In-situ integrated wafer parameter detection system

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and a system for continuously monitoring wafer processing results in real time. In some embodiments, a system may include at least one inactive chamber having at least one feedthrough access port configured to interact with a metrology device. The feedthrough access port has a surface exposed to the interior space of the inactive chamber and has a fluorine-based coating covering the surface. The inactive chamber has a wafer access port to one or more other chambers. A metrology device is positioned external to the inactive chamber and is oriented to detect metrology data through one of the feed-through access ports. The data collection device is connected to the metering device, and the data collection device is configured to continuously receive data from the metering device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present principles generally relate to semiconductor processing of semiconductor substrates. Background Art

[0002] During wafer processing, critical parameters may change inadvertently. To prevent parameter changes, wafers are typically tested after processing using independent metrology systems. However, stopping the test can add significant delays and reduce wafer processing throughput. Although independent metrology systems can accurately determine that parameters are not within predetermined tolerances or specifications, the time when information is produced usually occurs after one or more batches of wafers have been processed. If the out-of-tolerance parameters make the wafer unusable, the wafer will be discarded or scrapped. Due to the number of previous wafer processing and semiconductor structures, the loss of wafers can be extremely costly. The inventors have observed that accurate and more timely evaluation of wafers can reduce the development time of experimental design, accelerate the acceleration time from initial startup to production, shorten the recovery time from maintenance events, and significantly reduce wafer losses, significantly increase wafer yields and reduce the cost per wafer.

[0003] Thus, the inventors provide methods and apparatus for accurate and early detection of wafer parameters, reducing waste and costs during wafer processing. Summary of the invention

[0004] Provided herein are methods, apparatus, and systems for providing multi-channel, in-situ, metrology of wafer parameters.

[0005] In some embodiments, a system for monitoring wafer processing results includes: at least one inactive chamber, the at least one inactive chamber having at least one feedthrough port, wherein the feedthrough port is configured to interact with a metrology device, wherein the at least one feedthrough port has a surface covered by a fluorine-based coating, the surface is exposed to the interior space of the at least one inactive chamber, and wherein the at least one inactive chamber has a wafer access port leading to one or more other chambers; the metrology device is positioned outside the at least one inactive chamber and is oriented to detect metrology data through one of the at least one feedthrough ports; and a data collection device, the data collection device is connected to the metrology device, and the data collection device is configured to continuously receive data from the metrology device.

[0006] In some embodiments, the system may further include: a cleaning device, the cleaning device connected to at least one cleaning port, wherein the at least one cleaning port is adjacent to one of the at least one metrology device, and wherein the cleaning device is configured to inject radicals from a remote plasma source into at least one inactive chamber via one of the at least one cleaning port to clean a fluorine-based coating covering a surface; wherein the cleaning device is configured to supply fluorine- or oxygen-based radicals into the at least one inactive chamber; wherein the cleaning device is interconnected with the data collection device and is configured to perform cleaning when data from one of the at least one metrology device fails; wherein One of the at least one feed-through inlet and outlet ports is an observation port; wherein the observation port is formed of a quartz material; wherein the metrology equipment includes one or more of a reflectometer, an ellipsometer and a micro-Raman spectrometer; a metrology processing equipment, the metrology processing equipment is interconnected with one or more wafer processing chambers, the metrology processing equipment includes a trained metrology model, the trained metrology model is configured to receive data from a data collection device and is configured to change at least one wafer process of the one or more wafer processing chambers based on the data; wherein the fluorine-based coating is a metal fluoride-based coating or a non-metallic fluorine-based coating; and / or wherein at least one inactive chamber is a transfer chamber, a load lock chamber or a pass-through chamber.

[0007] In some embodiments, a system for monitoring wafer processing results includes: an inactive chamber, the inactive chamber having a plurality of feedthrough ports, wherein each of the plurality of feedthrough ports is configured to interact with one of a plurality of metrology devices, wherein each of the plurality of feedthrough ports has a surface covered by a fluorine-based coating, the surface being exposed to an interior space of the inactive chamber, and wherein the inactive chamber has a wafer access port leading to one or more other chambers; each of the plurality of metrology devices is positioned outside the inactive chamber and is oriented to detect metrology data through one of the feedthrough ports; and a multi-channel data collection device, the multi-channel data collection device A method for controlling the wafer processing chamber of the wafer processing chamber comprises: providing a plurality of metrology devices connected to the plurality of metrology devices and configured to continuously receive data from the plurality of metrology devices; a cleaning device connected to the plurality of cleaning ports, wherein each of the plurality of cleaning ports is proximate to one of the plurality of metrology devices, and wherein the cleaning device is configured to inject radicals from a remote plasma source into the inactive chamber via at least one of the plurality of cleaning ports to clean a fluorine-based coating covering a surface; and a metrology processing device interconnected with the one or more wafer processing chambers, the metrology processing device comprising a trained metrology model, the trained metrology model being configured to receive data from the multi-channel data collection device and being configured to change at least one wafer process of the one or more wafer processing chambers based on the data.

[0008] In some embodiments, the system may further include: wherein the cleaning device is configured to supply fluorine- or oxygen-based free radicals into the inactive chamber; wherein the cleaning device is interconnected with the multi-channel data collection device and is configured to perform cleaning when data of one or more of the plurality of metrology devices fails; wherein at least one of the feedthrough inlet and outlet ports is an observation hole; wherein the observation hole is formed of a quartz material; wherein the plurality of metrology devices may include one or more of a reflectometer, an ellipsometer, and a micro-Raman spectroscopic device; wherein the fluorine-based coating is a metal fluoride-based coating or a non-metallic fluorine-based coating; and / or wherein the inactive chamber is a transfer chamber, a load lock chamber, or a pass-through chamber.

[0009] In some embodiments, a method for monitoring wafer processing results may include the following steps: continuously receiving data from a plurality of metrology devices, the plurality of metrology devices being connected to an inactive chamber via a feedthrough port that enters the inactive chamber, wherein the feedthrough port has a surface coated with a fluorine-based coating, the surface being exposed to an interior space of the inactive chamber; determining whether a wafer parameter is out of specification; inputting the data into a trained machine learning model, the trained machine learning model determining an action to remediate the wafer processing to restore the non-compliant wafer parameter to within specification; and sending a command to the processing chamber to change the processing according to the action determined by the trained machine learning model.

[0010] In some embodiments, the method may further include the step of cleaning the surface having the fluorine-based coating using free radicals generated by the remote plasma source when data from at least one of the plurality of metrology devices sends erroneous data.

[0011] Other and further embodiments are disclosed below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] By referring to the illustrative embodiments of the present principles drawn in the accompanying drawings, embodiments of the principles briefly summarized above and discussed in more detail below may be understood. However, the accompanying drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of the principles and therefore should not be considered limiting of the scope of the principles, as the principles may admit to other equally effective embodiments.

[0013] Figure 1 Depicted is a top view of an in-situ multi-channel metrology system according to some embodiments of the present principles.

[0014] Figure 2 Depicted is a top view of an in-situ multi-channel metrology system for multiple integrated tools, according to some embodiments of the present principles.

[0015] Figure 3Depicted is a top view of a first example of an inactive chamber with in-situ metrology, according to some embodiments of the present principles.

[0016] Figure 4 Depicted is a top view of a second example of an inactive chamber with in-situ metrology, according to some embodiments of the present principles.

[0017] Figure 5 Depicted is a cross-sectional view and top-down configuration of an in-situ metrology device mounted on top of an inactive chamber, according to some embodiments of the present principles.

[0018] Figure 6 Depicted is a cross-sectional view and bottom-up configuration of an in-situ metrology device mounted on an inactive chamber bottom, according to some embodiments of the present principles.

[0019] Figure 7 is a top view of an integrated tool according to some embodiments of the present principles.

[0020] Figure 8 Methods of preventing out-of-specification wafer parameters using in-situ metrology equipment on inactive chambers according to some embodiments of the present principles.

[0021] To aid understanding, the same reference numerals have been used as much as possible to designate the same elements common to the drawings. The drawings are not drawn to scale and may be simplified for clarity of illustration. Elements and features of one embodiment may be beneficially incorporated into other embodiments without further description. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] These methods, apparatus and systems provide a solution for detecting and measuring wafer parameters before and / or after wafer processing to prevent the wafer from not meeting specifications. For example, the present principles can be used for (for example but not limited to) reflectometers and / or ellipsometers mounted on one or more viewing holes of an inactive chamber to measure the thickness of the film after deposition, film stress, etc., and the inactive chambers are, for example, transfer chambers, passing chambers and / or load lock chambers of a semiconductor processing host. The inactive chamber can be a permanent part of an integrated tool, etc. and / or a portable inactive chamber that is moved between other chambers to transfer wafers in a controlled environment. The advantage of the present principles is to provide an accurate, low-cost process to detect wafer parameters in situ before and / or after wafer processing without the need for expensive and time-consuming modifications to existing semiconductor processing systems.

[0023] The present principles can be used to detect many wafer temperature parameters before and / or after processing, such as thickness, stress, temperature, material composition, cooling rate and / or degassing rate, etc. For the sake of simplicity, wafer parameters such as thickness can be used as example parameters, but the present principles are not meant to be limited to the detection and evaluation of thickness parameters. Tracking the deposition thickness during wafer processing is critical to the performance of semiconductor structures. The detection of film thickness drift needs to be determined quickly and accurately as soon as possible after the deposition process is completed so that remedial procedures can be performed. If film thickness drift is allowed to persist in a large number of wafers, the entire batch of wafers may have to be scrapped, seriously affecting wafer yield and semiconductor processing costs.

[0024] Manufacturers currently have no accurate method to measure film thickness inside integrated tools (see Figure 6 ). Most film thickness measurements occur after a large number of wafers have been processed, and then the wafer batch is measured on a dedicated measurement device outside the integrated tool. In sharp contrast, the present principles disclosed herein can quickly scan and measure wafer parameters, such as film profile thickness, by using existing chamber observation holes located at, for example, the top or bottom of an inactive chamber. As discussed in more detail below, the use and modification of the observation holes allow the apparatus and systems of the present principles to be easily retrofitted to existing semiconductor processing configurations, such as, but not limited to, integrated semiconductor processing tools. The present principles are compatible with metrology systems using reflectometers, ellipsometers, and / or micro-Raman spectroscopy devices, etc. By using the observation hole on the inactive chamber, wafer parameter detection can be performed without destroying the wafer environment in the inactive chamber. In some embodiments, a cleaning method, apparatus, and / or system can be incorporated to ensure that the observation hole remains unobstructed by particles or mist from the wafer in the inactive chamber. In some embodiments, at least the inner surface of the observation hole material (e.g., quartz, etc.) is coated with an enhanced coating to reduce the generation of the observation hole material that may affect the wafer parameter detection / measurement.

[0025] Figure 1A top view of an in-situ multi-channel wafer parameter monitoring system 100 is depicted according to some embodiments. The in-situ multi-channel wafer parameter monitoring system 100 may include a first metrology device 108A located on a first inactive chamber such as a transfer chamber 102, and a second metrology device 108B located on a second inactive chamber such as a load lock chamber 106. As used herein, an "inactive chamber" is any chamber in which a wafer may be placed, such as but not limited to a transfer chamber, a load lock chamber, and / or a pass-through / through chamber (e.g., interconnecting a mainframe / integrated tool, etc.), etc., where no active deposition or etching of the wafer occurs. The wafer may be cooled or degassed in the inactive chamber. In some embodiments, the active chamber may include deposition and / or etching processes of the wafer. As used herein, an "active chamber" or a processing chamber is a chamber in which a process that changes a wafer, changes a structure on a wafer, and / or changes a film on a wafer is performed, such as a plasma vapor deposition (PVD) chamber, a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chamber, an atomic layer deposition (ALD) chamber, an etching chamber, an annealing chamber, etc. Although for the sake of brevity, Figure 1 The example system includes only two metrology devices, but any number of metrology devices may be used. In some embodiments, the inactive chamber may include a temporary transfer chamber that maintains wafer temperature, maintains an environment (e.g., vacuum pressure, humidity level, etc.), provides a gas soak at wafer temperature, and / or degasses wafer temperature without any active deposition or etching being performed on the wafer.

[0026] The first metrology device 108A is positioned on a feed-through access port or viewing port window located above the first wafer position 112A. The second metrology device 108B is positioned on a feed-through access port or viewing port window located above the second wafer position 112B. The first metrology device 108A communicates with the multi-channel data collection device 114 via a first data channel 140. The second metrology device 108B communicates with the multi-channel data collection device 114 via a second data channel 142. The transfer chamber 102 can receive wafers to and from the load lock chamber 106 and the first processing chamber 104A, the second processing chamber 104B, and the third processing chamber 104C. The wafer being processed passes through the first wafer position 112A before and / or after processing in any of the three processing chambers, allowing wafer parameter data to be collected before and / or after each of the three processes is performed.

[0027] In some embodiments, the wafer parameter data from the first data channel 140 and the second data channel 142 can be stored in a data storage 116 by the multi-channel data collection device 114. The data storage 116 can be local to the multi-channel data collection device 114, and / or remote from the multi-channel data collection device 114, such as on a remote server, etc. The multi-channel data collection device 114 is capable of receiving data continuously and in real time, allowing real-time response if the data falls outside of acceptable parameters for a particular process. In some embodiments, the multi-channel data collection device 114 can further analyze the data to determine whether remedial action is required. For example, if the data indicates that a parameter such as thickness has drifted beyond an acceptable level on multiple wafers, the multi-channel data collection device 114 can send a pause or stop command to stop the processing of the wafer batch. Remedial actions can be sent directly and / or indirectly to a specific processing chamber or host (integrated tool) via the system controller 124. The system controller 124 generally includes a central processing unit (CPU) 126, a memory 128, and support circuits 130. CPU 126 may be any form of general purpose computer processor that may be used in an industrial environment. Support circuits 130 are coupled to CPU 126 in a conventional manner and may include cache memory, clock circuits, input / output subsystems, power supplies, etc. Software routines (such as the methods described below, for example) Figure 7 ) may be stored in the memory 128 and, when executed by the CPU 126, convert the CPU 126 into a special purpose computer (system controller) 124. The software routines may also be stored and / or executed by a remotely located second controller (not shown).

