Improving the Critical Dimension Uniformity of Orientation in Double Patterning Processes

Abstract

A method for adjusting the position of a showerhead in a processing chamber includes: disposing a substrate including a plurality of mandrels on a substrate support in the processing chamber; and adjusting the position of the showerhead relative to the substrate support. The operation of adjusting the position of the showerhead includes adjusting the showerhead to an inclined position based on data indicating a correlation between the position of the showerhead and an azimuthal non-uniformity associated with etching the substrate. The method further includes: performing a trimming step to etch the plurality of mandrels while the showerhead is in the inclined position adjusted based on the data.

Description

[0001] Cross - Reference to Related Applications

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 023,069, filed on June 29, 2018. The entire disclosure of the above - cited application is incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This disclosure relates to a dual - patterning process in an atomic layer deposition substrate processing chamber. Background Art

[0004] The background description provided here is for the purpose of generally presenting the background of the disclosure. The work of the currently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background art section and in various aspects of the specification that are not otherwise prior art at the time of filing the application, is neither expressly nor impliedly admitted to be prior art against the disclosure.

[0005] A substrate processing system can be used to process substrates, such as semiconductor wafers. Examples of substrate processing include etching, deposition, photoresist removal, and the like. During processing, the substrate is disposed on a substrate support, such as an electrostatic chuck, and one or more processing gases can be introduced into the processing chamber.

[0006] The one or more processing gases can be delivered to the processing chamber by a gas delivery system. In some systems, the gas delivery system includes a manifold that is connected to a showerhead located in the processing chamber by one or more conduits. In some examples, the process utilizes atomic layer deposition (ALD) to deposit a thin film on the substrate. Summary of the Invention

[0007] A method for adjusting the position of a showerhead in a processing chamber includes: setting a substrate including a plurality of mandrels on a substrate support in the processing chamber; and adjusting the position of the showerhead relative to the substrate support. The operation of adjusting the position of the showerhead includes adjusting the showerhead to an inclined position based on data indicating a correlation between the position of the showerhead and an azimuthal non - uniformity associated with etching the substrate. The method further includes: performing a trimming step to etch the plurality of mandrels while the showerhead is in the inclined position adjusted based on the data.

[0008] In other features, the data indicates the sensitivity of the azimuthal non - uniformity to a plurality of inclined positions of the showerhead. The method further includes collecting the data and storing the data in a memory. The operation of collecting the data includes: adjusting the showerhead to a plurality of different inclined positions; performing a plurality of trimming steps while the showerhead is in the plurality of different inclined positions; and determining the azimuthal non - uniformity associated with performing the plurality of trimming steps at each of the plurality of different inclined positions.

[0009] Among other features, the operation of adjusting the position of the showerhead includes adjusting the position of the showerhead to an inclined position at which there is a minimum standard deviation of the amount of etching across the surface of the substrate as indicated by the data. The method further includes: depositing a spacer layer on the mandrel after performing the trimming step. The trimming step is performed in a self-aligned double patterning process. The method further includes: determining the inclined position of the showerhead based on the data and providing information indicative of the inclined position. The method further includes: providing the information to a user interface. The method further includes: controlling an actuator based on the information to adjust the position of the showerhead to the inclined position.

[0010] A controller configured to adjust the position of a showerhead in a processing chamber includes: a memory that stores data indicative of a correlation between the position of the showerhead and an azimuthal non-uniformity associated with etching a substrate disposed on a substrate support in the processing chamber. A position calculation module is configured to determine an inclined position of the showerhead relative to the substrate support based on the data stored in the memory. The controller is further configured to: perform a trimming step to etch a plurality of mandrels formed on the substrate with the substrate disposed on the substrate support and the showerhead in the inclined position adjusted based on the data.

[0011] Among other features, the data indicates a sensitivity of the azimuthal non-uniformity to a plurality of inclined positions of the showerhead. The controller is further configured to collect the data and store the data in the memory. To collect the data, the controller is further configured to: perform a plurality of trimming steps when the showerhead is in a plurality of different inclined positions; and determine the azimuthal non-uniformity associated with performing the plurality of trimming steps at each of the plurality of different inclined positions.

[0012] Among other features, the inclined position corresponds to an inclined position having a minimum standard deviation of the amount of etching across the surface of the substrate as indicated by the data. The controller is further configured to: deposit a spacer layer on the mandrel after performing the trimming step. The trimming step is performed in a self-aligned double patterning process. The position calculation module is configured to output information indicative of the inclined position. The position calculation module is configured to provide the information to a user interface. The controller further includes a showerhead adjustment module configured to control an actuator based on the information to adjust the position of the showerhead to the inclined position.

[0013] The further scope of applicability of the present disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description, claims, and drawings. The detailed description and specific examples are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] The present disclosure will be more fully understood from the detailed description and the drawings, in which:

[0015] Figure 1 is a functional block diagram of an example of a substrate processing system including a tiltable showerhead in accordance with the present disclosure;

[0016] Figures 2A to 2K Shows an example of a dual patterning atomic layer deposition process in accordance with the present disclosure;

[0017] Figures 3A to 3D Shows an exemplary trimming step of a self-aligned dual patterning process in accordance with the present disclosure;

[0018] Figure 4 Shows examples of radial and azimuthal non-uniformities of the etch amount on a substrate surface in accordance with the present disclosure;

[0019] Figure 5 Shows an exemplary gas distribution device that can be tilted in accordance with the present disclosure;

[0020] Figures 6A to 6D Shows the gas distribution device in non-tilted and tilted positions in accordance with the present disclosure;

[0021] Figure 7 Shows an exemplary method for adjusting the position of the showerhead to adjust azimuthal non-uniformity in a trimming step in accordance with the present disclosure;

[0022] Figure 8 Shows an exemplary controller configured to determine a desired position of the showerhead to adjust azimuthal non-uniformity in accordance with the present disclosure;

[0023] In the drawings, reference numerals may be reused to identify like and / or identical elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] In a film deposition process such as atomic layer deposition (ALD), various characteristics of the deposited film vary in spatial (i.e., x-y coordinates of the horizontal plane) distribution. For example, a substrate processing tool may have a corresponding specification for film thickness non-uniformity (NU), which may be measured as the full range, half range, and / or standard deviation of a set of measurement values that are measured at predetermined positions on the surface of a semiconductor substrate. In some examples, NU may be reduced by, for example, addressing the direct cause of NU and / or introducing compensating NU to compensate for and eliminate existing NU. In some examples, materials may be deposited and / or removed non-uniformly intentionally to compensate for known non-uniformities in other (e.g., previous or subsequent) steps in the process.

[0025] A dual patterning (DPT) ALD process (e.g., self-aligned dual patterning (or SADP) process) may include steps including (but not limited to) the following: a lithography step, a trimming step, and a sacrificial spacer deposition step. Each step may have NU and associated NU of imbalance that affect the overall critical dimension (CD). For example, the trimming step may be performed between the lithography step and the spacer deposition step to reduce the CD. However, trimming NU may result in non-uniform dual patterning, which increases the CD imbalance phenomenon and results in poor yield. Trimming NU may be characterized as radial NU and azimuthal NU. Many methods may be used to adjust the radial NU. However, it is difficult to adjust the azimuthal NU.

[0026] Systems and methods in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure are configured to adjust (e.g., reduce) azimuthal NU in a dual patterning ALD process. For example, a gas distribution device (e.g., a showerhead) in an ALD processing chamber is configured to be tilted (e.g., during the trimming step) to reduce the azimuthal NU.

[0027] Referring Figure 1 , an example of a substrate processing system 100 including a substrate support (e.g., an ALD pedestal) 104 in accordance with the present invention is shown. The substrate support 104 is disposed within a processing chamber 108. During processing, a substrate 112 is disposed on the substrate support 104.

[0028] The gas delivery system 120 includes gas sources 122-1, 122-2, ..., and 122-N (collectively gas sources 122), which are connected to valves 124-1, 124-2, …, and 124-N (collectively valves 124) and mass flow controllers 126-1, 126-2, ..., and 126-N (collectively MFC 126). The MFC 126 controls the gas flow from the gas sources 122 to the manifold 128, where the gases are mixed. The output of the manifold 128 is supplied to the manifold 136 via a selective pressure regulator 132. The output of the manifold 136 is input to a gas distribution device, such as a multi-injector nozzle 140. Although manifolds 128 and 136 are shown, a single manifold may be used. The nozzle 140 according to the principles of the present invention is configured to be tilted during the processing of the substrate 112, as described in more detail below.

