Method and apparatus for spacer-optimization (S-O)
First Claim
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1. A method of processing a substrate comprising:
- performing a first S-O sequence using a first etching subsystem, a first Chemical Oxide Removal (COR) subsystem, a first transfer subsystem, and a first evaluation subsystem wherein a first oxygen-containing spacer layer is produced on a plurality of gate structures and on one or more evaluation features on a first set of substrates;
obtaining first evaluation data for a first evaluation substrate using the first evaluation subsystem, the first evaluation data including Integrated Metrology (IM) data for a first evaluation feature associated with a first gate structure, the first evaluation feature having the first oxygen-containing spacer layer thereon;
identifying the first set of substrates as first verified substrates when the first evaluation data is less than or equal to first threshold data; and
identifying the first set of substrates as first un-verified substrates and performing a first corrective action, when the first evaluation data is greater than the first threshold data.
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Abstract
The invention can provide a method of processing a substrate using S-O processing sequences and evaluation libraries that can include one or more optimized spacer creation and evaluation procedures.
18 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of processing a substrate comprising:
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performing a first S-O sequence using a first etching subsystem, a first Chemical Oxide Removal (COR) subsystem, a first transfer subsystem, and a first evaluation subsystem wherein a first oxygen-containing spacer layer is produced on a plurality of gate structures and on one or more evaluation features on a first set of substrates; obtaining first evaluation data for a first evaluation substrate using the first evaluation subsystem, the first evaluation data including Integrated Metrology (IM) data for a first evaluation feature associated with a first gate structure, the first evaluation feature having the first oxygen-containing spacer layer thereon; identifying the first set of substrates as first verified substrates when the first evaluation data is less than or equal to first threshold data; and identifying the first set of substrates as first un-verified substrates and performing a first corrective action, when the first evaluation data is greater than the first threshold data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of performing a Spacer-Optimization (S-O) procedure comprising:
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obtaining first real-time S-O data for a first substrate from one or more subsystems in an Integrated-Processing System (IPS) comprising one or more etch subsystems, one or more Chemical Oxide Removal (COR) subsystems, one or more deposition subsystems, one or more evaluation subsystems, and a transfer subsystem, the transfer subsystem being coupled to the one or more etch subsystems, the or more COR subsystems, the one or more deposition subsystems, and the one or more evaluation subsystems, wherein the first substrate comprises a first set of gate structures and the first real-time S-O data comprises first measurement data for one or more spacer-related evaluation features on the first substrate; depositing a first oxide spacer, wherein the first substrate is transferred to a first deposition subsystem in the IPS and a first Low Temperature Oxide (LTO) procedure is performed; etching the first substrate, wherein the first substrate is transferred from the first deposition subsystem to a first etch subsystem in the IPS and a partial-etch procedure is performed; obtaining first integrated metrology (IM) data for a first partially-etched substrate, wherein the first partially-etched substrate is transferred from the first etch subsystem to a first evaluation subsystem in the IPS and a partially-etched spacer layer is measured, wherein the first IM data comprises real-time data for a first partially-etched oxide spacer on the first substrate and includes real-time critical dimension (CD) data, real-time sidewall angle (SWA) data, real-time material data, real-time layer data, real-time optical data, or real-time structure data, or any combination thereof; determining first feedback data and/or first feed forward data in real-time using the first real-time S-O data, the first IM data, or required product data, or any combination thereof; performing additional processes using the first substrate and updating the partial-etch procedure using the first feedback data when the first feedback data is less than or equal to a first product limit; and storing the first substrate and the data associated with the first substrate, when the first feedback data is greater than the first product limit. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification