Metrics

EFEM capabilities
incl. load ports andwafer handler

Capabilities andServices

Location on equipment

Fidelity

Control coverage
confirmation

Fidelity

Fidelity

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8.3.

EEQA Contents Captured in EEQA Checklist for Equipment Delivery

It is necessary to decide on concrete items, reference values, and data acquisition
method for the items marked in “EEQA Item Checklist for Equipment Purchasing(issued by users)”. The attribute for actual check items is decided by the equipment
function. The attribute is categorized, for example, into equipment related, vacuum
related, gas related, temperature related, RF related, subsystem related etc. Throughthe continuous examination about the attribute, it is expected that concrete items,
reference values, and the data acquisition method will serve as common contents forequipment suppliers and will be accumulated as operating knowledge for equipment
supplier. It is expectable that the knowledge of the QA method corresponding to
improvement in equipment reliability etc. is accumulated at the device manufacturers
through enhancement of QA by EEQA simultaneously. This will bring an improvementof business advances on a scale of the industry.
The table 9 is another example of EEQA detailed contents.

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Example of EEQA Detailed Contents

deviceOpen loop
characteristics(valve opening
Valve opening
linearity
angle and/or
Closed loop
control setting vs.
characteristics
chamber pressure(Indetial response) relation

Installation
condition,
exhaust , MFC
statusequivalent at
10%FS, 50%FS,
90%FS
equivalent at
10%FS, 50%FS,
91%FS with gas
flow levles as
Supply gaspressure variation

Assumption be
madeFlow controller
Valve opening andappropriate
valves operation
closing timings vs.
MFC operation
timings (ifMFC control
is being done
applicable)
timings
as quoted in theleft column
Calibration curves
Supply gaspressure needs '@10%FS, 50%FS
90%FS vs. gas
Valve opening
to be kept
flow levels
Closed loop
angle and/or
constant
Indicial response
characteristics
control setting vs. For low
needs to be(Indicial response) chamber pressure vaporization
relationpressure gases, predefined @zero
start andvaporizationintermediate flowneeds to be
Robustness to
Supply gas
Gas flow rate
disturbancepressure variation

Time domain: better than
0.3sec granularity
Pressure values: granularitythat matches the vacuum
gauge

:-(

:-( :-(:-> :-> N>=1:-(:-( :-(

Dynamics needs to be captured:-> :-> 1<N<5 :-(within 0.3 sec granularity:-( :-(

granularity
Pressure values: granularitythat matches the vacuum
gauge

Dynamics needs to be captured
within 0.3 sec granularity

Ch-to-Ch difference

Individual difference

Fidelity

M-to-M difference

Stability

Repeatability

:-(

:-(

:-(

:-(

:-(

:-> :-> N>=1

N>10

Subcomponent specification

Referencing
E/S owned calibration
standard equipment
D/M owned same typeequipment
Design value# of data points

Graph

Data granularity

Instrument and/or combined
data

Measurement
conditions/environmental
conditions

Measurement items

Item

Category
Evacuation Capability
Pressure control capability

Form of data

Pressure (allambient
Calibration history Data granularity that matches
N>5
ranges)temperatureand instrument
to that vacuum gauge under
Calibration ofFidelity of datapressure (vacuum)
Data granularity that matches
N>=1
displayed on themeasurement
to that data display device
panel
devices (such as Fidelity of data
Data granularity that matches
vacuum gauge) transmitted out ofto that vacuum gauge under
N>=1
equipment
QA
Stability ofHow zero pressure
Zero drift
ambient
pressure
is made in what
Same as above
N>10
characteristics
temperature
measurement
measurement termTime domain: better than
Evacuation speed
Extrapolated from
Installation
Chamber volumes, 0.3sec granularity
characteristics inlog P / ｔ gradient at
1<N<5condition
vacuum gauges
Pressure values: granularity
each of evacuation
time=0systemsthat matches the vacuum
From onset ofTime domain: better than
Pump dynamic
Electric current
atmospheric
0.5sec1<N<5characteristics
pressure
Current: better than 2 decimal
Previouschamber
Ultimatecondition: such Chamber volumes, Granularity that matches to theevacuation(Vacuum) pressure:-> :-> 1<N<5
as atmospheric vacuum gaugespressure measuring devicepressurepressure
exposure time
Cross over
Pumping crossNormalRead frompressure set point
2 decimal digits
1<N<5
over pressure
sequence
pumping curve
confirmation
Calibration ofomittedpressuremeasuringStability ofpressureomittedmeasurement