[0028] In some embodiments, an optional process analysis device 118 may be used to further analyze data received directly from the multi-channel data collection device 114 and / or from the data storage 116. The optional process analysis device 118 may be used to analyze the data, with the model trained with the training data to allow the use of inference to detect out-of-spec parameters and / or remediate wafer processing to return wafer specifications to acceptable levels. The optional process analysis device 118 may communicate with the multi-channel data collection device 114, the data storage 116, and / or the system controller 124. In some embodiments, the cleaning device 120 may be used to purge and / or actively clean the feedthrough ports or viewing ports of particles or mist caused by environmental contamination in inactive chambers, such as when the wafer is outgassed after processing in the processing chamber. When the wafer cools down after the high processing temperatures used during processing, the wafer will naturally outgas. The outgassing may fog up the metrology equipment, making it unable to "see" the wafer and / or reduce visibility to a level that causes the metrology equipment to produce erroneous readings. If the haze and / or particle accumulation is sufficient, the metrology equipment may read the accumulation on the viewing port rather than on the wafer.

[0029] The cleaning device 120 may include a remote plasma source 144 that receives one or more cleaning gases from a gas supply source 122 to generate free radicals, which are then delivered to, for example, a first cleaning port 110A of the transfer chamber 102 and / or a second cleaning port 110B of the load lock chamber 106 to clean the corresponding viewing port of the metrology device. In some embodiments, the gas may be nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) gas, which is plasma-dissociated to form fluorine free radicals. Fluorine free radicals remove any type of wafer degassing in the chamber or accumulate on the viewing port (feed-through port) of the metrology device. Cleaning can be performed, for example, at periodic intervals, after performing a specific process, after having processed multiple wafers, and / or continuously, etc. In some embodiments, the cleaning device 120 may communicate with a multi-channel data collection device 114, a system controller 124, and / or an optional process analysis device 118. Thus, the cleaning device 120 may be controlled based on data entering the multi-channel data collection device 114 (data interruption / obstructed viewing port, intermittent data, incomplete data, etc.) and / or based on data analyzed by the optional process analysis device 118 (data integrity cannot be verified, data is corrupted, data exceeds limits, etc.). The cleaning device 120 may also be controlled by the system controller 124 based on data and / or process parameters, process recipes, configuration files, etc. Each cleaning port may be controlled uniformly or individually as desired.

[0030] In some embodiments, the in-situ multi-channel wafer parameter monitoring system 100 can be expanded to include multiple hosts or integrated tools. Figure 2 In the embodiment, the in-situ multi-channel wafer parameter monitoring system 200 has a multi-channel data collection device 214, which communicates with a first plurality of metrology devices 208A on a first host 202A and a second plurality of metrology devices 208B on a second host 202B. The first host 202A has a first plurality of cleaning ports 210A in fluid communication with a first cleaning device 220A, and the second host 202B has a second plurality of cleaning ports 210B in fluid communication with a second cleaning device 220B. In some embodiments, the first plurality of cleaning ports 210A and the second plurality of cleaning ports 210B may be in fluid communication with a single cleaning device.

[0031] exist Figure 2In the example of , the multi-channel data collection device 214 has six data channels per host. However, the multi-channel data collection device 214 can have any number of data channels connected to any number of hosts. The data obtained from each host can be used to determine when to stop processing or when remediation is needed. The multi-channel data collection device 214 can monitor each channel and make channel-to-channel comparisons and host-to-host comparisons. For example, but not limited to, if the wafer processing performed in the first host 202A is a predecessor to the wafer processing performed in the second host, the wafer batch being processed can be monitored and the processing parameters can be adjusted or changed based on the data obtained from the two hosts to maintain the desired wafer parameters. In a similar manner, redundant hosts can be used to increase wafer processing throughput, and the data from each host can be compared to ensure that the wafers are within specifications and that each similar chamber is operating to produce the same wafer parameter levels.

