Apparatus for semiconductor device fabrication diagnosis and prognosis

• US 5,719,495 A
• Filed: 06/05/1996
• Issued: 02/17/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Moslehi, Mehrdad M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Vinh P.
• Application Number:
  US08/658,435
• Time in Patent Office: 622 Days
• Field of Search: 324/750, 324/751, 324/752, 324/158.1, 324/73.1, 324/642, 356/73, 356/371, 437/8, 156/601, 156/626
• US Class Current: 356/630
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 37/013 Devices or means for detecting lapping completion
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/0616 of coating
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/303 using photoelectric detection means
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70483 Information management; Active and passive control; Testing; Wafer monitoring, e.g. pattern monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67207 comprising a chamber adapted to a particular process
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67253 Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness 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 21/682 Mask-wafer alignment in general G03F7/70, G03F9/70
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 22/20 Sequence of activities consisting of a plurality of measurements, corrections, marking or sorting steps
• 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

A sensor (210) for diagnosis and prognosis of semiconductor device fabrication processes measures specular, scattered, and total surface reflectances and transmittances of semiconductor wafers (124). The sensor (210) includes a sensor arm (212) and an opto-electronic control box (214), for directing coherent electromagnetic or optical energy in the direction of semiconductor wafer (124). Opto-electronic control box (214) includes circuitry for measuring the amounts of laser powers coherently reflected from and transmitted through the semiconductor wafer (124) surface and the amounts of electromagnetic powers scatter reflected from and transmitted through the semiconductor wafer (124) surface. Specular, scattered, and total reflectance and transmittance as well as surface roughness values for semiconductor wafer (124) are determined based on measurements of coherent and scatter reflected and transmitted laser powers. The sensor (210) can also provide a go/no-go test of semiconductor fabrication process quality. A process control computer associates with the sensor (210) to respond to spectral reflectance and transmittance measurements yielding surface roughness and thickness measurements as well as diagnosis/prognosis analysis results and control signals.

Claims

1. A system for diagnosis and prognosis of a semiconductor wafer fabrication process, said system comprising:

a source of electromagnetic energy;

circuitry for directing electromagnetic power from said source to a semiconductor wafer and collecting reflected electromagnetic power from said wafer;

circuitry for comparing said reflected electromagnetic power to a reference value;

circuitry for measuring the amount of electromagnetic power reflected from said semiconductor wafer;

circuitry for measuring the amount of electromagnetic power scatter reflected from said semiconductor wafer;

a reflection sensor associated with said circuitry for measuring the amount of electromagnetic reflected power while receiving said reflected electromagnetic power and a scatter reflection sensor associated with said circuitry for measuring the amount of electromagnetic scatter reflected power for detecting said scatter reflected electromagnetic power, said scatter reflection sensor comprising an imaging lens for focusing said scatter reflected electromagnetic power to said scatter reflection sensor; and

circuitry for calculating the thickness of a layer formed over said semiconductor wafer.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising circuitry for determining semiconductor wafer surface roughness as a function of said electromagnetic power, said reflected electromagnetic power, and said scatter reflected electromagnetic power.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said layer formed over said semiconductor wafer is comprised of polycrystalline silicon, and wherein said thickness measurement is based on measurements of surface roughness.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said layer formed over said semiconductor wafer is comprised of a metal, and wherein said thickness measurement is based on measurements of surface reflectance.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said reference value is an expected value for reflected electromagnetic power for a given semiconductor wafer film thickness.