Automatic trimmer for desired temperature distribution

By combining the gain curve of the temperature sensor offset and zone multiplier to the thermal model, the target temperature distribution is generated, and the problem of insufficient resolution of temperature distribution control in the RTP tool is solved, and more complex temperature distribution control is achieved, such as center flatness and edges. hot.

CN119325645APending Publication Date: 2025-01-17APPLIED MATERIALS INC
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202380045670.2
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Applications(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Priority Date
2022-06-08
Filing Date
2023-05-08
Publication Date
2025-01-17

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing rapid heat treatment (RTP) tools are difficult to achieve a flat center temperature distribution and other complex temperature distributions, such as edge heat or edge cold, mainly because the number of temperature sensors is smaller than the number of lamp areas, resulting in insufficient resolution of temperature feedback control.

Method used

By obtaining the gain curve of the temperature sensor offset and zone multiplier, combined with it into the thermal model, the temperature sensor offset and zone multiplier are generated using the thermal model to apply to the reference data set, thereby generating the target temperature distribution.

Benefits of technology

The control resolution of the temperature distribution is improved, and the center is flat or other complex temperature distributions such as edge heat or edge cold can be achieved, ensuring uniformity of film thickness on the substrate.

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Abstract

Embodiments disclosed herein include a method of setting a target distribution. In one embodiment, the method comprises: obtaining a first gain curve for one or more temperature sensor offsets; and obtaining a second gain curve for the one or more zone multipliers. In an embodiment, the method further includes combining the first gain curve and the second gain curve into a thermal model. In one embodiment, the method further comprises: obtaining a reference data set; and using the thermal model to generate a temperature sensor offset and / or a zone multiplier for application to the reference data set to generate the target distribution.
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Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. patent application No. 17 / 835,711 filed on June 8, 2022, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. Technical Field

[0003] Embodiments relate to the field of semiconductor manufacturing, and more particularly to processes and apparatus for implementing temperature profile adjustment. Background Art

[0004] Thermal oxidation processes are typically implemented on rapid thermal processing (RTP) tools. RTP tools include an array of lamps for heating the substrate below. In many modern RTP tools, these lamps are controlled in multiple zones. These zones typically extend radially outward from the center of the RTP tool. For example, in some implementations, three or more lamp zones may be used. In addition, the control of heating may be informed by feedback provided by one or more temperature sensors (e.g., pyrometers). In some cases, the number of pyrometers is different from the number of lamp zones. That is, a single pyrometer may be used to measure the temperature corresponding to more than one lamp zone. Therefore, the resolution of temperature control may be suboptimal.

[0005] In a particular instance, it is desirable to have a center-flat temperature profile. A center-flat temperature profile is one in which the temperature is substantially flat across the center portion of the substrate. A center-flat temperature profile can result in a relatively constant oxide thickness across the center of the substrate. However, because a single pyrometer is used to provide feedback control to the center of the substrate, there is no individual feedback control for the lamp zone at the center of the substrate. Therefore, it is difficult to provide a center-flat profile. Likewise, other temperature profiles (e.g., edge-cold, or edge-hot) are difficult to achieve using existing solutions. Summary of the invention

[0006] Embodiments disclosed herein include a method for setting a target distribution. In one embodiment, the method includes: obtaining a first gain curve for one or more temperature sensor offsets; and obtaining a second gain curve for one or more zone multipliers. In one embodiment, the method further includes: combining the first gain curve and the second gain curve into a thermal model. In one embodiment, the method further includes: obtaining a reference data set; and using the thermal model to generate temperature sensor offsets and / or zone multipliers to apply to the reference data set to generate the target distribution.

[0007] Embodiments disclosed herein may also include a semiconductor processing tool. In one embodiment, the semiconductor processing tool may include: a processing chamber; a lamp array located above the processing chamber, wherein the lamp array includes a plurality of lamp zones; and a plurality of temperature sensors, wherein the number of temperature sensors is less than the number of lamp zones. In one embodiment, the semiconductor processing tool may further include: a thermal model for generating temperature sensor offsets and / or zone multipliers, wherein the temperature sensor offsets and / or the zone multipliers are configured to generate a target temperature distribution.