[0029] In some examples, a resistive heater 160 may be utilized to control the temperature of the substrate support 104. The substrate support 104 may include coolant channels 164. Cooling fluid is supplied from a fluid reservoir 168 and a pump 170 to the coolant channels 164. Pressure sensors 172, 174 may be disposed in the manifold 128 or the manifold 136 respectively to measure pressure. Valves 178 and pumps 180 may be used to evacuate reactants from the processing chamber 108 and / or control the pressure within the processing chamber 108.

[0030] The controller 182 includes a dosing controller 184, which controls the dosing provided by the multi-injector nozzle 140. The controller 182 also controls the gas delivery from the gas delivery system 120. The controller 182 utilizes the valves 178 and pumps 180 to control the pressure in the processing chamber and / or the evacuation of reactants. The controller 182 controls the temperature of the substrate support 104 and the substrate 112 based on temperature feedback in the substrate support (e.g., from a sensor (not shown)) and / or a sensor (not shown) that measures the coolant temperature.

[0031] Now refer to Figures 2A-2K , which describes an exemplary SADP process. Figure 2A Shown is a hard mask layer 204 formed on, for example, a substrate 200. By way of example only, the substrate 200 includes a silicon (Si) substrate, and the hard mask layer 204 is made of silicon nitride (Si 3 N 4) are made of, but other materials can also be used. Multiple core layers (such as mandrel layers) 208, 212, and 216 are deposited on the hard mask layer 204 (e.g., by chemical vapor deposition, or CVD). By way of example only, the core layers 208, 212, and 216 can comprise amorphous silicon (a-Si). In some examples, the core layers 208, 212, and 216 can have a height of about 50 - 150 nm (e.g., 100 nm). A patterned layer (such as a patterned photoresist layer or mask) 220 is formed on the core layer 216 and patterned using lithography techniques.

[0032] The substrate 200 including the hard mask layer 204, the core layers 208, 212, and 216, and the mask 220 is disposed in a processing chamber (such as an inductively coupled plasma chamber of an etching tool). As Figure 2B shown, the core layer 216 is etched (e.g., using anisotropic etching or other processes) to form a plurality of mandrels 224. During the etching of the core layer 216, the mask 220 protects the corresponding portions of the core layer 216 that correspond to the mandrels 224. If the mask 220 is a photoresist mask, the mask 220 can be removed using an oxygen-containing plasma. If the mask 220 is a material similar to the spacer layer 228 described below, the mask 220 can remain on the mandrels 224, and the mask 220 can be etched during the etching of the spacer layer 228.

[0033] In Figure 2C , a spacer layer 228 is deposited on the substrate 200 (i.e., on the core layer 212 and the mandrels 224). By way of example only, ALD can be used to conformally deposit the spacer layer 228, such as oxide-type deposition (using precursors including silicon tetrachloride (SiCl 4 ), silane (SiH 4 ), etc.), nitride-type deposition (using precursors including molecular nitrogen, ammonia (NH 3 ), etc.), and / or carbon-based deposition (using precursors including methane (CH 4 ), fluoromethane (CH 3 F), etc.).

[0034] In one example, the spacer layer 228 is deposited using a SiCl 2 precursor in the presence of O 4 . Other exemplary process parameters for performing the deposition of the spacer layer 228 include a temperature variation between a minimum temperature below 10°C and 120°C, a plasma power between 200 and 1800 W, a bias voltage from 0 to about 1000 volts, and a chamber pressure between 2 mTorr and 2000 mTorr.

[0035] In some examples, a trimming step may be performed on mandrel 224 before depositing spacer layer 228. For example, in the trimming step, mandrel 224 may be etched to adjust the width of mandrel 224 and the dimensions of spacer layer 228.

[0036] In Figure 2D , spacer layer 228 is etched (e.g., using an anisotropic etch process) to remove portions of spacer layer 228 from the upper surfaces of core layer 212 and mandrel 224, and at the same time enable sidewall portions 232 of spacer layer 228 to remain. In some examples, after the etching described in Figure 2D , a penetration step (e.g., a fluoride-containing plasma treatment) may be performed. Additionally, depending on the material of spacer layer 228, an oxygen-containing plasma treatment may be performed before the fluoride-containing plasma treatment. In Figure 2E , mandrel 224 is removed (e.g., using anisotropic etching). Thus, sidewall portions 232 remain formed on substrate 200.

