Methods and systems for determining a property of a specimen prior to, during, or subsequent to lithography

• US 7,349,090 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2001
• Issued: 03/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KLA-Tencor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kla-Tencor Technologies Corporation (KLA Corporation)
• Inventors: Brown, Kyle A., Levy, Ady, Wack, Dan, Fielden, John, Bultman, Gary, Nikoonahad, Mehrdad
• Primary Examiner(s): Stafira; Michael P.
• Application Number:
  US09/956,849
• Publication Number:
  US 20020106848A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,378 Days
• Field of Search: 3562371-2374, 250/341.1, 250/559.27, 430/30, 430/311, 430/327, 430/330
• US Class Current: 356/369
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/646 Detecting fluorescent inhomogeneities at a position, e.g. for detecting defects
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/8825 Separate detection of dark field and bright field
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/211 Ellipsometry optical thickness measurement G01B11/06
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/47 Scattering, i.e. diffuse reflection G01N21/25, G01N21/41 take precedence G01N21/55 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/636 using an arrangement of pump beam and probe beam; using the measurement of optical non-linear properties; non-linear optics per se G02F1/35
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/64 Fluorescence; Phosphorescence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/9501 Semiconductor wafers manufacturing processes per se of semiconductor devices implementing a measuring step H01L22/10
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70616 Monitoring the printed patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70625 Dimensions, e.g. line width, critical dimension [CD], profile, sidewall angle or edge roughness
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70633 Overlay, i.e. relative alignment between patterns printed by separate exposures in different layers, or in the same layer in multiple exposures or stitching
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/7065 Defects, e.g. optical inspection of patterned layer for defects
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70658 Electrical testing
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/707 Chucks, e.g. chucking or un-chucking operations or structural details
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70708 being electrostatic; Electrostatically deformable vacuum chucks
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/31701 Ion implantation

Abstract

Methods and systems for monitoring semiconductor fabrication processes are provided. A system may include a stage configured to support a specimen and coupled to a measurement device. The measurement device may include an illumination system and a detection system. The illumination system and the detection system may be configured such that the system may be configured to determine multiple properties of the specimen. For example, the system may be configured to determine multiple properties of a specimen including, but not limited to, a property of a specimen prior to, during, or subsequent to lithography. In this manner, a measurement device may perform multiple optical and/or non-optical metrology and/or inspection techniques.

Claims

1. A system configured to determine at least one property of a specimen during use, comprising:

a lithography track configured to perform one or more steps of a lithography process on the specimen during use;

a spectroscopic ellipsometer coupled to the lithography track, wherein the spectroscopic ellipsometer is configured to generate one or more output signals responsive to the at least one property of the specimen during use, wherein the lithography track comprises a support device configured to support the specimen during at least one of the one or more steps, and wherein an upper surface of the support device is substantially perpendicular to an upper surface of a stage coupled to the spectroscopic ellipsometer; and

a processor coupled to the spectroscopic ellipsometer, wherein the processor is configured to determine the at least one property of the specimen from the one or more output signals during use.

2. A system configured to determine at least one property of a specimen during use, comprising:

a lithography track configured to perform one or more steps of a lithography process on the specimen during use;

a spectroscopic ellipsometer coupled to the lithography track, wherein the spectroscopic ellipsometer is configured to generate one or more output signals responsive to the at least one property of the specimen during use, wherein the lithography track comprises a first process chamber and a second process chamber, wherein a stage coupled to the spectroscopic ellipsometer is configured to move the specimen from the first process chamber to the second process chamber during use, and wherein the spectroscopic ellipsometer is further configured to generate the one or more output signals as the stage is moving the specimen from the first process chamber to the second process chamber; and

a processor coupled to the spectroscopic ellipsometer, wherein the processor is configured to determine the at least one property of the specimen from the one or more output signals during use.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the first process chamber is configured to chill the specimen during use, and wherein the second process chamber is configured to apply resist to the specimen during use.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the first process chamber is configured to chill the specimen subsequent to a post apply bake process step during use, and wherein the second process chamber is configured to expose the specimen during use.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the first process chamber is configured to expose the specimen during use, and wherein the second process chamber is configured to bake the specimen subsequent to exposure of the specimen during use.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the first process chamber is configured to chill the specimen subsequent to a post exposure bake process step during use, and wherein the second process chamber is configured to develop the specimen during use.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein the first process chamber is configured to develop the specimen during use, and wherein the second process chamber is configured to bake the specimen subsequent to a develop process step during use.

8. The system of claim 2, wherein the first process chamber is configured to develop the specimen during use, and wherein the second process chamber is configured to receive the specimen in a wafer cassette during use.

9. A system configured to determine at least one property of a specimen during use, comprising:

a lithography track configured to perform one or more steps of a lithography process on the specimen during use;

a spectroscopic ellipsometer coupled to the lithography track, wherein the spectroscopic ellipsometer is configured to generate one or more output signals responsive to the at least one property of the specimen during use; and

a processor coupled to the spectroscopic ellipsometer, wherein the processor is configured to determine the at least one property of the specimen from the one or more output signals during use, and wherein the processor is further configured to alter a sampling frequency of the spectroscopic ellipsometer in response to the at least one property during use.