Tokyo Electron Limited

Tokyo Electron Limi Ted

Kla-tencor Technologies Corporation

Xinkang Tian

Manuel B Madriaga

Ching-Ling Meng

Mihail Mihaylov

Yan Chen

Hanyou Chu

Holger Tuitje

Adam Eales Norton

Qiang Zhao

Ching Ling Meng

Mihail Mihalov

Vi Vuong

Jason Ferns

Zheng Yan

Junwei Bao

Ping Wang

Shifang Li

Ivan Maleev

Wen Jin

Joel Ng

Tuan Tran

Weiwen Xu

Wei-Ning Shen

Yan Sun

Qionglin Gao

Norton Adam

Byeong Su Hwang

Badru D Hyatt

An apparatus for in-situ etching monitoring in a plasma processing chamber includes a continuous wave broadband light source, an illumination system configured to illuminate an area on a substrate with an incident light beam being directed from the continuous wave broadband light source at normal incidence to the substrate, a collection system configured to collect a reflected light beam being reflected from the illuminated area on the substrate, and to direct the reflected light beam to a first light detector, and a controller. The controller is configured to determine a property of the substrate or structures formed thereupon based on a reference light beam and the reflected light beam, and control an etch process based on the determined property. The reference light beam is generated by the illumination system by splitting a portion of the incident light beam and directed to a second light detector.

Normal-incidence in-situ process monitor sensor

Disclosed are embodiments of an improved apparatus and system, and associated methods for optically diagnosing a semiconductor manufacturing process. A hyperspectral imaging system is used to acquire spectrally-resolved images of emissions from the plasma, in a plasma processing system. Acquired hyperspectral images may be used to determine the chemical composition of the plasma and the plasma process endpoint. Alternatively, a hyperspectral imaging system is used to acquire spectrally-resolved images of a substrate before, during, or after processing, to determine properties of the substrate or layers and features formed on the substrate, including whether a process endpoint has been reached; or before or after processing, for inspecting the substrate condition.

Optical diagnostics of semiconductor process using hyperspectral imaging

A data set is stored in memory circuitry that is indicative of a state of a semiconductor fabrication process or of semiconductor structure fabricated thereby. Features in the data set are discernable to an extent limited by a data resolution. A machine-learning model comprising parameters having respective values assigned thereto as constrained by a model training process is also stored in the memory circuitry. Processor circuitry communicatively coupled to the memory circuitry generates an output data set from the data set in accordance with the machine-learning model such that features in the output data set are discernable to an extent limited by an output data resolution that is finer than the data resolution of the data set.

Enhanced resolution in semiconductor fabrication data acquisition instruments using machine learning

Aspects of the present disclosure provide a method for wavelength calibration of a spectrometer. The method can include receiving a calibration light signal having first spectral components of different first wavelengths; separating and projecting the first spectral components onto pixels of a detector of the spectrometer; establishing a relation between the first wavelengths and pixel numbers of first pixels on which the first spectral components are projected; calculating first residual errors between the first wavelengths and estimated wavelengths that are associated by the relation to the pixel numbers of the first pixels; receiving an optical signal having a second spectral component of a second wavelength; projecting the optical signal onto a second pixel; and calibrating the second wavelength based on a second residual error calculated based on one of the first residual errors that corresponds to a pair of the first pixels between which the second pixel is located.

Peak alignment for the wavelength calibration of a spectrometer

An apparatus, a system, and a method for in-situ etching monitoring in a plasma processing chamber are provided. The apparatus includes a continuous wave broadband light source to generate incident light beam, an illumination system configured to illuminate an area on a substrate with an incident light beam being directed at normal incidence to the substrate, a collection system configured to collect a reflected light beam being reflected from the illuminated area on the substrate, and direct the reflected light beam to a detector, and processing circuitry. The processing circuitry is configured to process the reflected light beam to suppress background light, determine a property of the substrate or structures formed thereupon based on reference light beam and the reflected light beam that are processed to suppress the background light, and control an etch process based on the determined property.

