SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING APPARATUS AND SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING METHOD

• US 20160233135A1
• Filed: 07/07/2015
• Published: 08/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kioxia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: ISHIKAWA, Masao
• Granted Patent: US 9,899,278 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32963 End-point detection
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32972 Spectral analysis
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/30604 Chemical etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/30655 comprising alternated and repeated etching and passivation steps, e.g. Bosch process
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/308 using masks H01L21/3063, H01L21/3065 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/31138 by dry-etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 22/26 Acting in response to an ongoing measurement without interruption of processing, e.g. endpoint detection, in-situ thickness measurement endpoint detection arrangements in CMP apparatus B24B37/013, in discharge apparatus H01J37/32

Abstract

In one embodiment, a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus includes an extraction module configured to extract, in cycle etching that repeats first processes of etching a workpiece layer and second processes of performing different processing from the first processes for plural cycles, light emission intensities in the first processes for individual cycles. The apparatus further includes a detection module configured to detect an etching end point of the workpiece layer in the cycle etching, based on the light emission intensities of the plural cycles.

Claims

1. A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus comprising:

an extraction module configured to extract, in cycle etching that repeats first processes of etching a workpiece layer and second processes of performing different processing from the first processes for plural cycles, light emission intensities in the first processes for individual cycles; and

a detection module configured to detect an etching end point of the workpiece layer in the cycle etching, based on the light emission intensities of the plural cycles.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detection module detects the etching end point, based on peak values of the light emission intensities for the individual cycles.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detection module detects the etching end point, based on average values of the light emission intensities for the individual cycles.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detection module detects the etching end point, based on decrease amounts of the light emission intensities for the individual cycles relative to a light emission intensity for a predetermined cycle.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detection module detects the etching end point, based on decrease ratios of the light emission intensities for the individual cycles relative to a light emission intensity for a predetermined cycle.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a second process includes a process of forming a film on the workpiece layer.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein a first process includes a process of etching the workpiece layer by using the film as a mask.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the second process further includes a breakthrough process of the film.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a first process of a Kth cycle lowers a bottom face of a concave portion that is formed in the workpiece layer in first processes of first to (K−

1)th cycles, where K is an integer of two or more.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a displaying module configured to display values obtained from the light emission intensities on a screen.

11. A semiconductor manufacturing method comprising:

extracting, in cycle etching that repeats first processes of etching a workpiece layer and second processes of performing different processing from the first processes for plural cycles, light emission intensities in the first processes for individual cycles; and

detecting an etching end point of the workpiece layer in the cycle etching, based on the light emission intensities of the plural cycles.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the etching end point is detected based on peak values of the light emission intensities for the individual cycles.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the etching end point is detected based on average values of the light emission intensities for the individual cycles.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the etching end point is detected based on decrease amounts of the light emission intensities for the individual cycles relative to a light emission intensity for a predetermined cycle.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the etching end point is detected based on decrease ratios of the light emission intensities for the individual cycles relative to a light emission intensity for a predetermined cycle.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein a second process includes a process of forming a film on the workpiece layer.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein a first process includes a process of etching the workpiece layer by using the film as a mask.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the second process further includes a breakthrough process of the film.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein a first process of a Kth cycle lowers a bottom face of a concave portion that is formed in the workpiece layer in first processes of first to (K−

1)th cycles, where K is an integer of two or more.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising displaying values obtained from the light emission intensities on a screen.