[0037] As Figure 2F shown, core layer 212 is etched (e.g., using anisotropic etching or other processes) to form a plurality of mandrels 236. During the etching of core layer 212, sidewall portions 232 are used as a mask to protect the portions of core layer 212 corresponding to mandrels 236. Sidewall portions 232 may be removed in an additional plasma etching step, during the etching of spacer layer 240 as described below, etc.

[0038] In Figure 2G , spacer layer 240 is deposited on substrate 200 (i.e., on core layer 208 and mandrels 236). By way of example only, spacer layer 240 may be conformally deposited using ALD in a manner similar to spacer layer 228. In some examples, a trimming step may be performed on mandrels 236 before depositing spacer layer 240.

[0039] In Figure 2H , spacer layer 240 is etched (e.g., using an anisotropic etch process) to remove portions of spacer layer 240 from the upper surfaces of core layer 208 and mandrels 236, and at the same time enable sidewall portions 244 of spacer layer 240 to remain. In some examples, after the etching described in Figure 2H , a penetration step (e.g., a fluoride-containing plasma treatment) may be performed. Additionally, depending on the material of spacer layer 240, an oxygen-containing plasma treatment may be performed before the fluoride-containing plasma treatment. In Figure 2I , mandrels 236 are removed (e.g., using anisotropic etching). Thus, sidewall portions 244 remain formed on substrate 200.

[0040] As Figure 2JAs shown, the core layer 208 is etched (e.g., using anisotropic etching or other processes) to form a plurality of mandrels 248. During the etching of the core layer 208, the sidewall portions 244 are used as masks to protect the corresponding portions of the core layer 208 for the mandrels 248. The sidewall portions 244 can be removed, for example, in an additional plasma etching step, as Figure 2K shown.

[0041] As Figure 2K shown, the SADP process results in the formation of mandrels 248 in a spaced pattern on the substrate 200 (e.g., on the hard mask layer 204). The spacing between the mandrels 248 is determined according to the spacing between the sidewall portions 244 as shown in Figure 2I , and the spacing between the sidewall portions 244 is in turn determined according to the spacing between the sidewall portions 232 as shown in Figure 2E . The widths of the mandrels 236 and 232 determine the respective spacings between the sidewall portions 244 and between the sidewall portions 232, and thus determine the spacing between the mandrels 248. Accordingly, trimming steps can be performed on the mandrels 232 and 236 to ensure a uniform spacing between the mandrels 248. For example, the respective widths of the mandrels 232 and 236 can be trimmed to achieve a uniform spacing such that a = b = c, as Figure 2K shown.

[0042] Now referring to Figure 3A , 3B , 3C, and 3D, exemplary trimming steps of the SADP process are described. For simplicity, only a single core layer 300 and mandrel 304 are shown. In Figure 3A , the mandrel 304 before the trimming step is shown (e.g., after an etching step for forming the mandrel 304 on the core layer 300, as shown in Figure 2B ). The width of the mandrel 304 corresponds to the critical dimension CD1. As Figure 3B shown, the mandrel 304 is trimmed to adjust the width of the mandrel 304. Accordingly, the critical dimension of the mandrel 304 is reduced to CD2. In Figure 3C , a spacer layer 308 is deposited (e.g., conformally deposited using ALD as described above) on the core layer 300 and the mandrel 304.

[0043] Figure 3D shows the sidewall portions 312 of the spacer layer 308 remaining on the core layer 300 after performing one or more etching steps to remove portions of the spacer layer 308 and the mandrel 304. The spacing between the sidewall portions 312 (e.g., S1, S2, etc.) corresponds to the respective widths of the mandrel 304 (e.g., CD2). Accordingly, the pitch of the sidewall portions 312 can be defined as S1 + S2 + 2L, where L corresponds to the line width (i.e., the width of one of the sidewall portions 312).

