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Abstract
Advanced process control (APC) has been used in semiconductor manufacturing to a small degree over the past decade. At present, it is most commonly used in chemical mechanical planarization processes. APC holds a great deal of potential for reducing scrap, increasing time between preventative maintenance operations and making more devices bin out at higher performance levels by tightening the process distribution. That potential has gone largely untapped, and tapping into it soon will be a necessity. APC falls into two main categories: run-to-run control, and fault detection and classification. Equipment suppliers already provide real-time active control of equipment state parameters. Soon, real-time active control of equipment state parameters. Soon, real-time active control will be a necessity for cost-effective semiconductor manufacturing. There is a great deal to be gained from advanced process control in terms of reduced rework, more devices working near their theoretical peak performance and reduced scrap.