Measurement substrate and a measurement method

• US 10,508,896 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2016
• Issued: 12/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ASML Netherlands BV (ASML Holding NV)
• Original Assignee: ASML Netherlands BV (ASML Holding NV)
• Inventors: Nihtianov, Stoyan, Bloks, Ruud Hendrikus Martinus Johannes, De La Rosette, Johannes Paul Marie, Laurent, Thibault Simon Mathieu, Makinwa, Kofi Afolabi Anthony, Neefs, Patricius Jacobus, Vermeulen, Johannes Petrus Martinus Bernardus
• Primary Examiner(s): Noori, Max H
• Application Number:
  US15/778,061
• Publication Number:
  US 20180340767A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,119 Days
• Field of Search: 73767
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 7/20 formed by printed-circuit technique
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 7/01 using semiconducting elements having PN junctions G01K7/02, G01K7/16, G01K7/30 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70625 Dimensions, e.g. line width, critical dimension [CD], profile, sidewall angle or edge roughness
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/7085 Detection arrangement, e.g. detectors of apparatus alignment possibly mounted on wafers, exposure dose, photo-cleaning flux, stray light, thermal load
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70866 of mask or workpiece
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70875 Temperature, e.g. temperature control of masks or workpieces via control of stage temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67248 Temperature monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67276 Production flow monitoring, e.g. for increasing throughput program-control systems per se G05B19/00, e.g. total factory control G05B19/418
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 22/34 Circuits for electrically characterising or monitoring manufacturing processes, e. g. whole test die, wafers filled with test structures, on-board-devices incorporated on each die, process control monitors or pad structures thereof, devices in scribe line switching, multiplexing, gating devices G01R19/25; process control with lithography, e.g. dose control, G03F7/20; structures for alignment control by optical means G03F7/70633

Abstract

A measurement substrate for measuring a condition pertaining in an apparatus for processing production substrates during operation thereof, the measurement substrate including: a body having dimensions compatible with the apparatus; a plurality of sensor modules embedded in the body, each sensor module having: a sensor configured generate an analog measurement signal, an analog to digital converter to generate digital measurement information from the analog measurement signal, and a module controller configured to output the digital measurement information; and a central control module configured to receive the digital measurement information from each of the module controllers and to communicate the digital measurement information to an external device.

Claims

1. A measurement substrate for measuring a condition pertaining in an apparatus for processing production substrates during operation thereof, the measurement substrate comprising:

a body having dimensions similar to that of a production substrate so that the measurement substrate is compatible with the apparatus;

a plurality of sensor modules in the body, the plurality of sensor modules arranged in a two-dimensional array, each sensor module comprising;

a sensor configured to generate an analog measurement signal, the sensor comprising at least a temperature sensor or a strain sensor,

an analog to digital converter configured to generate digital measurement information from the analog measurement signal, and

a module controller configured to output the digital measurement information; and

a central control module configured to receive the digital measurement information from each of the module controllers and to communicate the digital measurement information to an external device.

2. The measurement substrate according to claim 1, wherein each sensor module further comprises a storage device configured to store the digital measurement information.

3. The measurement substrate according to claim 1, wherein each sensor module further comprises an amplifier configured to amplify the analog measurement signal.

4. The measurement substrate according to claim 1, wherein the central control module further comprises a central storage device configured to store the digital measurement information.

5. The measurement substrate according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the sensor modules comprises at least the strain sensor and the strain sensor comprises at least a bipolar transistor or a resistive sensor.

6. The measurement substrate of claim 1, wherein at least one of the sensor modules comprises at least the temperature sensor and the temperature sensor comprises a bipolar transistor.

7. The measurement substrate according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the sensor modules comprises a first strain sensor configured to measure strain in a first direction and a second strain sensor configured to measure strain in a second direction, the second direction being orthogonal to the first direction.

8. The measurement substrate according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the sensor modules comprises a temperature sensor and a strain sensor.

9. The measurement substrate according to claim 1, comprising more than 100 of the sensor modules.

10. The measurement substrate according to claim 1, wherein the sensor of at least one of the sensor modules is embedded in the body.

11. The measurement substrate according to claim 1, further comprising a switch configured to cause one or more modules of the sensor modules to be de-activate while allowing one or more other sensor modules of the sensor modules to be active.

12. A method of measuring conditions in an apparatus for processing production substrates, the method comprising:

loading into the apparatus a measurement substrate having dimensions similar to that of a production substrate so that the measurement substrate is compatible with the apparatus, the measurement substrate having a central control module and plurality of sensor modules, the plurality of sensor modules arranged in a two-dimensional array, each sensor module comprising a sensor and an analog to digital converter, the sensor comprising at least a temperature sensor or a strain sensor;

operating at least one of the sensors to generate an analog measurement signal;

using at least one of the analog to digital converters to convert the analog measurement signal to digital measurement information;

transferring the digital measurement information to the central control module; and

outputting the digital measurement information from the central control module to an external device.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising unloading the measurement substrate from the apparatus before the outputting.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein operating at least one of the sensors is performed whilst the apparatus performs at least a part of a process for processing substrates.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein operating at least one of the sensors is performed a plurality of times during the part of a process for processing substrates.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein at least one of the sensor modules comprises at least the strain sensor and the strain sensor comprises at least a bipolar transistor or a resistive sensor.

17. The method according to claim 12, wherein at least one of the sensor modules comprises at least the temperature sensor and the temperature sensor comprises a bipolar transistor.

18. The method according to claim 12, wherein at least one of the sensor modules comprises a first strain sensor configured to measure strain in a first direction and a second strain sensor configured to measure strain in a second direction, the second direction being orthogonal to the first direction.

19. A measurement substrate for measuring a condition pertaining in an apparatus for processing production substrates during operation thereof, the measurement substrate comprising:

a body having dimensions similar to that of a production substrate so that the measurement substrate is compatible with the apparatus;

a plurality of sensor modules in the body, the plurality of sensor modules arranged in a two-dimensional array, each sensor module comprising;

a sensor configured to generate an analog measurement signal, the sensor comprising at least a temperature sensor or a strain sensor,

an analog to digital converter configured to generate digital measurement information from the analog measurement signal, and

a module controller configured to output the digital measurement information;

a central control module configured to receive the digital measurement information from each of the module controllers and to communicate the digital measurement information to an external device; and

a switch configured to cause one or more sensor modules to be de-active while allowing one or more other sensor modules of the sensor modules to be active.

20. The measurement substrate according to claim 19, wherein each sensor module further comprises an amplifier configured to amplify the analog measurement signal.

21. A measurement substrate for measuring a condition pertaining in an apparatus for processing production substrates during operation thereof, the measurement substrate comprising:

a body having dimensions similar to that of a production substrate so that the measurement substrate is compatible with the apparatus;

a plurality of sensor modules in the body formed by a standard CMOS process, each sensor module comprising;

a sensor configured to generate an analog measurement signal, the sensor comprising at least a temperature sensor or a strain sensor, wherein the sensor is embedded in the body,

an analog to digital converter configured to generate digital measurement information from the analog measurement signal, and

a module controller configured to output the digital measurement information; and

a central control module configured to receive the digital measurement information from each of the module controllers and to communicate the digital measurement information to an external device.