[0044] Various non-uniformity effects affect the amount of material deposited (e.g., during an ALD step) and removed (e.g., during an etch step) during processing. For example, etch non-uniformities associated with a trim step include radial non-uniformity and azimuthal non-uniformity. Radial non-uniformity corresponds to a difference in the amount of etch as the radial distance from the center of the substrate increases. In contrast, azimuthal non-uniformity corresponds to a difference in the amount of etch in the angular direction around the substrate. Figure 4 Exemplary radial and azimuthal non-uniformities in the amount of etch on the surface of substrate 400 are shown. For example, the amount of etch (i.e., the amount etched away from the surface of substrate 400) can range from 163.5 angstroms to 170.9 angstroms (or a full range of 7.4 angstroms). As shown by radial line 404 in the exemplary radial direction, the amount of etch ranges from 165.4 angstroms in the central region 408 of substrate 400 to 170.4 angstroms at the edge 412 of substrate 400. In contrast, as shown by arc 416 in the exemplary azimuthal direction, the amount of etch ranges from 170.4 angstroms to 163.5 angstroms along edge 412.

[0045] Many methods can be used to adjust radial non-uniformity, including but not limited to injecting an edge conditioning gas, adjusting the edge ring height, controlling the temperature at various locations on substrate 400, adjusting the pressure, etc. These methods may not be sufficient to reduce azimuthal non-uniformity.

[0046] Now referring to Figure 5 , an exemplary gas distribution device (e.g., a showerhead) 500 according to the present disclosure is tiltable to adjust azimuthal non-uniformity associated with a trim step. For example, showerhead 500 can correspond to a three-degree-of-freedom (DOF) adjustable showerhead. Showerhead 500 includes a stem 504 and a plasma-facing gas distribution plate (e.g., a panel) 508. Stem 504 is connected to the upper surface of processing chamber 108 via a tilt collar 512. For example, tilt collar 512 includes an upper plate 516 and a lower plate 520. Upper plate 516 is fixedly attached to the upper surface of processing chamber 108. In some examples, the upper surface of processing chamber 108 can serve as upper plate 516. Process gas is provided to gas distribution plate 508 through inlet 524 via stem 504.

[0047] As shown, the stem portion 504 is connected to the lower plate 520, and the lower plate 520 is tiltable relative to the upper plate 516. For example, the showerhead 500 includes tilt adjustment mechanisms 528-1, 528-2, and 528-3, collectively referred to as the tilt adjustment mechanism 528. For example, the tilt adjustment mechanism 528 can correspond to screws. Rotating the screws (e.g., manually or automatically in response to a signal from a controller (such as controller 182)) causes the showerhead 500 to tilt. For example, rotating the screws increases and decreases the distance between corresponding portions of the upper plate 516 and the lower plate 520, thereby causing the stem portion 504 and the gas distribution plate 508 to tilt accordingly.

[0048] Now referring to Figures 6A-6D , showerheads 600 according to the present disclosure in various positions relative to a substrate support 604 are shown. As Figure 6A shown, a showerhead 600 in a non-tilted position is shown. For example, in this position, each of the screws as Figure 5 described can be adjusted so that the showerhead 600 is at a maximum distance from the substrate support 604. Conversely, as Figure 6B shown, the screws are adjusted so that the showerhead 600 is at a minimum distance from the substrate support 604. Figure 6C and 6D show a showerhead 600 in an exemplary tilted position.

[0049] Now referring to Figure 7 , an exemplary method 700 for adjusting the position of a showerhead during a trimming step to adjust azimuthal non-uniformity begins at 704. At 708, method 700 collects and stores tilt sensitivity data. For example, the tilt sensitivity data indicates the sensitivity of azimuthal non-uniformity to showerhead tilt. In one example, method 700 determines the correlation between various non-tilted and tilted positions and changes in azimuthal non-uniformity. For example, when performing a trimming step on an individual substrate, the showerhead can be adjusted to multiple different positions (e.g., non-tilted position, first tilted position, second tilted position, third tilted position, etc.). Each of the tilted positions can correspond to a respective tilt direction and tilt amount (e.g., degrees). After the trimming step, the substrate can then be inspected (e.g., using metrology or other inspection methods) to measure the azimuthal non-uniformity at each showerhead position.

[0050] Thus, the desired tilt position for the trimming step can be determined based on the determined non-uniformity sensitivity. For example, tilt sensitivity data representing the azimuthal non-uniformity of multiple tilted positions can be collected and stored in a memory (e.g., the memory of a controller (such as controller 182)).