[0008] Embodiments disclosed herein may also include a method for setting a target temperature distribution in a thermal processing chamber. In one embodiment, the method may include: obtaining a first gain curve for one or more temperature sensor offsets for a plurality of temperature sensors; and obtaining a second gain curve for one or more zone multipliers for a plurality of lamp zones, wherein the number of zone multipliers is greater than the number of temperature sensors. In one embodiment, the method may further include: combining the first gain curve and the second gain curve into a thermal model; obtaining a reference data set; and using the thermal model to generate temperature sensor offsets and / or zone multipliers to apply to the reference data set to generate the target temperature distribution.

[0009] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Figure 1 is a plan view of a lamp array having a plurality of concentric lamp zones overlying a pyrometer zone according to one embodiment.

[0011] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of a rapid thermal processing (RTP) tool having multiple lamp zones and multiple pyrometer zones, according to one embodiment.

[0012] Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating a thickness distribution of a suboptimally controlled process and a process of achieving a center-flat thickness distribution according to an embodiment.

[0013] Figure 4A is a graph of a pyrometer gain curve according to one embodiment, wherein each pyrometer zone has a temperature offset of one degree.

[0014] Figure 4B is a graph of a zone multiplier gain curve according to one embodiment, wherein each lamp zone is multiplied by a zone multiplier of 0.01.

[0015] Figure 5 is a process flow diagram of a process for generating a target distribution for RTP operations according to one embodiment.

[0016] Fig. 6A is a thickness distribution map for a reference data set and an estimated data set generated by a thermal model according to an embodiment.

[0017] Figure 6B is a thickness profile for a reference data set and measured data after implementing the required temperature shift and zone multiplier shift, according to one embodiment.

[0018] Figure 7 A block diagram of an exemplary computer system that may be used with a processing tool according to one embodiment is illustrated. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] The systems described herein include processes and devices for implementing temperature distribution adjustment. In the following description, many specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the embodiments can be implemented without these specific details. In other cases, well-known aspects are not described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the embodiments. In addition, it should be understood that the various embodiments shown in the drawings are illustrative representations and are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0020] As described above, it is currently difficult to control the temperature profile of a rapid thermal processing (RTP) tool. This is due in part to the difference in the number of lamp zones and the number of temperature sensor zones. When the number of temperature sensor zones is less than the number of lamp zones, a temperature sensor zone must overlap two or more lamp zones. This results in temperature feedback being applied consistently to multiple lamp zones, even when the temperatures achieved by the various lamp zones are different. In a particular instance, this makes it difficult to provide a center-flat temperature profile. Other profiles (e.g., edge hot or edge cold) may also be difficult to achieve using existing control processes.

[0021] As used herein, a "center-flat" distribution may refer to a distribution in which a central region of a substrate has a substantially flat temperature distribution. It should be understood that the central region will generally not have a completely flat temperature distribution, but the general shape of the distribution may be flat. For example, the trend line of the central region may generally be substantially parallel to the X-axis (e.g., within 15 degrees of parallel to the X-axis). Although described in terms of temperature, it should be understood that in some cases, a "center-flat" distribution (or other distribution) may also apply to a thickness distribution. In such a thickness distribution, the central region of the substrate may have a film (e.g., an oxide film) that has a substantially uniform thickness. In general, the thickness distribution of the film will substantially match the temperature distribution used to form the film.

[0022] As used herein, an "edge hot" profile may refer to a temperature profile where the edge temperature is higher than the center temperature, while an "edge cold" profile may refer to a temperature profile where the edge temperature is lower than the center temperature. Although specific profiles are described (e.g., center flat, edge hot, and edge cold), it should be understood that embodiments disclosed herein may be customized to produce any desired temperature or thickness profile.

