Unlock instant, AI-driven research and patent intelligence for your innovation.

Wafer profiling for etching system

A wafer and etching technology, which is applied in the direction of semiconductor/solid-state device testing/measurement, electrical components, circuits, etc., can solve the problem of uneven etched conductive lines, achieve the effect of reducing etching unevenness and prolonging life

Pending Publication Date: 2018-12-21
APPLIED MATERIALS INC
View PDF11 Cites 1 Cited by
  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

[0003] Variations in upstream process steps and wet etch processes often result in non-uniformity of etched conductive lines across the wafer

Method used

the structure of the environmentally friendly knitted fabric provided by the present invention; figure 2 Flow chart of the yarn wrapping machine for environmentally friendly knitted fabrics and storage devices; image 3 Is the parameter map of the yarn covering machine
View more

Image

Smart Image Click on the blue labels to locate them in the text.
Viewing Examples
Smart Image
  • Wafer profiling for etching system
  • Wafer profiling for etching system
  • Wafer profiling for etching system

Examples

Experimental program
Comparison scheme
Effect test

Embodiment Construction

[0021] Inhomogeneities in the wet etch process or variations in the thickness of layers introduced onto the workpiece can cause removal of the etched film to occur in some areas of the wafer before some other areas of the wafer. For example, the last region to clear may take twice as long as the first region to clear. To ensure that the film has been removed over the entire wafer, the etch process can be performed until the slowest areas have been removed, resulting in 100% overetching of the first area.

[0022] The wet etch process is generally isotropic, resulting in undercutting of the film at the edges of the etch mask layer. As the etch time increases, the degree of undercut increases. Thus, overetching some areas of the wafer can result in excessive undercutting of etched lines. Excessive undercutting results in excessive variation in manufactured product characteristics (eg, sheet resistance), so characterization and mitigation of non-uniformity is desirable.

[002...

the structure of the environmentally friendly knitted fabric provided by the present invention; figure 2 Flow chart of the yarn wrapping machine for environmentally friendly knitted fabrics and storage devices; image 3 Is the parameter map of the yarn covering machine
Login to View More

PUM

No PUM Login to View More

Abstract

A substrate etching system includes a support to hold a wafer in a face-up orientation, a dispenser arm movable laterally across the wafer on the support, the dispenser arm supporting a delivery portto selectively dispense a liquid etchant onto a portion of a top face of the wafer, and a monitoring system comprising a probe movable laterally across the wafer on the support.

Description

technical field [0001] The present disclosure relates to substrate monitoring in etching systems. Background technique [0002] Integrated circuits are typically formed on a substrate by sequential deposition, patterning, and etching of conductive, semiconductive, or insulating layers on a silicon wafer. One fabrication step involves depositing a conductive layer, patterning an etch mask to protect the conductive layer, and etching the conductive layer using a liquid etchant ("wet etch") to form isolated conductive lines. Masked areas of the etch mask layer protection film are not etched. For some applications, isolated conductive lines are formed by etching the deposited conductive layer until the unmasked areas of the conductive layer are "cleared" and the top surface of the underlying layer is exposed. In some applications, detection of removal of unmasked areas is referred to as endpoint detection, and detection of removal can be used to decide when to stop the etch pr...

Claims

the structure of the environmentally friendly knitted fabric provided by the present invention; figure 2 Flow chart of the yarn wrapping machine for environmentally friendly knitted fabrics and storage devices; image 3 Is the parameter map of the yarn covering machine
Login to View More

Application Information

Patent Timeline
no application Login to View More
IPC IPC(8): H01L21/306H01L21/67
CPCH01L21/67075H01L21/67242H01L21/30604H01L22/12H01L21/6708H01L21/67253H01L22/26H01L21/67259H01L21/67271
Inventor 杰夫瑞·奇·张约翰·盖基尔杰瑞·D·莱昂哈德大卫·P·苏尔杜克本杰明·谢弗雷·扬
Owner APPLIED MATERIALS INC