[0051] At 712, the substrate is placed on the substrate support in the processing chamber before the trimming step. For example, it can be in a previous processing step (e.g., Figure 2AAfter the patterning layer 220 shown is etched, the substrate is disposed on the substrate support. In some examples, the previous processing steps may be performed in the same processing chamber as the trimming step.

[0052] At 716, method 700 (e.g., controller 182) determines the desired position of the nozzle based on the stored tilt sensitivity data. For example, a desired (e.g., tilted) position is selected according to the tilt sensitivity data to minimize azimuthal non-uniformity. At 720, the position of the nozzle is adjusted from the non-tilted position to the desired position. In one example, the desired position of the nozzle may be provided to the user (e.g., via a display or other user interface). The desired position may indicate the tilt direction and amount (e.g., degrees, displacement distance, etc.), the respective positions of the adjustment screws (e.g., tilt adjustment mechanism 528), etc. Then the user may manually adjust the position of the nozzle.

[0053] In other examples, method 700 may automatically adjust the position of the nozzle according to the desired position determined based on the tilt sensitivity data. For example, in some systems, the tilt adjustment mechanism 528 may be connected to actuators (e.g., rotary actuators, pin actuators, etc., as shown in more detail below), and these actuators are configured to adjust the position of the nozzle in response to signals received from controller 182.

[0054] At 724, method 700 performs a trimming step. At 728, the nozzle is returned to the non-tilted position. At 732, method 700 performs additional processing steps (e.g., as Figures 2C to 2K shown) after the trimming step. These additional processing steps may be performed in the same or a different processing chamber as the trimming step. Method 700 ends at 736.

[0055] Now referring to Figure 8 , according to the present disclosure, exemplary controller 800 is configured to determine the desired position of nozzle 804 to adjust azimuthal non-uniformity. For example, controller 800 includes a memory 808 that stores tilt sensitivity data as described above Figure 7 herein. Before the trimming step, position calculation module 812 retrieves the tilt sensitivity data from memory 808 and determines the desired position of nozzle 804 based on the stored tilt sensitivity data. In one example, position calculation module 812 is configured to perform a model or algorithm, use a look-up table, etc., based on the stored tilt sensitivity data to determine the desired position of nozzle 804. For example, the tilt sensitivity data may associate each position of nozzle 804 (e.g., tilt direction and amount) with a plurality of etch amounts at various locations on the substrate surface, and position calculation module 812 may select a position to minimize the difference between these etch amounts. In one example, position calculation module 812 selects the position with the smallest standard deviation of the etch amounts.

[0056] The position of the nozzle 804 is adjusted based on the position determined by the position calculation module 812. For example, the position calculation module 812 may provide information indicating the desired position to a user interface 816 (such as a display). The user may manually adjust the position of the nozzle 804 based on the information provided to the user interface 816. In one example, the nozzle 804 includes one or more tilt adjustment mechanisms 820, and the tilt adjustment mechanisms 820 can be manually adjusted to adjust the position of the lower plate 824 relative to the upper plate 828. For example, the tilt adjustment mechanism 820 may correspond to the screw described above Figure 5 in the description. In other examples, the position calculation module 812 provides information to a nozzle adjustment module 832. The nozzle adjustment module 832 is configured to adjust the position of the nozzle 804. For example, the nozzle adjustment module 832 controls one or more actuators 836 to adjust the corresponding tilt adjustment mechanisms 820. The actuator 836 may correspond to a rotary actuator configured to rotate the tilt adjustment mechanism 820 (i.e., when the tilt adjustment mechanism 820 corresponds to a screw), a linear actuator configured to move the tilt adjustment mechanism 820 up and down (i.e., when the tilt adjustment mechanism 820 corresponds to a pin), etc.

[0057] The foregoing description is merely illustrative in nature and is in no way intended to limit the disclosure, its application, or uses. The broad teachings of the disclosure can be implemented in a variety of forms. Thus, while the disclosure includes specific examples, the true scope of the disclosure should not be so limited since other modifications will become apparent upon study of the drawings, the specification, and the appended claims. It should be understood that one or more steps in a method can be performed in a different order (or simultaneously) without changing the principles of the disclosure. Additionally, while each embodiment is described above as having certain features, any one or more of those features described with respect to any embodiment of the disclosure can be implemented in and / or combined with the features of any other embodiment, even if the combination is not explicitly described. In other words, the described embodiments are not mutually exclusive, and permutations of one or more of the embodiments with each other remain within the scope of the disclosure.

