Patent ID: 8513625

Claim:
A method of manufacturing semiconductor wafers using a photolithographic track system, comprising the steps of: a) loading the semiconductor wafers onto the photolithographic track; b) moving the semiconductor wafers to a plurality of photolithographic stations that perform specified tasks on the semiconductor wafers; c) conducting a first metrology inspection of patterns on the semiconductor wafers in-track, using a first tool for metrology inspection situated on said photolithographic track system, the first tool for metrology inspection including a stylus probe for scanning the patterns on the semiconductor wafers and a fiber cable for providing an image of the stylus probe and the patterns to a camera, where the image is used to position the stylus probe proximate to the patterns on the semiconductor wafers for the first metrology inspection; d) upon detection of a variation in a pattern of a particular semiconductor wafer using the results of the first metrology inspection, conducting a second metrology inspection of the pattern on the particular semiconductor wafer in-track, using a second tool for metrology inspection situated on said photolithographic track system; e) based on the results of at least one of the first and the second metrology inspections, conducting real-time feedback process control to determine whether the patterns on the semiconductor wafers are within a predetermined tolerance range, including causing the track to move the semiconductor wafers to a selected station from the plurality of photolithographic stations, based on whether the semiconductor wafers are within the predetermined tolerance range; and f) based on the results of the real-time feedback process control, performing corrective action process control to adjust parameters of selected stations in order to realize the predetermined tolerance range for the patterns on the semiconductor; wherein the first metrology inspection of step (c) is conducted on a wafer to water basis and without removing said wafers from said photolithographic track system.