Advanced Micro Devices Corporation

Craig William Christian

Mohammed Anjum

Ibrahim K Burki

Allen Lewis Evans

Thomas J Sonderman

Bradley Marc Davis

H Jim Fulford

William Jarrett Campbell

Christopher H Raeder

Thomas E Spikes, Jr

Tim Z Hossain

Qingsu Wang

Scott Gregory Bushman

Christopher L Wooten

James Clayton Stice

Denver L Dolman

John B Crowley

A method is provided, the method comprising monitoring consumption of a sputter target to determine a deposition rate of a metal layer during metal deposition processing using the sputter target, and modeling a dependence of the deposition rate on at least one of deposition plasma power and deposition time. The method also comprises applying the deposition rate model to modify the metal deposition processing to form the metal layer to have a desired thickness.

Run-to-run control method for automated control of metal deposition processes

The invention, in its various aspects and embodiments, is a method and apparatus for controlling the operation of a multi-chamber process tool in a semiconductor fabrication process. The method comprises setting a plurality of operation parameters for the conduct of a predetermined operation in each of a plurality of process chambers in a multi-chamber process tool; performing the predetermined operation in each of the process chambers; examining a physical characteristic of a processed wafer from each of the process chambers; determining from the examined physical characteristics whether the operating conditions in each of the process chambers match; and resetting at least one operating parameter so that the operating conditions in each of the process chambers will match. The apparatus comprises a processing tool, a review station, and a tool controller. The processing tool includes a plurality of process chambers and an operation controller. Each process chamber is capable of performing a predetermined operation defined by a plurality of operating parameters. The operation controller is capable of setting the operating parameter for each of the process chambers. The review station is capable of examining a physical characteristic of a processed wafer from each of the process chambers and outputting the results of the examination. The tool controller is capable of receiving the examination result, determining whether the operating parameters of the process chambers match, and instructing the operation controller to reset at least some of the operating parameters responsive thereto to match the operating conditions in the process chambers.

Control mechanism for matching process parameters in a multi-chamber process tool

A method and an apparatus for controlling a deposition process in a manufacturing process. A process recipe setting step is performed. A process run of semiconductor devices is performed based upon the process recipe. Metrology data relating to the process run of semiconductor dev determination is made whether production results are within a predetermined tolerance level, based upon the metrology data. Process recipe settings are modified in response to a determination that the production results are within a predetermined tolerance level, based upon the metrology data. A processing tool is capable of receiving at least one control input parameter and a metrology data acquisition unit is interfaced with the processing tool and is capable of acquiring metrology data from the processing tool. A production data analysis unit is interfaced with the metrology data acquisition unit and is capable of analyzing the metrology data from the metrology data acquisition unit and a control input parameter adjustment unit is interfaced with the production data analysis unit and the processing tool and is capable of performing adjustments upon the control input parameter.

Method and apparatus for run-to-run control of deposition process

A method is provided that comprises forming a copper seed layer on a workpiece and measuring the uniformity of the copper seed layer on the workpiece. The method further comprises applying the uniformity measurement to modify processing to form a copper layer having a desired uniformity profile for increased planarization in subsequent planarizing.

Advanced process control (APC) of copper thickness for chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) optimization

A method for reducing deposition thickness variation in a processing tool comprises storing a post-clean performance model of the processing tool; receiving at least one of a showerhead age and a tool idle time associated with the processing tool as an input parameter; determining temperature control parameters based on the input parameter and the post-clean performance model; and modifying an operating recipe of the processing tool based on the temperature control parameters. A processing system includes a processing tool and an automatic process controller. The processing tool is adapted to process wafers in accordance with an operating recipe. The automatic process controller is adapted to store a post-clean performance model of the processing tool, receive at least one of a showerhead age and a tool idle time associated with the processing tool as an input parameter, determine temperature control parameters based on the input parameter and the post-clean performance model, and modify the operating recipe of the processing tool based on the temperature control parameters.

Method and apparatus for reducing deposition variation by modeling post-clean chamber performance

Disclosed herein is a method comprised of forming a metal layer above a structure layer on a workpiece, measuring a thickness of the metal layer, determining, based upon the measured thickness of the metal layer, at least one parameter of an etching process to be performed on the metal layer, and performing the etching process comprised of the determined parameter on the metal layer. Also disclosed is a system comprised of a deposition tool for forming a metal layer above a structure layer on a workpiece, a metrology tool for measuring a thickness of the metal layer, a controller for determining, based upon the measured thickness of the metal layer, at least one parameter of an etch process to be performed on the metal layer, and an etch tool adapted to perform an etch process comprised of the determined parameter on the metal layer.

Run-to-run etch control by feeding forward measured metal thickness

A processing line includes a processing tool, a measurement tool, and an automatic process controller. The processing tool is adapted to process articles. The measurement tool is adapted to measure a characteristic of selected articles at a measurement frequency. The automatic process controller is adapted to change the measurement frequency based on a usage characteristic of the processing tool. A method for monitoring a processing tool includes processing a plurality of articles in the processing tool; measuring a characteristic of selected articles at a measurement frequency; and changing the measurement frequency based on a usage characteristic of the processing tool.

