Trimming and deposition profile control using multi-zone heated substrate support for multiple patterning processes

Abstract

A substrate processing system is provided that includes a substrate support, a memory, a calibration module, an operational parameter module, and a solution module. The substrate support supports a substrate and includes a temperature control element. A memory stores a temperature calibration value and a sensitivity calibration value for the temperature control element. A calibration module performs, during calibration of the temperature control element, a first calibration process for determining the temperature calibration value, or a second calibration process for determining the sensitivity calibration value. The sensitivity calibration value is used to correlate at least one of a trim amount or a deposition amount to a temperature change. An operating parameter module determines an operating parameter for the temperature control element based on the temperature calibration value and the sensitivity calibration value. A solving module controls operation of the temperature control element during at least one of a trimming step or a deposition step based on the operating parameters after the calibration of the temperature control element.

Description

This application is a divisional application of application number 202080026510.X, application date February 12, 2020, and invention name “Trimming and deposition profile control using multi-zone heated substrate support for multiple patterning processes”. CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 806,000, filed on February 15, 2019, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 870,150, filed on July 3, 2019. The entire disclosures of the above-referenced applications are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] The present disclosure relates to double patterning processes in atomic layer deposition substrate processing chambers, and more particularly to trimming and deposition profile control. Background Art

[0003] The background description provided here is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the present disclosure. No admission is made, either explicitly or implicitly, that the work of the presently designated inventors is prior art to the present disclosure to the extent that it is described in this background section and in aspects of the specification that were not determined to be prior art at the time the application was filed.

[0004] Substrate processing systems can be used to process substrates, such as semiconductor wafers. Examples of substrate processing include etching, deposition, photoresist removal, and the like. During processing, a substrate is positioned on a substrate support, such as an electrostatic chuck, and one or more process gases are introduced into a processing chamber.

[0005] The one or more process gases can be delivered to the process chamber via a gas delivery system. In some systems, the gas delivery system includes a manifold connected to a showerhead located in the process chamber. In some examples, the process utilizes atomic layer deposition (ALD) to deposit a thin film on a substrate. Summary of the Invention

[0006] A substrate processing system is provided, comprising a substrate support, a memory, a calibration module, an operating parameter module, and a solution module. The substrate support is configured to support a first substrate and includes a temperature control element. The memory is configured to store a temperature calibration value and a sensitivity calibration value for the temperature control element. The calibration module is configured to perform, during calibration of the temperature control element, a first calibration process for determining the temperature calibration value or a second calibration process for determining the sensitivity calibration value. The sensitivity calibration value relates at least one of a trimming amount to a temperature change or a deposition amount to a temperature change. The operating parameter module is configured to determine operating parameters for the temperature control element based on the temperature calibration value and the sensitivity calibration value. The solution module is configured to control operation of the temperature control element during at least one of a trimming step or a deposition step based on the operating parameters after calibration of the temperature control element.

[0007] In other features, the substrate support includes temperature-controlled zones. Each of the plurality of temperature-controlled zones includes one or more of the plurality of temperature-controlled elements. In other features, the solution module is configured to perform at least one of open-loop or closed-loop control of each of the plurality of temperature-controlled zones. In other features, at least one of the plurality of temperature-controlled zones or the plurality of temperature-controlled elements is implemented in open-loop or closed-loop mode. In other features, the solution module is configured to perform at least one of open-loop or closed-loop control of the temperature-controlled elements.

[0008] In other features, the first calibration process includes: adjusting a parameter of the temperature control element by a predetermined amount; determining a temperature change of the first substrate or substrate support in response to the adjusted parameter; and generating the temperature calibration value based on the predetermined amount and the determined temperature change.

[0009] In other features, the second calibration process includes: determining a baseline critical dimension profile of a second substrate, which is provided by the temperature control element being in a first setting of a trimming operation performed on the second substrate; adjusting a parameter of at least one of the plurality of temperature control elements from one of the first settings to a second setting; performing the trimming operation on a third substrate; measuring a trimmed critical dimension profile of the third substrate; and determining one of the sensitivity calibration values ​​based on the baseline critical dimension profile, the trimmed critical dimension profile, and a difference between the one of the first settings and the second setting.

[0010] In other features, the second calibration process includes: determining a baseline critical dimension profile for a second substrate, which is provided by the temperature control element being in a first setting for a deposition operation performed on the second substrate; adjusting a parameter of at least one of the temperature control elements from one of the first settings to a second setting; performing the deposition operation on a third substrate; measuring a post-deposition critical dimension profile of the third substrate; and determining one of the sensitivity calibration values ​​based on the baseline critical dimension profile, the post-deposition critical dimension profile, and a difference between the one of the first settings and the second setting.

[0011] In other features, the substrate processing system further comprises a user interface configured to receive a target profile.The solution module is configured to control operation of the temperature control element during at least one of the trimming step or the deposition step based on the target profile.

[0012] In other features, the operating parameter module is configured to analyze the sensitivity calibration value and parameter variability for a predetermined process to determine a radial adjustment parameter. The solution module is configured to control operation of the temperature control element during at least one of the trimming step or the deposition step based on the radial adjustment parameter.

[0013] In other features, the operating parameter module is configured to analyze the sensitivity calibration value and the azimuth variability for a predetermined process to determine an azimuth adjustment parameter. The solution module is configured to control operation of the temperature control element during at least one of the trimming step or the deposition step based on the azimuth adjustment parameter.

[0014] In other features, the operating parameter module is configured to: determine a value of a critical dimension corresponding to a feature of the first substrate; determine a trim value, a pre-trim value, and a deposition value based on the plurality of values; determine an overall correction value based on the trim value, the pre-trim value, and the deposition value; and analyze the sensitivity calibration value, the parameter variability, and the overall correction value for a predetermined process to determine a radial adjustment parameter. The solution module is configured to control operation of the temperature control element during at least one of the trim step or the deposition step based on the radial adjustment parameter.

[0015] In other features, the operating parameter module is configured to: determine a critical dimension imbalance; and analyze the sensitivity calibration value, parameter variability, and the critical dimension imbalance for a predetermined process to determine a radial adjustment parameter. The solution module is configured to control operation of the plurality of temperature control elements during at least one of the trimming step or the deposition step based on the radial adjustment parameter.

[0016] In other features, a substrate processing system is provided that includes a substrate support, a calibration module, an operating parameter module, and a solution module. The substrate support includes a temperature control element. The calibration module is configured to: determine a baseline critical dimension of a first substrate provided by one of the temperature control elements being at a first setting during a trimming operation performed on the first substrate; adjust a parameter of the one of the plurality of temperature control elements from the first setting to a second setting; perform the trimming operation on a second substrate; measure a trimmed critical dimension of the second substrate; and determine a first sensitivity calibration value based on the baseline critical dimension, the trimmed critical dimension, and a difference between the first setting and the second setting. The operating parameter module is configured to determine a first operating parameter for the one of the temperature control elements based on the first sensitivity calibration value. The solution module is configured to control operation of the one of the temperature control elements during a trimming step based on the operating parameter after calibration of the one of the temperature control elements.

[0017] In other features, the calibration module is configured to determine a baseline critical dimension profile for the first substrate, provided by the temperature control element at a first setting for the trim operation performed on the first substrate. The baseline critical dimension profile includes the baseline critical dimension. The first setting includes the first setting for the one of the temperature control elements. The calibration module is configured to measure a post-trim critical dimension profile for a second substrate after performing the trim operation on the second substrate. The post-trim critical dimension profile includes the post-trim critical dimension. The calibration module is configured to determine one or more sensitivity calibration values ​​based on the baseline critical dimension profile, the post-trim critical dimension profile, and a difference between the one of the first setting and the second setting. The one or more sensitivity calibration values ​​include the first sensitivity calibration value. The operating parameter module is configured to determine one or more operating parameters for the temperature control element based on the one or more sensitivity calibration values. The one or more operating parameters include the first operating parameter. The solution module is configured to control operation of the temperature control element during a trim step based on the one or more operating parameters after calibration of the temperature control element.

[0018] In other features, the calibration module is configured to: determine a first difference between the baseline critical dimension and the trimmed critical dimension for the one of the temperature control elements; determine a second difference between the first setting and the second setting; and determine the sensitivity calibration value for the one of the temperature control elements based on the first difference and the second difference.

[0019] In other features, the operating parameter module is configured to: receive a target critical dimension; calculate a difference between at least one of the baseline critical dimension and the trimmed critical dimension and the target critical dimension; and determine a temperature setting for the one of the temperature control elements based on the difference to achieve the target critical dimension.

[0020] In other features, the operating parameter module is configured to: receive a target trim critical dimension; calculate a difference between the target trim critical dimension and at least one of the baseline critical dimension or the trimmed critical dimension; and determine a temperature setting to achieve the target trim critical dimension based on the sensitivity calibration value and the difference between the target trim critical dimension and at least one of the baseline critical dimension or the trimmed critical dimension. The solution module is configured to control operation of the one of the plurality of temperature control elements during a trim step based on the temperature setting after calibration of the one of the plurality of temperature control elements.

[0021] In other features, a substrate processing system is provided that includes a substrate support, a calibration module, an operating parameter module, and a solution module. The substrate support includes a plurality of temperature control elements. The calibration module is configured to: determine a baseline critical dimension of a first substrate provided by one of the temperature control elements being at a first setting during a deposition operation performed on the first substrate; adjust a parameter of the one of the plurality of temperature control elements from the first setting to a second setting; perform the deposition operation on a second substrate; measure a post-deposition critical dimension of the second substrate; and determine a first sensitivity calibration value based on the baseline critical dimension, the post-deposition critical dimension, and a difference between the first setting and the second setting. The operating parameter module is configured to determine a first operating parameter for the one of the temperature control elements based on the first sensitivity calibration value. The solution module is configured to control operation of the one of the temperature control elements during a trimming step based on the operating parameter after calibration of the one of the temperature control elements.

[0022] In other features, the calibration module is configured to determine a baseline critical dimension profile for the first substrate, provided by the temperature control element at a first setting for the deposition operation performed on the first substrate. The baseline critical dimension profile includes the baseline critical dimension. The first setting includes the first setting for the one of the temperature control elements. The calibration module is configured to measure a post-deposition critical dimension profile for a second substrate after performing the deposition operation on the second substrate. The post-deposition critical dimension profile includes the post-deposition critical dimension. The calibration module is configured to determine one or more sensitivity calibration values ​​based on the baseline critical dimension profile, the post-deposition critical dimension profile, and a difference between the one of the first settings and the second setting. The one or more sensitivity calibration values ​​include the first sensitivity calibration value. The operating parameter module is configured to determine one or more operating parameters for the plurality of temperature control elements based on the one or more sensitivity calibration values. The one or more operating parameters include the first operating parameter. The solution module is configured to control operation of the temperature control elements during a trimming step based on the one or more operating parameters after calibration of the temperature control elements.

[0023] In other features, the calibration module is configured to: determine a first difference between the baseline critical dimension and the post-deposition critical dimension for the one of the temperature control elements; determine a second difference between the first setting and the second setting; and determine the sensitivity calibration value for the one of the temperature control elements based on the first difference and the second difference.

[0024] In other features, the operating parameter module is configured to: receive a target critical dimension; calculate a difference between the target critical dimension and at least one of the baseline critical dimension and the post-deposition critical dimension; and determine a temperature setting for the one of the temperature control elements based on the difference to achieve the target critical dimension.

[0025] In other features, the operating parameter module is configured to: receive a target deposition critical dimension; calculate a difference between the target deposition critical dimension and at least one of the baseline critical dimension or the post-deposition critical dimension; determine a temperature setting to achieve the target deposition critical dimension based on the sensitivity calibration value and the difference between the target deposition critical dimension and at least one of the baseline critical dimension or the post-deposition critical dimension; and the solution module is configured to control the operation of the one of the temperature control elements during the deposition step based on the temperature setting after the calibration of the one of the temperature control elements.

[0026] In other features, a substrate processing system is provided that includes a processing chamber, a memory, and a controller. The processing chamber includes a plurality of stations, each of the plurality of stations having a corresponding substrate support. The substrate support includes a plurality of temperature control elements. The memory is configured to store temperature calibration values ​​for the temperature control elements. The controller is configured to repeatedly perform a calibration process to calibrate the temperature control elements. Each repetition of the calibration process is for a corresponding station of the plurality of stations and includes: setting the processing chamber and the substrate support to a first predetermined temperature; operating the processing chamber according to one of a plurality of recipes; waiting until a steady-state condition exists in the processing chamber; loading a thermocouple substrate into the corresponding station of the plurality of stations; determining whether the temperature of the thermocouple substrate is greater than or equal to a second predetermined temperature; waiting for a predetermined period of time after the temperature of the thermocouple substrate is greater than or equal to the second predetermined temperature; and collecting temperature data from the thermocouple substrate. The temperature controller is configured to: calculate an A-matrix for each of the multiple stations based on the temperature data collected for the multiple stations, wherein the A-matrix includes the temperature calibration values; and control the operation of the multiple temperature control elements during at least one of a trimming step or a deposition step based on the A-matrix.

[0027] In other features, the controller is configured to: determine whether at least one of the process chamber or the substrate support in the corresponding station of the plurality of stations is greater than or equal to the first predetermined temperature; determine whether the steady-state condition exists if at least one of the process chamber or the substrate support in the corresponding station of the plurality of stations is greater than or equal to the first predetermined temperature; and load the thermocouple wafer into the corresponding station of the plurality of stations if the steady-state condition exists.

[0028] In other features, for each of the replicates, the temperature controller is configured to load the thermocouple substrate into one of the plurality of stations and load a dummy substrate into another of the plurality of stations. In other features, the controller is configured to link the collected temperature data for each of the plurality of stations to the location of the thermocouple substrate for each of the replicates.

