M-FOUP SYSTEM performance in a semiconductor process control

The metrology FOUP (M-FOUP) is a custom-modified wafer carrier equipped with multi-point spectroscopic reflectometer metrology. The self-powered metrology apparatus is positioned above a FOUP slot holding the wafer to be measured. The measured points on the wafer are fixed by placing fiber probes on a permanent mounting plate. The measured reflectometry spectrums are analyzed based on optical modeling software. The M-FOUP SYSTEM consists of a controller (M-CONTROLLER), which controls multiple M-FOUP measurement units.In our previous publications, we focused on the technical details of the M-FOUP unit, such as the overall design, internal temperature distribution, and charging/discharging routine, as well as on the metrology job architecture and implementation of this unique concept into an operating fab environment. In this work, we compare the performance of the M-FOUP SYSTEM with the Process of Record (POR) metrology for typical high-volume applications.