The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.

The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.

Date of Patent:
Sep. 10, 2019

Filed:

Dec. 20, 2018
Applicant:

Lam Research Corporation, Fremont, CA (US);

Inventors:

Daniel Mark Dinneen, Tigard, OR (US);

Steven T. Mayer, Aurora, OR (US);

Assignee:

Lam Research Corporation, Fremont, CA (US);

Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
G01N 21/00 (2006.01); C25D 17/16 (2006.01); C25D 3/38 (2006.01); H01L 21/66 (2006.01); H01L 21/67 (2006.01); C25D 21/12 (2006.01); C25D 17/00 (2006.01); C25D 7/12 (2006.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
C25D 17/16 (2013.01); C25D 3/38 (2013.01); C25D 7/123 (2013.01); C25D 17/001 (2013.01); C25D 21/12 (2013.01); H01L 21/67011 (2013.01); H01L 22/12 (2013.01);
Abstract

Disclosed herein are methods for electroplating which employ seed layer detection. Such methods may operate by selecting a wafer, illuminating one or more points within an interior region of the wafer surface, measuring a first set of one or more in-process color signals from the one or more points within the interior region, illuminating one or more points within an edge region of the wafer surface, measuring a second set of one or more in-process color signals from the one or more points within the edge region, each color signal having one or more color components, calculating a metric indicative of a difference between the color signals in the first and second sets of in-process color signals, determining whether an acceptable seed layer is present on the wafer based on whether the metric is within a predetermined range, and repeating the foregoing for one or more additional wafers.


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