[0029] In other features, each of the A-matrices is specific to one of the substrate supports and a corresponding recipe from the plurality of recipes. In other features, the controller is configured to determine the A-matrix based on: an initial duty cycle of the power signal provided to the plurality of temperature control elements when the process chamber and substrate support are set to the first predetermined temperature; a target duty cycle of the power signal provided to the plurality of temperature control elements for a current recipe; an initial temperature of the thermocouple substrate or the substrate support; and a target temperature of the thermocouple substrate or the substrate support. In other features, the controller is configured to determine the A-matrix based on a weighting matrix that weights regions of the thermocouple substrate or the substrate support differently.

[0030] In other features, a substrate processing system is provided, comprising: a processing chamber, a memory, and a controller. The processing chamber includes a plurality of stations, each of the plurality of stations having a corresponding substrate support. The substrate support includes a plurality of temperature control elements. The memory is configured to store metrology data and sensitivity calibration values. Each of the sensitivity calibration values ​​is based on a critical dimension of the substrate and a corresponding temperature. The controller is configured to repeatedly perform a calibration process to determine the sensitivity calibration value. Each repetition of the calibration process is for a corresponding station of the plurality of stations and includes: setting the processing chamber and the substrate support to a first predetermined temperature; operating the processing chamber according to one of a plurality of recipes; waiting until a steady-state condition exists in the processing chamber; loading one or more blank substrates into a selected one or more stations of the plurality of stations; operating the processing chamber according to a target process; and performing a metrology scan of the one or more blank substrates to obtain the metrology data. The temperature controller is configured to: calculate an S-matrix for each of the stations based on the repeated metrology data of the calibration process, wherein the S-matrix includes the sensitivity calibration values; and control the operation of the plurality of temperature control elements during at least one of a trimming step or a deposition step based on the S-matrix.

[0031] In other features, the controller is configured to wait a predetermined period of time after initiating the run of the target process to perform the metrology scan. In other features, the controller is configured to: perform the metrology scan after initiating the run of the target process; perform another metrology scan to collect additional metrology data before initiating the run of the target process; and calculate the S-matrix based on the additional metrology data.

[0032] In other features, each of the S-matrices is for one of the substrate supports and a corresponding recipe in the plurality of recipes. In other features, for each of the iterations of the calibration process, the controller loads two or more blank substrates into a corresponding station in the plurality of stations.

[0033] Further scope of applicability of the present disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description, claims and drawings.The detailed description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] The present disclosure will be more fully understood from the detailed description and accompanying drawings, in which:

[0035] Figure 1 is a functional block diagram of an example of a substrate processing system including a temperature control system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0036] Figures 2A to 2K An example of a double patterning atomic layer deposition process is shown;

[0037] Figures 3A to 3D An exemplary trimming step of a self-aligned double patterning process is shown;

[0038] Figure 4 shows examples of radial and azimuthal non-uniformity of the amount of etching across the surface of a substrate;

[0039] Figure 5 yes Figure 1 Functional block diagram of the temperature control system;

[0040] Figure 6 is an exemplary adjustment diagram including adjustment diagrams illustrating X-axis and Y-axis adjustments according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0041] Figure 7A is an exemplary target thickness profile for a substrate according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0042] Figure 7B is an exemplary target temperature profile for a substrate according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0043] Figure 8 An exemplary corrected temperature profile of the substrate in the corresponding station is shown, which shows artifacts on the tool during trimming and deposition;

[0044] Figure 9 Showing a trimming and deposition control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0045] Figure 10Ais an example of an after-development detection (ADI) relative substrate radius plot according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0046] Figure 10B is an example of an after-development trim (ADT) relative substrate radius plot according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0047] Figure 10C is an example of an after-spacer-deposition (ASD) relative substrate radius plot according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0048] Figure 11 A trim calibration method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0049] Figure 12 A deposition calibration method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0050] Figure 13 is an exemplary baseline temperature profile according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0051] Figure 14 is an exemplary baseline deposition profile according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0052] Figure 15 is an exemplary target deposition profile according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0053] Figure 16 is an exemplary sensitivity graph of thickness difference versus temperature change according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0054] Figure 17 is an exemplary target temperature profile according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0055] Figure 18 is an exemplary top view of a substrate support including 11 heater zones;

[0056] Figure 19 is an exemplary top view of a substrate support including seven heater zones;

[0057] Figure 20 is an exemplary top view of a substrate support including six heater zones;

[0058] Figure 21 is an exemplary top view of a substrate support including four concentric heater zones;

[0059] Figure 22 A temperature calibration method for a substrate support is shown;

[0060] Figure 23Another temperature calibration method for a substrate support is shown;

[0061] Figure 24 is a functional block diagram of an exemplary calibration and processing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0062] Figure 25 An exemplary temperature calibration method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0063] Figures 26A to 26J is Figure 25 Examples of temperature distribution profiles collected during the temperature calibration method; and

[0064] Figure 27 An exemplary sensitivity calibration method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0065] Among the drawings, reference numerals may be repeated to identify similar and / or identical elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0066] In film deposition processes such as atomic layer deposition (ALD), various properties of the deposited film vary in spatial distribution (i.e., xy coordinates in a horizontal plane). For example, a substrate processing tool may have a corresponding specification for film thickness non-uniformity (NU), which may be measured as the full range, half range, and / or standard deviation of a set of measurements taken at predetermined locations on the surface of a semiconductor substrate. NU can be reduced by, for example, addressing the direct cause of the NU and / or introducing countervailing NU to compensate for and eliminate existing NU. Material may be intentionally deposited and / or removed non-uniformly in certain steps of the process to compensate for known non-uniformities in other upstream or downstream steps in the process.

[0067] A multi-patterning process, such as a double patterning (DPT) ALD process (e.g., a self-aligned double patterning process), may include one or more lithography steps, trimming steps, and / or sacrificial spacer deposition steps. Multi-patterning is used to improve feature density in a lithography system. Each step in the multi-patterning process may have an associated NU that affects the overall critical dimension (CD) NU and imbalance. As an example, the critical dimension may refer to the width of a feature after trimming and / or depositing a spacer layer on the feature. Trimming reduces the width of the feature. Applying a spacer layer on the feature increases the overall width of the feature. Non-uniformities caused by performing the trimming steps may result in non-uniform double patterning, which increases the CD imbalance and leads to lower yield. The trimmed and deposited NU can be characterized as radial NU and azimuthal NU. The challenge in multi-patterning is to minimize and / or control the intra-wafer (WiW) and inter-wafer (WTW) variability of the critical dimension NU and imbalance. The main causes of the WiW and WTW critical dimension NU are the lithography and ALD steps performed during the multi-patterning process.

[0068] Examples described herein include radial and azimuthal regulation via thermal manipulation of trim and deposition temperature profiles to minimize final critical dimension (NU) and imbalance in multi-patterning processes and improve yield. These examples include controlling the temperature across the substrate during trim and deposition steps to match target temperature profiles and conform to the trim and deposition profiles. This includes minimizing radial and azimuthal NU. Process control methods are provided to achieve feedforward and feedback critical dimension control.

[0069] Now refer to Figure 1 , which illustrates an example of a substrate processing system 100 according to the present disclosure, including one or more substrate supports (one substrate support 104 is shown), such as an ALD pedestal. The substrate support 104 is disposed within a processing chamber 108. Each substrate support can be constructed and operated similarly to the substrate support 104. During processing, a substrate 112 is disposed on the substrate support 104.

[0070] The gas delivery system 120 includes gas sources 122-1, 122-2, ..., and 122-N (collectively, gas sources 122), which are connected to valves 124-1, 124-2, ..., and 124-N (collectively, valves 124) and mass flow controllers 126-1, 126-2, ..., and 126-N (collectively, MFCs 126). The MFCs 126 control the flow of gas from the gas sources 122 to a manifold 128 where the gases are mixed. The output of the manifold 128 is supplied to a gas distribution device, such as a multi-injector showerhead 140.

[0071] The substrate processing system 100 includes a temperature control system 150 for controlling the temperature of the substrate support 104 and, therefore, the temperature of the substrate 112. The temperature control system 150 includes a temperature control element (e.g., a resistive heater) 160, a temperature detector 161, and a temperature controller 162. The temperature controller 162 controls the temperature of the substrate support 104 during at least the trimming and deposition steps. This can be based on the temperature of the substrate 112 as detected by the temperature detector (e.g., an infrared camera) 161.

[0072] The substrate support 104 may include a coolant channel 164. Cooling fluid is supplied to the coolant channel 164 from a fluid reservoir 168 and a pump 170. A valve 178 and a pump 180 may be used to evacuate reactants from the process chamber 108 and / or control the pressure within the process chamber 108.

[0073] The substrate processing system 100 includes a controller 182, such as a temperature controller 162. The controller 182 controls the delivery of gases from the gas delivery system 120. The controller 182 uses a valve 178 and a pump 180 to control the pressure in the process chamber and / or the exhaust of reactants. The temperature controller 162 controls the temperature of the substrate support 104 and the substrate 112 based on temperature feedback from a temperature detector 161 and / or other temperature sensors (which may be within the substrate support). A temperature sensor may be included to measure the temperature of the coolant circulating through the coolant channel 164.

[0074] The robot 190 can be used to transfer substrates to and from the substrate support 104 and / or other substrate supports of corresponding processing chambers. For example, the robot 190 can transfer substrates between the substrate support 104 and / or other substrate supports and the load lock 192. Any of the controllers 182 can control the robot 190 to load substrates onto and unload substrates from the substrate support.

[0075] Now refer to Figures 2A-2K , which describes an exemplary SADP process. Figure 2A A substrate 200 is shown, which includes, for example, a hard mask layer 204 formed thereon. By way of example only, the substrate 200 includes a silicon (Si) substrate, and the hard mask layer 204 is composed of silicon nitride (SiN). x N y), where X and Y are integers, although other materials may also be used. A plurality of core layers (e.g., mandrel layers) 208, 212, and 216 are deposited on the hard mask layer 204 (e.g., using chemical vapor deposition, or CVD). The materials of the core layers 208, 212, and 216 may be the same or different. Two or more of the core layers 208, 212, and 216 may be formed from the same one or more materials. One or more of the core layers 208, 212, and 216 may be formed from one or more materials different from the other one or more of the core layers 208, 212, and 216. By way of example only, the core layers 208, 212, and 216 may include amorphous silicon (a-Si). In some examples, the core layers 208, 212, and 216 may have a height of approximately 50-150 nm (e.g., 100 nm). A patterned layer (eg, a patterned photoresist layer or mask) 220 is formed on the core layer 216 and patterned using photolithography techniques.

[0076] The substrate 200 including the hard mask layer 204, the core layers 208, 212 and 216, and the mask 220 is placed in a processing chamber (e.g., an inductively coupled plasma chamber of an etching tool). Figure 2B As shown, the core layer 216 is etched (e.g., using anisotropic etching or other processes) to form mandrels 224. During the etching of the core layer 216, the mask 220 protects the portion of the core layer 216 corresponding to the mandrels 224. If the mask 220 is a photoresist mask, the mask 220 can be removed using an oxygen-containing plasma. If the mask 220 is made of a material similar to the spacer layer 228 described below, the mask 220 can remain on the mandrels 224 and can be etched during the etching of the spacer layer 228.

[0077] exist Figure 2C , spacer layer 228 is deposited on substrate 200 (i.e., on core layer 212 and mandrel 224). By way of example only, ALD can be utilized to conformally deposit spacer layer 228, such as oxide-based deposition (e.g., using precursors including silicon tetrachloride (SiCl4), silane (SiH4), etc.), nitride-based deposition (using precursors including molecular nitrogen, ammonia (NH3), etc.), and / or carbon-based deposition (using precursors including methane (CH4), fluoromethane (CH3F), etc.).

[0078] In one example, a SiCl4 precursor is used in the presence of O2 to deposit the spacer layer 228. Other exemplary process parameters for performing the deposition of the spacer layer 228 include a temperature ranging from a minimum temperature below 10°C to 120°C, a plasma power ranging from 200 to 1800 W, a bias voltage ranging from 0 to about 1000 volts, and a chamber pressure ranging from 2 mTorr to 2000 mTorr.

[0079] In some examples, a trimming step can be performed on the mandrels 224 before depositing the spacer layer 228. For example, during the trimming step, the mandrels 224 can be etched to adjust the width of the mandrels 224 and the size of the spacer layer 228.

[0080] exist Figure 2D In some examples, spacer layer 228 is etched (e.g., using an anisotropic etching process) to remove portions of spacer layer 228 from the upper surfaces of core layer 212 and mandrel 224 while allowing sidewall portions 232 of spacer layer 228 to remain. Figure 2D After the etching described in , a breakthrough step (e.g., fluoride-containing plasma treatment) may be performed. In addition, depending on the material of the spacer layer 228, an oxygen-containing plasma treatment may be performed before the fluoride-containing plasma treatment. Figure 2E In the embodiment of the present invention, the mandrels 224 are removed (eg, using an anisotropic etch). As a result, the sidewall portions 232 remain formed on the substrate 200 .

[0081] like Figure 2F As shown, the core layer 212 is etched (e.g., using an anisotropic etch or other process) to form mandrels 236. During the etching of the core layer 212, the sidewall portions 232 serve as a mask to protect portions of the core layer 212 corresponding to the mandrels 236. The sidewall portions 232 may be removed in an additional plasma etch step, during the etching of the spacer layer 240 as described below, or the like.

[0082] exist Figure 2G , spacer layer 240 is deposited on substrate 200 (i.e., on core layer 208 and mandrels 236). By way of example only, spacer layer 240 can be conformally deposited using ALD in a manner similar to spacer layer 228. In some examples, a trimming step can be performed on mandrels 236 prior to depositing spacer layer 240.

[0083] exist Figure 2H In some examples, the spacer layer 240 is etched (e.g., using an anisotropic etching process) to remove portions of the spacer layer 240 from the core layer 208 and the upper surface of the mandrel 236 while allowing sidewall portions 244 of the spacer layer 240 to remain. Figure 2H After the etching described in , a penetration step (e.g., fluoride-containing plasma treatment) may be performed. In addition, depending on the material of the spacer layer 240, an oxygen-containing plasma treatment may be performed before the fluoride-containing plasma treatment. Figure 2I In the embodiment of the present invention, the mandrels 236 are removed (eg, using an anisotropic etch). As a result, the sidewall portions 244 remain formed on the substrate 200 .

[0084] like Figure 2JAs shown, the core layer 208 is etched (e.g., using anisotropic etching or other processing) to form a plurality of mandrels 248. During the etching of the core layer 208, the sidewall portions 244 serve as a mask to protect the portions of the core layer 208 corresponding to the mandrels 248. The sidewall portions 244 may be removed, for example, in an additional plasma etching step, such as Figure 2K shown.

[0085] like Figure 2K As shown, the SADP process results in mandrels 248 being formed in a spaced pattern on the substrate 200 (eg, on the hard mask layer 204). The spacing between the mandrels 248 is based on Figure 2I The spacing between the side wall portions 244 is determined by the spacing between the side wall portions 244 shown in FIG. Figure 2E The widths of mandrels 236 and sidewall portions 232 determine the respective spacings between sidewall portions 244 and between sidewall portions 232, and thus determine the spacing between mandrels 248. Therefore, a trimming step may be performed on mandrels 236 and mandrels 236 to ensure uniform spacing between mandrels 248. For example, the respective widths of mandrels 232 and mandrels 236 may be trimmed to achieve uniform spacing such that a=b=c, as shown in FIG. Figure 2K shown.

[0086] Now refer to Figure 3A 、 3B , 3C and 3D, depict exemplary finishing steps of a SADP process. For simplicity, only a single core layer 300 and mandrel 304 are shown. Figure 3A , the mandrel 304 is shown before a trimming step (e.g., after an etching step for forming the mandrel 304 on the core layer 300, e.g., Figure 2B ). The width of the mandrel 304 corresponds to the critical dimension CD1. Figure 3B As shown, the mandrel 304 is trimmed to adjust the width of the mandrel 304. Therefore, the critical dimension of the mandrel 304 is reduced to CD2. Figure 3C , spacer layer 308 is deposited (e.g., conformally deposited using ALD as described above) over core layer 300 and mandrels 304. The plasma may erode the photoresist at the start of deposition of spacer layer 308, thereby further reducing the size and / or width of mandrels 304 such that the critical dimension of mandrels 304 is reduced to CD3.

[0087] Figure 3DSidewall portions 312 of the spacer layer 308 remaining on the core layer 300 are shown after performing one or more etching steps to remove portions of the spacer layer 308 and the mandrels 304. The spacing (e.g., S1, S2, etc.) between the sidewall portions 312 corresponds to the respective widths (e.g., CD3) of the mandrels 304. Thus, the pitch of the sidewall portions 312 can be defined as S1+S2+2L, where L corresponds to the line width (i.e., the width of one of the sidewall portions 312).

[0088] Various non-uniformities affect the amount of material deposited (e.g., during an ALD step) and removed (e.g., during an etching step) during processing. For example, etching non-uniformities associated with trimming steps include radial non-uniformity and azimuthal non-uniformity. Radial non-uniformity corresponds to differences in the amount of etching as the radial distance from the center of the substrate increases. Conversely, azimuthal non-uniformity corresponds to differences in the amount of etching in angular directions around the substrate. Figure 4 4 shows exemplary radial and azimuthal non-uniformities of the amount of etching across the surface of substrate 400. Figure 4 , different regions 401, 403, 405, 407, and 409 are shown that may have different etch amounts. These regions 401, 403, 405, 407, and 409 are shown as examples and may have different shapes and / or sizes. It is possible to include a different number of regions than shown. In addition, for each of regions 401, 403, 405, 407, and 409, the etch amount may be the same across the region or may vary. As an example, the etch amount (i.e., the amount etched starting from the surface of substrate 400) may range from to or As shown by radial lines 404 in an exemplary radial direction, the etch amount can range from a central region 408 of the substrate 400 to a to the edge 412 of the substrate 400 Conversely, as shown by the exemplary azimuthal arc 416, the etch amount along edge 412 may range from to

[0089] Various methods may be used to adjust radial non-uniformity, including but not limited to, injecting edge conditioning gas, adjusting edge ring height, controlling temperature across the substrate 400, adjusting pressure, and the like.

[0090] Figure 5A temperature control system 150 is shown. The temperature control system includes a temperature controller 162, a user interface 500, a host controller 502, a metrology device 504, and a memory 506. The temperature controller 162 includes a solution module 520, a calibration (or pre-solver) module 522, and an operating parameter (or solver) module 524. In one embodiment, modules 520, 522, and 524 are implemented software algorithms executed by the temperature controller 162. In another embodiment, each module 520, 522, 524 is implemented as a separate processor. In another embodiment, one or more of the modules 520, 522, 524 are implemented by one or more processors separate from the temperature controller 162. The memory 506 can store target values ​​530, measured values ​​531, process parameter records 532, and a calibration (or pre-solver) library 534 including temperature calibration values ​​536 and sensitivity calibration values ​​538.

[0091] The user interface 500 may include a touch screen, keyboard, mouse, and / or other user input device. The user interface 500 enables communication between the host controller 502, a user, and the temperature controller 162 and / or one or more of the modules 520, 522, and 524. The user interface 500 may receive target input values, including target temperatures, critical dimensions, deposition values, trim values, temperature profiles, critical dimension profiles, deposition profiles, trim profiles, pressures, materials, compositions, recipes, timing values, and the like. These profiles may refer to profiles of the substrate support and / or substrate. Each of the profiles may refer to values ​​for a predetermined number of points and / or regions across the surface of the substrate support or substrate. For example, a temperature profile for a substrate support may include temperature values ​​for a predetermined number of points and / or regions across the surface of the substrate support opposite the substrate. Each of the profiles may be provided for a particular operation and time period of the process being performed. For example, a deposition profile may include the deposition amount (or the thickness of a deposited material layer) at a predetermined number of points and / or regions across the substrate during deposition of a layer (e.g., a spacer layer).

[0092] Host controller 502 can collect and / or measure process sensitivity results. Metrology device 504 can include, for example, a spectrometer, a scanning electron microscope (SEM), an optical metrology machine, and / or other measurement devices. Metrology device 504 can be used to measure, for example, critical dimensions of a substrate after performing a trimming or deposition step. The measurements can be provided as input to temperature controller 162 via user interface 500 or directly to temperature controller 162. Temperature controller 162 can store target values ​​and measured values ​​in memory 506 as target values ​​530 and measured values ​​531. Host controller 502 can change the radial setpoint during temperature profiling and substrate profiling modes described below.

[0093] The solution module 520 and / or the calibration module 522 may perform a temperature calibration process to determine temperature calibration values ​​536 (or a temperature matrix, also referred to as an A-matrix). The temperature calibration values ​​may refer to temperature differences relative to differences in duty cycle, power level, current level, and / or voltage of a temperature controlled element (TCE). The temperature calibration values ​​may refer to the rate of change of temperature for a given change in duty cycle, power level, current level, and / or voltage. The temperature calibration values ​​may include a calibration temperature corresponding to a set duty cycle, power level, current level, and / or voltage of the TCE. An exemplary method for determining temperature calibration values ​​is shown in FIG. Figure 22-23 The temperature calibration process may be performed based on a target value 530 that may be received from the user interface 500 and / or the memory 506 .

[0094] The calibration module 522 can collect input values, measurements, and values ​​that characterize the current processing chamber, substrate support, substrate, and process conditions. This can include receiving target values ​​and measurements from the user interface 500 and / or the memory 506. The calibration module 522 can determine sensitivity calibration values ​​538 and / or profiles for trimming and deposition. The trim sensitivity calibration value can refer to the amount of trim (or reduction in critical dimension) for a set temperature or temperature change. The deposition sensitivity calibration value can refer to the amount of deposition (or increase in critical dimension) for a set temperature or temperature change. Figure 11 and Figure 12 An example method for determining these sensitivity calibration values ​​538 (which may be stored as a matrix in the memory 506) is described. The sensitivity calibration values ​​538 may be provided to the user interface 500, the operating parameter module 524, and / or the solution module 520. The calibration module 522 performs calculations to convert target critical dimension values ​​and / or substrate profile values ​​into trimming and deposition values, and uses the sensitivity calibration values ​​(or sensitivity matrix, also referred to as an S-matrix) to generate target set points. These target set points may refer to set points for specific points and / or regions of one or more substrate supports. The target set points may refer to target temperatures and / or corresponding duty cycles, power levels, current levels, and / or voltages for the TCE.

[0095] During calibration, the operating parameter module 524 determines the process operating parameters used to achieve the temperature to determine the temperature calibration value 536 and the sensitivity calibration value 538. The operating parameter module 524 implements an algorithm to convert the user input to the hardware input and to account for the hardware sensitivity. After calibration and during subsequent processing of substrates, the operating parameter module 524 determines the process operating parameters to achieve the target parameters. The operating parameters may be stored as a process parameter record 532. This may include, for example, determining Figure 1The duty cycle, power level, current level, and / or voltage settings of the TCE 160 are determined to achieve target temperatures of the substrate support and the substrate being processed. The operating parameters may be determined based on target values, measured values, temperature calibration values, and / or sensitivity calibration values.

[0096] During calibration, the solution module 520 sets and adjusts, for example, the power level, current level, and / or voltage of the TCE to determine a temperature calibration value 536 and a sensitivity calibration value 538. Following calibration and during subsequent substrate processing, the solution module 520 processes the substrate based on the target value 530, the temperature calibration value 536, the sensitivity calibration value 538, and the process parameter record 532. This includes setting the duty cycle, power level, current level, and / or voltage of the TCE during the trimming and deposition steps to provide a target critical dimension for each of these steps. As an example, the solution module 520 may have multiple conduits for each substrate support being controlled, supplying a set amount of power to each conduit within a predetermined time period. The solution module 520 may receive the target value 530 and / or the measured value 531 from the user interface 500 and / or the memory 506.

[0097] The temperature controller 162 and / or the solver module 520 can operate in a temperature profile calibration mode or a substrate profile calibration mode. When in the temperature profile calibration mode, the operating parameters are controlled so that the temperature of the substrate matches the target temperature of the target temperature profile or is within a predetermined range of the target temperature of the target temperature profile. Temperature profile calibration involves applying known temperature sensitivities to points and / or areas of the substrate support and the substrate. Temperature sensitivity refers to the change in the parameter of interest (e.g., critical dimension) and temperature. When in the temperature profile calibration mode, the user can input a radial set point temperature to the target through the user interface 500. The temperature controller 162 can then calculate the radial set point temperature based on the radial set point temperature, the temperature sensitivity value (e.g., in The parameters of the TCE are adjusted based on critical dimensions in units of , temperature calibration values ​​from previous cycles and / or calculations, and azimuth correction factors. The parameters of the TCE may include duty cycle, power, current, voltage, and / or other TCE parameters.

[0098] The solution module 520 can perform open-loop and / or closed-loop control of each temperature-controlled zone and / or one or more TCEs. The temperature-controlled zones and / or TCEs can be implemented in open-loop or closed-loop.

[0099] During substrate profile calibration mode, a target trim profile and / or a target deposition profile are used to provide a target critical dimension value. Substrate profile calibration includes using a calibration module 522 to assist with target trim, deposition, and associated temperature set points. This can be used for trim and / or deposition in multi-axis implementations. During substrate profile calibration mode, a user can input or select a target trim profile, deposition profile, and / or a combined trim and deposition profile. The user can further input or select ADI, ASD, and ACE values ​​to determine the target. The temperature controller 162 can adjust the parameters of the TCE based on: one or more profiles; ADI values; ASD values; ACE values; previously determined trim sensitivity and / or calibration values; and / or deposition sensitivity and / or calibration values.

[0100] Figure 6 An adjustment diagram is shown that includes adjustment diagrams illustrating X-axis and Y-axis adjustments. A baseline diagram 600 is shown. Adjustments for the trim and deposition steps disclosed herein are performed to adjust the trim and deposition amounts on both the x and y axes, as shown at 602 and 604, respectively. The amount of etching during the trim step and / or the amount of material deposited during the deposition step can be increased radially such that increased etching and deposition occurs near the edge of the substrate.

[0101] Figure 7A An exemplary target thickness profile 700 for a substrate is shown. The target profile can be a trim profile, a deposition profile, or a combination of trim and deposition profiles. The target profile can include, for example, target critical dimensions at different radial distances from the center of the substrate. Figure 7A Different regions 701, 703, 705, 707, 709, and 711 are shown, which may have different target thicknesses. A different number of regions than shown may be included. Regions 701, 703, 705, 707, 709, and 711 are shown as examples and may have different shapes and / or sizes. The thickness in each of regions 701, 703, 705, 707, 709, and 711 may be the same or may vary throughout the region.

[0102] Figure 7B An exemplary target temperature profile 702 for a substrate is shown. The target temperature profile includes target temperatures for different radial distances from the center of the substrate. Figure 7B Different zones 713, 715, 717, 719, 721, 723, and 725 are shown, which may have different target temperatures. A different number of zones than shown may be included. Zones 713, 715, 717, 719, 721, 723, and 725 are shown as examples and may have different shapes and / or sizes. The target temperature in each of zones 713, 715, 717, 719, 721, 723, and 725 may be the same or may vary throughout the zone.

