Tom Edgar of the University of Texas presents A Batch Process Control Framework for Semiconductor Manufacturing as part of ChBE's Fall 2006 Seminar Series.

Refreshments will be served from 3:30-4:00PM
The seminar will be held 4:00-5:00PM

Abstract
Advances in modeling and control will be required to meet future technical challenges in semiconductor manufacturing. For batch processes such as occur in semiconductor fabrication, modeling and control must be incorporated into a multi-level framework including sequential control, within-the-batch control, run-to-run control, fault detection, and factory control. Implementation challenges include a lack of suitable in situ measurements, variations in process equipment characteristics and wafer properties, limited process understanding, and non-automated operational practices. This presentation reviews how basic research findings in modeling and control have influenced commercial applications in key unit operations such as lithography and plasma etching as well as in overall factory control.