[0032] The above-mentioned in-situ multi-channel wafer parameter monitoring system is compatible with different types of inactive chamber layouts. Figure 3 , a top view 300 depicts a host design having a square transfer chamber 302 surrounded by process chambers 304A-304F on three sides. There are two load lock chambers 306A, 306B on the fourth side. The transfer chamber 302 has four wafer positions 312A-312D that can be used to monitor wafers before and / or after processing in the process chambers 304A-304F. Metrology devices 308A-308D are located at feed-through ports above each of the four wafer positions 312A-312D. Four cleaning ports 310A-310D are also shown near the metrology devices 308A-308D to allow cleaning of the feed-through ports of each metrology device 308A-308D. Each load lock chamber 306A, 306B also has a metrology device 308E, 308F and a cleaning port 310E, 310F above each of the two wafer positions 312E, 312F, respectively.

[0033] exist Figure 44, a top view 400 depicts a mainframe design having a hexagonal transfer chamber 402 surrounded on four sides by process chambers 404A-404D. There are two load lock chambers 406A, 406B on the fifth and sixth sides. The transfer chamber 402 has four wafer positions 412A-412D that can be used to monitor wafers before and / or after processing in the process chambers 404A-404D. Metrology devices 408A-408D are located at feed-through ports above each of the four wafer positions 412A-412D. Four cleaning ports 410A-410D are also shown near the metrology devices 408A-408D to allow cleaning of the feed-through ports of each metrology device 408A-408D. Each load lock chamber 406A, 406B also has a metrology device 408E, 408F and a cleaning port 410E, 410F above each of the two wafer positions 412E, 412F, respectively. Figure 3 and Figure 4 The examples depicted in are intended to demonstrate the flexibility of the present principles. The type and / or shape of the inactive chamber is not meant to be limiting.

[0034] Figure 5 A cross-sectional view 500A and a top view 500B of a metrology device 508 mounted to the top of an inactive chamber 502 are depicted. In some embodiments, the metrology device 508 may include a metrology system 534, such as, but not limited to, a reflectometer, an ellipsometer, and / or a micro-Raman spectroscopic device, etc. Figure 5 In the example of FIG. 5 , the metering system 534 communicates 536 with the multi-channel data collection device 514, but the multi-channel data collection device 514 may also communicate with other devices (e.g., analysis devices and / or system controllers, etc.) (see, e.g., Figure 1 and 2 ). The metrology device 508 is positioned via a feedthrough port 542 (e.g., a viewing port, etc.) to allow metrology coverage (e.g., indicated by a field of view 546 of a metrology system 534) of a wafer position 512 of a wafer 530 beneath the metrology device 508 after and / or before processing the wafer in the process chamber via the carrier 532. In some embodiments, as Figure 5 The surface area of ​​the feedthrough port 542 shown in the top view 500B of FIG. 500B can be larger than the metering device 508. In some embodiments, the feedthrough port 542 can have the same surface area as the metering device 508 or be smaller than the metering device 508.

[0035] The material of the feedthrough port 542 (e.g., quartz, etc.) is coated with a fluorine-based coating 544. In some embodiments, the material of the feedthrough port 542 can be changed / varied to allow for enhanced metrology data for a particular type of metrology device, etc. (e.g., filtering certain wavelengths, etc.). The fluorine-based coating 544 is transparent and, in some embodiments, has the following properties: used as an anti-reflective coating (ARC) to increase transmittance at a particular wavelength / range to enhance the metrology system to capture metrology data to ensure reliable and fast data collection; used as an anti-stick coating to prevent fogging of the surface / window due to outgassing or volatile contaminants; and / or used to be highly resistant to damage caused by cleaning gases or cleaning radicals generated by the cleaning system 520 of the metrology device 508. In some embodiments, the fluorine-based coating 544 can be a metal fluoride coating, such as, but not limited to, magnesium fluoride, aluminum fluoride, yttrium fluoride, calcium fluoride, and / or lanthanum fluoride, etc. In some embodiments, the fluorine-based coating 544 can be a non-metallic fluorine coating, such as, but not limited to, fluorine-doped or alloyed quartz or silicon dioxide, or SiO x F y Coated, or fluorine doped or alloyed Boron Nitride, or BN x F y coating, or any combination thereof.

[0036] The cleaning system 520 generates free radicals via a remote plasma and is fluidly connected to the inactive chamber 502 near the metering device 508 via a cleaning tube 538 and a cleaning port 510. The cleaning port 510 may also include one or more optional cleaning nozzles 540 that may be directed toward a feedthrough port 542 of the metering device 508. In some embodiments, the cleaning port 510 is within a distance 548 of 5 cm of the feedthrough port 542 (see FIG. Figure 5 500B). In some embodiments, the cleaning port 510 is within 2 cm (distance 548) of the feedthrough port 542. In some embodiments, more than one cleaning port can be used for each metering device to increase the cleaning of the feedthrough ports and the fluorine-based coating. In some embodiments, a single cleaning port can be used to clean multiple feedthrough ports and fluorine-based coatings. For example, the cleaning port can have multiple cleaning nozzles to direct cleaning radicals / gases from a single cleaning port to each feedthrough port.