[0103] Figure 8 Corrected temperature profiles 800, 802, 804, 806 of the substrate at respective stations 810, 812, 814, 816 are shown, illustrating on-tool artifacts during trimming and deposition. Corrected temperature profiles 800, 802, 804, 806 show that certain areas of the substrate are heated more than other areas to provide radial and azimuthal correction. The disclosed systems and methods described herein perform temperature correction to minimize radial and azimuthal non-uniformity. Radial adjustment allows for profile adjustment, while azimuthal adjustment allows for correction of on-tool artifacts.

[0104] Each corrected temperature profile 800, 802, 804, 806 has a corresponding region 820, 822, 824, 826, 828, 830, 832, 834, 836, 838, 840, 842, 844, 848, 850, and 852, which may have different temperatures. A different number of regions than shown may be included. Regions 820, 822, 824, 826, 828, 830, 832, 834, 836, 838, 840, 842, 844, 848, 850, and 852 are shown as examples and may have different shapes and / or sizes. The temperature in each of regions 820, 822, 824, 826, 828, 830, 832, 834, 836, 838, 840, 842, 844, 848, 850, and 852 may be the same throughout the region or may vary.

[0105] Figure 9 Trimming and deposition control methods are shown. Figure 9 The method is a data stream processing, through which the deposited and trimmed sensitivity calibration values ​​and temperature calibration values ​​are used to control the critical dimensions. The sensitivity is determined and the critical dimensions of the first group of substrates are controlled to provide input (or predetermined values) for the subsequent substrates to be processed. Although the following operations are mainly relative to Figure 1 and Figure 5 However, these operations can be easily modified to apply to other implementations of the present disclosure. These operations can be performed repeatedly.

[0106] The method may begin at 900. At 902, a first calibration process is performed to determine temperature calibration values ​​536 for one or more stations. An example of a first calibration process is shown and is provided with respect to Figure 22-25 At 904, a second calibration process is performed to determine trimmed sensitivity calibration values ​​for one or more stations. An example of a second calibration process is shown in FIG. Figure 11At 905, a third calibration process is performed to determine the deposition sensitivity calibration values ​​for one or more stations. An example of the third calibration process is shown in FIG. Figure 12 As another example, the trimming and / or deposition sensitivity calibration values ​​can be used Figure 27 The method can be used to determine Figure 11-12 The method is modified to include Figure 27 Operations 902, 904, and 905 may be performed by calibration module 522. During the calibration operation, a thermocouple (TC) substrate may be used to detect substrate temperature. Determined calibration values ​​and critical dimensions measured during the calibration process may be stored in memory 506 and used in subsequent operations. Although the second and third calibration processes are described as separate processes for calibrating the trimming and deposition steps, respectively, calibration and / or measurement values ​​may be obtained after and as a result of performing a combination of the trimming and deposition steps. Operations 902, 904, and 905 may be performed in the order shown, in a different order, or in parallel.

[0107] As an alternative to performing the trim and deposition calibration processes at 904, 905, a temperature profile can be provided for the trim and deposition steps to achieve the target critical dimension. The temperature profile can be used at 912 and the operating parameter module 524 can determine the temperature setting for the TCE based on the temperature profile.

[0108] At 906, the operating parameter module 524 may analyze (i) the temperature calibration values, the trim sensitivity calibration values, and the deposition sensitivity calibration values, (ii) the critical dimensions, parameters, and radial variability of a given process, and (iii) the critical dimensions, parameters, and radial variability between stations to determine radial adjustment parameters. This may include determining temperature settings and / or parameters for the TCE 160 for different radii of the substrate support and for each trim and deposition step performed at 912. The radial adjustment parameters may be determined based on one or more total correction values ​​determined at 918.

[0109] At 908, the temperature controller 162 analyzes the azimuth variability to generate azimuth correction values ​​for each station. This may include determining temperature setting adjustments and / or parameter adjustments for the TCE. The analysis of azimuth variability may be based on the determined temperature values, temperature calibration values, and / or sensitivity calibration values ​​for each trimming and deposition step performed at 912.

[0110] At 910, the operating parameter module 524 determines process (or operating) parameters based on one or more target profiles, temperature calibration values, corresponding sensitivity calibration values ​​for the trimming and / or deposition steps, radial adjustment parameters, and azimuthal correction values. The memory 506 may store tables, equations, algorithms, and / or other items that relate operating parameters to the values ​​and parameters utilized by the operating parameter module 524. The one or more target profiles may include any target profile disclosed herein, such as a temperature profile, a trimming profile, a deposition profile, a critical dimension profile, and the like.

[0111] At 912, the solution module 520 performs one or more process operations associated with processing the substrate, targeting the one or more provided profiles that may have been provided at 910. This may include performing trimming and / or deposition operations. The substrate may be processed through one or more repetitions of operations 906, 908, 910, 912, 914, 916, 917, 918, 920, and 926. The processing may include performing a multi-patterning process, as described above. At 914, the solution module 520 and / or the operating parameter module 524 may monitor the sensor parameters and adjust the set points of the temperature and / or TCE parameters.

[0112] At 916, the solver module 520 may obtain a plurality of values ​​corresponding to critical dimensions of features of the substrate (measured after one or more trim and / or deposition steps performed during operation 912). For example, these values ​​may have been previously measured and stored in memory during the calibration process performed at 904, 905, and / or may be measured during development. One or more of these values ​​may be a requirement of a predetermined input. In one embodiment, the solver module 520 determines a spacer after deposition (ASD) value, a development after trim (ADT) value, and a carbon after etch (ACE) value. The ASD value may be a critical dimension after the trim and deposition steps, such as the sum of CD3 plus the product of 2 and L (or CD3+2L), which is the width of the mandrel plus the width of the left and right spacer sidewall portions (shown in FIG. 2 ). Figure 3C and 3D The ADT value is the trimmed mandrel width, or CD2. The ACE value can be the mandrel width after trimming and removing a portion of the mandrel (including any overetch) at the beginning of the deposition step. A critical dimension imbalance value can also be determined. Critical dimension imbalance can refer to differences in critical dimensions between different features and / or mandrels on the same substrate. Critical dimension imbalance can also refer to differences between the same features on different substrates (or wafers) at the same station or different stations.

[0113] At 917, the solver module 520 may calculate a plurality of values ​​corresponding to critical dimensions of the substrate feature after one or more trim and / or deposition steps performed during operation 912. This may include calculating: the amount of etching (or width of material removed) TRIM on each side of the feature during the trim step, the amount of material removed (or width of material) Pretrim from each side of the mandrel at the start of the deposition step, and the amount of material (or width of material) DEP deposited on each side of the mandrel during the deposition step. The TRIM, Pretrim, and DEP values ​​may be unknown values ​​that are determined based on the ASD, ADT, and ACE values. This may be accomplished using, for example, Equations 1-3, where ADI is the After Develop Detection (ADI) value, e.g. Figure 3A The above CD1 shown in , and wherein OVRE is the amount of over-etching. The OVRE value can be predetermined and / or estimated. ASD=ADI-2TRIM-2Pretrim+2DEP (1) ADT=ADI-2TRIM (2) ACE=ADI-2TRIM-2Pretrim-OVRE (3)

[0114] If there are four unknown values, another equation can be used, such as Equation 4, which relates the after-spacer-open (ASO) value to the ADI, TRIM, and Pretrim values. By having the same number of equations as unknowns, a single unique solution can be determined for each set of known values ​​provided. ASO=ADI-2TRIM-2Pretrim (4) Other equations including S1, S2, L, and spacing may also be used.

[0115] Pre-trim (or parasitic trim) occurs at the beginning of the deposition step when the substrate is exposed to the plasma. Features (e.g., mandrels) are further etched during pre-trim. Trim and pre-trim are often more sensitive to temperature changes than deposition. For a given temperature change, there can be an order of magnitude difference between (i) the amount of material removed during trim and pre-trim and (ii) the amount deposited during deposition.

[0116] Figures 10A-10CExamples of plots of ADI versus substrate radius, ADT versus substrate radius, and ASD versus substrate radius are shown. The ADI versus substrate radius plot includes three curves: an upper range curve 1000, a target curve 1002, and a lower range curve 1004. The upper and lower range profiles 1000, 1004 provide possible ranges for ADI (or CD1) before trimming and deposition steps. Due to the temperature control and compensation disclosed herein during the trimming step, the ADT versus substrate radius plot exhibits uniform trimming. Due to the temperature control and compensation disclosed herein during the deposition step, the ASD versus substrate radius plot exhibits uniform deposition. The photoresist trimming and deposition steps are performed while maintaining a post-lithography critical dimension profile (e.g., a nominally flat profile) across the substrate without inducing azimuthal variability during etching or subsequent deposition.

[0117] At 918, the solution module 520 and / or the operating parameter module 524 can determine the one or more total correction values. This can be based on the one or more critical dimension imbalance values ​​and / or the input and / or determined ADI value. The total correction value can include and / or be directly related to the ASD, ADT, ADD value, and / or one or more critical dimension imbalance values.

[0118] At 920, the solution module 520 can determine whether another trimming or deposition step is to be performed. If another trimming or deposition operation is to be performed, operation 926 can be performed, otherwise operation 922 can be performed. At 922, the solution module 520 can determine whether another substrate is to be processed. If another substrate is to be processed, operation 926 can be performed, otherwise the method can end at 924.

[0119] At 926, the solution module 520 can determine whether a development process is being performed. If a development process is being performed, operation 906 can be performed, otherwise operation 910 can be performed. Returning to operation 906 provides a feedback loop. Operation 910 can be performed during high-volume manufacturing.

[0120] The above method links the incoming profile to the output of the trimming and deposition steps. This linking can occur as part of the startup routine. The method provides a sequence to fully characterize and store the sensitivity of the substrate. The method allows the user to interface with a corresponding processing system that includes input targets and / or substrate profiles (which are then used to provide the final critical dimensions). This enables settings and conditions to be adjusted on a batch and wafer basis based on variations in the incoming and outgoing processes (e.g., lithography and / or etching processes).

[0121] A trimming step is typically performed between the photolithography step and the spacer deposition step to reduce the critical dimension. While the primary purpose of the trimming step is to reduce the critical dimension, such as the photoresist spindle, the trimming step can also be used to compensate for WiW as well as WTW NU and improve spatial imbalance. Spatial imbalance is primarily affected by the trimming step, so this article describes the ability to adjust the trimming step and NU across the substrate to meet the specifications for WiW NU. Thermal control elements are used in a multi-zone manner to control the critical dimension NU during the trimming step, thereby adjusting the temperature both radially and azimuthally. This is achieved by first determining the trimming sensitivity relative to temperature and adjusting the temperature accordingly to provide the target critical dimension. This temperature-based compensation can be implemented for critical dimension variability WTW and / or lot-to-lot to compensate for line critical dimension NU caused by etching. The compensation can also be used to compensate for NU caused by chamber asymmetry (e.g., deposition profile leaning towards the spindle).

[0122] Figure 11 A trim calibration method is shown that can be performed iteratively to determine a trim sensitivity calibration value for each TCE and / or other device used to adjust the temperature of a substrate support. The method can be performed for each TCE, group of TCEs, temperature-controlled zone, and / or for each trim step performed. The method can begin at 1100. At 1102, a substrate is placed on a substrate support (e.g., substrate support 104).

[0123] At 1104, the calibration module 522 obtains baseline settings, which include baseline temperature settings and a baseline critical dimension profile for the trimming step. The baseline settings may include baseline pressure, flow rate, gas mixture, etc. The baseline temperature settings may include TCE settings, such as duty cycle, power level, current level, and voltage. The baseline critical dimension profile may include critical dimensions of features previously measured for a first (or baseline) substrate after performing the trimming step using the baseline settings. In one embodiment, the baseline temperature settings provide a uniform temperature across the substrate support.

[0124] At 1106, the calibration module 522 sets the chamber operating parameters to the baseline settings, except for adjusting one or more temperature settings (or TCE parameters) by a predetermined amount. This is done to perform a trim sensitivity calibration test of one or more TCEs.

[0125] At 1108 , the operating parameter module 524 and the solution module 520 perform a trim operation on the second substrate, wherein the chamber operating parameters are set to the baseline settings, except for the adjusted one or more temperature settings as described for operation 1106 .

[0126] At 1110, the calibration module 522 may initiate a metrology operation to obtain a trimmed critical dimension profile. As an example, this may include signaling the host controller 502 and / or the metrology device 504 to perform a metrology operation to obtain critical dimensions of features of the second substrate. These critical dimensions may be stored as a trimmed critical dimension profile. At 1112, the calibration module 522 determines a trim sensitivity calibration value based on the difference between the baseline critical dimensions and the trimmed critical dimensions (determined at 1110). This provides the amount (or thickness) of material removed during trimming. The trim sensitivity calibration value may refer to the change in trim amount per degree change in temperature, which may be expressed in angstroms per degree Celsius. Measured in units of .

[0127] At 1114, the calibration module 522 may receive a target trim CD profile having a target CD from the user interface 500, the solver module 520, and / or the memory 506. At 1116, the calibration module 522 may calculate a difference between a CD value of the target trim CD profile and corresponding CD values ​​of the baseline and / or post CD profiles.

[0128] At 1118, the calibration module 522 determines a trim temperature setting based on the trim sensitivity calibration value (or trim rate relative to temperature) and the difference between the baseline trimmed critical dimension profile and the target critical dimension profile to achieve the target trimmed critical dimension profile. At 1120, the calibration module 522 stores the trim sensitivity calibration value and the trim temperature setting, for example, in the memory 506. The method may end at 1122.

