Method and system for monitoring photoresist removing process

Abstract

The invention discloses a photoresist removing process monitoring method and system, and the method comprises the steps: setting heating time which is used for indicating the preheating time of a photoresist remover for photoresist; detecting whether a photoresist bursting phenomenon exists in a process chamber of the photoresist removing machine or not; and when it is determined that the photoresist bursts in the process chamber of the photoresist remover, adjusting the heating time. In the process of preheating the photoresist, whether the photoresist bursting phenomenon exists in the process chamber of the photoresist removing machine is detected, and when it is determined that the photoresist bursting phenomenon exists in the process chamber of the photoresist removing machine, the heating time of the photoresist removing process is adjusted, so that the photoresist bursting phenomenon in the process chamber of the photoresist removing machine is avoided. Therefore, the bursting phenomenon of the photoresist in the photoresist removing process can be detected in real time, the preheating time can be quickly adjusted, and the production efficiency is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of semiconductor devices and integrated circuit technology, and in particular to a monitoring method and system for a degumming process. Background Art

[0002] With the development of semiconductor integrated circuit manufacturing technology, the degumming process is becoming more and more sophisticated, especially in the process of 28 nanometers (nm) and below, the thickness of the photoresist is thin, and the composition of the ion implantation is complex, resulting in more photoresist crusts formed during the ion implantation process and difficult to remove. In the actual degumming process, it is more difficult to maintain the balance between photoresist expansion and degumming.

[0003] Usually, in the degumming process, the wafer needs to be preheated first, and the chemical reaction is carried out at a relatively high temperature to increase the reaction speed. However, if the temperature is too high, the removal speed of the photoresist will be lower than its expansion speed, which will cause the photoresist to crack due to stress expansion. The photoresist residue caused by stress expansion is difficult to be removed in the degumming process, and it is also difficult to be removed in the subsequent wet process, thus forming defects.

[0004] Since photoresist is rich in organic solvents, if the temperature is too high during the stripping process, it is easy to cause rapid expansion, making subsequent stripping difficult. However, if the temperature is too low, the reaction speed will be slow and the stripping efficiency will be low. Therefore, before the photoresist expands and explodes, effectively removing the surface crust is an important indicator for measuring the stripping process. Since the expansion point is not the end point of stripping, the etching end point monitoring method commonly used in the photolithography process cannot monitor the expansion point of the photoresist. Therefore, the relevant technology provides a method to monitor the health of the stripping process conditions through defect detection.

[0005] However, the cycle of monitoring the health of the stripping process conditions through defect detection is long, and more data is needed to verify the health of the stripping conditions. Therefore, it is urgent to provide a real-time and visual guidance method for monitoring the stripping process. Summary of the invention

[0006] The present application provides a method and system for monitoring a stripping process, which can solve the problem in the related art that the health cycle of monitoring the stripping process conditions through defect detection is long and the method is complicated.

[0007] On the one hand, the embodiment of the present application provides a method for monitoring a degumming process, characterized in that it includes:

[0008] Setting a heating time, wherein the heating time is used to indicate the preheating time of the photoresist by the stripping machine;

[0009] Detecting whether there is a photoresist explosion phenomenon in the process chamber of the stripping machine;

[0010] When it is determined that photoresist cracking occurs in the process chamber of the stripper, the heating time is adjusted.

[0011] In some embodiments, the detecting whether there is a photoresist explosion phenomenon in the process chamber of the stripping machine includes:

[0012] Detecting whether there is adhesion on the plasma filter of the degumming machine;

[0013] When it is determined that adhesion exists on the plasma filter, it is determined that photoresist explosion occurs in the process chamber of the stripper.

[0014] In some embodiments, the step of detecting whether there is adhesion on the plasma filter of the degumming machine comprises:

[0015] Acquiring tension information, wherein the tension information is information sensed by an adhesion sensing device provided on the plasma filter;

[0016] Detecting whether a tension change of the plasma filter is greater than a threshold value according to the tension information;

[0017] When it is determined that the tension change of the plasma filter is greater than the threshold, it is determined that adhesion exists on the plasma filter.

[0018] In some embodiments, the heating time includes a first heating time and a second heating time, wherein the first heating time is the time for heating the photoresist at a first temperature, and the second heating time is the time for heating the photoresist at a second temperature, and the first temperature is less than the second temperature.

