Method and apparatus for monitoring integrated circuit fabrication
First Claim
1. An EIW unit for use in sensing a process parameter of a process to manufacture an integrated circuit using integrated circuit processing equipment, the EIW unit comprising:
- a substrate having a wafer-shaped profile;
a plurality of light sources, disposed on or in the substrate, to output light to permit sampling of a process parameter of the process performed by the integrated circuit processing equipment; and
a predetermined surface layer disposed above the plurality of light sources and capable of receiving a surface structure thereon, wherein the surface structure is formed by the integrated circuit processing equipment during processing.
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Abstract
In one aspect, the present invention is a sensor unit for sensing process parameters of a process to manufacture an integrated circuit using integrated circuit processing equipment. In one embodiment, the sensor unit includes a substrate having a wafer-shaped profile and a first sensor, disposed on or in the substrate, to sample a first process parameter. The sensor unit of this embodiment also includes a second sensor, disposed on or in the substrate, to sample a second process parameter wherein the second process parameter is different from the first process parameter. In one embodiment, the sensor unit includes a first source, disposed on or in the substrate, wherein first source generates an interrogation signal and wherein the first sensor uses the interrogation signal from the first source to sample the first process parameter. The sensor unit may also include a second source, disposed on or in the substrate, wherein second source generates an interrogation signal and wherein the second sensor uses the interrogation signal from the second source to sample the second process parameter. The first sensor and the first source may operate in an end-point mode or in a real-time mode. In this regard, the first sensor samples the first parameter periodically or continuously while the sensor unit is disposed in the integrated circuit processing equipment and undergoing processing. In one embodiment, the first sensor is a temperature sensor and the second sensor is a pressure sensor, a chemical sensor, a surface tension sensor or a surface stress sensor.
160 Citations
66 Claims
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1. An EIW unit for use in sensing a process parameter of a process to manufacture an integrated circuit using integrated circuit processing equipment, the EIW unit comprising:
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a substrate having a wafer-shaped profile;
a plurality of light sources, disposed on or in the substrate, to output light to permit sampling of a process parameter of the process performed by the integrated circuit processing equipment; and
a predetermined surface layer disposed above the plurality of light sources and capable of receiving a surface structure thereon, wherein the surface structure is formed by the integrated circuit processing equipment during processing. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method of measuring a process parameter of an integrated circuit manufacturing process using an EIW unit having a substrate, which includes a wafer-shaped profile, a plurality of light sources disposed on or in the substrate, and a predetermined surface layer disposed above the plurality of light sources, the method comprising:
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placing the substrate into the integrated circuit processing equipment;
performing the integrated circuit manufacturing process wherein a surface structure forms on or in the predetermined surface layer during the manufacturing process;
enabling the plurality of light sources to output light;
sampling the response to the light output by the plurality of light sources; and
determining the process parameter using the sampled response. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. A system for sensing process parameters of a process for manufacturing an integrated circuit using integrated circuit processing equipment, the system comprising:
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an EIW unit, including;
substrate having a wafer-shaped profile; and
a source, disposed on or in the substrate, to output interrogation signals;
a sensor to sample the interrogation signals while or after the EIW unit is subjected to processing by the integrated circuit processing equipment; and
a computing device to receive the sampled interrogation signals from the sensor and determine the process parameter using the sampled interrogation signals. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66)
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Specification