[0023] To increase the resolution of the control of the temperature profile, embodiments disclosed herein include the use of both a temperature offset and a zone multiplier. A temperature offset can be an offset applied to a measured temperature (which is measured, for example, by a pyrometer). The temperature offset can be used to locally increase or decrease the value of the measured temperature. A zone multiplier can be a gain value for the power applied to a lamp zone. For example, the power supplied to a lamp zone can be increased or decreased by a certain percentage. Thus, rather than controlling the temperature profile with a single variable, multiple knobs can be used to adjust the temperature profile to provide the desired result.

[0024] In one embodiment, the process of generating a desired temperature distribution may include obtaining a first gain curve and a second gain curve. The first gain curve may include one or more temperature offsets, and the second gain curve may include one or more zone multipliers. The first gain curve and the second gain curve may be determined by performing metrology on one or more substrates processed with various temperature offsets and zone multipliers. The first gain curve and the second gain curve may then be combined and integrated into a thermal model. The thermal model may be a physics-based model that maps the thermal performance of the RTP tool. In one embodiment, the process may then continue to obtain a reference data set. For example, the reference data set may be provided by metrology of a previously processed substrate. In one embodiment, the process may then continue to use the thermal model to generate temperature sensor offsets and / or zone multipliers to be applied to the reference data set to generate a target distribution.

[0025] Reference now Figure 1 , according to one embodiment, a schematic diagram of a lamp array of an RTP tool 100 is shown. The RTP tool 100 can be used to form a layer (not shown) on a substrate. For example, an oxide layer can be formed on a substrate. In other embodiments, the RTP tool 100 can be used for an annealing process. In one embodiment, the lamp array can include a plurality of lamp zones 130. For example, Figure 1 Light area 130 is shown in A -130 E However, it should be understood that the tool 100 may include any number of light zones 130. For example, in some embodiments, the tool 100 may include 12 or more light zones.

[0026] The light area 130 may be a substantially concentric area. Ecan be substantially circular, and the remaining light area 130 A -130 D It can be around the central light area 130 E Each light zone 130 may include a plurality of individual lights (not shown). In some embodiments, the light zones 130 may have uneven numbers of lights. For example, the central light zone 130 E The number of lights in the light zone can be 130 D The number of lights in the .

[0027] In one embodiment, the RTP tool 100 may also include one or more temperature sensing areas 116. For example, Figure 1 Three temperature sensing regions 116 are shown in A -116 C The temperature sensing region 116 may include a central region 116 C 、Middle area 116 B and external area 116 C . Central area 116 C can be used to provide feedback control to the area from the center of the tool 100 to the first dashed line, the middle area 116 B can be used to provide feedback control between the first dashed line and the second dashed line, and the outer area 116 C Can be used to provide feedback control between the second dashed line and the outer perimeter of the tool 100. Each region 116 A -116 C A single temperature sensor may be included. In one embodiment, the temperature sensor may be any temperature sensor architecture. For example, the temperature sensor may be a pyrometer or the like.

[0028] As shown, the number of lamp zones 130 is different from the number of temperature sensor zones 116. In particular, the number of lamp zones 130 is greater than the number of temperature sensor zones 116. Therefore, each temperature sensing zone 116 can be used to provide feedback to two or more lamp zones 130. It is difficult to provide high resolution control of the temperature profile (and corresponding film thickness profile) when the only feedback source is the temperature sensing zone 116. Therefore, embodiments disclosed herein use both a temperature offset and a zone multiplier to provide a desired profile in the tool 100. The temperature offset and zone multiplier are described in more detail below.

[0029] Reference now Figure 2, a cross-sectional view of a processing chamber 200 is shown according to one embodiment. In one embodiment, the chamber 200 may include any type of semiconductor manufacturing chamber that may require precise substrate temperature control. In the illustrated embodiment, the chamber 200 is shown without plasma capabilities. However, it should be understood that the chamber 200 may also include the capability to use plasma in order to implement various processing methods.

[0030] In one embodiment, the chamber 200 may include a chamber body 220. The chamber body 220 may include any suitable material, such as stainless steel, or the like. In one embodiment, a coating (not shown) may be provided on the inner surface of the chamber body 220. For example, the coating may be a chamber aging or protective layer. In one embodiment, a gas 221 may enter the chamber 200 through a first portion of the chamber body 220, and a gas 222 may exit the tool through a second portion of the chamber body 220. Although the gases 221 and 222 are shown entering and exiting through the chamber body 220, it should be understood that the gases may enter or exit the chamber through any portion of the chamber 200, depending on the type of chamber 200 being used.

[0031] In one embodiment, a substrate support 215 and a carrier 217 are provided in the chamber. The substrate support 215 and the carrier 217 are configured to hold and / or fix the substrate 210. For example, the substrate 210 can be a semiconductor substrate, such as a silicon wafer. The substrate 210 can have any suitable form factor. For example, the diameter of the substrate 210 can be 300 mm, 450 mm, or any standard wafer form factor. In addition, other substrates 210 can also be used in the chamber 200. For example, in some embodiments, glass substrates, ceramic substrates, or similar substrates can also be used. In one embodiment, the substrate support 215 and the carrier 217 can be configured to rotate. The rotation can improve the temperature uniformity across the substrate 210.

[0032] The carrier 217 may include any type of clamping structure to secure the substrate 210. In some embodiments, the carrier 217 may include an electrostatic clamp (ESC) structure. In such embodiments, the substrate 210 is secured to the carrier 217 by electrostatic forces. Other embodiments may include a vacuum clamping structure for the carrier 217. In one embodiment, the carrier 217 and the substrate support 215 may include a quartz material or another material that is at least substantially transparent to infrared radiation. Therefore, the temperature of the backside surface of the substrate 210 can be obtained by the pyrometer 216.

[0033] In one embodiment, chamber 200 may include a lid 225. Lid 225 may sometimes be referred to as a chamber dome. Although domed in shape, it should be understood that lid 225 may have any configuration (e.g., a flat surface or the like). Lid 225 may be formed of a material that is at least substantially transparent to infrared radiation. For example, lid 225 may include quartz or a similar material.

[0034] In one embodiment, the chamber 200 may further include a bottom cover 227. The bottom cover 227 may cover the bottom surface of the chamber 285. The bottom cover 227 may include a material that is substantially transparent to at least infrared radiation. Thus, the pyrometer 216 on the bottom side of the chamber 200 may be used to measure the temperature of the bottom surface of the substrate 210. In one embodiment, the bottom cover 227 may be coupled to the substrate support 215. More specifically, the substrate support 215 may pass through the bottom cover 227. The bottom cover 227 is coupled to the substrate support 215 in a configuration that allows the substrate support 215 to rotate freely.

[0035] In one embodiment, a plurality of lamps 230 may be provided outside the interior volume of the chamber 200. The interior volume of the tool may refer to the volume defined by the lid 225, the chamber body 220, and the bottom cover 227. That is, the lamps 230 are not provided within the interior volume of the chamber 200 where substrate processing is performed. In the illustrated embodiment, five groups of lamps 230 are provided on the top surface of the lid 225. A -230 E . Light 230 A -230 E Each of the lamps 230 represents a different lamp area. A It can be used for the outer area of ​​the substrate 210, the lamp 230 B -230 D can be used in the middle area of ​​the substrate 210, and the lamp 230 E It can be used in the central area of ​​the substrate 210. Lamp 230 A -230 E The light 230 may be focused on different zones by providing a reflector (not shown) around the light 230. Although one or two lights 230 are shown for each zone, it is to be understood that any number of lights may be used to heat each zone of the substrate 210. In the illustrated embodiment, five front side light zones are shown. However, it is to be understood that in other embodiments, more than five light zones may be included. For example, the reflector structure may include six or more zones to provide more enhanced control of the temperature over the entire surface of the substrate 210.

[0036] In one embodiment, the plurality of pyrometers 216 A -216 Cmay be provided through the bottom cover 227. The pyrometers 216 may be focused onto the backside surface of the substrate 210. In one embodiment, the number of pyrometers 216 may be different from the number of heating zones on the substrate 210. For example, Figure 2 Five heating zones are shown and three pyrometers are provided 216 A -216 C . Pyrometer 216 A The temperature at the outer region of the substrate 210 can be measured by the pyrometer 216 B The temperature at the middle region of the substrate 210 can be measured by the pyrometer 216 C The temperature at the center region of the substrate 210 may be measured.

[0037] Reference now Figure 3 , according to one embodiment, shows the thickness distribution of the first substrate 371 and the second substrate 372. The first substrate 371 is manufactured using an existing feedback and controller architecture. As shown, there is a significant peak in the center region (e.g., between -50 mm and 50 mm). This is partly due to the first pyrometer region P A As shown in the figure, the first pyrometer area P A It extends from about -100 mm to 100 mm. This is larger than the first light zone Z A The width is much wider. The first light zone Z A It can be from about -50 mm to 50 mm. However, there is no special design for the narrower first light zone Z A This hinders the ability to reduce the thickness of the central area of ​​the first substrate 371.

[0038] In contrast, the second substrate 372 includes a distribution that is flat in the center. That is, the trend line of the second substrate 372 at the middle region is substantially parallel to the X-axis. The second substrate 372 is able to form this ideal distribution by using the embodiments disclosed herein. In particular, both the temperature offset (for the pyrometer) and the zone multiplier (for each lamp zone) can be used in combination to provide higher resolution control of the distribution. That is, even if the temperature from P A The temperature feedback is wider than the center area, which can still be flat. This is because the temperature feedback for the center lamp Z A The zone multiplier can be used to reduce the heat energy supplied to the central area.

[0039] More specifically, a gain curve is plotted for both the zone multiplier and the temperature sensor offset for each lamp zone. That is, a record of the changes due to certain temperature offsets or zone multipliers can be obtained as a gain curve. The gain curve can then be applied to the thermal model to generate the necessary offsets to produce a specific distribution.

[0040] Reference now Figure 4A , according to one embodiment, a graph of gain curves for various temperature offsets is shown. Each gain curve corresponds to one of the temperature sensors in the tool 100. For example, Figure 4A Three gain curves are shown in FIG. Gain curve 373 is for the center pyrometer (T1), gain curve 374 is for the middle pyrometer (T2), and gain curve 375 is for the outer pyrometer (T3). Figure 4A As shown, each pyrometer has an offset of 1°C.

[0041] Each gain curve can represent a distribution change due to an offset. That is, each gain curve 373-375 can be generated by processing different substrates and measuring these substrates. Each substrate is processed using one of the three offsets. For example, curve 373 shows the distribution when the center pyrometer T1 has a 1°C offset and the other pyrometers T2 and T3 are not modified. Curve 374 shows the distribution when the middle pyrometer T2 has a 1°C offset and the other pyrometers T1 and T3 are not modified. Curve 375 shows the distribution when the outer pyrometer T3 has a 1°C offset and the other pyrometers T1 and T2 are not modified. As shown, these offsets generally correspond to an increase in thickness of the modified area. For example, the distribution of the center area on line 373 increases, the distribution of the middle area on line 374 increases, and the distribution of the outer area on line 375 increases.

[0042] Reference now Figure 4B , according to one embodiment, a gain curve graph for various zone multipliers is shown. Each gain curve corresponds to one of the light zones in tool 100. For example, Figure 4B Six gain curves are shown in Figure 4B As shown, each zone has a zone multiplier of +0.01. Zone 1 (Z1) can be at the center of tool 100 and zone 6 (Z6) can be at the outer edge of tool 100. Zones 2-5 (Z2-Z5) can be provided between Zone 1 and Zone 6.

[0043] Each gain curve can represent a change in distribution due to a zone multiplier. That is, each gain curve Z1-Z6 can be generated by processing a different substrate and metering those substrates. Each substrate is processed using one of the six zone multipliers. For example, curve Z1 shows the distribution when the center light zone has a zone multiplier of +0.01 while the other light zones Z2-Z6 are not modified. As shown, these zone multipliers generally correspond to an increase in thickness of the modified zone. For example, on the center zone Z1, the distribution of the central region increases, and on the outer zones (such as Z6) an increase towards the edge is observed.

[0044] Reference now Figure 5, a flow chart of a process 580 for generating a target profile is shown, according to an embodiment. In an embodiment, the target profile can be a temperature profile, a film thickness profile, or the like. In some embodiments, the target profile can be a center flat profile, an edge hot profile, an edge cold profile, or any other profile desired for processing a substrate.

[0045] In one embodiment, process 580 may begin with operation 581, which includes obtaining a first gain curve for one or more temperature sensor offsets. In one embodiment, there may be three or more temperature sensors for which gain curves may be provided. In one embodiment, each first gain curve may be obtained using the same method as described above. Figure 4A The process described above can be obtained by a process similar to that described above. That is, a temperature offset can be applied to one of the temperature sensors while the remaining temperature sensors are not modified. A substrate can be processed under such conditions and a metrology of the substrate (e.g., film thickness) can be provided. Each temperature sensor can be studied with such a process to provide a set of gain curves for the temperature offset.

[0046] In one embodiment, process 580 may continue to operation 581, which includes obtaining a second gain curve for one or more zone multipliers. Each zone multiplier may be applied to a different light zone. In one embodiment, the number of light zones may be greater than the number of temperature sensors. For example, the number of light zones may be four or more light zones. In one embodiment, each second gain curve may be used as described above. Figure 4B The process described above can be similar to that described above. That is, a zone multiplier can be applied to a single lamp zone while the remaining lamp zones are not modified. A substrate can be processed under such conditions and a metrology of the substrate (e.g., film thickness) can be provided. Each lamp zone can be studied with such a process to provide a set of gain curves for the zone multiplier.

[0047] In one embodiment, process 580 may continue to operation 583, which includes incorporating the first gain curve and the second gain curve into a thermal model. In one embodiment, the thermal model may include a physics-based model of thermal properties of tool 100. For example, heat transfer equations, other physical properties, and the like may be used to determine results on the substrate. In a particular embodiment, data obtained from the first gain curve and the second gain curve may be used to improve the accuracy of the thermal model.

[0048] In one embodiment, process 580 may proceed to operation 584, which includes obtaining a reference data set. In one embodiment, the reference data set may be obtained by performing metrology on a substrate that has been processed using an existing recipe. In other embodiments (e.g., in a future iteration of process 580), the reference data set may be obtained from the thermal model itself. In another embodiment, the reference data set may be obtained from power usage log information from substrate processing. That is, the reference data set may be measured data or calculated data.

[0049] In one embodiment, process 580 may continue to operation 585, which includes using the thermal model to generate temperature sensor offsets and / or zone multipliers to be applied to the reference data set to generate the target distribution. For example, an existing recipe for generating the reference data set may be modified by one or more temperature sensor offsets and / or one or more zone modifiers. The thermal model may use an equation solver to minimize the non-uniformity of a given distribution. For example, the thermal model may use any commercial solver solution to minimize the distribution non-uniformity.

[0050] Reference now Fig. 6A , a thickness plot across the radius of the substrate is shown for the reference data and the estimated thickness provided by the model. As shown, the reference data has a larger range of thickness values ​​across the diameter of the substrate compared to the estimated values. This reduces non-uniformity and provides improved results compared to existing process recipes.

[0051] Reference now Figure 6B , shows the thickness map across the radius of the substrate for both the reference data and the updated process recipe. The model line is the actual metrology data obtained after running the substrate with the updated process recipe that includes the temperature offset and / or zone multiplier. As shown in the figure, the non-uniformity of the model line is Fig. 6A The estimated inhomogeneity in is similar to that in . Therefore, it can be assumed that the thermal model is able to accurately improve the process recipe. Furthermore, the thermal model can be used to modify the recipe to provide any desired distribution type.

[0052] Reference now Figure 7, according to one embodiment, a block diagram of an exemplary computer system 700 of a processing tool is described. In one embodiment, the computer system 700 is coupled to the processing tool and controls the processing in the processing tool. The computer system 700 can be connected (e.g., networked) with other machines in a local area network (LAN), an internal network, an external network, or an Internet network. The computer system 700 can operate as a server or client machine in a client-server network environment, or as a peer machine in a peer-to-peer (or distributed) network environment. The computer system 700 can be a personal computer (PC), a tablet PC, a set-top box (STB), a personal digital assistant (PDA), a cellular phone, a web appliance, a server, a network router, a switch or a bridge, or any machine capable of executing a set of instructions (in sequence or otherwise) that specify actions to be taken by the machine. Further, although only a single machine is shown for the computer system 700, the term "machine" should also be considered to include a collection of any machines (e.g., computers) that execute a set of instructions (or multiple sets of instruction sets) to perform any one or more of the methodologies described herein, either individually or collectively.

[0053] The computer system 700 may include a computer program product, or software 722, having a non-transitory machine-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that can be used to program the computer system 700 (or other electronic device) to perform a process in accordance with an embodiment. A machine-readable medium includes any mechanism for storing or transmitting information in a form readable by a machine (e.g., a computer). For example, a machine-readable (e.g., computer-readable) medium includes a machine-readable (e.g., computer) storage medium (e.g., read-only memory ("ROM"), random access memory ("RAM"), magnetic disk storage medium, optical storage medium, flash memory device, etc.), a machine-readable (e.g., computer) transmission medium (electrical, optical, acoustic or other form of propagated signals (e.g., infrared signals, digital signals, etc.)), etc.

[0054] In one embodiment, the computer system 700 includes a system processor 702, a main memory 704 (e.g., read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, dynamic random access memory (DRAM) such as synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM) or Rambus DRAM (RDRAM), etc.), a static memory 706 (e.g., flash memory, static random access memory (SRAM), etc.), and an auxiliary memory 718 (e.g., a data storage device) that communicate with each other via a bus 730.

[0055] The system processor 702 represents one or more general-purpose processing devices, such as a microsystem processor, a central processing unit, or the like. More specifically, the system processor may be a complex instruction set computing (CISC) microsystem processor, a reduced instruction set computing (RISC) microsystem processor, a very long instruction word (VLIW) microsystem processor, a system processor implementing other instruction sets, or a system processor implementing a combination of instruction sets. The system processor 702 may also be one or more special-purpose processing devices, such as an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a digital signal system processor (DSP), a network system processor, or the like. The system processor 702 is configured to execute processing logic 726 to perform the operations described herein.

[0056] The computer system 700 may further include a system network interface device 708 for communicating with other devices or machines. The computer system 700 may also include a video display unit 710 (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light emitting diode display (LED), or a cathode ray tube (CRT)), an alphanumeric input device 712 (e.g., a keyboard), a cursor control device 714 (e.g., a mouse), and a signal generating device 716 (e.g., a speaker).

[0057] The secondary memory 718 may include a machine-accessible storage medium 732 (or more specifically, a computer-readable storage medium) having stored thereon one or more sets of instructions (e.g., software 722) embodying any one or more of the methodologies or functions described herein. The software 722 may also reside completely or at least partially within the main memory 704 and / or within the system processor 702 during execution of the software by the computer system 700, the main memory 704 and the system processor 702 also constituting machine-readable storage media. The software 722 may further be transmitted or received over the network 720 via the system network interface device 708. In one embodiment, the network interface device 708 may operate using radio frequency coupling, optical coupling, acoustic coupling, or inductive coupling.

[0058] Although the machine-accessible storage medium 732 is shown as a single medium in the exemplary embodiment, the term "machine-readable storage medium" should also be considered to include a single medium or multiple media (such as a centralized or distributed database and / or associated caches and servers) that store the one or more sets of instructions. The term "machine-readable storage medium" should also be considered to include any medium that is capable of storing or encoding a set of instructions for execution by a machine and causing the machine to perform any one or more methodologies. Therefore, the term "machine-readable storage medium" should be considered to include (but not limited to) solid-state memory and optical and magnetic media.

[0059] In the foregoing description, specific exemplary embodiments have been described. Obviously, various modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the following claims. Accordingly, the specification and drawings should be viewed in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.

Claims

1. A method for setting a target distribution, the method comprising: obtaining a first gain curve for one or more temperature sensor offsets; obtaining a second gain curve for the one or more zone multipliers; incorporating the first gain curve and the second gain curve into a thermal model; Obtain reference datasets; as well as The thermal model is used to generate temperature sensor offsets and / or zone multipliers to be applied to the reference data set to generate the target distribution. The method of claim 1 , wherein the profile is an edge heat profile. The method of claim 1 , wherein the profile is an edge-cool profile. The method of claim 1 , wherein the distribution is a center-flat distribution. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first gain curve includes temperature sensor offsets for three or more temperature sensors.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second gain curve includes zone multipliers for four or more zones. The method of claim 1 , wherein the number of temperature sensors is less than the number of zones.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first temperature sensor measures the temperature of a region of the substrate, the region being controlled by more than one zone.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the reference data set is obtained through metrology of previously processed substrates.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the reference data set is values ​​previously calculated from the thermal model.

11. A semiconductor processing tool comprising: a processing chamber; a lamp array located above the processing chamber, wherein the lamp array includes a plurality of lamp zones; a plurality of temperature sensors, wherein the number of the temperature sensors is less than the number of the light zones; as well as A thermal model is used to generate a temperature sensor offset and / or a zone multiplier, wherein the temperature sensor offset and / or the zone multiplier are configured to generate a target temperature distribution.

12. The semiconductor processing tool of claim 11, wherein the temperature profile is an edge heat profile.

13. The semiconductor processing tool of claim 11, wherein the temperature profile is an edge-cool profile.

14. The semiconductor processing tool of claim 11, wherein the temperature profile is a center-flat profile.

15. The semiconductor processing tool of claim 11, wherein the semiconductor processing tool is a thermal oxidation tool.

16. The semiconductor processing tool of claim 11, wherein the thermal model receives notification of a first gain curve for one or more temperature sensor offsets and a second gain curve for one or more zone multipliers.

17. The semiconductor processing tool of claim 16, wherein the first gain curve includes temperature sensor offsets for three or more temperature sensors, and wherein the second gain curve includes zone multipliers for four or more lamp zones.

18. A method for setting a target temperature distribution in a thermal processing chamber, the method comprising: obtaining a first gain curve for one or more temperature sensor offsets of the plurality of temperature sensors; obtaining a second gain curve for one or more zone multipliers for a plurality of light zones, wherein the number of zone multipliers is greater than the number of temperature sensors; incorporating the first gain curve and the second gain curve into a thermal model; Obtain reference datasets; as well as The thermal model is used to generate temperature sensor offsets and / or zone multipliers to be applied to the reference data set to generate the target temperature distribution.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the temperature profile is an edge hot profile, an edge cold profile, or a center flat profile.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the reference data set is obtained from metrology of previously processed substrates.