Tokyo Electron Limited

Steven Gueci

Daniel J Fulford

Michael Murphy

David C Conklin

Andrew Weloth

Michael Carcasi

Mirko Vukovic

Sean Berglund

Ankur Agarwal

Systems and methods are provided to control operational parameter(s) of a spin-on process based on a localized fluid velocity of a processing liquid dispensed onto a surface of a spinning semiconductor substrate. In the present disclosure, a tracer is introduced within, or incorporated onto a surface of, a processing liquid as the processing liquid is dispensed onto the spinning semiconductor substrate. Movement of the tracer is tracked over time, as the tracer flows along with the processing liquid across the spinning substrate surface, to determine a localized fluid velocity of the processing liquid at one or more radial positions on the substrate surface. The localized fluid velocity is then used to control one or more operational parameters of a spin-on process.

Systems and methods for determining a localized fluid velocity on a spinning substrate by tracking movement of a tracer across the spinning substrate

Aspects of the present disclosure provide a wafer processing device for optimizing wafer shape. For example, the wafer processing device can include a first hot plate, a second hot plate and a controller. The first hot plate can be configured to heat a wafer. For example, the first hot plate can provide uniform heating across a surface of the first hot plate. The second hot plate has multiple heating zones with each heating zone independently controllable such that each heating zone can be set to a temperature value independent of other heating zones. The controller is configured to control the first hot plate to provide the uniform heating, receive a bow measurement from wafer curvature measurement of a wafer, and set the multiple heating zones of the second hot plate to their respective temperature values that correspond to the bow measurement.

In-situ lithography pattern enhancement with localized stress treatment tuning using heat zones

Equipment for coating a wafer is disclosed, where the equipment includes a wafer holder configured to spin the wafer while holding the wafer; a rotary drive configured to spin the wafer holder; a nozzle configured to pour liquid onto a surface to be coated of the wafer; an annular duct disposed circumferentially around the wafer when the wafer is spun by the wafer holder, the duct configured to collect material ejected off an edge of the wafer; and an air knife disposed proximate a backside, the backside being opposite the side to be coated, where the air knife is configured to blow an air curtain through a slot onto an exposed edge region of the backside at a grazing angle of incidence to flow gas radially outward along the backside toward the annular duct.

Apparatus and method for spin processing

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Gansevoort, NY, United States of America

Steven Gueci