Robustness todisturbanceGas flow control capability

Measurement method

Data values

Table 9Function/Performance:-(:-> :-> 1<N<5 :-(

:-(

:-(

:-(

:-( :-(:-( :-(:-( :-(:-( :-( :-(Page 33:-(

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9.

Practical Use of EE Data during Equipment Operation

The time of equipment operation covers from the production start through operation
cessation in the life cycle for semiconductor process equipment as shown in Figure 17.
It is expected that EE data is utilized in various stages of semiconductor device
manufacturing the equipment was handed over from the equipment suppliers to thedevice manufacturer. Although considerable EEQA efforts already starts from theequipment designing stage in the equipment supplier regime, this chapter focuses on
the role of equipment suppliers during above-mentioned period for the utilization of
EE data from a device manufacturer’s viewpoint.
Development
completion

Adjustment

Assembly

Inspection upon
shipment

Supplier

Transportation

PO & PO
acceptance

Development
and design

Inspection upondeliveryContract
Customers

Restart ofmanufacturing

Operation
cessation
Extinguishment andresaleEquipment
service provider

Equipment
modification
Operation

MaintenanceRestart ofmanufacturing

Fig. 17

Installation andacceptanceStart ofequipment
operation

Operation

Appl.
AssistanceStart ofmanufacturing

Life Cycle for Semiconductor Process Equipment (translation version of SEAJ’s EES

Business Model Study Report)

9.1.

Utilization of EE Data during Equipment Production Period

The equipment supplier can accumulate the basic EE data of each part of theequipment by the continuous EE data acquisition through regular maintenance during
semiconductor device manufacturing period even after the equipment is handed overto the device manufacturers. The utilization of EE data brings the equipment suppliers
the information of the exchange time / life information on a component and spare parts.
By feeding this back to an equipment design, it enables to develop equipment withmore high reliability and performance.
9.2.

Utilization of EE data at the time of equipment maintenance / repair

At the regular equipment maintenance and expected or unexpected repair, EE data
can be utilized. The conventional equipment heavily depends on experience of amaintenance executor and the restoration state of equipment is not necessarily

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uniformed.
Moreover, repair works sometimes require the skill of design levels, including themachine state of equipment, internal state of software, and check of log-in informationsuch as event information.
This procedure may cause longer repair time because of different level of maintenance
operator’s skill or fall of reliability because of the repair of equipment by misjudgment.
By utilizing EE data, the analysis of troubles and the quality of finished maintenancework can be judged with fixed quantity data. Thereby, these kinds of work can be
standardized and it leads to shortening and load reduction of working hours.
9.3.

Utilization of EE Data at Modification of Equipment

The utilization of EE data at modification of equipment is similar to the method of EE
data at the time of new equipment installment. The variation of equipment
performance and the change in characteristics of equipment parts with time areperceived quantitatively from difference by comparison of the collected data withreference data or comparison of EE data between each equipment.
The improvement and modification of equipment based on this information, thereliability and mechanical performance can be achieved. Moreover, it is applicable also
to verification of the equipment performance after improvement by comparing EE dataacquired after the improvement with reference data.
9.4.

Utilization of EE Data at Disposal of Equipment (Relocation)

Due to the increase of equipment cost along with advanced performance and functionof equipment, the demand for used equipment is increasing. The cases which theincrease
The hardware / software specification as well as the current situation of usedequipment is able to confirm, however it is not possible to know how the equipment has
been used and how good performance is.
Then, by utilizing EE data accumulated during equipment operation at the time ofequipment disposal or relocation, EE data will play the role like a chart of equipment,
and will point to the history of an equipment state, or the present state. Moreover, if
the current status of equipment is merged with reference data, the equipment can beback to its initial state, therefore, equipment supplier will be able to sell the usedequipment as value-added equipment.

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10. Appendix
10.1.

Glossary

Automation technology
In manufacturing, “automation” refers to replacement by equipment which substitutes
for human work except for the portion for which needs advanced judgment andadvanced technique by human. Automation technology refers to necessary methods
or the development of the methods to materialize the automation.
Closed loop characteristics
Characteristics of a system that has an output variable measured and compared withthe target value in order to acquire the deviation from the target value and thatdeviation is fed back to the system so that the system adjusts the output value with theminimized deviation. The system characteristics may be described as a response to the
stepwise change in the target value or in the measured value; such response is called
the indicial response.
Direct process condition preparation function
In this guidebook, the function which creates processing conditions acting to a wafer
directly in a process preparation function.
ECM: Engineering Chain Management.
The management method which applied to the management method of supply chain
management (SCN) to the flow of thinking or skill using the model replaced withfunctional ability.
e-Diagnostics
The remote diagnostic solution for semiconductor manufacturing equipment operation
improvement.
EE data: Equipment Engineering Data
The data used in EEC in a broad sense. Generally refers to the data obtained fromequipment. There are three kinds of categories, DEE (Detail equipment event), trace
data (analog collection data), and context data (setting data on equipment including
static data and dynamic data), and it has a close relation mutually respectively.
EEC: Equipment Engineering Capabilities
A function or capability required for the various equipment management and operation
improvement which are realized using EES.
EEQA Checklist
The information medium which carried the items of the EEQA and contents.
EEQA: Enhanced Equipment Quality Assurance
Quality assurance (QA) of equipment performance lined with electronic data in thisguidebook.
EES Applications:
Equipment management and quality control applications using EE data. APC,
equipment / process FDC, an equipment failure detection function, etc. are included.
EES: Equipment Engineering System
The system of the equipment management proposed by JEITA and Selete as a system
which improves operation of equipment suppliers, and semiconductor device

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manufacturing by freeing from the conventional technique of performing equipment
management based on equipment information with much restriction collected by hostsystem, and grasping and managing the original function of equipment based on thedata in which various equipment states are shown.
Electronic data
Data recorded on a computer or data formatted to be reused about the equipment
operation and management report recorded on the paper conventionally. EE data etc
e-Manufacturing
The manufacturing system that enables enhanced production management, quality
management, and performance management in product manufacturing by utilizing
advanced information technology.
Equipment
All equipment related to semiconductor manufacturing process, inspection, andtransport, etc.
Equipment basic performance
Performance of the fundamental function of equipment.
Equipment difference
Generally it refers to the difference between the equipment of the same model and thesame function. With Equipment QA, it also may refer to the difference between themodules (process chamber etc.) of the same specification in equipment and the samefunction.
Equipment failure detection function
The application function which fixes the unusual state or unusual part of equipment,
making full use of EE data, especially equipment detailed event, and analog trace data,
etc in this guidebook. One of the equipment FDC functions.
Equipment life cycle
Generally it refers to a cycle from the time of products coming into market till sales
stop. In this book, it refers to a concept which includes even the improvement cycle todesign development stage and the next generation equipment by the feedback from amarket further.
Equipment QA
The assurance about the quality of semiconductor manufacturing equipment itself(hardware, software) in this guidebook.
Equipment QA Enhancement
The activity which performs objective QA for quality assurance of equipment based on
the scientific basis rather than on the present condition in this guidebook.
Evaluation axis
The axis of an index in which the data acquired for EEQA is evaluated objectively.
Evaluation of performance
It refers to evaluation work after processing work for devices finish to check how muchcorrectly the process is done to meet with requested specification.
FDC: Fault Detection & Classification.

