Surface profile adjustment using gas cluster ion beam processing

• US 8,313,663 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2008
• Issued: 11/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TEL Manufacturing and Engineering of America, Inc.
• Original Assignee: TEL Epion Inc. (Tokyo Electron Limited)
• Inventors: Hautala, John J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Deo, Duy
• Application Number:
  US12/237,063
• Publication Number:
  US 20100072173A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,518 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 216/58
• CPC Class Codes: B44C 1/227 by etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/0812 Ionized cluster beam [ICB] sources
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02019 Chemical etching

Abstract

A method of treating a workpiece is described. The method comprises selectively forming a sacrificial material on one or more regions of a substrate or a layer on the substrate using a gas cluster ion beam (GCIB), and adjusting a surface profile of a surface on the substrate or the layer on the substrate by performing an etching process following the selective formation.

Claims

1. A method of performing corrective processing of a surface on a workpiece, comprising:

preparing correction data for a workpiece, said correction data being computed from metrology data that is related to a surface profile of a surface on said workpiece;

selectively forming a sacrificial material on one or more regions of a surface on said workpiece using a gas cluster ion beam (GCIB), wherein an amount of said sacrificial material formed on said one or more regions of said surface by said GCIB is determined according to said correction data; and

adjusting a surface profile of said surface on said workpiece by performing an etching process following said selective formation, wherein said etching process comprises etching said sacrificial material at a first etch rate, and etching said workpiece at a second etch rate.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said sacrificial material has a different composition than the material composition of said workpiece.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said first etch rate is different than said second etch rate.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said second etch rate is greater than said first etch rate.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said surface of said workpiece comprises an initial surface profile prior to said selective formation having a maximum surface height and a minimum surface height.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said sacrificial material is deposited to a height intermediate to said maximum surface height of said initial surface profile and said minimum surface height of said initial surface profile.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said second etch rate is greater than said first etch rate, and wherein said adjusting etches said workpiece material to at least said minimum surface height of said initial surface profile.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein said surface of said workpiece comprises a final surface profile following said adjusting, and wherein a first difference between a maximum surface height of said final surface profile and a minimum surface height of said final surface profile is less than a second difference between said maximum surface height of said initial surface profile and said minimum surface height of said initial surface profile.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein said sacrificial material is deposited to a height equal to or greater than said maximum surface height of said initial surface profile.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first etch rate and the second etch rate are approximately equal.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said adjusting said surface profile of said surface comprises substantially planarizing said surface of said workpiece.

12. A method of performing corrective processing on a workpiece, comprising:

acquiring metrology data related to a surface profile of a surface on a workpiece;

computing correction data for said workpiece using said metrology data;

applying said correction data to said workpiece using a gas cluster ion beam (GCIB) to selectively form a sacrificial material on one or more regions of a surface on said workpiece; and

performing an etching process to remove said sacrificial material and at least a portion of said surface on said workpiece.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said metrology data is measured at a plurality of locations on said workpiece.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said applying said correction data for said workpiece comprises using said GCIB and varying a beam dose, a beam area, a beam profile, a beam intensity, a beam scanning rate, or an exposure time, or any combination of two or more thereof.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein said etching process etches said sacrificial material at a first etch rate, and wherein said etching process etches said portion of said surface on said workpiece at a second etch rate different than said first etch rate.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said second etch rate is greater than said first etch rate, and wherein said performing said etching process planarizes said surface on said workpiece.

17. A method of performing corrective processing of a surface profile on a workpiece, comprising:

identifying a minimum surface height for one or more first regions and a maximum surface height for one or more second regions of an initial uneven surface profile to establish an initial value of a height differential;

preparing correction data for a workpiece, said correction data being computed from metrology data that is related to the surface profile of a surface on said workpiece;

selectively forming a sacrificial material on said one or more first regions of said workpiece using a gas cluster ion beam (GCIB) to effectively increase said minimum surface height and decrease said height differential from said initial value, wherein an amount of said sacrificial material formed on said one or more regions of said surface by said GCIB is determined according to said correction data; and

adjusting the surface profile of said workpiece to a target surface profile having a target value for said height differential that is less than said initial value by performing an etching process following said selective formation, wherein said etching process comprises etching said sacrificial material at a first etch rate, and etching said workpiece at a second etch rate.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said sacrificial material is selectively formed on said one or more first regions to a height intermediate to said maximum surface height and said minimum surface height of said initial uneven surface profile, and wherein said second etch rate is greater than said first etch rate, and wherein said adjusting etches said workpiece to at least said minimum surface height of said initial uneven surface profile.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein said sacrificial material is selectively formed on said one or more first regions to a height equal to or greater than said maximum surface height of said initial uneven surface profile, and wherein the first etch rate and the second etch rate are approximately equal.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein said target surface profile is planar with said target value being essentially zero for said height differential and said adjusting etches said workpiece to at least said minimum surface height of said initial uneven surface profile to reach said target value of zero.