Use and benefit of an online analysis capability within a local diffusion area control system

Process control and statistical process control are key contributing factors for increased yields and reduced scrap in semiconductor circuit manufacturing. Typical implementations are to track critical device and equipment performance parameters either manually or on a host computer system. The authors describe the APEX analysis software package which complements these techniques, providing tracking and analysis capabilities within the local diffusion area control system used with BTU International´s diffusion and LPCVD (low-pressure chemical vapor deposition) reactors. Emphasis is placed on detailing applications to date of this software tool within BTU and at a Motorola production facility