A semiconductor process fluctuation monitoring method

Abstract

The present invention provides a semiconductor process fluctuation monitoring method. The method forms a polysilicon test structure in a test area of ​​a wafer, comprising a first polysilicon pad, a polysilicon line, and a second polysilicon pad connected in sequence. The method measures the resistance of the test structure to obtain the polysilicon test resistance value of the wafer and determines whether the polysilicon resistance fluctuation of the wafer meets the standard. Simultaneously, the dimensional data of the test structure is collected and the polysilicon dimension of the wafer is determined to meet the standard. If both meet the standard, a dielectric layer is formed and CMP is performed to obtain a target topography surface, and AFM test data of the target topography surface is collected. If any one of the data does not meet the standard, subsequent film layer deposition and data collection on the wafer are stopped. Then, a DFM chemical mechanical polishing model is created based on the collected AFM test data. The semiconductor process fluctuation monitoring method of the present invention can promptly identify defective wafers, reduce cost waste, and promptly prevent erroneous data from being introduced into subsequent modeling.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of semiconductors and relates to a method for monitoring semiconductor process fluctuations. Background Art

[0002] In the semiconductor integrated circuit manufacturing process, in order to measure and evaluate whether the production process is stable and monitor whether there are abnormal process fluctuations during the tape-out process, a test structure (Testkey) is usually placed to verify the electrical test by measuring capacitance, resistance, or leakage current. For example, in order to detect whether the morphology after chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) is qualified, in some scenarios, the CMP process will be used on the dielectric layer or metal layer after the polysilicon (Poly), and then the atomic force microscope (AFM) will be used to collect the topography data (i.e. the ups and downs of the product surface morphology), and then the design for manufacturing (Design For Manufacturing, DFM) CMP model will be created to provide early warning of hotspots. In this process, the data used to create the DFM CMP model comes from AFM. It must be ensured that the data source is a product with normal process fluctuations so that subsequent modeling is meaningful.

[0003] However, currently, the polysilicon layer before metal layer deposition is verified by the critical dimension (CD) and thickness of the test structure (usually obtained by slicing the test structure, and only representative samples of a certain type are sliced, the number is small, the coverage is small, and because the sliced ​​wafers cannot be used for subsequent processes, the cost is high) to ensure that its process meets the requirements, but it cannot fully reflect whether the surface morphology and thickness of the polysilicon are normal. As a result, the data collected by AFM may come from wafers that exceed the normal process fluctuation range, and then be brought into the subsequent DFM CMP model construction for use, resulting in the model built based on unqualified data cannot be used well. This is because during research and development, short loop process requirements usually arise due to different research and development purposes. During the short loop process development process of single-layer polysilicon, whether the process of the polysilicon layer meets the standards is currently judged only by checking whether the CD of the polysilicon meets the standards. However, because in the short loop, there is no CMP after the polysilicon layer. Instead, the dielectric layer is deposited directly after the polysilicon layer (or the metal layer is deposited at the same time), and then CMP is performed. AFM is then used to collect the morphology for the creation of a CMP model for manufacturability design. In fact, it is impossible to accurately know whether the polysilicon surface is flat. If the polysilicon process fluctuates, the subsequent inaccurate or erroneous data caused by the unevenness of the polysilicon surface will also be brought into the created CMP model and cannot be identified. The created CMP model is based on the data of defective wafers, which in turn makes the created CMP model inaccurate, affecting normal use.

[0004] In addition, the resistance of polysilicon is measured through metal leads. This is because the contact resistance of the probe is small when measuring through metal. However, measuring resistance through metal leads cannot be achieved in the polysilicon short ring process, resulting in the inability to identify defects in single-layer polysilicon in a timely manner.

[0005] Therefore, how to provide a semiconductor process fluctuation monitoring method to timely identify defective wafers, reduce cost waste, and promptly prevent erroneous data from being brought into subsequent modeling has become an important technical problem that technical personnel in this field urgently need to solve.

[0006] It should be noted that the above introduction to the technical background is merely intended to provide a clear and complete description of the technical solutions of this application and facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art. Simply because these solutions are described in the background technology section of this application, it should not be assumed that the above technical solutions are well known to those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0007] In view of the shortcomings of the prior art described above, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor process fluctuation monitoring method to solve the problem that the existing semiconductor process fluctuation monitoring method is prone to cost waste and the introduction of erroneous data into subsequent modeling due to the inability to identify defective wafers in a timely manner.

[0008] To achieve the above and other related objectives, the present invention provides a method for monitoring semiconductor process fluctuations, comprising the following steps:

[0009] Providing a wafer, wherein the wafer includes a device area and a test area divided according to a preset rule along a plane where the wafer is located;

[0010] forming a polysilicon layer on the wafer, and patterning the polysilicon layer to obtain a test structure located in the test area, wherein the test structure includes a first polysilicon pad, a polysilicon line, and a second polysilicon pad connected in sequence;

[0011] measuring the resistance of the test structure through the first polysilicon pad and the second polysilicon pad to obtain a polysilicon test resistance value of the wafer, and determining whether the polysilicon resistance fluctuation of the wafer meets the standard based on the test resistance value;

[0012] collecting dimensional data of the test structure, and determining whether the polysilicon size of the wafer meets the standard based on the dimensional data of the test structure;

[0013] When both the polysilicon resistance fluctuation and the polysilicon size of the wafer meet the standards, a dielectric layer is formed on the polysilicon layer, and the dielectric layer is chemically mechanically polished to obtain a target topography, and atomic force microscope test data of the target topography is collected; when either the polysilicon resistance fluctuation or the polysilicon size does not meet the standards, subsequent film layer deposition and atomic force microscope test data collection on the wafer are stopped;

[0014] The DFM chemical mechanical polishing model is created based on the collected atomic force microscope test data.

[0015] Optionally, before or after patterning the polysilicon layer, the method further includes a step of performing ion implantation on the polysilicon layer to enhance the conductivity of the polysilicon layer.

[0016] Optionally, the resistance R1 of the first polysilicon pad, the resistance R2 of the polysilicon line, and the resistance R3 of the second polysilicon pad are all at the same order of magnitude, or satisfy the following conditions: R1 / R2<1 / 10, R3 / R2<1 / 10.

[0017] Optionally, judging whether the polysilicon resistance fluctuation of the wafer meets the standard based on the test resistance value includes: calculating the difference between the test resistance value and the preset resistance value, and when the difference is within the range of ±10% of the preset resistance value, it is determined that the polysilicon resistance fluctuation of the wafer meets the standard, otherwise it is determined that it does not meet the standard.

[0018] Optionally, judging whether the polysilicon resistance fluctuation of the wafer meets the standard based on the test resistance value includes: obtaining the polysilicon test resistance values ​​corresponding to multiple wafers from the same batch, and according to the 3σ principle of normal distribution, when the polysilicon test resistance value corresponding to a certain wafer is distributed within the range of (μ-3σ, μ+3σ), it is judged that the polysilicon resistance fluctuation of this wafer meets the standard, otherwise it is judged that it does not meet the standard, wherein σ is the standard deviation, and μ is the mean of the polysilicon test resistance values ​​corresponding to multiple wafers from the same batch.

[0019] Optionally, creating a DFM chemical mechanical polishing model based on the collected atomic force microscope test data includes:

[0020] Select multiple wafers whose polysilicon resistance fluctuation and polysilicon size meet the standards, collect the atomic force microscope test data corresponding to the multiple wafers at the same test point, and calculate the average value;

[0021] A DFM chemical mechanical polishing model is created based on an average value of the atomic force microscope test data corresponding to a plurality of wafers.

[0022] Optionally, the dimension data of the test structure includes at least one of a width of the polysilicon line, a spacing between the polysilicon lines, a thickness of the first polysilicon pad, and a thickness of the second polysilicon pad.

[0023] Optionally, a tool used to measure the resistance of the test structure includes a probe, and a material of a portion of the probe in contact with the polysilicon pad includes titanium boronitride.

[0024] Optionally, the polysilicon line includes an X-direction extension line and a Y-direction extension line that are alternately arranged in a non-closed loop and connected end to end, the X-direction extension line is perpendicular to the Y-direction extension line, the length of the X-direction extension line is greater than the length of the Y-direction extension line, and the ends of the extension lines at the two ends are respectively connected to the first polysilicon pad and the second polysilicon pad.

[0025] Optionally, a tool used to measure the resistance of the test structure includes a probe card, and a center line connecting the first polysilicon pad and the second polysilicon pad is parallel to the Y-direction extension line.

[0026] As described above, the semiconductor process fluctuation monitoring method of the present invention forms a polysilicon test structure in a test area of ​​a wafer, wherein the test structure includes a first polysilicon pad, a polysilicon line, and a second polysilicon pad connected in sequence. The resistance of the test structure is measured through the first and second polysilicon pads to obtain the polysilicon test resistance value of the wafer and determine whether the polysilicon resistance fluctuation of the wafer meets the standard. Whether the polysilicon size of the wafer meets the standard is determined by collecting dimensional data of the test structure. When both the polysilicon resistance fluctuation and the polysilicon size of the wafer meet the standard, a dielectric layer is continuously formed on the polysilicon layer, and the dielectric layer is chemically mechanically polished to obtain a target topography surface. Atomic force microscope test data of the target topography is collected. When either the polysilicon resistance fluctuation or the polysilicon size does not meet the standard, subsequent film layer deposition and atomic force microscope test data collection of the wafer are stopped. Thereafter, a DFM chemical mechanical polishing model is created based on the collected atomic force microscope test data. The semiconductor process fluctuation monitoring method of the present invention uses the polysilicon resistance fluctuation and polysilicon size meeting the requirements as the judgment criteria for good wafers, and can timely identify bad wafers, that is, wafers whose polysilicon layer surface flatness does not meet the requirements, and thus can ensure that the data required for modeling comes from good wafers with better polysilicon layer deposition, and ensure that data of bad wafers caused by excessive process fluctuations will not be used for modeling, that is, preventing bad wafers with uneven polysilicon surfaces from being used as the source of later data collection, which helps to improve the stability of the polysilicon process, reduce cost waste, and can timely prevent erroneous data from being brought into subsequent modeling. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Figure 1 Shown is a flow chart of a semiconductor process fluctuation monitoring method according to the present invention.

[0028] Figure 2 A planar layout diagram of a test structure formed in the semiconductor process fluctuation monitoring method of the present invention is shown.

[0029] Figure 3 Another planar layout diagram of a test structure formed in the semiconductor process fluctuation monitoring method of the present invention is shown.

[0030] Description of Reference Numerals

[0031] S1-S7 Step 101 First polysilicon pad

[0032] 102 polysilicon lines

[0033] 103 second polysilicon pad DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] The following describes the embodiments of the present invention through specific examples. Those skilled in the art will readily understand the other advantages and benefits of the present invention from the disclosure herein. The present invention may also be implemented or applied through various other specific embodiments, and the details in this specification may be modified or altered based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0035] See also Figures 1 to 3 It should be noted that the diagrams provided in this embodiment are merely schematic illustrations of the basic concept of the present invention. Therefore, the diagrams only show components related to the present invention and are not drawn according to the number, shape, and size of components in actual implementation. In actual implementation, the type, quantity, and proportion of each component may be changed arbitrarily, and the component layout may also be more complex.