Normal-incident in-situ process monitor sensor

Described is a method for determining an endpoint of an etch process using optical emission spectroscopy (OES) data as an input. OES data is acquired by a spectrometer in a plasma etch processing chamber. The acquired time-evolving spectral data is first filtered and de-meaned, and thereafter transformed into transformed spectral data, or trends, using multivariate analysis such as principal components analysis, in which previously calculated principal component weights are used to accomplish the transform. Grouping of the principal components weights into two separate groups corresponding to positive and negative natural wavelengths, creates separate signed trends (synthetic wavelengths).

Synthetic wavelengths for endpoint detection in plasma etching

An apparatus and a method for in-situ phase determination are provided. The apparatus includes a measurement chamber configured to retain a substance, and an entrance window mounted on a side of the measurement chamber. An exit window is mounted on an opposite side of the measurement chamber, and the exit window is parallel with the entrance window. The apparatus further includes a light source configured to generate an incident light beam. The incident light beam is directed to the entrance window at a non-zero angle of incidence with respect to a normal of the entrance window. The incident light beam passes through the entrance window, the measurement chamber and the exit window to form an output light beam. A detector is positioned under the exit window and configured to collect the output light beam passing through the exit window and generate measurement data.

Optical sensor for phase determination

An advanced optical sensor and method for detection of optical events in a plasma processing system. The method includes detecting at least one light emission signal in a plasma processing chamber. The at least one detected light emission signal including light emissions from an optical event. The method further includes processing the at least one light emission signal and detecting a signature of the optical event from the processed light emission signal.

Advanced optical sensor and method for detecting an optical event in a light emission signal in a plasma chamber

Described herein are architectures, platforms and methods for determining endpoints of an optical emission spectroscopy (OES) data acquired from a plasma processing system. The OES data, for example, includes an absorption&#x2014;step process, a desorption&#x2014;step process, or a combination thereof. In this example, the OES data undergoes signal synchronization and transient signal filtering prior to endpoint determination, which may be implemented through an application of a moving average filter.

Endpoint detection algorithm for atomic layer etching (ALE)

Provided is a method, system, and apparatus for inspecting a substrate. The method comprises illuminating the substrate with a singular laser beam, the singular laser beam forming an illuminated spot on the substrate and a bright fringe at a surface of the substrate, the bright fringe extending over at least a portion of the illuminated spot, and detecting, by an optical detection system, scattered light from nano-defects present on the substrate within the illuminated spot.

Dark field wafer nano-defect inspection system with a singular beam

Disclosed is an in-situ optical monitor (ISOM) system and associated method for controlling plasma etching processes during the forming of stepped structures in semiconductor manufacturing. The in-situ optical monitor (ISOM) can be optionally configured for coupling to a surface-wave plasma source (SWP), for example a radial line slotted antenna (RLSA) plasma source. A method is described to correlate the lateral recess of the steps and the etched thickness of a photoresist layer for use with the in-situ optical monitor (ISOM) during control of plasma etching processes in the forming of stepped structures.

System for in-situ film stack measurement during etching and etch control method

Provided is a method and system for controlling a fabrication cluster for processing of a substrate in an etch process, the fabrication cluster having equipment settings and process parameters. A correlation of etch stage measurements to actual etch stage data is developed, the etch stage measurements comprising measurements using two or more optical metrology devices and an etch sensor device. An etch stage value is extracted using the developed correlation and the etch stage measurement. If the etch stage measurement objectives are not met, the metrology devices are modified, a different etch sensor device is selected, the etch stage measurements are enhanced, and/or the correlation algorithm is refined. The steps are iterated until the etch stage measurement objectives are met. The extracted etch stage value is used to adjust an equipment setting and/or process parameter of the fabrication cluster.

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Xinkang Tian