Alignment mark definer

• US 9,165,889 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2013
• Issued: 10/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Original Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Inventors: Ortner, Joerg, Campidell, Josef, Greiner, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): FULTON, CHRISTOPHER W
• Application Number:
  US13/931,396
• Publication Number:
  US 20150000149A1
• Time in Patent Office: 844 Days
• Field of Search: 335/33, 336/45, 257/797, 438/401
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2223/54406 comprising alphanumeric information
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2223/5442 comprising non digital, non alphanumeric information, e.g. symbols
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2223/54426 for alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2223/54453 for use prior to dicing
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/544 Marks applied to semiconductor devices or parts, e.g. registration marks, alignment structures, wafer maps test patterns for characterising or monitoring manufacturing processes H01L22/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00

Abstract

An alignment mark definer is configured to provide a geometrical definition for an actual alignment structure to be formed at a temporary surface of a substrate based on a desired appearance of the alignment mark and on an expected alteration of an appearance of the actual alignment structure caused by a deposition material deposited on the temporary surface and the actual alignment structure.

Claims

1. An alignment mark definer configured to provide a geometrical definition for an actual alignment structure to be formed at a temporary surface of a substrate based on a desired appearance of an alignment mark and on an expected alteration of an appearance of the actual alignment structure caused by a deposition material deposited on the temporary surface and the actual alignment structure and to provide the geometrical definition for the actual alignment structure based on a reverse estimation of the expected alteration of the appearance of the actual alignment structure.

2. The alignment mark definer according to claim 1, comprising:

an input for the desired appearance of the alignment mark;

an input for parameters related to a deposition process used for covering the temporary surface and the actual alignment structure with the deposition material; and

an estimator configured to estimate an estimated geometrical definition for the actual alignment structure based on the desired appearance of the alignment mark and the parameters.

3. The alignment mark definer according to claim 2, wherein an actual alignment structure implementing the estimated geometrical definition has an actual appearance, when covered by the deposition material, that mimics the desired appearance.

4. The alignment mark definer according to claim 1, wherein the geometrical definition for the actual alignment structure mimics the desired appearance by providing one of a sidewall and an edge of a sidewall in a region, where the desired appearance defines one of a window and an island.

5. The alignment mark definer according to claim 1, wherein the geometrical definition provides one broad window for each pair of parallel windows, for each pair of parallel islands, or for each pair of a window and a parallel island.

6. The alignment mark definer according to claim 1, wherein the geometrical definition provides one broad island for each pair of parallel windows, for each pair of parallel islands, or for each pair of a window and a parallel island.

7. The alignment mark definer according to claim 1, wherein an arrangement of several windows or islands in the desired appearance is mimicked by the geometrical definition by one of a broad window and a broad island, wherein sidewalls of one of the broad window and the broad islands are disposed in accordance with the arrangement of the windows or islands of the desired appearance.

8. The alignment mark definer according to claim 1, wherein the desired appearance of the alignment mark comprises an arrangement of several pairs of windows or islands, wherein the windows or islands of each pair are parallel to each other,

wherein the geometrical definition mimics the arrangement by one of a broad window and a broad island, and wherein edges of sidewalls of one of the broad window and the broad island are disposed in accordance with the arrangement of the windows or islands of the desired appearance.

9. The alignment mark definer according to claim 1, wherein the geometrical definition for the actual alignment structure is describable as an absolute value of a spatial low pass filtering of the desired appearance.

10. The alignment mark definer according to claim 1, further configured to take into account, when providing the geometrical definition for the actual alignment structure, a rotation between actual geometrical structures and corresponding desired geometric structures by a certain angle caused by a deposition of the deposition material.

11. The alignment mark definer according to claim 1, further configured to provide the geometrical definition for the actual alignment structure in the form of a segmented substructure to mimic a desired structure of the desired appearance.

12. The alignment mark definer according to claim 1, further configured to take into account a different alteration behavior of an inner corner and an outer corner when covered by the deposition material.

13. The alignment mark definer according to claim 1, further configured to provide a further geometrical definition for a plurality of actual geometrical structures having different sizes and different spacings to facilitate an a posteriori assessment of the alteration of the appearance of the actual alignment structure caused by a deposition material deposited on the temporary surface and the actual alignment structure.

14. A method for defining an alignment mark, the method comprising:

providing a geometrical definition for an actual alignment structure to be formed at a temporary surface of a substrate based on a desired appearance of the alignment mark and on an expected alteration of an appearance of the actual alignment structure caused by a deposition material deposited on the temporary surface and the actual alignment structure; and

providing the geometrical definition for the actual alignment structure based on a reverse estimation of the expected alteration of the appearance of the actual alignment structure.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising:

receiving a definition for the desired appearance of the alignment mark;

receiving at least one parameter related to a deposition process used for depositing the deposition material on the temporary surface and on the actual alignment structure; and

estimating an estimated geometrical definition for the actual alignment structure based on the desired appearance of the alignment mark and on the parameters.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein an actual alignment structure implementing the estimated geometrical definition has an actual appearance, when covered by the deposition material, that mimics the desired appearance.

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein the geometrical definition for the actual alignment structure mimics the desired appearance by providing one of a sidewall and an edge of a sidewall in a region, where the desired appearance defines one of a window and an island.

18. The method according to claim 14, wherein the geometrical definition for the actual alignment structure is describable as an absolute value of a spatial low pass filtering of the desired appearance.

19. A non-transitory storage medium having stored thereon a computer program having a program code for performing, when running on a computer or microprocessor, a method for defining an alignment mark, the method comprising:

providing a geometrical definition for an actual alignment structure to be formed at a temporary surface of a substrate based on a desired appearance of the alignment mark and on an expected alteration of an appearance of the actual alignment structure caused by a deposition material deposited on the temporary surface and the actual alignment structure; and

providing the geometrical definition for the actual alignment structure based on a reverse estimation of the expected alteration of the appearance of the actual alignment structure.

20. An alignment mark definer configured to provide a geometrical definition for an actual alignment structure to be formed at a temporary surface of a substrate based on a desired appearance of an alignment mark and on an expected alteration of an appearance of the actual alignment structure caused by a deposition material deposited on the temporary surface and the actual alignment structure,

wherein the alignment mark definer comprises:

an input for the desired appearance of the alignment mark;

an input for parameters related to a deposition process used for covering the temporary surface and the actual alignment structure with the deposition material; and

an estimator configured to estimate an estimated geometrical definition for the actual alignment structure based on the desired appearance of the alignment mark and the parameters.

21. The alignment mark definer according to claim 20, wherein an actual alignment structure implementing the estimated geometrical definition has an actual appearance, when covered by the deposition material, that mimics the desired appearance.

22. An alignment mark definer configured to provide a geometrical definition for an actual alignment structure to be formed at a temporary surface of a substrate based on a desired appearance of an alignment mark and on an expected alteration of an appearance of the actual alignment structure caused by a deposition material deposited on the temporary surface and the actual alignment structure, wherein the geometrical definition for the actual alignment structure is describable as an absolute value of a spatial low pass filtering of the desired appearance.

23. An alignment mark definer configured to provide a geometrical definition for an actual alignment structure to be formed at a temporary surface of a substrate based on a desired appearance of an alignment mark and on an expected alteration of an appearance of the actual alignment structure caused by a deposition material deposited on the temporary surface and the actual alignment structure, and to take into account a different alteration behavior of an inner corner and an outer corner when covered by the deposition material.