Machine offset measuring method, device, equipment and medium

Abstract

The invention relates to a machine offset measuring method, device and equipment and a medium, and the method comprises the steps: obtaining a monitoring period and a target control wafer, and the target control wafer comprises at least one target alignment mark; the to-be-measured machine is controlled to measure the offset measurement value of the target alignment mark according to the monitoring period, and an offset measurement value time sequence including the offset measurement value and the measurement time of the offset measurement value is obtained; according to the offset measurement value time sequence, determining a machine optimal compensation value time sequence of the work-in-process on the to-be-measured machine, wherein the machine optimal compensation value time sequence comprises an optimal compensation value corresponding to the offset measurement value and corresponding measurement time; and obtaining the optimal target compensation value of the product at the target moment according to the optimal compensation value time sequence of the machine. The adverse effect of machine errors on the subsequent process can be avoided at least, the performance of the machine is improved, and the electrical performance and the yield of manufactured semiconductor products are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing technology, and in particular to a method, device, equipment, and medium for measuring machine offset. Background Art

[0002] In the manufacturing process of semiconductor chip products, chip lithography process, as the core process of semiconductor manufacturing technology, is the driving force for the development of integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing technology.

[0003] For the photolithography process, parameters such as the machine's operating environment, service life, service life, as well as its own precision and yield rate will all affect the electrical performance and yield of the manufactured product.

[0004] Related technologies rely on manual inspection of error data and calibration of the machine based on this data. This relies heavily on the operator's experience and skills; on the other hand, manual calibration cannot promptly correct the adverse effects of systematic errors during machine operation on subsequent process steps. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Based on this, it is necessary to address the problems in the above-mentioned background technology and provide a machine offset measurement method, device, equipment and medium that can at least timely and intelligently calibrate the machine offset according to a preset monitoring period, thereby avoiding the adverse effects of machine errors on subsequent process steps, improving the performance of the machine, and the electrical performance and yield of the manufactured semiconductor products.

[0006] To achieve the above-mentioned and other purposes, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, a first aspect of the present disclosure provides a machine offset measurement method, including: obtaining a monitoring period and a target control piece, the target control piece including at least one target alignment mark; controlling the machine to be tested to measure the offset measurement value of the target alignment mark according to the monitoring period, and obtaining an offset measurement value time series including the offset measurement value and its measurement time; determining the machine optimal compensation value time series of the work-in-progress on the machine to be tested according to the offset measurement value time series, the machine optimal compensation value time series including the optimal compensation value corresponding to the offset measurement value and the corresponding measurement time; obtaining the optimal target compensation value of the work-in-progress at the target time according to the machine optimal compensation value time series.

[0007] In some embodiments, the target alignment mark includes a current layer alignment graphic located on the target control sheet, and a previous layer alignment graphic located between the target control sheet and the current layer alignment graphic; the actual offset between the current layer alignment graphic and the previous layer alignment graphic is a known value; controlling the machine under test to measure the offset measurement value of the target alignment mark includes: controlling the machine under test to measure the offset measurement value of the current layer alignment graphic relative to the previous layer alignment graphic; obtaining the optimal compensation value corresponding to the measurement time of the offset measurement value includes: obtaining the adjacent calibration value before the measurement time of the offset measurement value, the calibration value is used to calibrate the offset of the process executed by the machine under test on the work-in-progress; obtaining the optimal target compensation value of the work-in-progress at the target moment according to the machine's optimal compensation value time series, including: obtaining the optimal target compensation value of the work-in-progress at the target moment according to the calibration value and the offset measurement value of the offset measurement value time series within the calibration idle interval; the calibration idle interval includes a time interval starting from the measurement time of the adjacent calibration value and ending at the target moment. Since the actual offset between the current-layer alignment pattern and the previous-layer alignment pattern is a known value, the offset measurement value of the current-layer alignment pattern relative to the previous-layer alignment pattern can be measured according to a monitoring period by controlling the machine under test, thereby obtaining a time series of offset measurement values ​​including the offset measurement values ​​and their measurement times. After obtaining the adjacent calibration value before the measurement time of the offset measurement value, the optimal target compensation value of the work-in-process at the target time is obtained based on the calibration value and the offset measurement values ​​of the offset measurement value time series within the calibration idle interval. This avoids environmental errors or machine errors generated between the last manual calibration and the target time, which may have adverse effects on subsequent process steps, thereby improving the performance of the machine, as well as the electrical performance and yield of the manufactured semiconductor products.

