Just-in-time adaptive disturbance estimation for run-to-run control of semiconductor processes

Run-to-run control is the term used for the application of discrete parts manufacturing control as practiced in the semiconductor industry. This paper presents a new algorithm for use in run-to-run control that has been designed to address some of the challenging issues unique to batch-type manufacturing. Just-in-time adaptive disturbance estimation (JADE) uses recursive weighted least squares parameter estimation to identify the contributions to variation that are dependent upon manufacturing context. The strengths and weaknesses of the JADE algorithm are demonstrated in a series of test cases developed to separate the various disturbances and processing issues a control system would be expected to encounter