[0129] exist Figure 9 and 11 The trimming and calibration steps performed during the method help reduce the critical dimensions of the core (e.g., Figure 3D Critical dimensions S1 in the ) and gap critical dimensions (e.g., Figure 3D =Critical dimension S2 in the etch process). Space S1 is a function of trimming and photoresist consumption during deposition. Line width L is a function of the ALD spacer thickness and the corresponding thickness after etching. Space S2 is a function of space S1 and line width L. The spatial critical dimension imbalance can be set equal to the absolute value of S1 minus S2. The spatial critical dimension imbalance depends on the post-trimming sacrificial core profile and uniformity. Therefore, the radial and azimuthal adjustability of the trim profile is Figure 9 and 11 The method is performed in a manner to achieve a target substrate profile. The method improves CD3, S1, and S2 NU to compensate for lithography-induced NU and etch NU. The adjustment provides fine control of radial and azimuthal temperature settings to provide target critical dimensions.

[0130] The challenge in double patterning is to achieve tight control over the critical dimension (NU) of the line width and the imbalance of the critical dimension (NU) between the lines. The critical dimension (NU) and the imbalance are caused by both the lithographic NU and the spacer NU. The critical dimension of the line is affected by the spacer deposition. Figure 9 and Figure 12 Methods are developed to control the deposition of spacer layers across the substrate and the regulation of NU to meet the specifications for the critical dimensions of the WiW lines. These methods include controlling the parameter settings of the TCE during the deposition step, including temperature control in both radial and azimuthal directions. This is done by first determining the deposition sensitivity to temperature and adjusting the temperature accordingly to achieve the target critical dimension results. This temperature based compensation can be implemented for critical dimension variability WTW and between batches to compensate for the line critical dimension NU caused by etching. Temperature based compensation can also be used to compensate for NU caused by chamber asymmetry (e.g., deposition profile leaning towards the main axis).

[0131] Figure 12 A deposition calibration method is shown that can be performed repeatedly to determine deposition sensitivity calibration values ​​for each TCE and / or other device used to adjust the temperature of a substrate support. The method can be performed for each TCE, group of TCEs, temperature-controlled zone, and / or for each deposition step performed. The method can begin at 1200. At 1202, a substrate is placed on a substrate support (e.g., substrate support 104).

[0132] At 1204, the calibration module 522 obtains baseline settings, which include baseline temperature settings and a baseline critical dimension profile for the deposition step. The baseline settings may include pressure, flow rate, gas mixture, etc. The baseline temperature settings may include TCE parameters such as duty cycle, power level, current level, and voltage. The baseline critical dimension profile may include critical dimensions of features previously measured on the first substrate after performing the deposition step using the baseline settings. In one embodiment, the baseline temperature settings provide a uniform temperature across the substrate support.

[0133] At 1206, the calibration module 522 sets the chamber operating parameters to the baseline settings, except for adjusting one or more temperature settings (or TCE parameters) by a predetermined amount. This is done to perform a deposition sensitivity calibration test of one or more TCEs.

[0134] At 1208 , the operating parameter module 524 and the solution module 520 perform a deposition operation on a second substrate with the chamber operating parameters set to the baseline settings, except for the adjusted one or more temperature settings as described with respect to operation 1206 .

[0135] At 1210, the calibration module 522 may initiate a metrology operation to obtain a post-deposition critical dimension profile. For example, this may include signaling the host controller 502 and / or the metrology device 504 to perform a metrology operation to obtain critical dimensions of features of the substrate. These critical dimensions may be stored as a post-deposition critical dimension profile. At 1212, the calibration module 522 determines a deposition sensitivity value based on the difference between the baseline critical dimension determined at 1210 and the post-deposition critical dimension. This provides the amount (or thickness) of material deposited during deposition.

[0136] At 1214, the calibration module 522 can receive a target deposition CD profile having a target CD from the user interface 500, the solver module 520, and / or the memory 506. At 1216, the calibration module 522 can calculate a difference between CD values ​​of the target deposition CD profile and corresponding CD values ​​of the baseline and / or post CD profiles.

[0137] At 1218, the calibration module 522 determines a deposition temperature setting based on the deposition sensitivity calibration value (or deposition rate relative to temperature) and the difference between the baseline deposition critical dimension profile and the target critical dimension profile to achieve the target deposition critical dimension profile. At 1220, the calibration module 522 stores the deposition sensitivity calibration value and the deposition temperature setting, for example, in the memory 506. The method may end at 1222.

[0138] Figure 9 and 11 The above operations of -12 are intended as illustrative examples. The operations may be performed sequentially, synchronously, simultaneously, or continuously, during overlapping time periods or in a different order, depending on the application. In addition, any operations may not be performed or skipped, depending on the implementation and / or order of events.

[0139] The methods described provide local critical dimension (NU) control and compensation for critical dimension variability (WiW), WtW, and batch-to-batch, which cannot be provided by simply controlling and adjusting gas flows, pressures, and / or valve timing. These methods provide fine-tuning of the deposition profile, which reduces critical dimension (NU) and imbalance.

[0140] Figure 13 An exemplary baseline temperature profile 1300 corresponding to a baseline temperature setting is shown, as described above for Figure 11-12The base temperature profile 1300 illustrates the temperature of various locations on the substrate support. The base temperature profile 1300 includes regions 1302, 1304, 1306, 1308, 1310, and 1312, which may have different temperatures. A different number of regions than shown may be included. Regions 1302, 1304, 1306, 1308, 1310, and 1312 are shown as examples and may have different shapes and / or sizes. The temperature in each of regions 1302, 1304, 1306, 1308, 1310, and 1312 may be the same or may vary throughout the region.

[0141] Figure 14 A baseline deposition critical dimension profile 1400 is shown, which is provided as Figure 12 1404, 1404, and 1406, which may have different deposition amounts. A different number of regions than shown may be included. Regions 1402, 1404, and 1406 are shown as examples and may have different shapes and / or sizes. The deposition amount in each of regions 1402, 1404, and 1406 may be the same or may vary across the region.

[0142] Figure 15 Target deposition profile 1500 is shown, which is provided as Figure 12 Target deposition profiles are shown as examples of operations 1214, 1216, and 1218 of the target deposition process. Target deposition profile graph 1500 illustrates target deposition across a substrate support. Target deposition profile graph 1500 includes regions 1502, 1504, 1506, 1508, 1510, and 1512, which may have different deposition amounts. A different number of regions than shown may be included. Regions 1502, 1504, 1506, 1508, 1510, and 1512 are shown as examples and may have different shapes and / or sizes. The deposition amount in each of regions 1502, 1504, 1506, 1508, 1510, and 1512 may be the same or may vary across the region. Figure 16 An exemplary sensitivity diagram showing the difference in deposition thickness versus temperature variation is shown. Figure 12 An example of the sensitivity calibration value determined at 1212 .

[0143] Figure 17Target temperature profile 1700 is shown, which is an example of a target temperature profile that may be used when performing a trimming or deposition step to provide certain critical dimensions. Figure 9 Target temperature profile 1700 illustrates target temperatures across the substrate support. Target temperature profile 1700 includes regions 1702, 1704, 1706, 1708, 1710, and 1712, which may have different temperatures. A different number of regions than shown may be included. Regions 1702, 1704, 1706, 1708, 1710, and 1712 are shown as examples and may have different shapes and / or sizes. The temperature in each of regions 1702, 1704, 1706, 1708, 1710, and 1712 may be the same or may vary across the region.

[0144] Figure 18 A substrate support 1800 including 11 heater zones is shown. As shown, substrate support 1800 includes a center region 1802, an inner mid-radius region 1804, four outer mid-radius regions (i.e., outer mid-radius region 1806 including four segments 1806-1, 1806-2, 1806-3, and 1806-4), and four outer edge regions (i.e., outer edge region 1808 including four segments 1808-1, 1808-2, 1808-3, and 1808-4). The segments of outer edge region 1808 are offset (i.e., rotated relative to) the segments of outer mid-radius region 1806 (e.g., offset by 45°). In some examples, substrate support 1800 may include a second outer edge region 1810 radially outward of outer edge region 1808. For example, the inner diameter of second outer edge region 1810 may be greater than the diameter of the substrate. The temperature of the substrate support 1800 may be controlled by using independently controllable resistive heaters 160 arranged in respective ones of the regions 1802 , 1804 , 1806 , 1808 , 1810 .

[0145] In some examples, outer edge region 1808 overlaps and / or extends beyond (i.e., in a radial direction) the outer edge of the substrate. For example, for a 300 mm substrate, the radius of outer edge region 1808 can be greater than 300 mm. In addition, the width of outer edge region 1808 (i.e., the distance from the inner radius to the outer radius) is less than the width of inner middle radius region 1804 and outer middle radius region 1806. For example, the width of outer edge region 1808 can be approximately 10 mm (e.g., + / - 2 mm), and the widths of inner middle radius region 1804 and outer middle radius region 1806 can each be approximately 40 mm (e.g., + / - 2 mm). The relatively narrow width of outer edge region 1808 facilitates fine-tuning at the outer edge of the substrate.

[0146] The arrangement of the regions enables compensation of both the radial thickness NU and the azimuthal thickness NU, as well as compensation of NU at the narrow outer edge regions of the substrate. By way of example only, Figure 19-21 Other example zone arrangements are shown. In other examples, the substrate support can include other arrangements and combinations of radial and azimuthal zones. For example, the substrate support can include fewer (e.g., two) or more (e.g., 20 or more) zones, and each radial zone can be divided into 2 to 8 or more independently controllable radial and azimuthal zones to increase adjustability.

[0147] The temperature of a zone can be controlled according to a predetermined temperature control profile for a known NU profile. For example, one or more temperature control profiles can be stored (e.g., in the temperature controller 162 and / or in a memory accessible to the controller 162), input by a user, etc. Each temperature control profile can be associated with a predetermined NU profile (e.g., for a given process or recipe, processing chamber, etc.). Thus, during the ALD process, heater zones can be individually controlled and adjusted to compensate for the deposition NU. The temperature control profile corresponds to a target temperature for each zone of the substrate support and can be calibrated based on the expected temperature output for a given zone of the substrate support. In some examples, the temperature control profile relates film characteristics (e.g., thickness, deposition rate, etc.) and / or the temperature of a zone to one or more heater zone control parameters (e.g., duty cycle, output percentage, etc.). Thus, a predetermined temperature control profile can be retrieved based on a desired temperature distribution, film thickness, and / or other film characteristics, and the heater zones can be controlled based on the heater zone control parameters in the retrieved temperature control profile.

[0148] The temperature of each heater zone can be controlled based on one or more types of feedback. In one example, each zone can include its own temperature sensor. In another example, the temperature of each zone can be calculated. For example, the voltage and current of a resistive heater can be measured (e.g., using voltage and current sensors) to determine the resistance of the resistive heater. Since the resistance characteristics of the resistive heater are known, the temperature of each zone can be calculated based on the change in resistance caused by the associated temperature change. In some examples, a combination of temperature sensors and calculations using other sensed or measured parameters (e.g., voltage and current) can be used to provide feedback.

[0149] Figure 22 A temperature calibration method for a substrate support is shown. The method includes calculating the power input to one or more TCEs of the substrate support. The method may begin at 2200. At 2202, the solution module 520 sets the one or more TCEs to a first predetermined power level. At 2204, the temperature detector 161 detects a first temperature or spatial temperature response pattern of the one or more TCEs.

[0150] At 2206, the solution module 520 sets the one or more TCEs to one or more second predetermined power levels. At 2208, the temperature detector 161 detects a second temperature or spatial temperature response pattern of the one or more TCEs.

[0151] In one embodiment, during the setting of the first predetermined power level, each TCE is set to the same power level, and during the setting of the second predetermined power level, each TCE is not powered. In another embodiment, the first predetermined power level is a maximum power level for the TCEs.

[0152] At 2210, the solution module 520 calculates the difference between the first temperature and the second temperature for each TCE. Thus, two measurements are taken for each TCE. Instead of measuring the TCE temperature at maximum power level and in a powered-off state, an alternative approach involves setting the TCE to an intermediate power level and measuring the corresponding temperature at the intermediate power level. Multiple TCEs can be powered simultaneously.

[0153] At 2212, the solution module 520 calculates a system response for the one or more TCEs based on the difference calculated at 2210. In one embodiment, the calculated system response is an algorithm that determines the relationship between the supplied power and the resulting temperature of the one or more TCEs. In one embodiment, the calculated system response is a matrix including vectors. The matrix can be a unit response matrix. At 2214, the solution module 520 can invert the system response.

[0154] At 2216, the solution module 520 calibrates one or more TCEs based on the inverted system response. In one embodiment, Figure 22 The method may further include verifying the calibration. In one embodiment, the method may include operating at least one thermal imaging temperature detector 161 to perform a two-dimensional temperature prediction of the substrate support and / or the processed substrate. Similarly, the method may include determining the thermal energy output of the substrate support based on the thermal image. The method may end at 2218.

[0155] Figure 23 Another temperature calibration method for a substrate support is shown, which is similar to Figure 22 The method may begin at 2300. At 2302, the TCE is de-energized and a first temperature of the TCE is measured. At 2304, the first temperature is stored in a memory.

[0156] At 2306, the solution module 520 sets the TCE to an updated (or second) power level greater than zero (or the first power level). At 2308, a second temperature of the powered TCE is measured. At 2310, the second temperature is stored in memory.