[0058] Various terms are used to describe spatial and functional relationships between components (e.g., between modules, between circuit elements, between semiconductor layers, etc.), and the various terms include "connected", "joined", "coupled", "adjacent", "next to", "on top of", "above", "below", and "disposed". Unless a relationship between a first and a second component is explicitly described as "direct", when such a relationship is described in the above disclosure, the relationship can be a direct relationship, where no other intermediate component exists between the first and second components, but can also be an indirect relationship, where one or more intermediate components exist between the first and second components (spatially or functionally). As used herein, the phrase "at least one of A, B, and C" should be construed to mean a logical (A or B or C) using a non-exclusive logical OR, and should not be construed to mean "at least one of A, at least one of B, and at least one of C".

[0059] In some implementations, the controller is part of a system, and the system can be part of the above examples. Such systems can include semiconductor processing equipment, which includes one or more processing tools, one or more chambers, one or more platforms for processing, and / or specific processing components (wafer chucks, gas flow systems, etc.). These systems can be integrated with electronics for controlling their operations before, during, and after the processing of semiconductor wafers or substrates. The electronics can be referred to as a "controller", which can control various components or sub-components of one or more systems. Depending on the processing requirements and / or system type, the controller can be programmed to control any of the processes disclosed herein, including the delivery of processing gases, temperature settings (e.g., heating and / or cooling), pressure settings, vacuum settings, power settings, radio frequency (RF) generator settings, RF matching circuit settings, frequency settings, flow rate settings, fluid delivery settings, position and operation settings, wafer transfer in and out of tools and other transfer tools, and / or load locks connected or interfaced with a particular system.

[0060] Broadly speaking, a controller can be defined as an electronic device that has various integrated circuits, logic, memory, and / or software for receiving instructions, issuing instructions, controlling operations, enabling cleaning operations, enabling endpoint measurements, etc. The integrated circuits can include a chip in the form of firmware that stores program instructions, a digital signal processor (DSP), a chip defined as an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and / or one or more microprocessors, or a microcontroller that executes program instructions (e.g., software). The program instructions can be instructions sent to the controller in the form of various individual settings (or program files), and the individual settings (or program files) define the operating parameters for performing specific processes on or for a semiconductor wafer or system. In some embodiments, the operating parameters can be part of a recipe defined by a process engineer to complete one or more processing steps during the fabrication of one or more layers, materials, metals, oxides, silicon, silicon dioxide, surfaces, circuits, and / or die of a wafer.

[0061] In some implementations, the controller can be part of or coupled to a computer that is integrated with, coupled to, otherwise networked to, or a combination of the system. For example, the controller can be in the "cloud" or be all or part of a wafer fab host system, which can allow remote access to wafer processing. The computer can enable remote access to the system to monitor the current progress of manufacturing operations, examine the history of past manufacturing operations, examine trends or performance criteria of multiple manufacturing operations, change the parameters of the current process, set processing steps to follow the current process, or initiate a new process. In some examples, a remote computer (e.g., a server) can provide a process recipe to the system via a network, which can include a local network or the Internet. The remote computer can include a user interface that enables the input or programming of parameters and / or settings, and then sends the parameters and / or settings from the remote computer to the system. In some examples, the controller receives instructions in the form of data that specify the parameters for each processing step to be performed during one or more operations. It should be understood that the parameters can be specific to the type of process to be performed and the type of tool, and the controller is configured to interface with or control the tool. Thus, as described above, the controller can be distributed, for example, by including one or more discrete controllers networked together and working towards a common purpose (e.g., the processes and controls described herein). An example of a distributed controller for such a purpose is one or more integrated circuits on a chamber that communicate with one or more integrated circuits remotely (e.g., at the platform level or as part of a remote computer), which are combined to control the process on the chamber.

