Optical techniques of measuring endpoint during the processing of material layers in an optically hostile environment
First Claim
1. During the processing of a semiconductor structure including a substrate, a patterned layer carried thereby and a dielectric layer extending across the patterned layer with an uneven exposed dielectric surface that is raised over remaining portions of the patterned layer and low therebetween, a method of monitoring a process of planarizing said exposed surface while it is occurring, comprising:
- directing a radiation beam through the substrate and the dielectric layer to strike at least the low portion of the exposed surface to reflect at least a portion of said beam from said low surface portion and back through the dielectric layer and the substrate, anddetecting, from at least the reflected portion of the radiation beam, a commencement of material being removed from the low portion of the dielectric layer, thereby indicating when the raised portions have been removed and the exposed surface is planarized.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In a process of selectively removing material from an exposed layer carried by a substrate, a technique for determining endpoint by monitoring the intensity of a radiation beam that is passed through the substrate and any intervening layers to be reflected off the layer being processed. This monitoring technique is used during photoresist developing, wet etching, and mechanical planarization and polishing during the manufacture of integrated circuits on semiconductor wafers, flat panel displays on glass substrates, and similar articles. Planarization and polishing processes are alternatively monitored by monitoring temperature.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. During the processing of a semiconductor structure including a substrate, a patterned layer carried thereby and a dielectric layer extending across the patterned layer with an uneven exposed dielectric surface that is raised over remaining portions of the patterned layer and low therebetween, a method of monitoring a process of planarizing said exposed surface while it is occurring, comprising:
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directing a radiation beam through the substrate and the dielectric layer to strike at least the low portion of the exposed surface to reflect at least a portion of said beam from said low surface portion and back through the dielectric layer and the substrate, and detecting, from at least the reflected portion of the radiation beam, a commencement of material being removed from the low portion of the dielectric layer, thereby indicating when the raised portions have been removed and the exposed surface is planarized. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. During the processing of a semiconductor structure including a substrate, a patterned layer carried thereby and a dielectric layer extending across the patterned layer with an uneven dielectric surface, a method of monitoring a process of planarizing said dielectric surface while it is occurring, comprising:
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directing a radiation beam including a multi-wavelength spectrum through the substrate and dielectric layer against the surface to reflect at least a portion of said beam from said surface and back through the dielectric layer and the substrate, monitoring relative intensities across the wavelength spectrum of at least the reflected portion of the radiation, and detecting from the relative intensities across the monitored wavelength spectrum when the dielectric surface has become planarized. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of monitoring the processing of a semiconductor wafer structure while it is occurring, comprising:
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directing a radiation beam having a multi-wavelength spectrum against the wafer structure in a manner to obtain therefrom a radiation beam with its spectrum modified according to a stage of the processing of the wafer being monitored, during processing of the wafer structure, monitoring a profile of relative intensities across the wavelength spectrum of at least the wafer structure modified beam, and detecting from the relative intensity profile of the monitored spectrum a state of the wafer structure being processed. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method of monitoring a change in thickness of a top layer of material of an integrated circuit being formed on a front side of a substrate during processing of the layer, comprising:
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directing a beam of electromagnetic radiation against a back side of the substrate and to the layer through the substrate, said first beam of electromagnetic radiation including a wavelength band to which each of said substrate and said layer is substantially transparent, receiving and detecting a portion of the radiation beam within said wavelength band after reflection from boundary surfaces of said integrated circuit, including a front surface of said layer, and said substrate, and monitoring a varying intensity over time of a component of the reflected radiation which results from an interference between a portions of the radiation reflected from the front surface of the layer and another of the boundary surfaces while the thickness of the layer is being changed. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification