Process Definition Spreadsheet for Run Card Creation

Retention and dissemination of microfabrication process knowledge is a challenge for most university clean room facilities. Many new graduate student researchers arrive with little or no microfabrication experience and do not possess an understanding of the effects of process variables. For these researchers, well-documented standardized processes give a solid starting point to learn the steps they need to build their devices. To address the need for better communication of standard fab processes, a process definition spreadsheet has been created. This spreadsheet gives researchers the ability to select processes, vary inputs, generate recipe parameters, and view deposition and etch rates for standard processes. It also allows the creation and printing of run cards that can be carried into the clean room for reference during tool set up. Available processes include photolithography, deposition, etch, and packaging. Each process contains an integrated drop-down list of corresponding equipment, and each tool contains a drop-down list of associated materials. The spreadsheet is available to download through a website link and is manually updated whenever new process information is available. The data in the Excel-based spreadsheet is maintained by part-time student employees who perform regular process runs and take associated measurements. The results are verified by full-time engineering staff before being entered into the process spreadsheet. Initial researcher feedback is very positive, with 40% of users who responded to an anonymous survey using the software at least once per week, and the deposition process drop-down list being the most frequently accessed section. The spreadsheet has had the unexpected benefit of helping staff be more aware of current process results and problems. A web-based upgrade is currently under development that will include enhancements such as links to process charts and up-to-date results obtained from the researcher measurements through a Coral database. The new system will use a database to store process-related information. A group of computer science students is doing the design and the development of the new web app for a class project.