SGER: A Study on Plasma Etching Yield Improvements through a Faculty-in-Industry Internship

摘要：Michael Nikolaou和Brian McMillan机构：休斯顿大学提案编号：0118516不断增加的功能和晶圆尺寸正在挑战依赖于开环配方执行的集成电路制造实践。 为了确保高产量，正在逐步使用可靠的基于传感器的方法来预防、检测和纠正（控制）异常情况，并且需要进一步开发。 为此，这个为期四个月的GOALI项目将促进微电子行业与休斯顿大学之间的互动，为PI在该领域的未来工作提供重要投入。这项工作将在Lam Research Corporation的设施中进行，重点是等离子体蚀刻。 两种商业软件产品将用于确定在预防、检测和校正（控制）方法的基础上提高产量的潜力，这些方法使用现有工具中传感器提供的数据。 基于软件的方法的局限性将被检查，和有前途的方向将被概述为短期和长期的发展传感器，监测和控制系统等离子体蚀刻产量的提高。 在PI返回其学术职位后，将进一步继续开展这项工作。

ABSTRACTPI: Michael Nikolaou and Brian McMillan Institution: University of HoustonProposal Number: 0118516Increasing functionality and wafer sizes are challenging integrated circuit manufacturing practices that rely on the execution of open-loop recipes. To ensure high yields, reliable sensor-based methods for the prevention, detection and correction (control) of abnormal situations are gradually being used and need to be further developed. To that end, this four-month GOALI project will serve to catalyze interaction between the microelectronics industry and the University of Houston, providing important input to the PI's future work in the area.The work will be conducted at Lam Research Corporation's facilities and will focus on plasma etching. Two commercial software products will be used to determine the potential for yield improvements on the basis of prevention, detection, and correction (control) methods that use data provided by sensors in existing tools. The limits of software-based methods will be examined, and promising directions will be outlined for short and long-term development of sensor, monitoring, and control systems for plasma etching yield improvements. Continuation of this work will be further pursued after the PI returns to his academic position.