[0019] In some embodiments, the first heating time is earlier than the second heating time.

[0020] In some embodiments, the adjusting the heating time comprises:

[0021] The first heating time is increased and the second heating time is decreased.

[0022] On the other hand, an embodiment of the present application provides a monitoring system for a degumming process, including:

[0023] A degumming machine, the degumming machine comprising a cavity, in which a radio frequency coil, a plasma filter screen arranged below the radio frequency coil, and a process chamber below the plasma filter screen are arranged;

[0024] A control device, wherein the control device is used to control the degumming machine and execute any of the monitoring methods for the degumming process described above.

[0025] In some embodiments, an adhesion sensing device is provided on the plasma filter, and the adhesion sensing device is used to sense tension information.

[0026] The technical solution of this application has at least the following advantages:

[0027] During the preheating process of the photoresist, it is detected whether there is photoresist bursting in the process chamber of the stripping machine. When it is determined that there is photoresist bursting in the process chamber of the stripping machine, the heating time of the stripping process is adjusted. In this way, the photoresist bursting in the stripping process can be detected instantly and the preheating time can be adjusted quickly, thereby improving production efficiency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] In order to more clearly illustrate the specific implementation methods of the present application or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the specific implementation methods or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some implementation methods of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0029] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a monitoring system for a debonding process provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0030] Figure 2 It is a top view of an ion filter screen provided with an adhesion sensing device in a monitoring system of a degumming process provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0031] Figure 3 It is a flow chart of a method for monitoring a degumming process provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] The following will be combined with the accompanying drawings to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in this application. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of this application, not all of them. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0033] In the description of the present application, it should be noted that the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inner", "outer", etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship, are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present application. In addition, the terms "first", "second", and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0034] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, it can also be the internal connection of two components, it can be a wireless connection, or it can be a wired connection. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0035] In addition, the technical features involved in the different embodiments of the present application described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.

[0036] refer to Figure 1 , which shows a schematic diagram of a monitoring system for a degumming process provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application, for example, Figure 1 As shown, the system includes:

[0037] The debonding machine 110 includes a chamber 111 in which a radio frequency coil 112 , a plasma filter 113 disposed below the radio frequency coil 112 , and a process chamber 114 below the plasma filter 113 are disposed.

[0038] The control device 130 is used to control the degumming machine 110 .

[0039] For example, when the degumming machine 110 is working, the control device 130 controls the robot arm ( Figure 1 (not shown) the wafer 200 covered with the photoresist 300 is taken out of the wafer storage chamber ( Figure 1 The wafer 200 is transferred to the wafer carrier 115 for fixing, and then the stripper 110 is controlled to preheat the photoresist 300 on the wafer 200 according to the set heating time, and then the stripper 110 is controlled to perform ashing treatment on the photoresist 300 to remove the photoresist.

[0040] During the ashing process, the vacuum pump 120 first evacuates the process chamber 114 to a predetermined vacuum, and then introduces the reaction gas. The reaction gas forms plasma after passing through the RF coil 112. The plasma passes through the plasma filter 113 and is incident on the photoresist 300 to ash it.

[0041] During the preheating process, the control device 130 uses the adhesion sensing device 1131 (such as Figure 2 As shown, the plasma filter 113 may be provided with one or more attached sensing devices 1131, which may be provided according to actual needs) to detect whether there is a photoresist explosion phenomenon in the process chamber 114. When it is determined that there is a photoresist explosion phenomenon in the process chamber 114, the heating time is adjusted. Among them, the adhesion sensing device 1131 may be a surface tension sensor or a pressure sensor, which is used to sense whether there are byproducts of photoresist expansion and explosion attached to the plasma filter 113, which can realize signal amplification and detect relatively early or slight adhesion behavior.

[0042] refer to Figure 3 , which shows a flow chart of a method for monitoring a degumming process provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application, for example, Figure 3 As shown, this method can be Figure 1 The control device 130 in the embodiment is executed, and the method includes:

[0043] Step 301, setting the heating time, which is used to indicate the preheating time of the photoresist by the photoresist stripper.

[0044] Among them, the heating time includes a first heating time and a second heating time. The first heating time is the time for heating the photoresist at a first temperature, and the second heating time is the time for heating the photoresist at a second temperature. The first temperature is lower than the second temperature, and the first heating time is earlier than the second heating time.