Method and apparatus for determining measurement frequency based on hardware age and usage

A method for filling a trench is provided. A wafer having at least a first layer formed thereon is provided. A trench is formed in the first layer. The depth of the trench is measured. A target thickness is determined based on the depth of the trench. A second layer of the target thickness is formed over the trench. A processing line includes a trench etch tool, a first metrology tool, a trench fill tool, and an automatic process controller. The trench etch tool is adapted to form a trench in a first layer on a wafer. The first metrology tool is adapted to measure the depth of the trench. The trench fill tool is adapted to form a second layer over the first layer based on an operating recipe. An automatic process controller is adapted to determine a target thickness based on the depth of the trench and modify the operating recipe of the trench fill tool based on the target thickness.

Apparatus for filling trenches

A method is used by a semiconductor processing tool. The method comprises forming a first layer above a substrate layer, and forming an inorganic bottom antireflective coating layer above the first layer by introducing at least two gases at a preselected ratio into the semiconductor processing tools. A signal indicating that the semiconductor processing tool has been serviced is received, and the ratio of the gases is varied in response to receiving the signal to control optical parameters of the bottom antireflective coating layer to enhance subsequent photolithographic processes.

Method for controlling optical properties of antireflective coatings

Method for filling trenches

A method for reducing die loss in a semiconductor fabrication process which employs titanium nitride and HDP oxide is provided. In the fabrication of multilevel interconnect structures, there is a propensity for defect formation in a process in which titanium nitride and HDP oxide layers are in contact along the edge of a semiconductor substrate. A dielectric interlayer is provided which improves the interfacial properties between titanium nitride and HDP oxide and thereby reduces defects caused by delamination at the titanium nitride/HDP oxide interface.

Interlayer between titanium nitride and high density plasma oxide

A system and method for calculating the performance of a cluster tool using a weighted configuration matrix. The system includes a computer system which maintains a database of entities corresponding to semiconductor wafer processing modules in a fab. A user 'clusters' the entities, i.e., selects entities to reflect the relationship of the constituent modules physically linked together which form the cluster tool. The user also designates a main module against which the main performance events of the cluster tool, such as begin run and end run, are logged in the database. The computer system configures all of the 'up' and 'down' state configuration combinations of the cluster tool modules and displays the configurations for the user. The user specifies a weight for each of the configurations based upon an estimate of the performance the cluster tool while in the respective configuration relative to the performance of the cluster tool in a fully operable configuration. For example, the user may choose the weights based upon the throughput of wafers capable of being processed by the cluster tool in each of the respective configurations, the number of wafer processes capable of being performed by the cluster tool in each of the respective configurations, or the economic value added (EVA) by the wafer processes capable of being performed by the cluster tool in each of the respective configurations. The computer system compiles the configurations and received weights into a weighted configuration matrix which is used to calculate the performance of the cluster tool. In particular, the E10 metrics and OEE metric components are calculated as a measure of the reliability, availability, maintainability, operational efficiency and utilization aspects of performance of the cluster tool over a total period of time. Formulas for calculating various of the metrics using the configuration matrix are provided. The method is applicable to both sequential and parallel type cluster tools and does not require additional data tracking beyond currently tracked data.

System and method for calculating cluster tool performance metrics using

A field oxide is provided which purposefully takes advantage of fluorine mobility from an implanted impurity species. The field oxide can be enhanced or thickened according to the size (area and thickness) of the oxide. Fluorine from the impurity species provides for dislodgement of oxygen at silicon-oxygen bond sites, leading to oxygen recombination at the field oxide/substrate interface. Thickening of the oxide through recombination occurs after it is initially grown and implanted. Accordingly, initial thermal oxidation can be shortened to enhance throughput. The fluorine-enhanced thickening effect can therefore compensate for the shorter thermal oxidation time. Moreover, the thickened oxide regions are anistropically oxidized underneath existing thermally grown oxides and directly underneath openings between nitrides. The thickened oxides therefore do not cause additional shrinkage of the active areas which reside between field oxides.

Semicondutor having selectively enhanced field oxide areas and method

An improved method is provided for fabricating a metal silicide upon a semiconductor substrate. The method advantageously places a film of metal nitride upon the metal layer. The metal nitride layer and metal layer are sputter deposited within the same chamber without removing the substrate from the vacuum so as to prevent oxygen or moisture from contaminating the metal layer and causing oxides to form thereon. Furthermore, the metal nitride layer is reactively sputter deposited in a nitrogen/argon ambient to allow precise amounts of nitrogen to be deposited across uneven surface topography directly adjacent to the underlying metal layer. Excess nitrogen purposefully deposited within the metal nitride layer consumes a controlled depth of metal bond sites within the underlying metal layer so as to limit the amount of silicidation from underlying silicon or polysilicon into the metal thereby substantially eliminating or minimizing silicide shorting problems.

Integrated circuit fabrication using a metal silicide having a

An improved method is provided for fabricating a metal silicide upon a semiconductor substrate. The method utilizes ion beam mixing by implanting germanium to a specific elevation level within a metal layer overlying a silicon contact region. The implanted germanium atoms impact upon and move a plurality of metal atoms through the metal-silicon interface and into a region residing immediately below the silicon (or polysilicon) surface. The metal atoms can therefore bond with silicon atoms to cause a pre-mixing of metal with silicon near the interface in order to enhance silicidation. Germanium is advantageously chosen as the irradiating species to ensure proper placement of the germanium and ensuing movement of dislodged metal atoms necessary for minimizing oxides left in the contact windows and lattice damage within the underlying silicon (or polysilicon).

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Buda, TX, United States of America

Craig William Christian