[0037] Figure 6 A cross-sectional view 600A and a bottom view 600B of an in-situ metrology device mounted on the bottom of an inactive chamber are depicted in accordance with some embodiments. Bottom-mounted in-situ metrology devices may be used in conjunction with backside deposition systems, etc. In some embodiments, metrology device 608 may include a metrology system 634, such as, but not limited to, a reflectometer, an ellipsometer, and / or a Raman micro-spectroscopy device, etc. Figure 6In the example of FIG. 6 , the metering system 634 communicates 636 with the multi-channel data collection device 614, but the multi-channel data collection device 614 may also communicate with other devices (e.g., analysis devices and / or system controllers, etc.) (see, e.g., Figure 1 and 2 ). The metrology device 608 is positioned via a feedthrough port 642 (e.g., a viewing port, etc.) to allow for metrology coverage (e.g., as indicated by a field of view 646 of a metrology system 634) of a wafer position 612 of a wafer 630 above the metrology device 608 after and / or before processing the wafer in the processing chamber via the substrate holder 632. In some embodiments, as Figure 6 The surface area of ​​the feedthrough port 642 shown in the top view 600B of FIG. 600B can be larger than the metering device 608. In some embodiments, the feedthrough port 642 can have the same surface area as the metering device 608 or be smaller than the metering device 608.

[0038] The material of the feedthrough port 642 (e.g., quartz, etc.) is coated with a fluorine-based coating 644. In some embodiments, the material of the feedthrough port 642 can be changed / varied to allow for enhanced metrology data for a particular type of metrology device, etc. (e.g., filtering certain wavelengths, etc.). The fluorine-based coating 644 is transparent and, in some embodiments, has the following properties: used as an anti-reflective coating (ARC) to increase transmittance at a particular wavelength / range to enhance the metrology system to capture metrology data to ensure reliable and fast data collection; used as an anti-stick coating to prevent fogging of the surface / window due to outgassing or volatile contaminants; and / or used to be highly resistant to damage caused by cleaning gases or cleaning radicals generated by the cleaning system 620 of the metrology device 608. In some embodiments, the fluorine-based coating 644 can be a metal fluoride coating, such as, but not limited to, magnesium fluoride, aluminum fluoride, yttrium fluoride, calcium fluoride, and / or lanthanum fluoride, etc. In some embodiments, the fluorine-based coating 644 can be a non-metallic fluorine coating, such as, but not limited to, fluorine-doped or alloyed quartz or silicon dioxide, or SiO x F y Coated, or fluorine doped or alloyed Boron Nitride, or BN x F y coating, or any combination thereof.

[0039] The cleaning system 620 generates free radicals via a remote plasma and is fluidly connected to the inactive chamber 602 near the metering device 608 via a cleaning tube 638 and a cleaning port 610. The cleaning port 610 may also include one or more optional cleaning nozzles 640 that may be directed toward a feedthrough port 642 of the metering device 608. In some embodiments, the cleaning port 610 is within a distance 648 of 6 centimeters of the feedthrough port 642 (see FIG. Figure 6600B). In some embodiments, the cleaning port 610 is within 2 cm (distance 648) of the feedthrough port 642. In some embodiments, more than one cleaning port can be used for each metering device to increase the cleaning of the feedthrough ports and the fluorine-based coating. In some embodiments, a single cleaning port can be used to clean multiple feedthrough ports and fluorine-based coatings. For example, the cleaning port can have multiple cleaning nozzles to direct cleaning radicals / gases from a single cleaning port to each feedthrough port.

[0040] The above-described devices and systems of the present principles may be retrofitted or otherwise integrated into the design of a cluster tool, such as the following description of Figure 7 An integrated tool 700 (i.e., a mainframe or cluster tool) is described. The integrated tool 700 includes a vacuum sealed processing platform 701, a factory interface 704, and a system controller 702. The processing platform 701 includes a plurality of processing chambers, such as 714A, 713B, 714C, 714D, 714E, and 714F, which are operably coupled to vacuum substrate transfer chambers (transfer chambers 703A, 703B, in which the metrology equipment of the present principles can be installed). The factory interface 704 is connected to the vacuum substrate transfer chambers (transfer chambers 703A, 703B) through one or more load lock chambers (two load lock chambers, such as Figure 7 706A and 706B) shown in FIG. 706A are operably coupled to the transfer chamber 703A.

