Neural Network Methods and Apparatuses for Monitoring Substrate Processing

• US 20070249071A1
• Filed: 04/21/2006
• Published: 10/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Lian, Lei, Davis, Matthew, Chang, Vivien, Walker, Quentin
• Application Number:
  US11/379,775
• Publication Number:
  US 20070249071A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/16
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/0625 with measurement of absorption or reflection
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 22/12 for structural parameters, e.g. thickness, line width, refractive index, temperature, warp, bond strength, defects, optical inspection, electrical measurement of structural dimensions, metallurgic measurement of diffusions electrical measurement of diffusions H01L22/14

Abstract

Aspects of the present invention include methods and apparatuses that may be used for monitoring substrate processing systems. One embodiment may provide an apparatus for obtaining in-situ data regarding processing of a substrate in a substrate processing chamber, comprising a data collecting assembly for acquiring training data related to a substrate disposed in a processing chamber, an electromagnetic radiation source, at least one in-situ metrology module to provide measurement data, and a computer, wherein the computer includes a neural network software, wherein the neural network software is adapted to model a relationship between the plurality of the training and other data related to substrate processing.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring film thickness of a substrate in a substrate processing system, comprising:

monitoring a first set of reflected electromagnetic radiation from an electromagnetic radiation source during processing of a first set of one or more substrates;

associating the first set of reflected electromagnetic radiation to a film thickness profile of the first set of one or more substrates to form a first set of training data;

monitoring a second set of reflected electromagnetic radiation from the electromagnetic radiation source during processing of a second set of one or more substrates; and

using the first set of training data to predict a film thickness profile of the second set of one or more substrates during processing of the second set of one or more substrates.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating the second set of reflected electromagnetic radiation to the film thickness profile of the second set of one or more substrates to form a second set of training data;

monitoring a third set of reflected electromagnetic radiation from the electromagnetic radiation during processing of a third set of one or more substrates; and

using the first set of training data and the second set of training data to predict a film thickness profile of the third set of one or more substrates during processing of the third set of one or more substrates.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein an electromagnetic radiation source provides electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength between about 200 nm and about 1700 nm.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic radiation source provides a plurality of electromagnetic radiation having different wavelengths.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring is performed using optical metrology and a neural network.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the optical metrology comprises one or more techniques selected from the group consisting of interferometry, scatterometry and reflectometry.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the neural network is a multilayer perceptron network.

8. Apparatus for obtaining in-situ data regarding processing of a substrate in a substrate processing chamber, comprising:

a data collecting assembly for acquiring training data related to a substrate disposed in a processing chamber;

an electromagnetic radiation source;

at least one in-situ metrology module to provide measurement data; and

a computer, wherein the computer includes a neural network software, wherein the neural network software is adapted to model a relationship between the plurality of the training and other data related to substrate processing.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the data collecting assembly further comprises at least one metrology adapted for non-destructive optical measuring technique.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the data collecting assembly further comprises electromagnetic radiation source for providing one or more radiation wavelengths on to the substrate.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the electromagnetic radiation source is a light source.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the neural network software is adapted to predict the etch depth of a feature on the substrate.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the neural network software is adapted to predict a critical dimension of a feature on the substrate.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the neural network software is adapted to predict a film thickness formed on the substrate.

15. A method for monitoring an etch depth profile of a substrate feature in a substrate processing system, comprising:

monitoring a first set of reflected electromagnetic radiation from an electromagnetic radiation source during processing of a first set of one or more substrates;

associating the first set of reflected electromagnetic radiation to an etch depth profile of the first set of one or more substrates to form a first set of training data, wherein the associating the first set of reflected electromagnetic radiation is perform by a neural network software;

monitoring a second set of reflected electromagnetic radiation from the electromagnetic radiation source during processing of a second set of one or more substrates; and

using the first set of training data to predict an etch depth of the second set of one or more substrates during processing of the second set of one or more substrates.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

associating the second set of reflected electromagnetic radiation to the etch depth of the second set of one or more substrates to form a second set of training data;

monitoring a third set of reflected electromagnetic radiation from the electromagnetic radiation during processing of a third set of one or more substrates; and

using the first set of training data and the second set of training data to predict an etch depth of the third set of one or more substrates during processing of the third set of one or more substrates.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein an electromagnetic radiation source provides electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength between about 200 nm and about 1700 nm.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the electromagnetic radiation source provides a plurality of electromagnetic radiation having different wavelengths.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the optical metrology comprises one or more techniques selected from the group consisting of interferometry, scatterometry and reflectometry.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the neural network is a multilayer perceptron network.