Tokyo Electron Limited

Joel Estrella

Joshua Hooge

Michael Carcasi

Nathan Ip

Ihsan Simms

Carlos A Fonseca

Hiroshi Marumoto

Antonio Luis Pacheco Rotondaro

Anton J deVillers

Mark H Somervell

Masashi Enomoto

Masahide Tadokoro

Yuichiro Kunugimoto

Hiroyuki Iwaki

An exemplary method of monitoring a bath process includes processing a first wafer by submerging the first wafer within a bath solution; capturing a video of the bath solution containing the first wafer during a first time interval; analyzing the video based on intensity of light captured in a frame of the video; and based on analyzing the video, determining a first metric of the bath solution during the first time interval.

Wafer bath imaging

A method of processing a plurality of substrates includes immersing the plurality of substrates into a bath solution contained in a bath chamber; generating gas bubbles in the bath solution; projecting light from a light source toward the bath chamber; generating light sensor data by capturing light emanating off the bath chamber after interacting with the gas bubbles with a light sensor; and converting the light sensor data into a metric for the bath solution.

Bath systems and methods thereof

Camera images may be utilized to detect substrate edges and provide information regarding the centering of the substrate within the fluid dispense system. Camera images may also be utilized to monitoring the location of a cup within the fluid dispense system. The signal processing techniques utilized may include data smoothing, analyzing only certain wavelengths of reflected energy, transforming the data (in one embodiment utilizing a Fourier transform), and/or analyzing a sub-set of the collected pixels of data. The camera image data collected herein may be combined with a wide variety of other data so as to better monitor, characterize and/or control a substrate processing process flow.

Systems and methods for spin process video analysis during substrate processing

Described herein are techniques related to a semiconductor fabrication process that facilitates the enhancement of systemic conformities of patterns of the fabricated semiconductor wafer. A semiconductor wafer with maximized systemic conformities of patterns will maximize the electrical properties and/or functionality of the electronic devices formed as part of the fabricated semiconductor wafer. This Abstract is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.

Enhancement of yield of functional microelectronic devices

Camera images are utilized to provide information regarding characteristics of in a fluid dispense system. Camera images may be utilized to identify the movement of the hardware of a fluid dispense system. The movement of the hardware may be utilized to determine the beginning of a fluid dispense based upon a correlation between the hardware movement and a dispense time provided in a dispense recipe. The beginning of the fluid dispense may be detected by performing an image analysis on the camera images to detect the presence of the fluid in the camera image. The image analysis may involve an intensity analysis of the detected camera image. In another embodiment, the camera image is utilized to detect the edges of the fluid formed on substrate. The edges may be detected as a puddle formed prior to spinning the substrate and/or may be detected as the puddle spreads during spinning.

Systems and methods for automated video analysis detection techniques for substrate process

Disclosed herein is a technology related to the amelioration (e.g., correction) of global wafer distortion based on a determination of localized distortions of a semiconductor wafer. Herein, a distortion is either an out-of-plane distortion (OPD) or in-plane distortion (IPD). The reference plane for this distortion is based on the plane shared by the surface of a presumptively flat semiconductor wafer. This Abstract is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.

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Austin, TX, United States of America

Joel Estrella