[0041] In some embodiments, the factory interface 704 includes at least one docking station 707, at least one factory interface robot 738 to facilitate the transfer of semiconductor substrates. The docking station 707 is configured to receive one or more front opening unit (FOUP). Figure 7In the embodiment of FIG. 7 , four FOUPs are shown, such as 705A, 705B, 705C, and 705D. The factory interface robot 738 is configured to transfer substrates from the factory interface 704 through the load lock chambers (e.g., 706A and 706B) to the processing platform 701. Each load lock chamber 706A and 706B has a first port coupled to the factory interface 704 and a second port coupled to the transfer chamber 703A. The load lock chambers 706A and 706B are coupled to a pressure control system (not shown) that evacuates and vents the load lock chambers 706A and 706B to assist in transferring substrates between the vacuum environment of the transfer chamber 703A and the substantial ambient environment (e.g., atmospheric environment) of the factory interface 704. The transfer chambers 703A, 703B have vacuum robots 742A, 742B disposed in each transfer chamber 703A, 703B. The vacuum robot 742A can transfer the substrate 721 between the load lock chambers 706A, 706B, the process chambers 714A and 714F, and the cooling station 740 or the pre-cleaning station 742. The vacuum robot 742B can transfer the substrate 721 between the cooling station 740 or the pre-cleaning station 742 and the process chambers 714B, 714C, 714D, and 714E.

[0042] In some embodiments, process chambers 714A, 714B, 714C, 714D, 714E, and 714F are coupled to transfer chambers 703A, 703B. Process chambers 714A, 714B, 714C, 714D, 714E, and 714F may include, for example, atomic layer deposition (ALD) process chambers, physical vapor deposition (PVD) process chambers, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chambers, annealing chambers, and the like. In some embodiments, one or more optional service chambers (shown as 716A and 716B) may be coupled to transfer chamber 703A. Service chambers 716A and 716B may be configured to perform other substrate processing, such as degassing, orientation, substrate metrology, cooling, and the like. The system controller 702 controls the operation of the tool 700 using direct control of the processing chambers 714A, 714B, 714C, 714D, 714E, and 714F, or by controlling a computer (or controller) associated with the processing chambers 714A, 714B, 714C, 714D, 714E, and 714F and the tool 700. In operation, the system controller 702 enables data collection and feedback from the individual chambers and systems to optimize the performance of the system 700. The system controller 702 generally includes a central processing unit (CPU) 730, a memory 734, and support circuits 732. The CPU 730 can be any form of general purpose computer processor that can be used in an industrial environment. The support circuits 732 are coupled to the CPU 730 in a conventional manner and can include caches, clock circuits, input and output subsystems, power supplies, and the like. Software routines (such as the methods described above) may be stored in memory 734 and when executed by CPU 730 transform CPU 730 into a special purpose computer (system controller) 702. Software routines may also be stored and / or executed by a second controller (not shown) remote from tool 700.

[0043] Figure 8A method 800 is provided for preventing out of tolerance or non-compliant wafer parameters using in-situ metrology equipment in an inactive chamber. During processing of wafers, thickness drift, stress, processing hardware offsets, and / or other factors may cause the processing to produce wafers that do not meet specifications. In block 802, data from multiple metrology equipment in one or more inactive chambers is continuously received by a multi-channel data collection device. In some embodiments, the multi-channel data collection device collects, processes, and stores the data. In block 804, the data is checked to see if the metrology equipment is reporting the data correctly. If not, in block 806, an optional cleaning process may be called to clean the feedthrough port of this particular metrology equipment. Cleaning may continue until the data reported by the metrology equipment is reported correctly. In some embodiments, the cleaning process may be called periodically to ensure that the data reported by the metrology equipment is correct. In block 808, the multi-channel data collection device processes the data in real time to determine if the wafer processing is within specifications. Data integrity checks and processing may include for a single platform (e.g., see Figure 1 ) and / or multiple platforms (see, for example, Figure 2 ) between channels.

[0044] In some embodiments, the multi-channel data collection device may also employ an optional processing analysis device that uses a trained machine learning model to assist in processing the data to determine whether the data is within the specifications for a given wafer process. In block 810, the multi-channel data collection device and / or the optional processing analysis device and model determine what remedial action is needed based on the processed data results. Remedial actions may include, but are not limited to, adjusting the process (e.g., adjusting a process recipe or profile), stopping wafer processing, and / or providing notifications to the user, such as emitting an audible or visual alarm, etc. In block 812, the remedial action is performed. The multi-channel data collection device and / or the optional processing analysis device and / or model may communicate directly or indirectly with the user or the processing chamber and participate in commands or instructions so that the remedial actions determined based on the processed data results are actively executed to prevent further waste and reduce production.