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Detection and classification of abnormalities. Originally, FDC meant detection ofabnormalities in semiconductor process manufacturing. Since the abnormalities inprocess closely relates to equipment hardware and control system, the scope of the
FDC has widen to cover whole semiconductor device manufacturing instead of limit toprocess insufficiency. Since C can read it as "Control" and may be used, cautions are
required.
Fidelity
Generally, defined as "carrying out truly and correctly". In this guidebook it refers to
the degree of how much differences there are to the directions value or the fixed setting
value the candidate for observation in the recipe etc. (Refer to Fig. 18).
Functional ability
Refers to the performance of function in this guidebook.
Functional axis
The axis in the table that enumerates the equipment functions required to beinspected for EEQA data collection in this guidebook.
Functional parts
The structure / mechanism parts which bring about a certain action alone.
Fundamental function of equipment
Equipment functions other than processing function such as transport of wafer andmaintenance of vacuum degree of processing room. (= equipment basic function).
GJG: 300 mm Global Joint Guidance.
GJG related to automation in semiconductor device manufacturing. Originally GJG
was developed by International 300mm Initiative (I300I) and J300 of Japan
collaboratively as guideline of equipment automation in 300mm wafer factories. GJG
also refers to the guidelines developed by International SEMATECH(ISMT), Japan
Electronics Information Technology Association (JEITA), and Semiconductor Leading
Edge Technologies (Selete) based on the original GJG.
Hypothetical standard process
The standard process which serves as a basis for common phenomenon does notnecessarily match the actual handling process of device manufacturing.
International SEMATECH/JEITA/Selete Collaboration Guideline
As international cooperation after GJG, the guideline about communication control of
300mm equipment basic function developed by JEITA, Selete, and International
SEMATECH.
MES: Manufacturing Execution System.
The computer system which performs manufacturing progress management of asemiconductor device manufacturing process.
MTTR: Mean Time Trouble Repair.
The average failure return time. MTTR is usually used with MTBG(Mean Time
Between Failure) which means average failure interval in many cases.
Open loop characteristics
Refers to the characteristic in case return control of the specific function in equipment
is not performed.

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Performance
Generally it refers to good thing of completion. In this book, it comprehensively refers
how much the device manufactured with the equipment satisfy specification.
Performance capability
The capability which determines performance in this guidebook.
Platform
The base-environment using computer related to both hardware and software in thisguidebook.
Preparation
Refers to comprehensive work/operation which prepares the process environment
required for semiconductor processing such as preparatory plans and product process
preparations (seasoning etc.) of equipment, and also refers to the work/operation which
carries a wafer into such an environment.
Preparation function
The function which should be loaded in equipment or related system in order to realize"preparation".
Process execution functions
The functions or complex of functions that are used to perform semiconductor
fabrication process execution.
Process progress management
It checks in what state the target product has set to the production schedule, andjudges what disposal should be carried out based on the state based on the
manufacturing flow. One of the typical functions of MES.
QA: Quality Assurance
QA Contents
The concrete methods and results of the items carried out for quality assurance of therelevant equipment.
QA data (Equipment QA data)
The data related to quality assurance of semiconductor manufacturing equipment inthis guidebook.
QA item
The management items required for quality assurance of equipment in this guidebook.
QA operations
Overall operations related to quality assurance of equipment.
QA proof data (QA performed data)
The real acquisition data which supports QA performance.
QA works
The operations and activities for quality assurance such as data acquisition carried out
with the actual equipment.

