Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Bong-Su Cho

Young-Chul Jang

Chan-Hoon Park

Hyun-Tae Kang

Kyoung-Shik Jun

A semiconductor wafer overlay correction method for an exposure process in a semiconductor fabricating stepper incorporates variations in equipment characteristics with time. The wafer overlay correction method includes measuring an overlay error correction value of a semiconductor wafer that is exposed by the stepper, calculating an overlay error correction value by summing the measured overlay error correction value, a variation in the stepper characteristics that is obtained through an empirical characterization of input changes, and a weighting value obtained from a predetermined plurality of wafer lots, and providing the calculated overlay error correction value to the semiconductor fabricating stepper to control an exposure process of a subsequent wafer lot.

Method for automatically correcting overlay alignment of a semiconductor wafer

A method of controlling thicknesses of thin film layers in manufacturing semiconductor devices begins with loading monitoring wafers in a thin film forming apparatus. The apparatus has multiple film formation zones, and one of the zones is a reference zone. After forming thin films on the monitoring wafers, thicknesses of the thin films formed on the monitoring wafers are measured. Then, process time and process temperatures are adjusted so that the thicknesses of films are the same as a target film thickness. Finally, thin films are formed on semiconductor wafers using the adjusted process time and temperatures.

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Sungnam, South Korea

Bong-Su Cho