TRENCH DEPTH MONITOR FOR SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING
First Claim
1. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor wafer having at least one device trench, the at least one device trench having a first depth position, the method comprising:
- (a) providing a semiconductor substrate having first and second main surfaces and a semiconductor material layer disposed on the first main surface of the semiconductor substrate, the semiconductor material layer having first and second main surfaces;
(b) determining an etch ratio;
(c) simultaneously forming(i) the least one device trench from the first main surface of the semiconductor material layer, and(ii) at least one monitor trench from the first main surface of the semiconductor material layer; and
(d) detecting whether the at least one monitor trench extends to a second depth position, a ratio of the first depth position to the second depth position being generally equal to the etch ratio.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor wafer having at least one device trench extending to a first depth position includes providing a semiconductor substrate having first and second main surfaces and a semiconductor material layer having first and second main surfaces disposed on the first main surface of the semiconductor substrate and determining an etch ratio. The least one device trench and at least one monitor trench are simultaneously formed in the first main surface of the semiconductor material layer. The at least one monitor trench is monitored to detect when it extends to a second depth position. A ratio of the first depth position to the second depth position is generally equal to the etch ratio.
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Citations
34 Claims
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1. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor wafer having at least one device trench, the at least one device trench having a first depth position, the method comprising:
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(a) providing a semiconductor substrate having first and second main surfaces and a semiconductor material layer disposed on the first main surface of the semiconductor substrate, the semiconductor material layer having first and second main surfaces; (b) determining an etch ratio; (c) simultaneously forming (i) the least one device trench from the first main surface of the semiconductor material layer, and (ii) at least one monitor trench from the first main surface of the semiconductor material layer; and (d) detecting whether the at least one monitor trench extends to a second depth position, a ratio of the first depth position to the second depth position being generally equal to the etch ratio. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor wafer having at least one device trench, the at least one device trench having a first depth position comprising:
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(a) providing a semiconductor substrate having first and second main surfaces and a semiconductor material layer disposed on the first main surface of the semiconductor substrate, the semiconductor material layer having first and second main surfaces; (b) determining an etch ratio; (c) simultaneously forming (i) the least one device trench from the first main surface of the semiconductor material layer, and (ii) at least one monitor trench from the first main surface of the semiconductor material layer; (d) monitoring a depth of the at least one monitor trench; and (e) ceasing formation of the at least one device trench and the at least one monitor trench upon attainment by the at least one monitor trench of a second depth position, a ratio of the first depth position to the second depth position being generally equal to the etch ratio. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A semiconductor wafer comprising:
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(a) a semiconductor substrate having first and second main surfaces opposite to each other; (b) a semiconductor material layer having first and second main surfaces opposite to each other, the semiconductor material layer being disposed on the first main surface of the semiconductor substrate; (c) at least one device trench extending from the first main surface of the semiconductor layer to a first depth position; (d) at least one monitor trench extending from the first main surface of the semiconductor layer to a second depth position, a ratio of the first depth position to the second depth position being predetermined such that a depth of the at least one device trench is determined by measuring a depth of the at least one monitor trench. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor wafer having at least one device trench, the at least one device trench having a first depth position, the method comprising:
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(a) providing a semiconductor substrate having first and second main surfaces and a semiconductor material layer disposed on the first main surface of the semiconductor substrate, the semiconductor material layer having first and second main surfaces; (b) determining an etch ratio; (c) simultaneously forming (i) the least one device trench from the first main surface of the semiconductor material layer, and (ii) at least one monitor trench from the first main surface of the semiconductor material layer; and (d) detecting whether the at least one monitor trench extends to a second depth position, a ratio of the first depth position to the second depth position being generally proportional to the etch ratio.
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Specification