[0045] For example, the control device sets the heating time t=t1+t2, wherein t1 is the time for heating the photoresist at the first temperature T1, t2 is the time for heating the photoresist at the second temperature T2, T1<T2, and the photoresist stripping machine preheats the photoresist according to the heating time indicated by the control device. In the first stage, the photoresist is heated at the first temperature T1 for a heating time of t1, and in the second stage, the photoresist is heated at the second temperature T2 for a heating time of t2.

[0046] Step 302, detecting whether there is a photoresist explosion phenomenon in the process chamber of the stripping machine.

[0047] Among them, step 302 includes but is not limited to: the control device detects whether there is adhesion on the plasma filter. When it is determined that there is adhesion on the plasma filter, it is determined that there is photoresist cracking in the process chamber of the stripping machine, and the process goes to step 303; conversely, when it is determined that there is no adhesion on the plasma filter, it is determined that there is no photoresist cracking in the process chamber of the stripping machine, and step 302 is continued.

[0048] Exemplarily, as described above, the control device obtains information sensed by the adhesion sensing device provided on the plasma filter, and detects whether the tension change of the plasma filter is greater than a threshold value based on the tension information. When it is determined that the tension change of the plasma filter is greater than the threshold value, it is determined that adhesion exists on the plasma filter; conversely, when it is determined that the tension change of the plasma filter is not greater than the threshold value, it is determined that no adhesion exists on the plasma filter.

[0049] Step 303, adjusting the heating time.

[0050] When it is determined that there is a photoresist cracking phenomenon in the process chamber, the control device adjusts the heating time, and in the subsequent stripping process, the stripping machine performs preheating treatment according to the adjusted heating time. The adjustment method can be: increase the first heating time and reduce the second heating time, and the total heating time can be kept unchanged.

[0051] To summarize, in the embodiment of the present application, during the preheating process of the photoresist, it is detected whether there is a photoresist bursting phenomenon in the process chamber of the stripping machine. When it is determined that there is a photoresist bursting phenomenon in the process chamber of the stripping machine, the heating time of the stripping process is adjusted, so that the photoresist bursting phenomenon in the stripping process can be detected instantly and the preheating time can be adjusted quickly, thereby improving production efficiency.

[0052] Obviously, the above embodiments are merely examples for the purpose of clear explanation, and are not intended to limit the implementation methods. For those skilled in the art, other different forms of changes or modifications can be made based on the above description. It is not necessary and impossible to list all the implementation methods here. The obvious changes or modifications derived therefrom are still within the scope of protection created by this application.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring a degumming process, characterized in that: include: Setting a heating time, wherein the heating time is used to indicate the preheating time of the photoresist by the stripping machine; Detecting whether there is a photoresist explosion phenomenon in the process chamber of the stripping machine; When it is determined that photoresist cracking occurs in the process chamber of the stripper, the heating time is adjusted.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The detecting whether there is a photoresist explosion phenomenon in the process chamber of the stripping machine includes: Detecting whether there is adhesion on the plasma filter of the degumming machine; When it is determined that adhesion exists on the plasma filter, it is determined that photoresist explosion occurs in the process chamber of the stripper.

3. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that: The detecting whether there is adhesion on the plasma filter of the degumming machine comprises: Acquiring tension information, wherein the tension information is information sensed by an adhesion sensing device provided on the plasma filter; Detecting whether a tension change of the plasma filter is greater than a threshold value according to the tension information; When it is determined that the tension change of the plasma filter is greater than the threshold, it is determined that adhesion exists on the plasma filter.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The heating time includes a first heating time and a second heating time, the first heating time is the time for heating the photoresist at a first temperature, the second heating time is the time for heating the photoresist at a second temperature, and the first temperature is lower than the second temperature.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The first heating time is earlier than the second heating time.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that The step of adjusting the heating time comprises: The first heating time is increased and the second heating time is decreased.

7. A monitoring system for a degumming process, characterized in that: include: A degumming machine, the degumming machine comprising a cavity, in which a radio frequency coil, a plasma filter screen arranged below the radio frequency coil, and a process chamber below the plasma filter screen are arranged; A control device, wherein the control device is used to control the degumming machine and execute the monitoring method of the degumming process as described in any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. The system according to claim 7, characterized in that The plasma filter is provided with an adhesion sensing device, and the adhesion sensing device is used to sense tension information.

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