[0062] Example systems can include, but are not limited to, a plasma etch chamber or module, a deposition chamber or module, a spin rinse chamber or module, a metal plating chamber or module, a cleaning chamber or module, a bevel edge etch chamber or module, a physical vapor deposition (PVD) chamber or module, a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chamber or module, an atomic layer deposition (ALD) chamber or module, an atomic layer etch (ALE) chamber or module, an ion implantation chamber or module, an orbit chamber or module, and any other semiconductor processing system that can be associated with and / or used in the manufacture and / or preparation of semiconductor wafers.

[0063] As described above, depending on one or more processing steps to be performed by a tool, the controller can communicate with one or more other tool circuits or modules, other tool components, cluster tools, other tool interfaces, adjacent tools, neighboring tools, tools located throughout a factory, a host computer, another controller, or tools used in a material transport that shuttles a wafer container to and from a tool location and / or load port in a semiconductor manufacturing factory.

Claims

1. A method for adjusting the position of a showerhead in a processing chamber, the method comprising: setting a substrate on a substrate support in the processing chamber, wherein a plurality of mandrels are formed on the substrate; adjusting the position of the showerhead relative to the substrate support, wherein the operation of adjusting the position of the showerhead includes adjusting the showerhead to an inclined position based on data indicating a correlation between the position of the showerhead and azimuthal etch non-uniformity related to etching the substrate, wherein the data indicates the sensitivity of the azimuthal etch non-uniformity to each of a plurality of different inclined positions of the showerhead, and includes the respective standard deviations of the etch amounts at various locations on the substrate surface for each of the plurality of different inclined positions; and performing a trimming step to etch the plurality of mandrels with the showerhead in the inclined position adjusted based on the data, wherein the operation of adjusting the position of the showerhead includes adjusting the position of the showerhead to an inclined position having the smallest standard deviation among the respective standard deviations of the etch amounts at various locations on the substrate surface for each of the plurality of different inclined positions indicated by the data.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising collecting the data and storing the data in a memory.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the operation of collecting the data comprises: adjusting the showerhead to the plurality of different inclined positions; performing a plurality of trimming steps while the showerhead is in the plurality of different inclined positions; and determining the azimuthal etch non-uniformity associated with performing the plurality of trimming steps at each of the plurality of different inclined positions.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: depositing a spacer layer on the mandrels after performing the trimming step.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the trimming step is performed in a self-aligned double patterning process.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: determining the inclined position of the showerhead based on the data and providing information indicating the inclined position.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising: providing the information to a user interface.

8. The method according to claim 6, further comprising: controlling an actuator based on the information to adjust the position of the showerhead to the inclined position.

9. A controller configured to adjust the position of a showerhead in a processing chamber, the controller comprising: a memory that stores data indicating a correlation between the position of the showerhead and azimuthal etch non-uniformity related to etching a substrate disposed on a substrate support in the processing chamber; and a position calculation module configured to determine an inclined position of the showerhead relative to the substrate support based on the data stored in the memory, wherein the data indicates the sensitivity of the azimuthal etch non-uniformity to each of a plurality of different inclined positions of the showerhead, and includes the respective standard deviations of the etch amounts at various locations on the substrate surface for each of the plurality of different inclined positions, wherein the controller is further configured to: perform a trimming step to etch a plurality of mandrels formed on the substrate when the substrate is disposed on the substrate support and the nozzle is in the tilted position adjusted based on the data, wherein the tilted position corresponds to a tilted position having the smallest standard deviation among the respective standard deviations of the etching amounts at various locations on the substrate surface for each of the plurality of different tilted positions indicated by the data.

10. The controller according to claim 9, wherein the controller is further configured to collect the data and store the data in the memory.

11. The controller according to claim 10, wherein, to collect the data, the controller is further configured to: perform a plurality of trimming steps when the nozzle is in a plurality of different tilted positions; and determine an azimuthal etching non-uniformity associated with performing the plurality of trimming steps at each of the plurality of different tilted positions.

12. The controller according to claim 9, wherein the controller is further configured to: deposit a spacer layer on the mandrel after performing the trimming step.

13. The controller according to claim 9, wherein the trimming step is performed in a self-aligned double patterning process.

14. The controller according to claim 9, wherein the position calculation module is configured to output information indicating the tilted position.

15. The controller according to claim 14, wherein the position calculation module is configured to provide the information to a user interface.

16. The controller according to claim 14, further comprising a nozzle adjustment module configured to control an actuator based on the information to adjust the position of the nozzle to the tilted position.

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