[0008] In some embodiments, obtaining an optimal target compensation value for a work-in-process product at a target time includes: obtaining the sum of offset measurement values ​​from a time series of offset measurements within a calibration idle interval; and determining the optimal target compensation value at the target time based on the sum and the calibration value. This can be accomplished by accumulating the offset measurement values ​​generated between the last manual calibration and the target time, and then performing compensation calibration on the tool based on the sum. This can prevent environmental errors or tool errors generated between the last manual calibration and the target time from adversely affecting subsequent process steps, thereby improving tool performance and the electrical performance and yield of the manufactured semiconductor product.

[0009] In some embodiments, when the center points of the layer alignment pattern and the front layer alignment pattern have their orthographic projections on the top surface of the target control sheet coincide, the machine can accurately measure the offset value of the target alignment mark according to a preset monitoring period.

[0010] In some embodiments, when the orthographic projection of the layer alignment pattern on the top surface of the previous layer alignment pattern is located within the previous layer alignment pattern, the machine can accurately measure specific offset parameter values ​​such as lateral offset and longitudinal offset.

[0011] In some embodiments, the offset measurement values ​​include wafer lateral offset, wafer longitudinal offset, wafer lateral expansion, wafer longitudinal expansion, wafer lateral rotation, wafer longitudinal rotation, exposure area lateral offset, exposure area longitudinal offset, exposure area lateral expansion, exposure area longitudinal expansion, exposure area lateral rotation, and exposure area longitudinal rotation. This allows for accurate calibration of the tool based on specific offset parameter values, precisely improving tool performance, and improving the electrical performance and yield of the manufactured semiconductor products.

[0012] In some embodiments, after obtaining the optimal target compensation value for the work-in-process product at the target time, the process includes: after the target time, but before the machine under test performs a process on the work-in-process product, calibrating the machine based on the optimal target compensation value at the target time. This prevents environmental errors or machine errors between the last manual calibration and the target time from adversely affecting subsequent process steps.

[0013] A second aspect of the present disclosure provides a machine offset measurement device, comprising: an acquisition module, a measurement module, and a machine optimal compensation value determination module, wherein the acquisition module is used to acquire a monitoring period and a target control piece, wherein the target control piece includes at least one target alignment mark; the measurement module is used to control the machine to be tested to measure the offset measurement value of the target alignment mark according to the monitoring period, and obtain an offset measurement value time series including the offset measurement value and its measurement time; the machine optimal compensation value determination module is used to determine the machine optimal compensation value time series of the work-in-progress on the machine to be tested based on the offset measurement value time series, wherein the machine optimal compensation value time series includes the optimal compensation value corresponding to the offset measurement value and the corresponding measurement time; and the module is also used to obtain the optimal target compensation value of the work-in-progress at a target time based on the machine optimal compensation value time series.

[0014] In the tool offset measurement device of the above embodiment, after the acquisition module acquires a preset monitoring period and a target control wafer including at least one target alignment mark, the control module controls the measurement module to measure the offset measurement values ​​of the target alignment mark according to the monitoring period, thereby obtaining an offset measurement value time series including the offset measurement values ​​and their measurement times. The tool optimal compensation value determination module is enabled to determine a tool optimal compensation value time series for the work-in-process (WIP) on the tool to be tested based on the offset measurement value time series, wherein the tool optimal compensation value time series includes optimal compensation values ​​corresponding to the offset measurement values ​​and the corresponding measurement times. The tool optimal compensation value determination module is enabled to obtain an optimal target compensation value for the WIP at a target time based on the tool optimal compensation value time series, thereby enabling compensation calibration of the tool based on the optimal target compensation value at the target time. This avoids environmental errors or tool errors generated between the last manual calibration and the target time, which could adversely affect subsequent process steps, thereby improving tool performance, as well as the electrical performance and yield of manufactured semiconductor products.

