Metrology tool error log analysis methodology and system

摘要

A method of identifying failures in a metrology tool system used to measure desired dimensions in microelectronic features. Each metrology tool in the system runs a plurality of recipes for measuring desired dimensions in microelectronic features, with each recipe comprising a set of instructions for measuring at least one dimension in a microelectronic feature. The system includes an error log having stored thereon failures in measurement of microelectronic feature dimensions. The method includes determining normalized number of errors for the recipes used by the metrology tool from the failures stored in the error log, identifying one or more recipes having the greatest normalized number of errors in the error log, identifying, in a list of jobs to be performed by the metrology tool, the one or more identified recipes having the greatest normalized number of errors, and from the identified one or more recipes having the greatest normalized number of errors, determining the cause of the errors in the one or more recipes. The method then includes effecting a change in the one or more identified recipes having the greatest normalized number of errors to correct the errors therein and tracking a metrology tool job having the one or more recipes in which a change has been effected to determine whether the cause of errors has been corrected.