Methods for continuous embedded process monitoring and optical inspection of substrates using specular signature analysis
First Claim
1. A method for inspecting a surface of a substrate, the method comprising:
- illuminating at least a portion of the surface with an optical signal emitted from a light source;
receiving, at a detector unit, a portion of the optical signal from the surface;
generating, at a processing unit connected to the detector unit, signal signature information for the substrate representing characteristics of the portion of the optical signal;
determining a mean value of the signal signature information;
subtracting the mean value of the signal signature information from a reference mean value; and
determining a topographical condition of the surface based on the difference between the mean value of the signal signature information and the reference mean value, wherein the signal signature information is indicative of process uniformity on the surface of the substrate.
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Abstract
The present invention generally provides an apparatus and a method for inspecting a substrate in a processing system. In one aspect, a light source is used in conjunction with an optical receiving device, such as a camera having a CCD, to illuminate and inspect a substrate for various optical signatures. The data collected during an inspection cycle is processed to determine substrate topography information. In one embodiment, the data is used to generate mean values indicative of signal intensity and/or color. One aspect provides for specular signature analysis where a reference histogram is subtracted from a test substrate histogram. The mean values are then compared to reference values to determine topographical conditions. Advantageously, a data processing system may be used to collect the data, perform the specular signature analysis, and determine the resultant processing conditions.
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Citations
40 Claims
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1. A method for inspecting a surface of a substrate, the method comprising:
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illuminating at least a portion of the surface with an optical signal emitted from a light source;
receiving, at a detector unit, a portion of the optical signal from the surface;
generating, at a processing unit connected to the detector unit, signal signature information for the substrate representing characteristics of the portion of the optical signal;
determining a mean value of the signal signature information;
subtracting the mean value of the signal signature information from a reference mean value; and
determining a topographical condition of the surface based on the difference between the mean value of the signal signature information and the reference mean value, wherein the signal signature information is indicative of process uniformity on the surface of the substrate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method for inspecting a surface of a substrate, comprising:
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illuminating at least a portion of the surface with an optical signal emitted from a light source;
receiving, at a detector unit, a portion of the optical signal from the surface;
generating, at a processing unit connected to the detector unit, signal signature information for the substrate representing characteristics of the portion of the optical signal, wherein the generating step comprises determining a first number of data readings at a given intensity for a range of signal-signature values;
determining a mean value of the signal signature information;
subtracting the mean value of the signal signature information from a reference mean value, wherein the reference mean value is determined using a second number of data readings at the given intensity for the range of signal-signature values; and
determining a topographical condition of the surface.
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8. A method for inspecting a surface of a substrate, comprising:
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illuminating at least a portion of the surface with an optical signal emitted from a light source;
receiving, at a detector unit, a portion of the optical signal from the surface;
generating, at a processing unit connected to the detector unit, signal signature information for the substrate representing characteristics of the portion of the optical signal, wherein the signal signature information comprises a number of signal signature values;
determining a mean value of the signal signature information, wherein determining the mean value of the signal signature information comprises;
summing the signal-signature values to yield a sum; and
dividing the sum by the number of signal-signature values;
subtracting the mean value of the signal signature information from a reference mean value; and
determining a topographical condition of the surface. - View Dependent Claims (9)
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10. A method for operating an optical inspection system, the method comprising:
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sequentially optically inspecting a plurality of substrates with an optical signal, wherein the plurality of substrates includes a reference portion of substrates and a test substrate, wherein the test substrate is inspected subsequently to the reference portion of substrates;
determining a mean signal value for each of the plurality of substrates;
summing the mean signal values for the reference portion substrates to yield a sum;
dividing the sum by the number of reference portion substrates to derive a reference mean value;
subtracting the reference mean value from a mean signal value of the test substrate; and
determining a topographical condition of the test substrate. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A signal-bearing medium containing a program which, when executed by a controller, performs an operation comprising:
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(a) configuring an optical inspection system in response to system configuration input;
(b) adjusting the optical inspection system in response to adjustment settings input;
(c) scanning a substrate using the optical inspection system;
(d) receiving substrate topography information from the optical inspection system;
(e) generating data representing characteristics of the substrate topography information;
(f) comparing a mean value of the data and a mean value of reference data to determine a topographical condition on a surface of the substrate, wherein the data is indicative of process uniformity on the substrate surface. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A signal-bearing medium containing a program which, when executed by a controller, performs an operation comprising:
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(a) configuring an optical inspection system in response to system configuration input;
(b) adjusting the optical inspection system in response to adjustment settings input;
(c) scanning a substrate using the optical inspection system;
(d) receiving substrate topography information from the optical inspection system comprising data obtained from the scanning step;
(e) performing an analysis of the substrate topography information comprising at least one of a particle detection analysis and a process monitoring analysis, wherein the process monitoring analysis comprises;
(i) determining whether a difference between a value of the data and a reference value exceeds a predetermined value; and
(ii) if the difference exceeds the predetermined value, determining that an unacceptable topographical condition exists on the substrate; and
(f) outputting, to a display, the difference between the data value and the reference value.
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32. A signal-bearing medium containing a program which, when executed by a controller, performs an operation comprising:
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(a) configuring an optical inspection system in response to system configuration input;
(b) adjusting the optical inspection system in response to adjustment settings input;
(c) scanning a substrate using the optical inspection system;
(d) receiving substrate topography information from the optical inspection system comprising data obtained from the scanning step, wherein the data comprise signal signature values, wherein each of the signal signature values is weighted by a number of occurrences of the signal-intensity value;
(e) performing an analysis of the substrate topography information comprising at least one of a particle detection analysis and a process monitoring analysis, wherein the process monitoring analysis comprises;
(i) determining whether a difference between a value of the data and a reference value exceeds a predetermined value; and
(ii) if the difference exceeds the predetermined value, determining that an unacceptable topographical condition exists on the substrate.
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33. A signal-bearing medium containing a program which, when executed by a controller, performs an operation comprising:
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(a) configuring an optical inspection system in response to system configuration input;
(b) adjusting the optical inspection system in response to adjustment settings input;
(c) scanning a substrate using the optical inspection system;
(d) receiving substrate topography information from the optical inspection system comprising data obtained from the scanning step, wherein the data comprise spectral characteristics having signal signature values representing a substrate topography, wherein each of the signal signature values is weighted by a number of occurrences of the signal-intensity value; and
(e) performing an analysis of the substrate topography information comprising at least one of a particle detection analysis and a process monitoring analysis, wherein the process monitoring analysis comprises;
(i) determining whether a difference between a value of the data and a reference value exceeds a predetermined value; and
(ii) if the difference exceeds the predetermined value, determining that an unacceptable topographical condition exists on the substrate. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A signal-bearing medium containing a program which, when executed by a controller, performs an operation comprising:
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(a) configuring an optical inspection system in response to system configuration input;
(b) adjusting the optical inspection system in response to adjustment settings input;
(c) scanning a substrate using the optical inspection system;
(d) receiving substrate topography information from the optical inspection system comprising data obtained from the scanning step;
(e) performing binarization of the data;
(f) performing morphological operations on the data, wherein morphological operations comprise the steps of filtering noise and enhancing the data output; and
(g) performing an analysis of the substrate topography information comprising at least one of a particle detection analysis and a process monitoring analysis, wherein the process monitoring analysis comprises;
(i) determining whether a difference between a value of the data and a reference value exceeds a predetermined value; and
(ii) if the difference exceeds the predetermined value, determining that an unacceptable topographical condition exists on the substrate. - View Dependent Claims (40)
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Specification