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RecipeRecipe generally refers to a prescription or a recipe. In semiconductor manufacturing,
it refers to the process execution conditions of processing equipment.
Repeatability
Generally defined as "A certain state appearing again". It refers to the variation in avalue (time function) when the action for observation repeats the same processing(Refer to Fig. 18).
Running base
The state grasp based on real operation state in this guidebook.
SOC: System on Chip.
The concept to load the high value added system such as communication tools andinformation appliances directly on a silicon chip, and complete as a unit of device
instead of set.
Spot observation sensor
Sensor for observing the "state of a place" where the reaction for wafer processing, suchas inside of process chambers at the time of process execution, has occurred.
Stability
The variation over the time-axis to the value in the stable state for observation.
Refer to Fig.18.
Transient characteristics:
not a pre-settable behavior
in transient states

Stability: fluctuation
against the stable value
after stabilization
Fidelity: difference fromthe setting (in somecases, in times of time)

Settingvalue

Repeatability:
fluctuation between
same settings

Fig. 18

1st Run2nd RunTransient/Stability/Repeatability/Fidelity

System Implementation of EES
The phenomenon carried as a functional node of a factory management system or afunction on equipment by using EES as a functional system in this guidebook.
The dispatching technology
The technology of performing optimal delivery management of not only semiconductor
manufacturing process but the general manufacturing processing. Technology
indispensable to the physical distribution optimization for delivery assurance andproduct manufacturing.
Transient characteristics

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Refers regularly to the state change during transition. In this book, it refers to theaction for observation in the transitional state where it cannot set up. (refer to Fig. 18).
Visualization
Refers to changing what is concealed and unable to be recognized under the usual state
into the situation where it can be recognized by a certain technique.

10.2.

Acronyms (as of March 2004)

ASPLA: Advanced SoC Platform Corporation
URL = http://www.aspla.com/
FITWG: Factory Integration Technology Working Group
ISMI: International SEMATECH Manufacturing Initiative, Inc.
URL = http://www.ismi.org/
ISMT: International SEMATECHURL = http://www.sematech.org/
ITRS: International Technology Road Map for Semiconductors
JEITA: Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association
URL = http://www.jeita.or.jp/
SEAJ: Semiconductor Equipment Association of Japan
URL = http://www.seaj.or.jp/
Selete: Semiconductor Leading Edge Technologies, Inc.
URL = http://www.selete.co.jp/
SEMI: Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International
URL = http://www.semi.org/
STRJ: Semiconductor Technology Road Map technical committee of Japan
URL = http://strj-jeita.elisasp.net/strj/

10.3.

Contact Information (as of March 2004)

For more information about this guidebook or referenced material, please contact thefollowing.

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JEITA: Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association
Address:
3rd Floor, Mitsui Kaijo Bldg, Annex
11, Kanda Surugadai 3-chome, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-0062
Japan
Phone:+81-3-3518-6430
Fax:+81-3-3295-8725
Web page:
http://www.jeita.or.jp/
http://jeita-smtc.elisasp.net/
Selete: Semiconductor Leading Edge Technologies, Inc.
Address:
16-1, Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaragi 305-8569 Japan
Phone:+81-298-49-1300
Fax:+81-298-49-1185
Web page:
http://www.selete.co.jp/
Name

Company

Phone

Fax

E-mailToru Tsurumu

Fujitsu

81-42-532-1374

81-42-532-2404

tsurumi@jp.fujitsu.com

Masato Fujita

Matsushita

81-255-72-8812

81-255-73-8598

fujita.masato@jp.panasonic.com

Michio Honma

NEC Electronic

81-44-435-1406

81-44-435-1570

michio.honma@necel.com

Shigeru Kobayashi

Renesas Technology 81-29-270-2062

81-29-270-2691

kobayashi.shigeru2@renesas.com

81-584-64-4943

nisi070657@sanyo.co.jp

Hidetaka Nishimura Sanyo Electric

81-584-64-4897

Hiroyuki Akimori

Selete81-298-29-1300

81-298-49-1185

akimori@selete.co.jp

Shoichi Kodama

Toshiba

81-44-548-2421

81-548-8337

syoichi.kodama@toshiba.co.jp

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