[0157] At 2312, the solution module 520 determines the difference between the first and second power levels and the difference between the first and second temperatures. At 2314, the solution module 520 stores the power level and temperature differences. At 2316, the solution module 520 determines whether to perform another power level update. If so, operation 2306 is performed; otherwise, operation 2320 is performed.

[0158] At 2320, the solution module 520 determines whether the differences conform to a previously determined function. If not, operation 2322 is performed and a function is fitted to the differences. This can be performed for each TCE. If the differences do conform to the previously determined function, the system response is calculated at 2324 based on the power level, temperature, and the differences. At 2326, the system response can be inverted. The method can end at 2328.

[0159] Figure 22-23 The above method determines the system response for the provided power level and provides the power requirement for the target temperature profile by inverting the system response. Vectorization of the infrared image and the power setpoints enables problem solving using matrix equations.

[0160] Now refer to Figure 1 、 5 and 24, which shows an exemplary calibration and processing system 2400. The calibration and processing system 2400 includes Figure 1 The temperature controller 162, the calibration / solution module 2401 (e.g., Figure 5 520), a drive controller 2402, a multi-zone substrate support 2404, a temperature sensor 2406, a metrology device 504, and a thermocouple substrate 2410. The multi-zone substrate support 2404 may be constructed and operated similarly to the substrate support 104.

[0161] Temperature calibration system 2400 includes multiple feedback loops 2420, 2422, and 2424. The feedback loops are provided by: (i) temperature sensor signals from temperature sensor 2406 to calibration / solution module 2401 and / or drive controller 2402; (ii) temperature sensor signals from thermocouple substrate 2410 to calibration / solution module 2401 and / or drive controller 2402; and (iii) metrology signals from metrology device 504 to calibration / solution module 2401. One of the feedback loops can be used to calibrate, trim, or perform a deposition process. Multiple feedback loops can be used when performing more than one calibration, trim, and / or deposition process. For example, a first feedback loop can be executed when performing a first trim process, while a second feedback loop can be executed when performing a second trim process. As another example, a first feedback loop can be used when performing a deposition operation, while a second feedback loop can be executed when performing a trim process after the deposition process.

[0162] Feedback loops 2420 and 2422 are used for hardware fine-tuning calibration of the multi-zone substrate support 2404 and the thermocouple substrate 2410, respectively. Feedback loop 2424 is used to fine-tune the process for substrate profile matching within a particular station of a processing chamber (or processing module). As an example, a processing chamber (or processing module) may include a predetermined number of stations (e.g., four stations), each of which includes its own multi-zone substrate support. The temperature controller 162 may control calibration and processing at each station.

[0163] During operation, the calibration / solution module 2401 may receive a target profile. The target profile may be loaded by a user and / or may be received from a network device. The target profile may be a target substrate temperature profile, a target substrate support temperature profile, a target power profile, a target substrate thickness profile, and the like. Each profile may include a target temperature across the substrate, a target temperature across the substrate support, a target critical dimension (e.g., a target thickness across the substrate), and the like. The target profile may be loaded when preparing to perform, for example, a critical dimension, trimming, or deposition process.

[0164] In addition to performing the operations and functions described above, the calibration / solution module 2401 may also receive: a temperature signal from the thermocouple substrate 2410 during temperature calibration of the substrate; a temperature signal from the temperature sensor 2406 during temperature calibration of the multi-zone substrate support 2404; and a metrology signal provided from the metrology device 504 during sensitivity substrate profile calibration. The calibration / solution module 2401 (based on the received temperature signal and metrology signal) generates control signals to control the drive controller 2402. The drive controller 2402 may: operate as a proportional integral derivative (PID) controller; adjust power settings (e.g., current levels, voltage levels, duty cycle, etc.) to adjust the power and / or temperature of temperature control elements in the multi-zone substrate support 2404; and / or adjust the temperature and / or flow rate of the coolant supplied to the multi-zone substrate support 2404. The drive controller 2402 may generate power signals that are provided to the temperature control elements in the multi-zone substrate support and to the pump that circulates the coolant through the multi-zone substrate support. The drive controller 2402 may also generate signals for Figure 1 The pump control signal of the pump 170 and / or other temperature control signals.

[0165] In one embodiment, the temperature at each location of the thermocouple substrate 2410 is calibrated as a function of the duty cycle setpoints. A user may provide a target profile that includes a set of temperature setpoints for the thermocouple substrate 2410. The calibration / solution module 2401 may then determine the corresponding duty cycle setpoints for the temperature control elements of the multi-zone substrate support 2404. In another embodiment, the temperature at each location of the multi-zone substrate support 2404 is calibrated as a function of the duty cycle setpoints. A user may provide a target profile that includes a set of temperature setpoints for the multi-zone substrate support 2404. The calibration / solution module 2401 may then determine the corresponding duty cycle setpoints for the temperature control elements of the multi-zone substrate support 2404. As alternative embodiments, a user may provide a duty cycle profile for both the thermocouple substrate 2410 and the multi-zone substrate support 2404. The calibration / solution module 2401 may then determine the target temperature and generate corresponding control signals for driving the controller 2402 to provide the target temperature. For these exemplary embodiments, each A-matrix including temperature calibration values ​​may be determined as described above prior to providing duty cycle set points. Figure 25 Another example of determining the A-matrix is ​​provided.

[0166] In another embodiment, the user can provide a target profile that includes a target substrate thickness and / or other physical dimension profiles indicating surface and layer dimensions. The dimensions can include thickness, depth, height, and width of physical features of the thermocouple substrate 2410. The calibration / solution module 2401 can determine a set of target duty cycles and / or temperatures based on the provided target profile. This can be based on an S-matrix with sensitivity calibration values, such as thickness change relative to temperature change. Figure 27 Another example of determining the S-matrix is ​​provided.

[0167] The calibration and processing system 2400 can be based on Figure 25 and 27 Method to operate. Figure 25 The temperature calibration method is shown. The following operations can be performed repeatedly. The following operations can be performed by the temperature controller 162 and / or the calibration / solution module 2401.

[0168] The method may begin at 2500. At 2502, a predetermined recipe and thermocouple (TC) substrate process requirements are loaded into, for example, the temperature controller 162. The recipe may include, for example, substances, pressures, flow rates, etc. The recipe may also include other parameters, such as timing values, temperatures, etc. The TC substrate process requirements may indicate the order in which multiple stations are to be calibrated, corresponding to the order in which the TC substrates are to be placed in each station to obtain calibration values ​​associated with the TC substrates and each station. For example, if there are four stations, four sets of calibration values ​​may be determined for each recipe and / or process being performed. The loading may include the target profile received from a user or network device as described above.

[0169] At 2504, the temperature controller 162 and / or the calibration / solution module 2401 sets the process chamber and corresponding substrate support to predetermined initial temperatures. This may include setting predetermined initial power parameters for the temperature control elements and the substrate support coolant temperature, pressure, and / or flow rate.

[0170] At 2506, the temperature controller 162 and / or the calibration / solution module 2401 may (i) operate the processing chamber according to the first or next preparation recipe for at least a predetermined period of time to obtain a steady state, and (ii) initialize one or more controllers (if not already done). The first preparation recipe may be the same as or different from the recipe used to set the processing chamber and substrate support to a predetermined initial temperature. This may include increasing the temperature of one or more regions of the substrate support. Table 1 below provides an example of a series of preparation recipes implemented by repeating this method. During the first repetition, the initial conditions may be unknown, and the first preparation recipe may be identified as E0, which has a waiting period of R1 minutes implemented in 2509. During the next repetition, the initial conditions are known and are associated with or referred to as preparation recipe E0 (or the last preparation recipe executed), and the next preparation recipe is executed. The initial conditions may refer to the temperature of the processing chamber and substrate support and other states of the processing chamber and substrate support resulting from the execution of the last preparation recipe. The preparation recipe may be long-term to generate Technology Data Management Stream (TDMS) archival data to confirm the resistance temperature detector (RTD) stability of the TC substrate. Table 1

[0171] At 2508 , the temperature controller 162 and / or the calibration / solution module 2401 determines whether the temperature of the process chamber and the substrate support (or the top plate of the substrate support) is greater than or equal to a predetermined temperature (eg, a predetermined initial temperature).

[0172] At 2509, the temperature controller 162 and / or the calibration / solution module 2401 determines whether steady-state conditions have been reached. This may include, for example, determining whether a first predetermined period of time has elapsed and / or whether the temperature of the process chamber and substrate support has stabilized for a first predetermined period of time (e.g., 10-60 minutes). The temperature controller 162 and / or the calibration / solution module 2401 may avoid charging chemicals (or substances) within the process chamber.

[0173] The first predetermined (or waiting) time period is used for efficiency purposes. This allows calibration associated with each recipe to be performed while waiting long enough for each iteration of the method to reach steady state. By knowing the initial conditions and the new conditions (or the current preparation recipe), the amount of time to reach steady state can be determined by the temperature controller 162 and / or the calibration / solution module 2401. The first predetermined time period can be determined based on the determined amount of time to reach steady state. The waiting time can be set based on the initial and new conditions. The waiting time may be increased, for example, if power to one or more temperature control elements is lost, the wrong recipe is run, the experiment fails, and / or other faults are detected. The waiting time may be increased for a safe period of time (e.g., 60 minutes).

[0174] At 2510, a TC substrate and a dummy substrate are loaded into corresponding stations of a processing chamber and onto corresponding substrate supports. The TC substrate is loaded into one station, while the dummy substrate is loaded into the other station. Automatic centering of the substrate on the substrate support is performed. The TC substrate may include indentations or other reference points. The positions of the reference points are recorded to indicate the angular position of the TC substrate in the corresponding station. The position and orientation of the TC substrate, the identification (ID) of the TC substrate, the ID of the substrate support, the ID of the station, and the ID of the processing chamber may be stored in a memory and linked to the data collected during operation 2512. During multiple repetitions of the method, a TC substrate is placed in each station. While in each station, the reference point of the TC substrate may be at a different angular position.

[0175] At 2511, the temperature controller 162 and / or the calibration / solution module 2401 determines whether the temperature of the TC substrate is greater than or equal to a predetermined temperature. If so, operation 2512 is performed. At 2512, the temperature controller 162 and / or the calibration / solution module 2401 waits for a second predetermined period of time (e.g., 300 seconds) before proceeding to operation 2513. The wait time may be increased, for example, if power to one or more temperature control elements is lost, an incorrect recipe is run, an experiment fails, and / or other faults are detected. The wait time may be increased by a safety period (e.g., 60 minutes).

[0176] At 2513, the temperature controller 162 and / or the calibration / solution module 2401 collects temperature data for a third predetermined period of time (e.g., 10 seconds) and a predetermined frequency (e.g., 4 Hz). The data may include information identifying the current recipe, TC substrate, station, TC substrate position and orientation, power parameters, and / or other relevant parameters. An example of the temperature data collected for a TC substrate is shown in FIG. Figure 26A -J. Each region in the figure has its own temperature range. Figure 26A The regions of the graph are labeled A1 - A11. The temperature range is different for each graph, and generally, for this example graph, the smaller the region, the hotter the region. Figure 26A Each of the graphs 26-D and 26F-J may refer to temperatures collected for a particular recipe as the temperature in a particular region increases. Figure 26E It may refer to the initial temperature or the temperature when no specific area is added. At 2514 , the temperature controller 162 and / or the calibration / solution module 2401 may output and / or store the collected temperature data and corresponding information, such as a TDMS file.

[0177] At 2516, the temperature controller 162 and / or the calibration / solution module 2401 may determine whether another station is to be calibrated. If so, operation 2518 may be performed, otherwise operation 2520 may be performed.

[0178] At 2518, one of the virtual substrates is removed from the next station for calibration, and the TC substrate is loaded into that station. The virtual substrate is loaded into the station from which the TC substrate was removed. Automatic substrate centering is performed on the TC substrate and the loaded virtual substrate. The position and orientation of the TC substrate and the station ID are recorded.

[0179] At 2520 , the temperature controller 162 and / or the calibration / solution module 2401 determines whether calibration is to be performed for another recipe. If so, operation 2522 is performed, otherwise operation 2526 is performed.

[0180] At 2522, the process chamber is evacuated. At 2524, the substrate is removed from the process chamber. Operation 2506 may be performed after operation 2524.

[0181] At 2526, the calibration / solution module 2401 may determine one or more A-matrices including temperature calibration values ​​for each station based on the collected temperature data and other relevant information (which includes and / or is linked to the position and orientation of the TC substrate). As an example, the A-matrix for the TC substrate and one of the stations may be determined using one or more of Equations 5-6, where [T] is an nx1 column vector matrix containing the target temperature, [W T ] is the nxn diagonal point-by-point weighted matrix, [A n ] is the regional calibration A-matrix, [DC] is the duty cycle column vector matrix, [T0] is the matrix of initial temperature, T substrate is the substrate temperature, △T substrate is the change of substrate temperature, P set Refers to the specific set value of the working cycle, POWER is the general (or actual) working cycle, T bp is the specific baseplate (or setpoint) temperature of the substrate support, and T baseplateis the typical (or actual) temperature of the substrate support, where n is an integer greater than or equal to 2 and can represent multiple measurement points. Each of the temperatures can refer to the temperature of the TC substrate or the temperature of the corresponding substrate support, depending on whether the TC substrate or substrate support is calibrated. Equation 5 can be rearranged to calibrate the A-matrix [A n As an example, the duty cycle column vector matrix [DC] may be a 10×1 matrix including duty cycle target values.

[0182] Insertable sensor array calibration A-matrix [A cal ] to provide the regional calibration A-matrix [A n As an example, the sensor array calibration A-matrix may be a 65×10 matrix and refers to the temperature detection points of the sensor array of the TC substrate. n ] can be an n×10 matrix. Regional calibration A-matrix [A n ] may correspond to areas of the substrate support and / or TC substrate, respectively.