[0036] The present invention provides a semiconductor process fluctuation monitoring method, please refer to Figure 1 , which is a flow chart of the semiconductor process fluctuation monitoring method, comprising the following steps:

[0037] S1: Providing a wafer, wherein the wafer includes a device area and a test area divided according to a preset rule along a plane of the wafer;

[0038] S2: forming a polysilicon layer on the wafer, and patterning the polysilicon layer to obtain a test structure located in the test area, wherein the test structure includes a first polysilicon pad, a polysilicon line, and a second polysilicon pad connected in sequence;

[0039] S3: measuring the resistance of the test structure through the first polysilicon bonding pad and the second polysilicon bonding pad to obtain a polysilicon test resistance value of the wafer, and determining whether the polysilicon resistance fluctuation of the wafer meets the standard based on the test resistance value;

[0040] S4: collecting dimensional data of the test structure, and determining whether the polysilicon size of the wafer meets the standard based on the dimensional data of the test structure;

[0041] S5: When both the polysilicon resistance fluctuation and the polysilicon size of the wafer meet the standards, forming a dielectric layer on the polysilicon layer, and performing chemical mechanical polishing on the dielectric layer to obtain a target topography, and collecting atomic force microscope test data of the target topography; when either the polysilicon resistance fluctuation or the polysilicon size does not meet the standards, stopping subsequent film layer deposition and atomic force microscope test data collection on the wafer;

[0042] S6: Creating a DFM chemical mechanical polishing model based on the collected atomic force microscope test data.

[0043] Specifically, in step S1, the wafer can be a silicon wafer, a germanium wafer, a silicon-on-insulator wafer, a silicon carbide wafer, a III-V compound wafer or other suitable semiconductor material wafer, and the required components, such as well regions, isolation structures, etc., can be pre-fabricated in the wafer.

[0044] As an example, the test area may be located in a scribe line area of ​​a wafer.

[0045] Specifically, in step S2 , the method of forming the polysilicon layer on the wafer may be chemical vapor deposition or other appropriate methods.

[0046] In one embodiment, before patterning the polysilicon layer, the polysilicon layer is further subjected to an ion implantation step to enhance the conductivity of the polysilicon layer. For example, boron ions or phosphorus ions may be implanted into the polysilicon layer, and the specific implantation dose may be set according to actual needs.

[0047] In another embodiment, ion implantation may be performed on the polysilicon layer after patterning the polysilicon layer to enhance the conductivity of the polysilicon layer.

[0048] As an example, patterning the polysilicon layer includes the following steps:

[0049] (1) forming a photoresist layer on the polysilicon layer;

[0050] (2) patterning the photoresist layer using processes such as photolithography and development;

[0051] (3) Etching the polysilicon layer using the patterned photoresist layer as a mask to obtain a test structure located in the test area.

[0052] As an example, see Figure 2 , which shows a planar layout diagram of the test structure, including a first polysilicon pad 101, a polysilicon line 102 and a second polysilicon pad 103 connected in sequence, and the polysilicon line 102 is zigzagging back and forth.

[0053] Specifically, the polysilicon line 102 serves as the main part of the test structure, and its meandering shape is to maximize the resistance of the main part within a limited area. At the same time, the shape and size of the first polysilicon pad 101 and the second polysilicon pad 103 are set so that the resistance of the polysilicon pad is much smaller than or is at the same order of magnitude as the resistance of the main part of the test structure. In other words, the resistance of the polysilicon pad cannot be too large relative to the resistance of the polysilicon line to ensure that the resistance of the pad does not affect the fluctuation display of the resistance of the test structure.

[0054] In one embodiment, the resistance R1 of the first polysilicon pad 101 , the resistance R2 of the polysilicon line 102 , and the resistance R3 of the second polysilicon pad 103 are all at the same order of magnitude, or satisfy the following relationship: R1 / R2<1 / 10, R3 / R2<1 / 10.

[0055] As an example, the shapes of the first polysilicon pad 101 and the second polysilicon pad 103 may be as follows: Figure 2 In other embodiments, the shapes of the first polysilicon pad 101 and the second polysilicon pad 103 may also be circular or other suitable shapes as needed.

[0056] It should be pointed out that because the resistance test of polysilicon is performed in the short loop process, the pad is a polysilicon pad and cannot be a metal pad because this step does not perform metal deposition or electroplating steps.

[0057] As an example, the polysilicon line 102 may be as follows Figure 2 The polysilicon line 102 is bent at a right angle, and each bent section is straight. In other words, the polysilicon line includes a non-closed loop of alternating X-direction extension lines and Y-direction extension lines that are connected end to end. The X-direction extension lines are perpendicular to the Y-direction extension lines, and the length of the X-direction extension lines is greater than the length of the Y-direction extension lines. The ends of the extension lines at the two ends are respectively connected to the first polysilicon pad and the second polysilicon pad. In other embodiments, the polysilicon line 102 may also be bent in a curved shape or other suitable bending form.

[0058] Specifically, in step S3, the resistance of the test structure is measured through the first polysilicon pad 101 (the pad is also called pad, that is, the contact part with the probe) and the second polysilicon pad 103 to obtain the polysilicon test resistance value of the wafer, and whether the polysilicon resistance fluctuation of the wafer meets the standard is judged based on the test resistance value.

[0059] As an example, the tool used to measure the resistance of the test structure includes a probe. In order to improve the accuracy of the test, it is best to use a probe with low contact resistance. Because the semiconductor properties of polysilicon will cause the metal probe to generate very large contact resistance when it is in direct contact with the polysilicon, resulting in a lot of noise in the resistance test, affecting the accuracy of the test results. The use of a probe with low contact resistance can improve this problem. In one embodiment, the material of the portion of the probe that contacts the polysilicon pad includes titanium boron nitride (TiB x N y), where x is the atomic composition of B and y is the atomic composition of N. Both x and y are greater than 0, and their specific values ​​can be set as needed. In this embodiment, replacing the metal probe used to measure resistance with a titanium boron nitride probe directly on the polysilicon can make the test structure resistance (approximately several thousand ohms) much larger than the contact resistance, thereby effectively reducing errors.

[0060] As an example, see Figure 3 If a titanium boron nitride probe card is used to measure the resistance of the test structure, the center line connecting the first polysilicon pad 101 and the second polysilicon pad 103 can be designed to be parallel to the Y-direction extension line to adapt to the measurement method of the probe card.

[0061] Specifically, after measuring the resistance of the test structure using the first polysilicon pad 101 and the second polysilicon pad 103 to obtain the polysilicon test resistance value of the wafer, a determination is made based on the test resistance value as to whether the polysilicon resistance fluctuation of the wafer meets the standard. Compared to the prior art method of determining process fluctuation by determining polysilicon thickness through slicing, the method of the present invention eliminates the need to scrap wafers, allowing subsequent film deposition to proceed.

[0062] Specifically, judging whether the polysilicon resistance fluctuation of the wafer meets the standard based on the test resistance value is for single-layer polysilicon, and whether the process of the single-layer polysilicon layer is qualified can be judged.

[0063] Specifically, determining whether the polysilicon resistance fluctuation of a wafer meets the standard based on the test resistance value is not limited to one method. For example, in one embodiment, when resources are limited, only a single wafer is compared with a preset value to determine process fluctuation. Determining whether the polysilicon resistance fluctuation of the wafer meets the standard based on the test resistance value includes calculating the difference between the test resistance value and the preset resistance value. When the difference is within a range of ±10% of the preset resistance value, determining that the polysilicon resistance fluctuation of the wafer meets the standard; otherwise, determining that the polysilicon resistance fluctuation of the wafer does not meet the standard.

[0064] In the present invention, wafers that meet both polysilicon resistance fluctuation and polysilicon size standards are considered good and can proceed to subsequent processes. This method can determine whether a single wafer is defective. Large polysilicon resistance fluctuations indicate poor surface flatness of the deposited polysilicon layer, and the wafer should not be processed further and cannot be used for subsequent modeling.

