A moveable head of a computer numerically controlled machine may deliver electromagnetic energy sufficient to cause a first change in a material at least partially contained within an interior space of the CNC machine. A feature of the material may be imaged using at least one camera present inside the interior space to update a position of the material, and the moveable head may be aligned to deliver electromagnetic energy sufficient to cause a second change in the material such that the second change is positioned on the material consistent with the first change and with an intended final appearance of the material. Methods, systems, and article of manufacture are described.

For etching tools, a neural network model is trained to predict optimum scheduling parameter values. The model is trained using data collected from preventive maintenance operations, recipe times, and wafer-less auto clean times as inputs. The model is used to capture underlying relationships between scheduling parameter values and various wafer processing scenarios to make predictions. Additionally, in tools used for multiple parallel material deposition processes, a nested neural network based model is trained using machine learning. The model is initially designed and trained offline using simulated data and then trained online using real tool data for predicting wafer routing path and scheduling. The model improves accuracy of scheduler pacing and achieves highest tool/fleet utilization, shortest wait times, and fastest throughput.

Disclosed are methods of optimizing a computerized model which relates etched feature profile on a semiconductor device to a set of independent input parameters via the use of a plurality of model parameters. The optimization methods may include modifying the model parameters so that an etch profile generated with the model is such that it reduces a metric indicative of the combined differences between experimental etch profiles resulting from experimental etch processes performed using different sets of values for sets of independent input parameters and computed etch profiles generated from the model and corresponding to the experimental etch profiles. Said metric may be calculated by projecting computed and corresponding experimental etch profiles onto a reduced-dimensional subspace used to calculate a difference between the profiles. Also disclosed herein are systems employing such optimized models, as well as methods of using such models to approximately determine the profile of an etched feature.

An electronic device manufacturing system capable of obtaining metrology data generated using metrology equipment located within a process chamber that performs a deposition process on a substrate according to a process recipe, wherein the process recipe comprises a plurality of setting parameters, and wherein the deposition process generates a plurality of film layers on a surface of the substrate. The manufacturing system can further generate a correction profile based on the metrology data. The manufacturing system can further generate an updated process recipe by applying the correction profile to the process recipe. The manufacturing system can further cause an etch process to be performed on the substrate according to the updated process recipe.

Provided is a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device. the method comprises receiving layout data including a plurality of pieces of pattern data, the plurality of pieces of pattern data having through first to N.sup.th unique patterns (N is a natural number greater than or equal to two), calculating first to N.sup.th density values of the first to N.sup.th unique patterns from the layout data and calculating first to N.sup.th populations of the first to N.sup.th unique patterns from the layout data, performing sampling by selecting some unique patterns among the first to N.sup.th unique patterns, the selecting based on the first to N.sup.th density values and the first to N.sup.th populations, and performing etch modeling on sampled patterns of the plurality of pieces of pattern data, the sampled patterns corresponding to the selected unique patterns.

A system for controlling an etch process includes and etching tool, a metrology tool, and a controller. The etching tool is controllable via a set of control parameters and may execute a plurality of etch recipes containing values of the set of control parameters. The controller may direct the etching tool to execute a plurality of etch recipes on a plurality of metrology targets; direct the metrology tool to generate metrology data indicative of two or more etch characteristics on the plurality of metrology targets; determine one or more relationships between the two or more etch characteristics and the set of control parameters based on the metrology data; and generate, based on the one or more relationships, a particular etch recipe to constrain one of the two or more etch characteristics and maintain the remainder of the two or more etch characteristics within defined bounds.

A spindle mountable camera system connectable to a CNC machine for work piece inspection and identification. The camera system includes a mounting stem connectable to a CNC machine tool holder. The mounting stem includes an air passage connectable to an air supply of the CNC machine. An enclosure is attached to the mounting stem and includes a camera opening. A camera module is disposed within the enclosure and an air supply line is connected between the mounting stem and the camera module. An enclosure cover is pivotably mounted to the enclosure proximate the camera opening. One or more pneumatic cylinders are connected to the air passages and extend between the enclosure and the enclosure cover to move the enclosure cover between an open position and a closed position.

A computer numerically controlled machine may include a movable head configured to deliver electromagnetic energy to a part of a working area in which the movable head may be commanded to cause delivery of the electromagnetic energy. The interior space may be defined by a housing and may include an openable barrier that attenuates transmission of light between the interior space and an exterior of the computer numerically controlled machine when the openable barrier is in a closed position. The computer numerically controlled machine may include an interlock that prevents emission of the electromagnetic energy when detecting that the openable barrier is not in the closed position. The commanding may result in the computer numerically controlled machine executing operations of a motion plan for causing movement of the movable head to deliver the electromagnetic energy to effect a change in a material at least partially contained within the interior space.

A method for controlling an etch operation which is a rapid alternating process having etch and passivation phases is described. The method includes (a) supplying source power to an inductive coil of a plasma chamber, (b) initiating supply of a first process gas that flows along a distance separating a mass flow controller and the chamber, (c) detecting an optical signal from plasma generated within the chamber, with the optical signal being analyzed to identify a predefined change in amplitude relative to time, (d) triggering activation of bias power upon identifying the predefined change, the bias power being held active for a predefined amplitude duration during which the etch phase is primarily active, (e) initiating supply of a second process gas during a period in which the passivation phase is primarily active and the bias power is inactive, and (f) repeating (b)-(e) for additional cycles while processing an etch operation.

Systems and methods for performing 3D photoresist profile generation for a semiconductor device fabrication environment are discussed. The methods comprise receiving in a virtual fabrication environment a top contour mask and a bottom contour mask, creating a loading map using a subset of density information extracted from the top contour mask and the bottom contour mask, performing an etch operation using the loading map to generate the 3D photoresist profile, and outputting a result of the etch operation.