[0183] After calibration and as an example, the column matrix [T] is provided as input and Equation 5 is used to calibrate the A-matrix [A based on the determined area n ] determine the duty cycle matrix [DC]. The duty cycle matrix [DC] may best fit the column matrix [T]. As another example, the duty cycle matrix [DC] is provided as input and Equation 5 is used to calibrate the A-matrix [A based on the determined region n ]Determine the column matrix [T]. The column matrix [T] may best fit the duty cycle matrix [DC]. The duty cycle matrix [DC] may be determined using a least mean square or least squares regression algorithm.

[0184] If the points in the A-matrix are not uniform (e.g., there is a high density of points in a certain location because the system is providing a higher resolution for that location), weights can be used to prioritize the values ​​of certain points. These values ​​can be prioritized based on, for example, user input. This weighting can have an impact when providing a least squares regression solution for the duty cycle. When there is a higher density of points in a certain location, an "overfitting" condition may result. The term "overfitting" refers to when the sensor array calibration A-matrix [A cal ] when there are more than one point in the temperature region. The method may end at 2528.

[0185] After executing the above method, the TDMS archive generated using the collected data and the corresponding information for each of the repetitions and preparation recipes is collected, and the determined A-matrix (or multiple A-matrices) can be verified. This can include loading one or more A-matrices into the calibration / solver module 2401. The preparation recipe is run as described above when operating in temperature mode, where the temperature of the processing chamber and / or substrate support is set to a predetermined temperature (e.g., 50°C). Next, the calibration / solver module 2401 waits for a predetermined time period (e.g., 60 minutes) as described above. The TC substrates are then loaded into the station one at a time in the substrate flow sequence to detect the temperature. If the data point (i.e., the measured temperature) is within a predetermined range of the predetermined temperature (e.g., ±0.5°C), the one or more A-matrices are verified. If the data point is outside the predetermined range of the predetermined temperature (e.g., ±0.5°C), the repetition is performed. Figure 25 The calibration process can be completed and / or calibration errors can be reported.

[0186] Figure 27 An exemplary sensitivity calibration method is shown. Figure 25 The following operations may be performed repeatedly. The following operations may be performed by the temperature controller 162 and / or the calibration / solution module 2401.

[0187] The method may begin at 2700. At 2702, a predetermined recipe and target substrate flow requirements are loaded into, for example, a temperature controller 162. The recipe may include, for example, substances, pressures, flow rates, etc. The recipe may include other parameters, such as timing values, temperatures, etc. The target substrate flow requirements may refer to the order in which multiple groups of stations are to be calibrated, which corresponds to the order in which one or more target substrates are placed in the stations to obtain sensitivity calibration values ​​associated with the target substrates and the stations. For example, for a four-station module, two stations may be target stations for a first iteration of the method, while the other two stations may be target stations for a second iteration of the method. During each iteration, groups of calibration values ​​are collected for the target stations. The loading may include receiving a target profile from a user or network device as described above.

[0188] At 2704, the temperature controller 162 and / or the calibration / solution module 2401 sets the process chamber and substrate support to predetermined initial temperatures. This may include setting predetermined initial power parameters for the temperature control elements; and substrate support coolant temperature, pressure, and flow rate.

[0189] At 2706, the temperature controller 162 and / or the calibration / solution module 2401 may (i) operate the processing chamber according to the first or next preparation recipe for at least a predetermined time period to achieve steady state, and (ii) initialize one or more controllers (if not already done). The first preparation recipe may be the same as or different from the recipe used to set the processing chamber and the substrate support to a predetermined initial temperature. This may include increasing the temperature of one or more regions of the substrate support. Table 2 below provides an example of a series of preparation recipes implemented by repeating the method. During the first repetition, the initial conditions may be unknown, and the first preparation recipe may be identified as S0, which has a waiting period of W1 minutes implemented in 2509. During the next repetition, the initial conditions are known and are associated with or referred to as preparation recipe S0 (or the last preparation recipe executed), and the next preparation recipe is implemented. The initial conditions may refer to the temperature of the processing chamber and the substrate support and other states of the processing chamber and the substrate support resulting from the implementation of the last preparation recipe. Initial conditions Preparation formula Waiting period Unknown / Any S0 W 1 minute S0 S1 W1 minute S1 S2 W2 minutes S2 S3 W3 minutes S3 S4 W4 minutes S4 S5 W5 minutes S5 S6 W6 minutes S6 S7 W7 minutes S7 S8 W8 minutes S8 S9 W9 minutes S9 S10 W10 minutes Table 2

[0190] At 2708 , the temperature controller 162 and / or the calibration / solution module 2401 determines whether the temperature of the process chamber and the substrate holder (or the top plate of the substrate support) is greater than or equal to a predetermined temperature (eg, a predetermined initial temperature).

[0191] At 2709, the temperature controller 162 and / or the calibration / solution module 2401 determines whether steady-state conditions have been reached. This may include, for example, determining whether a first predetermined time period has elapsed and / or whether the temperatures of the processing chamber and substrate support have stabilized for a first predetermined time period (e.g., 10-60 minutes). The first predetermined (or wait) time period is used for efficiency purposes. This allows for calibration to be performed for each recipe and for a sufficient waiting time to allow each iteration of the method to reach steady-state. By knowing the initial conditions (or conditions associated with the last prepared recipe) and the new conditions (or conditions associated with the current prepared recipe), the amount of time required to reach steady-state can be determined by the temperature controller 162 and / or the calibration / solution module 2401. The first predetermined time period can be determined based on the determined amount of time to reach steady-state. The wait time can be set based on the initial and new conditions. The wait time may be increased, for example, if power to one or more temperature control elements is lost, an incorrect recipe is run, the experiment fails, and / or other faults are detected. The wait time may be increased by a safety period (e.g., 60 minutes).

[0192] At 2710, the temperature controller 162 and / or the calibration / solution module 2401 may charge the chemicals (or substances) within the process chamber. At 2712, the temperature controller 162 and / or the calibration / solution module 2401 may determine which target stations to determine the sensitivity value.

[0193] At 2714, a blank substrate is loaded into the corresponding target station and onto the corresponding substrate support of the processing chamber. A dummy substrate may be loaded into a non-target station. If there is a second or more iterations of the method, and a substrate was placed in the station before this operation, each previously loaded substrate may be (i) removed from the processing chamber and replaced with another substrate, or (ii) moved to another station. Zero or more stations may be non-target stations. If the dummy wafer is not loaded into the non-target station, a verification is performed to determine whether the handling order of each station matches the predetermined handling order. The verification may include determining whether the blank and dummy substrates have: the correct path, trajectory, and placement; the correct soak time; the correct angular position within each station; and / or the correct loading order.

[0194] Automatic centering of the blank substrate on the corresponding substrate support is performed. The blank substrate may include an indentation or other reference point. The position of the reference point is recorded to indicate the angular position of the blank substrate in the station. The position and orientation of the blank substrate, the ID of the blank substrate, the ID of the corresponding substrate support, the ID of the corresponding station, and the ID of the processing chamber can be stored in memory and linked to the data collected during operations 2716 and 2720.

[0195] At 2716 , the metrology device 504 may perform a pre-scan and take physical critical dimension measurements and / or other measurements of the blank substrate to provide first measurement data. The first measurement data may include ellipsometric data.

[0196] At 2718, a predetermined target process may be run for each station. This may be a trimming or deposition process as described above. The target process may be run on all stations or a subset of stations. In one embodiment, the target process is run on all stations until consistency is determined between stations, or between preceding and succeeding stations. The target process may be run simultaneously on two or more stations.

[0197] At 2719, the temperature controller 162 and / or the calibration / solution module 2401 may wait for a predetermined period of time associated with the current recipe. Examples of wait periods are shown in Table 2. The wait time may be increased, for example, if power to one or more temperature control elements is lost, the wrong recipe is run, the experiment fails, and / or a fault is detected. The wait time may be increased by a safety period (e.g., 60 minutes).

[0198] At 2720, the metrology device 504 may perform a post-scan and take physical critical dimension measurements and / or other measurements of the blank substrate to provide second measurement data that can be compared to the first measurement data. The second measurement data may include ellipsometric data.

[0199] At 2722, the temperature controller 162 and / or the calibration / solution module 2401 may output and / or store the collected first and second measurement data and corresponding information, such as a TDMS file. The first and second measurement data and corresponding information may be stored in a memory and accessed by the temperature controller 162 and the calibration / solution module 2401.

[0200] At 2724, the temperature controller 162 and / or the calibration / solution module 2401 may determine whether there is another set of one or more target stations to be processed using the current recipe. If so, operation 2714 may be performed, otherwise operation 2726 may be performed.

[0201] At 2728, the process chamber is evacuated. At 2730, the blank and dummy substrates are removed from the process chamber. Operation 2706 may be performed after operation 2730.

[0202] The number of substrates evaluated per station may be less than or equal to the number of iterations of the method, depending on the number of stations targeted (or tested) during each iteration. The number of substrates evaluated per station may be equal to the number of recipes.

[0203] At 2726, the temperature controller 162 and / or the calibration / solution module 2401 determines whether calibration is to be performed on another recipe. If so, operation 2728 may be performed, otherwise operation 2732 may be performed.

[0204] At 2732, the calibration / solution module 2401 may determine one or more S-matrices including sensitivity calibration values ​​for a blank substrate based on the collected metrology data (the first measurement data and the second measurement data) and other relevant information (which includes and / or is linked to the position and orientation of the substrate). As an example, the S-matrix for the substrate and one of the stations may be determined using Equation 7, where DTC refers to a target critical dimension (e.g., layer thickness or feature depth or width) resulting from a trimming or deposition process, and ΔParameter substrate is the change in substrate parameters (e.g., change in critical dimensions), ΔT substrate is the substrate temperature, and △T substrate is the change in substrate temperature. The method may end at 2734. Change in substrate parameter ΔParameter substrateThe temperature change ΔT may be equal to the difference between corresponding values ​​of the first and second measurement data, for example, the difference between a first measurement value of a characteristic dimension of the substrate and a second measurement value of the characteristic dimension of the substrate after running the target process at 2718. substrate It may refer to the temperature of the feature (or corresponding portion of the substrate support) before running the target process and the temperature of the feature (or corresponding portion of the substrate support) after the target process.

[0205] Figure 25 and 27 The above operations are intended as illustrative examples. The operations may be performed sequentially, synchronously, simultaneously, continuously, during overlapping time periods, or in a different order, depending on the application. In addition, any operations may not be performed or skipped, depending on the implementation and / or order of events.

[0206] The above method provides an example implementation for estimating steady-state substrate temperature as a function of inputs (e.g., power level, current level, voltage, duty cycle, etc. of a temperature control element of a substrate support). Steady-state substrate temperature is correlated with process results using a sensitivity model provided by an S-matrix and used for process regulation to control, for example, film thickness and / or other temperature-sensitive parameters of the substrate. The temperature of various locations (or within) the substrate is monitored and / or estimated and used to precisely regulate the temperature of the substrate. This includes using a temperature model provided by an A-matrix. Calibration data for the temperature model is collected using a TC substrate. The calibration data can be provided to a controller (e.g., temperature controller 162) and / or calibration module 522, which can then perform a linear regression on the measured temperature data relative to the corresponding inputs to provide an A-matrix and, therefore, a temperature model.

[0207] Next, the solver module 520 can estimate the substrate temperature during processing based on any given input A-matrix and / or temperature model. Alternatively, the temperature model can be inverted to determine recommended process input values ​​(e.g., power levels, current levels, voltages, duty cycles, etc. for the temperature control elements of the substrate support) based on the provided or target substrate temperature. In one embodiment, regulation is performed by the user providing a specific temperature or input parameter profile and the controller providing a best-fit solution including the temperature control element parameters, substrate temperature, or substrate support temperature. In a profile regulation mode, a sensitivity profile is calculated for a specific process, and the user provides a desired film property profile (e.g., thickness profile) for the substrate. The solver module 520 inverts both the sensitivity model and the temperature model to calculate a best-fit temperature control element input profile to meet the desired film property profile.

[0208] The use of the disclosed solution module 520 reduces process development time and enables algorithm-based hardware and process tuning to correct tool-to-tool and station-to-station variations. Tuning is about substrate critical dimension profile, for example, fine-tuning film thickness to This fine-tuning saves process time and eliminates the need for process engineers to perform trial-and-error processes on numerous substrates to find the optimal temperature control element inputs that provide the best temperature profile to meet process requirements. This saves time and resources to find the optimal temperature control element inputs. Fine-tuning also saves time and resources associated with replicating the trial-and-error process at each station and process chamber, as the optimal temperature control element inputs for each station and process chamber can be easily determined. The substrate temperature model can be used to: match target substrate temperatures across multiple stations and process chambers; correct for tool-to-tool variability; and quickly adjust new substrate process layers that may require different film property profiles.

[0209] The foregoing description is merely illustrative in nature and is in no way intended to limit the present disclosure, its application or use. The broad teachings of the present disclosure can be implemented in various forms. Therefore, although the present disclosure includes specific examples, the true scope of the present disclosure should not be so limited, because other modifications will become apparent when studying the drawings, description and appended claims. It should be understood that one or more steps in the method can be performed in a different order (or simultaneously) without changing the principles of the present disclosure. In addition, although each embodiment is described above as having certain features, any one or more of those features described with respect to any embodiment of the present disclosure can be implemented in the features of any other embodiment and / or combined with the features of any other embodiment, even if the combination is not explicitly described. In other words, the embodiments described are not mutually exclusive, and the replacement of one or more embodiments with each other remains within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0210] Various terms are used to describe the spatial and functional relationships between elements (e.g., between modules, between circuit elements, between semiconductor layers, etc.), including "connected," "engaged," "coupled," "adjacent," "next to," "on top of," "above," "below," and "disposed." Unless the relationship between a first and a second element is explicitly described as "direct," when such a relationship is described in the above disclosure, the relationship can be a direct relationship, in which there are no other intervening elements between the first and second elements, but can also be an indirect relationship, in which there are one or more intervening elements (spatially or functionally) between the first and second elements. As used herein, the phrase "at least one of A, B, and C" should be construed to mean a logical (A or B or C), using a non-exclusive logical OR, and should not be construed to mean "at least one of A, at least one of B, and at least one of C."

[0211] In some implementations, the controller is part of a system that can be part of the examples above. Such a system can include semiconductor processing equipment that includes one or more processing tools, one or more chambers, one or more platforms for processing, and / or specific processing components (wafer pedestals, gas flow systems, etc.). These systems can be integrated with electronic devices for controlling their operation before, during, and after processing of semiconductor wafers or substrates. The electronic device can be referred to as a "controller" that can control various components or subcomponents of one or more systems. Depending on the processing requirements and / or system type, the controller can be programmed to control any process disclosed herein, including the delivery of process gases, temperature settings (e.g., heating and / or cooling), pressure settings, vacuum settings, power settings, radio frequency (RF) generator settings, RF matching circuit settings, frequency settings, flow rate settings, fluid delivery settings, position and operation settings, wafer transfer in and out tools and other transfer tools and / or load locks connected to or interfaced with a specific system.

[0212] In general, a controller can be defined as an electronic device having various integrated circuits, logic, memory, and / or software that receive instructions, issue instructions, control operations, enable cleaning operations, enable endpoint measurements, and the like. The integrated circuits can include chips in the form of firmware that stores program instructions, digital signal processors (DSPs), chips defined as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), and / or one or more microprocessors or microcontrollers that execute program instructions (e.g., software). The program instructions can be instructions sent to the controller in the form of various separate settings (or program files) that define operating parameters for performing a particular process on or for a semiconductor wafer or system. In some embodiments, the operating parameters can be part of a recipe defined by a process engineer to complete one or more processing steps during the manufacture of one or more layers, materials, metals, oxides, silicon, silicon dioxide, surfaces, circuits, and / or the die of the wafer.

[0213] In some implementations, the controller can be part of or coupled to a computer that is integrated with the system, coupled to the system, otherwise networked to the system, or a combination thereof. For example, the controller can be in the "cloud" or all or part of a wafer fab host system that can allow remote access to wafer processing. The computer can enable remote access to the system to monitor the current progress of manufacturing operations, review the history of past manufacturing operations, review trends or performance metrics for multiple manufacturing operations, change parameters of the current process, set processing steps to follow the current process, or start a new process. In some examples, a remote computer (e.g., a server) can provide process recipes to the system via a network (which can include a local network or the Internet). The remote computer can include a user interface that enables the input or programming of parameters and / or settings, which are then sent from the remote computer to the system. In some examples, the controller receives instructions in the form of data that specify parameters for each processing step to be performed during one or more operations. It should be understood that the parameters can be specific to the type of process to be performed and the type of tool the controller is configured to interface with or control. Thus, as described above, the controller can be distributed, for example, by including one or more discrete controllers networked together and working toward a common purpose (e.g., process and control as described herein). An example of a distributed controller for such a purpose is one or more integrated circuits on a chamber communicating with one or more integrated circuits remotely (e.g., at a platform level or as part of a remote computer), which combine to control the process on the chamber.

[0214] In this application, including the following definitions, the term "module" or the term "controller" can be replaced with the term "circuit". The term "module" can mean, be a part of, or include the following: an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC); a digital, analog, or mixed analog / digital discrete circuit; a digital, analog, or mixed analog / digital integrated circuit; a combinational logic circuit; a field programmable gate array (FPGA); a processor circuit (shared, dedicated, or group) that executes code; a memory circuit (shared, dedicated, or group) that stores program code executed by the processor circuit; other suitable hardware components that provide the described functionality; or a combination of some or all of the above, such as a system-on-chip.

[0215] The module can include one or more interface circuits, which in some examples can include a wired or wireless interface that connects to a local area network (LAN), the Internet, a wide area network (WAN), or a combination thereof. The functionality of any given module of the present disclosure can be distributed among multiple modules connected via the interface circuits. For example, multiple modules can allow for load balancing. In another example, a server (also referred to as a remote or cloud) module can perform some of the functionality on behalf of a client module.

[0216] The term program code, as used above, may include software, firmware, and / or microcode, and may refer to programs, routines, functions, classes, data structures, and / or objects. The term shared processor circuit includes a single processor circuit that executes some or all program code from multiple modules. The term group processor circuit includes a processor circuit that, in combination with additional processor circuits, executes some or all program code from one or more modules. Reference to a multi-processor circuit includes multiple processor circuits on discrete dies, multiple processor circuits on a single die, multiple cores of a single processor circuit, multiple threads of a single processor circuit, or a combination of the foregoing. The term shared memory circuit includes a single memory circuit that is used to store some or all program code from multiple modules. The term group memory circuit includes a memory circuit that, in combination with additional memory, stores some or all program code from one or more modules.

[0217] The term memory circuit is a subset of the term computer-readable medium. As used herein, the term computer-readable medium does not include transient electrical or electromagnetic signals conducted through a medium (e.g., on a carrier wave); thus, the term computer-readable medium may be considered to be tangible and non-transitory. Non-limiting examples of non-transitory, tangible computer-readable media are non-volatile memory circuits (e.g., flash memory circuits, erasable programmable read-only memory circuits, or shielded read-only memory circuits), volatile memory circuits (e.g., static random access memory circuits or dynamic random access memory circuits), magnetic storage media (e.g., analog or digital tape or hard disk drives), and optical storage media (e.g., CDs, DVDs, or Blu-ray discs).

[0218] The apparatus and methods described in this application may be implemented partially or entirely by configuring a general-purpose computer to create a special-purpose computer to perform one or more specific functions contained in a computer program. The functional blocks, flow chart components, and other software described above are software specifications that can be converted into computer programs through routine work by a person skilled in the art or a programmer.

[0219] A computer program comprises instructions executable by a processor and stored on at least one non-transitory, tangible computer-readable medium. A computer program may also comprise or rely on stored data. A computer program may comprise a basic input / output system (BIOS) for interacting with the hardware of a special-purpose computer, device drivers for interacting with specific devices of the special-purpose computer, one or more operating systems, user applications, background services, background applications, and the like.

[0220] A computer program may include: (i) descriptive text to be parsed, such as HTML (Hypertext Markup Language), XML (Extensible Markup Language), or JSON (JavaScript Object Notation), (ii) assembly code, (iii) object program code generated by a compiler from source code, (iv) source code executed by an interpreter, (v) source code compiled and executed by a just-in-time compiler, etc. By way of example only, the source code may be written using syntax from a language including: C, C++, C#, Objective-C, Swift, Haskell, Go, SQL, R, Lisp, Fortran, Perl, Pascal, Curl, OCaml, HTML5 (Hypertext Markup Language Version 5), Ada, ASP (Active Server Pages), PHP (PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor), Scala, Eiffel, Smalltalk, Erlang, Ruby, Visual Lua, MATLAB, SIMULINK, and

[0221] Example systems may include, but are not limited to, plasma etch chambers or modules, deposition chambers or modules, spin rinse chambers or modules, metal plating chambers or modules, cleaning chambers or modules, bevel edge etch chambers or modules, physical vapor deposition (PVD) chambers or modules, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chambers or modules, atomic layer deposition (ALD) chambers or modules, atomic layer etch (ALE) chambers or modules, ion implantation chambers or modules, track chambers or modules, and any other semiconductor processing system that may be associated with or used in the manufacture and / or preparation of semiconductor wafers.

[0222] As described above, depending on one or more processing steps to be performed by the tool, the controller can communicate with one or more other tool circuits or modules, other tool components, cluster tools, other tool interfaces, adjacent tools, neighboring tools, tools located throughout the factory, a host computer, another controller, or tools used in the material transport of wafer containers to and from tool locations and / or load ports in a semiconductor manufacturing facility.

Claims

1. A substrate processing system comprising: a substrate support configured to support a first substrate and comprising a plurality of temperature control elements; a memory configured to store temperature calibration values ​​and sensitivity calibration values ​​for the plurality of temperature control elements; a calibration module configured to perform, during calibration of the plurality of temperature control elements: a first calibration process for determining the temperature calibration value, and a second calibration process for determining the sensitivity calibration value, wherein the sensitivity calibration value is used to at least one of relate the trim amount to a temperature change or relate the deposition amount to a temperature change; an operating parameter module configured to determine a plurality of operating parameters for the plurality of temperature control elements based on the temperature calibration value and the sensitivity calibration value, wherein the operating parameter module is configured to analyze the sensitivity calibration value and azimuth variability for a predetermined process to determine azimuth adjustment parameters; as well as A solution module is configured to control operation of the plurality of temperature control elements during at least one of a trimming step or a deposition step based on the plurality of operating parameters after the calibration of the plurality of temperature control elements, the plurality of operating parameters including the azimuth adjustment parameter.

2. The substrate processing system of claim 1 , wherein the operating parameter module is configured to analyze the azimuthal variability to generate azimuthal correction values ​​for each station of the substrate processing system, and to adjust the plurality of operating parameters based on the azimuthal correction values.

3. The substrate processing system of claim 1 , wherein the first calibration process comprises: adjusting parameters of the plurality of temperature control elements by predetermined amounts; determining a temperature change of the first substrate or the substrate support in response to the adjusted parameter; as well as The temperature calibration value is generated based on the predetermined amount and the determined temperature change.

4. The substrate processing system of claim 1 , wherein the second calibration process comprises: determining a baseline critical dimension profile of a second substrate provided by the plurality of temperature control elements being at a first setting of a trim operation performed on the second substrate; adjusting a parameter of at least one of the plurality of temperature control elements from one of the first settings to a second setting; performing the trimming operation on a third substrate; measuring a trimmed critical dimension profile of the third substrate; and One of the sensitivity calibration values ​​is determined based on the baseline critical dimension profile, the trimmed critical dimension profile, and a difference between the one of the first settings and the second setting.

5. The substrate processing system of claim 1 , wherein the second calibration process comprises: determining a baseline critical dimension profile of a second substrate provided by the plurality of temperature control elements being at a first setting for a deposition operation performed on the second substrate; adjusting a parameter of at least one of the plurality of temperature control elements from one of the first settings to a second setting; performing the deposition operation on a third substrate; measuring a post-deposition critical dimension profile of the third substrate; as well as One of the sensitivity calibration values ​​is determined based on the baseline critical dimension profile, the post-deposition critical dimension profile, and a difference between the one of the first settings and the second setting.

6. The substrate processing system of claim 1 , wherein the calibration module is configured to perform the first calibration process, comprising: i) calculating a system response of one of the plurality of temperature control elements based on a difference between measured temperatures of the one of the plurality of temperature control elements at different power levels, ii) inverting the system response, and iii) determining the temperature calibration value for the plurality of temperature control elements based on the inverted system response.

7. The substrate processing system according to claim 1, wherein: The substrate support comprises a plurality of temperature controlled zones; and Each of the plurality of temperature-controlled zones includes one or more of the plurality of temperature control elements.

8. The substrate processing system of claim 7, wherein the solution module is configured to perform at least one of open-loop or closed-loop control of each of the plurality of temperature-controlled zones. 9 . The substrate processing system of claim 7 , wherein at least one of the plurality of temperature-controlled zones or the plurality of temperature control elements is implemented in an open loop or a closed loop.

10. The substrate processing system of claim 7, wherein the solution module is configured to perform at least one of open-loop or closed-loop control of the plurality of temperature control elements.

11. The substrate processing system of claim 1 , further comprising a user interface configured to receive a target profile, Wherein the solution module is configured to control operation of the plurality of temperature control elements during at least one of the trimming step or the depositing step based on the target profile.

12. The substrate processing system according to claim 1, wherein: The operating parameter module is configured to analyze the sensitivity calibration value and parameter variability for a predetermined process to determine a radial adjustment parameter; as well as The solution module is configured to control operation of the plurality of temperature control elements during at least one of the trimming step or the depositing step based on the radial adjustment parameter.

13. The substrate processing system according to claim 1, wherein: The operating parameter module is configured to: determining a plurality of values ​​corresponding to critical dimensions of features of the first substrate, determining a trim value, a pre-trim value, and a deposit value based on the plurality of values, determining an overall calibration value based on the trim value, the pre-trim value, and the deposition value, and analyzing the sensitivity calibration value, parameter variability, and the total calibration value for a predetermined process to determine a radial adjustment parameter; as well as The solution module is configured to control operation of the plurality of temperature control elements during at least one of the trimming step or the depositing step based on the radial adjustment parameter.

14. The substrate processing system of claim 1 , wherein: The operating parameter module is configured to: Determine critical dimension imbalance, and analyzing the sensitivity calibration value, parameter variability, and the critical dimension imbalance for a predetermined process to determine a radial adjustment parameter; and The solution module is configured to control operation of the plurality of temperature control elements during at least one of the trimming step or the depositing step based on the radial adjustment parameter.

15. The substrate processing system of claim 1 , wherein the first calibration process comprises: i) determining whether a difference between measured temperatures of one of the plurality of temperature control elements at different power levels conforms to a previously determined function, ii) calculating and inverting a system response in response to the difference conforming to the previously determined function, and iii) determining the temperature calibration values ​​for the plurality of temperature control elements based on the inverted system response provided in response to the difference.

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