[0045] Embodiments according to the present principles may be implemented in hardware, firmware, software, or any combination thereof. Embodiments may also be implemented as instructions stored using one or more computer-readable media, which may be read and executed by one or more processors. Computer-readable media may include any mechanism for storing or transmitting information in a form readable by a machine (e.g., a computing platform or a "virtual machine" executed on one or more computing platforms). For example, a computer-readable medium may include any suitable form of volatile or non-volatile memory. In some embodiments, a computer-readable medium may include a non-transient computer-readable medium.

[0046] While the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the present principles, other and further embodiments of the principles may be devised without departing from the spirit and scope of the foregoing.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring wafer processing results, the system comprising: at least one inactive chamber, the at least one inactive chamber having at least one feed-through access port, wherein the feed-through access port is configured to interact with a metrology device, wherein the at least one feed-through access port has a surface covered by a fluorine-based coating, the surface being exposed to an interior space of the at least one inactive chamber, and wherein the at least one inactive chamber has a wafer access port leading to one or more other chambers; the metrology device being positioned outside of the at least one inactive chamber and oriented to detect metrology data through one of the at least one feed-through access ports; and A data collection device is connected to the metering device and is configured to continuously receive data from the metering device.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising: A cleaning device connected to at least one cleaning port, wherein one of the at least one cleaning port is proximate to the metrology device, and wherein the cleaning device is configured to inject free radicals from a remote plasma source into the at least one inactive chamber via one of the at least one cleaning port to clean the fluorine-based coating covering the surface. 3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the cleaning device is configured to supply fluorine- or oxygen-based free radicals into the at least one inactive chamber.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the cleaning device is interconnected with the data collection device and is configured to perform cleaning when data from the metering device fails.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein one of the at least one feed-through access port is a viewing port.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the viewing port is formed of a quartz material.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the metrology equipment comprises one or more of a reflectometer, an ellipsometer, and a micro-Raman spectroscopy device.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising: A metrology processing device is interconnected with one or more wafer processing chambers, the metrology processing device includes a trained metrology model, the trained metrology model is configured to receive the data from the data collection device and is configured to change at least one wafer process of the one or more wafer processing chambers based on the data.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the fluorine-based coating is a metal fluoride-based coating or a non-metallic fluorine-based coating.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one inactive chamber is a transfer chamber, a load lock chamber, or a pass-through chamber.

11. A system for monitoring wafer processing results, the system comprising: an inactive chamber having a plurality of feed-through access ports, wherein each of the plurality of feed-through access ports is configured to interact with one of a plurality of metrology devices, wherein each of the plurality of feed-through access ports has a surface covered by a fluorine-based coating, the surface being exposed to an interior space of the inactive chamber, and wherein the inactive chamber has a wafer access port leading to one or more other chambers; Each metrology device of the plurality of metrology devices is positioned outside of the inactive chamber and oriented to detect metrology data through one of the feed-through access ports; and a multi-channel data collection device connected to the plurality of metering devices and configured to continuously receive data from the plurality of metering devices; a cleaning device connected to a plurality of cleaning ports, wherein each of the plurality of cleaning ports is proximate to one of the plurality of metrology devices, and wherein the cleaning device is configured to inject radicals from a remote plasma source into the inactive chamber via at least one of the plurality of cleaning ports to clean the fluorine-based coating covering the surface; and a metrology processing device interconnected with one or more wafer processing chambers, the metrology processing device including a trained metrology model, the trained metrology model configured to receive the data from the multi-channel data collection device and configured to change at least one wafer process of the one or more wafer processing chambers based on the data. 12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the cleaning device is configured to supply fluorine- or oxygen-based radicals into the inactive chamber.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the cleaning device is interconnected with the multi-channel data collection device and is configured to perform cleaning when data of one or more metering devices among the plurality of metering devices fails.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein at least one of the feed-through access ports is a viewing port.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the viewing aperture is formed of a quartz material.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of metrology devices may include one or more of a reflectometer, an ellipsometer, and a micro-Raman spectroscopy device.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the fluorine-based coating is a metal fluoride-based coating or a non-metallic fluorine-based coating.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the inactive chamber is a transfer chamber, a load lock chamber, or a pass-through chamber.

19. A method for monitoring wafer processing results, the method comprising the steps of: continuously receiving data from a plurality of metrology devices connected to the inactive chamber via feed-through ports into the inactive chamber, wherein the feed-through ports have surfaces covered with a fluorine-based coating, the surfaces being exposed to an interior space of the inactive chamber; Determine if wafer parameters are out of specification; inputting the data into a trained machine learning model, the trained machine learning model determining actions to remediate wafer processing to bring the out-of-spec wafer parameters back within specification; and Sending commands to a processing chamber to change processing based on the actions determined by the trained machine learning model.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the steps of: When data from at least one of the plurality of metrology devices sends erroneous data, the surface having the fluorine-based coating is cleaned using radicals generated by a remote plasma source.

Images