Apparatus for integrated monitoring of wafers and for process control in the semiconductor manufacturing and a method for use thereof
First Claim
1. An integrated apparatus for optically monitoring a semiconductor workpiece for process control in a semiconductor production process, said apparatus comprising:
- a supporting assembly for supporting said workpiece; and
an optical monitoring unit positioned opposite a surface of said workpiece and separated therefrom by an optical window, wherein said optical monitoring unit is mounted for reciprocating movement within a plane parallel to said window for monitoring at least one desired parameter of said semiconductor workpiece and has pattern recognition and auto-focusing capabilities;
wherein said optical window comprises a plurality of relatively small window fragments located in pre-determined locations to enable observation of desired pre-determined portions of said workpiece; and
wherein the size and shape of said window fragments are selected according to requirements of transparency in a pre-determined spectral range, mechanical strength and ability of pattern recognition and auto-focusing.
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Abstract
An integrated apparatus for optically monitoring semiconductor workpieces includes a supporting assembly for supporting the workpiece, and an optical monitoring unit positioned opposite the surface of the workpiece and separated therefrom by an optical window. The optical monitoring unit is mounted for reciprocating movement within a plane parallel to the window for monitoring at least one desired parameter of the semiconductor workpiece and has pattern recognition and auto-focusing utilities. The optical window includes one or more relatively small window fragments located at predetermined locations to enable observation of desired, predetermined portions of the workpiece. The size and shape of the window fragments are selected according to the requirements of transparency in a predetermined spectral range, mechanical strength and ability of pattern recognition and auto-focusing. A method of monitoring semiconductor workpieces through an optical window including one or more relatively small window fragments can be practiced with the integrated apparatus.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. An integrated apparatus for optically monitoring a semiconductor workpiece for process control in a semiconductor production process, said apparatus comprising:
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a supporting assembly for supporting said workpiece; and
an optical monitoring unit positioned opposite a surface of said workpiece and separated therefrom by an optical window, wherein said optical monitoring unit is mounted for reciprocating movement within a plane parallel to said window for monitoring at least one desired parameter of said semiconductor workpiece and has pattern recognition and auto-focusing capabilities;
wherein said optical window comprises a plurality of relatively small window fragments located in pre-determined locations to enable observation of desired pre-determined portions of said workpiece; and
wherein the size and shape of said window fragments are selected according to requirements of transparency in a pre-determined spectral range, mechanical strength and ability of pattern recognition and auto-focusing. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of optically monitoring a semiconductor workpiece having an axis of symmetry for process control in a semiconductor production process, said method comprising:
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optically scanning the workpiece using a movable optical unit through an optical window comprising a plurality of relatively small fragments located in pre-determined locations to enable observation of desired portions of the workpiece, the size and shape of said fragments being selected according to requirements of transparency in a pre-determined spectral range, mechanical strength and ability of pattern recognition and auto-focusing; and
defining at least one desired parameter of said semiconductor workpiece at said desired portions of the workpiece. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 22)
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16. An apparatus for optically monitoring a semiconductor workpiece in a semiconductor production process, said apparatus comprising:
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a chamber defining a measuring area and having on a wall thereof an optical window;
a support disposed inside said chamber for supporting said workpiece; and
an optical monitoring unit disposed outside said chamber and facing a surface of said workpiece and separated therefrom by said optical window, said optical monitoring unit being moveable relative to said support for monitoring at least one parameter of said semiconductor workpiece;
wherein said optical window comprises at least one window fragment located at a predetermined location corresponding to a predetermined portion of said workpiece where said at least one parameter is to be monitored;
an entire area of said at least one window fragment is smaller than an entire area of said workpiece;
said window fragment is made of a material transparent to wavelengths in a spectral range used by said optical monitoring unit and has a mechanical strength sufficient to sustain a pressure difference between pressures inside and outside said chamber. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
said optical monitoring Unit is mounted for reciprocating movement within a plane parallel to said window; - and
said support is rotatable about an axis.
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20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said windows fragments are arranged to cover all desired portions of said workpiece where said at least one parameter is to be monitored so that said at least one parameter can be determined at all desired portions of said workpiece in a single scanning action without additional relative rotational movement between said optical monitoring unit and said support.
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21. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein at least one of said windows fragments has a shape of a sector of a circle having a radius greater than a radius of said workpiece which is a wafer.
Specification