[0065] As an example, the preset resistance value is obtained based on an acceptable process. For example, an acceptable resistance value obtained through simulation can be used as the preset resistance value, or an average value of resistances measured through a large number of wafer fabrication processes can be used as the preset resistance value.

[0066] In another embodiment, judging whether the polysilicon resistance fluctuation of the wafer meets the standard based on the test resistance value can also be performed on multiple wafers in a batch, wherein the number of multiple wafers in the same batch (lot) is not specifically limited and can be configured according to actual production needs.

[0067] It should be noted that the CD (critical dimension) of polysilicon is currently collected through inline measurement. However, it is impossible to monitor whether the surface of the polysilicon is flat and whether the surface flatness fluctuation caused by the process exceeds a reasonable range through image monitoring means. Therefore, in the short loop, CMP is not performed after the polysilicon layer is deposited, resulting in the inability to detect defective polysilicon wafers in a timely manner, and the defective data is then brought into the DFM modeling process, resulting in inaccurate modeling data. The present invention constructs a set of test methods that can evaluate whether the polysilicon deposition is qualified after the polysilicon layer is deposited. It can judge whether the polysilicon layer deposition process of the batch of wafers is qualified by the fluctuation of the resistance of the polysilicon layer of different wafers in the same batch, and then select the wafers for AFM data collection.

[0068] As an example, multiple wafers from the same batch can be numbered, and the polysilicon test resistance values ​​corresponding to the multiple wafers from the same batch can be obtained first, such as R1, R2, ..., R M , where M is the preset maximum number for wafers from the same batch. Then, according to the 3σ principle of normal distribution, when the polysilicon test resistance value corresponding to a certain wafer is distributed within the range of (μ-3σ, μ+3σ), it is determined that the polysilicon resistance fluctuation of this wafer meets the standard, otherwise it does not meet the standard. Where σ is the standard deviation, and μ is the mean of the polysilicon test resistance values ​​corresponding to multiple wafers from the same batch.

[0069] Specifically, the normal distribution, also known as the Gaussian distribution, is a probability distribution. The normal distribution is the distribution of a continuous random variable with two parameters: μ (mathematical expectation) and σ (standard deviation). The first parameter, μ, is the mean of the random variable following the normal distribution, and the second parameter, σ, is the variance of the random variable. Therefore, the normal distribution is denoted by N(μ, σ). The density function of the normal distribution is characterized by being symmetric about μ, reaching a maximum at μ, taking a value of 0 at positive (negative) infinity, and having inflection points at μ ± σ. Its shape is high in the middle and low on both sides, and its graph is a bell-shaped curve located above the x-axis. When μ = 0 and σ = 1, it is called the standard normal distribution, denoted by N(0, 1). The 3σ principle means that the probability of a value being distributed in (μ—σ, μ+σ) is 0.6826, the probability of a value being distributed in (μ—2σ, μ+2σ) is 0.9544, and the probability of a value being distributed in (μ—3σ, μ+3σ) is 0.9974.

[0070] Specifically, for multiple wafers from the same batch, wafers with polysilicon test resistance values ​​that do not meet the (μ-3σ, μ+3σ) range will be eliminated. Only a number of wafers with polysilicon test resistance values ​​that meet the (μ-3σ, μ+3σ) range and polysilicon size that meets the standard will be selected for subsequent processing. Here, "several" refers to the selection of all wafers that meet the requirements, or a subset of these wafers can be selected based on actual needs. The preferred approach is to select all wafers that meet the requirements, as a larger sample size leads to more accurate data for modeling.

[0071] Specifically, in step S4: the dimensional data of the test structure collected may include at least one of the width of the polysilicon line, the spacing between the polysilicon lines, the thickness of the first polysilicon pad and the thickness of the second polysilicon pad, which can be set according to actual production requirements.

[0072] It should be noted that the execution order of step S3 of determining whether the polysilicon resistance fluctuation of the wafer meets the standard and step S4 of determining whether the polysilicon size of the wafer meets the standard can be interchanged.

[0073] Specifically, in step S5, when both the polysilicon resistance fluctuation and the polysilicon size of the wafer meet the standards, a dielectric layer is formed on the polysilicon layer, and the dielectric layer is chemically mechanically polished to obtain a target topography surface, and atomic force microscope test data of the target topography surface is collected. When either the polysilicon resistance fluctuation or the polysilicon size of the wafer does not meet the standards, subsequent film layer deposition and atomic force microscope test data collection of the wafer are stopped, thereby helping to identify defective wafers as early as possible and reduce cost waste. At the same time, the data of defective wafers will not be used as the basis for modeling, preventing inaccurate modeling data.

[0074] As an example, step S6 creates a design for manufacturing (DFM) chemical mechanical polishing model based on the collected atomic force microscope test data, including first selecting multiple wafers whose polysilicon resistance fluctuation and polysilicon size meet the standards, collecting the atomic force microscope test data corresponding to multiple wafers for the same test point and taking the average value, and then creating a DFM chemical mechanical polishing model based on the average value of the atomic force microscope test data corresponding to multiple wafers.

[0075] In summary, the semiconductor process fluctuation monitoring method of the present invention forms a polysilicon test structure in a test area of ​​a wafer, wherein the test structure includes a first polysilicon pad, a polysilicon line, and a second polysilicon pad connected in sequence, and the polysilicon line is serpentine. The resistance of the test structure is measured through the first and second polysilicon pads to obtain the polysilicon test resistance value of the wafer and determine whether the polysilicon resistance fluctuation of the wafer meets the standard. Whether the polysilicon size of the wafer meets the standard is determined by collecting dimensional data of the test structure. When both the polysilicon resistance fluctuation and the polysilicon size of the wafer meet the standard, a dielectric layer is continuously formed on the polysilicon layer, and the dielectric layer is chemically mechanically polished to obtain a target topography surface. Atomic force microscope test data of the target topography is collected. When either the polysilicon resistance fluctuation or the polysilicon size does not meet the standard, subsequent film layer deposition and atomic force microscope test data collection of the wafer are stopped. Thereafter, a DFM chemical mechanical polishing model is created based on the collected atomic force microscope test data. The semiconductor process fluctuation monitoring method of the present invention uses the polysilicon resistance fluctuation and polysilicon size requirements as the judgment criteria for good wafers, which can promptly identify bad wafers, that is, wafers whose polysilicon layer surface flatness does not meet the requirements, and thus can ensure that the data required for modeling comes from good wafers with good polysilicon layer deposition, ensuring that data from bad wafers caused by excessive process fluctuations will not be used for modeling, that is, preventing bad wafers with uneven polysilicon surfaces from being used as the source of later data collection, which helps to improve the stability of the polysilicon process, reduce cost waste, and can promptly prevent erroneous data from being introduced into subsequent modeling. Therefore, the present invention effectively overcomes the various shortcomings of the existing technology and has high industrial utilization value.

[0076] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and effects of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Anyone skilled in the art may modify or alter the above embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, all equivalent modifications or alterations made by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and technical principles disclosed herein are intended to be covered by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A semiconductor process fluctuation monitoring method, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: Providing a wafer, wherein the wafer includes a device area and a test area divided according to a preset rule along a plane where the wafer is located; forming a polysilicon layer on the wafer, and patterning the polysilicon layer to obtain a test structure located in the test area, wherein the test structure includes a first polysilicon pad, a polysilicon line, and a second polysilicon pad connected in sequence; measuring the resistance of the test structure through the first polysilicon pad and the second polysilicon pad to obtain a polysilicon test resistance value of the wafer, and determining whether the polysilicon resistance fluctuation of the wafer meets the standard based on the test resistance value; collecting dimensional data of the test structure, and determining whether the polysilicon size of the wafer meets the standard based on the dimensional data of the test structure; When both the polysilicon resistance fluctuation and the polysilicon size of the wafer meet the standards, a dielectric layer is formed on the polysilicon layer, and the dielectric layer is chemically mechanically polished to obtain a target topography, and atomic force microscope test data of the target topography is collected; when either the polysilicon resistance fluctuation or the polysilicon size does not meet the standards, subsequent film layer deposition and atomic force microscope test data collection on the wafer are stopped; The DFM chemical mechanical polishing model is created based on the collected atomic force microscope test data.

2. The semiconductor process fluctuation monitoring method according to claim 1, wherein: Before or after patterning the polysilicon layer, the method further includes a step of performing ion implantation on the polysilicon layer to enhance the conductivity of the polysilicon layer.

3. The semiconductor process fluctuation monitoring method according to claim 1, wherein: The resistance value R1 of the first polysilicon pad, the resistance value R2 of the polysilicon line, and the resistance value R3 of the second polysilicon pad are all at the same order of magnitude, or satisfy the following relationship: R1 / R2<1 / 10, R3 / R2<1 / 10.

4. The semiconductor process fluctuation monitoring method according to claim 1, wherein: Judging whether the polysilicon resistance fluctuation of the wafer meets the standard based on the test resistance value includes: calculating the difference between the test resistance value and the preset resistance value, and when the difference is within the range of ±10% of the preset resistance value, it is determined that the polysilicon resistance fluctuation of the wafer meets the standard, otherwise it does not meet the standard.

5. The semiconductor process fluctuation monitoring method according to claim 1, wherein: Judging whether the polysilicon resistance fluctuation of the wafer meets the standard based on the test resistance value includes: obtaining the polysilicon test resistance values ​​corresponding to multiple wafers from the same batch, and according to the 3σ principle of normal distribution, when the polysilicon test resistance value corresponding to a certain wafer is distributed within the range of (μ-3σ, μ+3σ), it is determined that the polysilicon resistance fluctuation of this wafer meets the standard, otherwise it is determined that it does not meet the standard, wherein σ is the standard deviation, and μ is the mean of the polysilicon test resistance values ​​corresponding to multiple wafers from the same batch.

6. The semiconductor process fluctuation monitoring method according to claim 1, wherein: The DFM chemical mechanical polishing model creation based on the collected atomic force microscope test data includes: Select multiple wafers whose polysilicon resistance fluctuation and polysilicon size meet the standards, collect the atomic force microscope test data corresponding to the multiple wafers at the same test point, and calculate the average value; A DFM chemical mechanical polishing model is created based on an average value of the atomic force microscope test data corresponding to a plurality of wafers.

7. The semiconductor process fluctuation monitoring method according to claim 1, wherein: The dimensional data of the test structure includes at least one of a width of the polysilicon line, a pitch between the polysilicon lines, a thickness of the first polysilicon pad, and a thickness of the second polysilicon pad.

8. The semiconductor process fluctuation monitoring method according to claim 1, wherein: A tool used to measure the resistance of the test structure includes a probe, and a material of a portion of the probe contacting the polysilicon pad includes titanium boronitride.

9. The semiconductor process fluctuation monitoring method according to claim 1, wherein: The polysilicon line includes an X-direction extension line and a Y-direction extension line that are alternately arranged in a non-closed loop and connected end to end. The X-direction extension line is perpendicular to the Y-direction extension line. The length of the X-direction extension line is greater than the length of the Y-direction extension line. The ends of the extension lines at the two ends are respectively connected to the first polysilicon pad and the second polysilicon pad.

10. The semiconductor process fluctuation monitoring method according to claim 9, wherein: A tool used to measure the resistance of the test structure includes a probe card, and a center line connecting the first polysilicon pad and the second polysilicon pad is parallel to the Y-direction extension line.

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