[0015] In some embodiments, the target alignment mark includes a current layer alignment pattern located on the target control piece, and a front layer alignment pattern located between the target control piece and the current layer alignment pattern; the actual offset between the current layer alignment pattern and the front layer alignment pattern is a known value; the measurement module includes a measuring unit, which is used to control the machine to be tested to measure the offset measurement value of the current layer alignment pattern relative to the front layer alignment pattern.

[0016] A third aspect of the present disclosure provides a computer device including a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program, and the processor implements any of the steps of the above-mentioned machine offset measurement method when executing the computer program.

[0017] A fourth aspect of the present disclosure provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, which implements the steps of any of the above-mentioned machine offset measurement methods when the computer program is executed by a processor.

[0018] A fifth aspect of the present disclosure provides a computer program product having a computer program stored thereon, which implements the steps of any of the above-mentioned machine offset measurement methods when the computer program is executed by a processor.

[0019] The machine offset measurement method, device, apparatus, and medium in the above-mentioned embodiments have at least the following unexpected technical effects:

[0020] The monitoring period can be set based on the machine's calibration frequency requirements. For example, by setting a shorter monitoring period, the machine's automatic calibration frequency can be increased to maximize the machine's accuracy and performance. If the machine's inherent performance and accuracy are excellent, a longer monitoring period can be appropriately set to reduce the number of calibrations and costs while maintaining accuracy and performance. After obtaining a preset monitoring cycle and a target control wafer including at least one target alignment mark, the machine under test is controlled to measure the offset measurement value of the target alignment mark according to the monitoring cycle to obtain an offset measurement value time series including the offset measurement value and its measurement time; the machine optimal compensation value time series of the work-in-progress on the machine under test is determined based on the offset measurement value time series, and the machine optimal compensation value time series includes the optimal compensation value corresponding to the offset measurement value and the corresponding measurement time; the optimal target compensation value of the work-in-progress at the target moment is obtained based on the machine optimal compensation value time series, and the machine is compensated and calibrated based on the optimal target compensation value at the target moment, thereby avoiding environmental errors or machine errors generated between the last manual calibration and the target moment, which may have adverse effects on subsequent process steps, thereby improving the performance of the machine, as well as the electrical performance and yield of the manufactured semiconductor products. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present disclosure. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative work.

[0022] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an application environment of a machine offset measurement method provided in one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0023] Figure 2 A schematic flow chart of a method for measuring a machine offset provided in one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0024] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of obtaining a first compensation value of a machine under test based on target control wafer measurement in one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0025] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of obtaining a second compensation value of a machine under test based on target control wafer measurement in one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0026] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of a structural block diagram of a machine offset measurement device provided in one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0027] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of a structural block diagram of a machine offset measurement device provided in another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0028] Figure 7 The figure is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of a computer device provided in one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0029] Description of reference numerals:

[0030] 10. Acquisition module; 20. Measurement module; 30. Machine optimal compensation value determination module; 21. Measurement unit; 102. Server; 104. Terminal; 100. Target control piece; 200. Front layer alignment pattern; 300. Current layer alignment pattern. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] To facilitate understanding of the present disclosure, a more comprehensive description of the present disclosure will be provided below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings illustrate preferred embodiments of the present disclosure. However, the present disclosure can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to provide a more thorough and comprehensive understanding of the disclosure.

[0032] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art in the art of the present disclosure. The terms used herein in the specification of the present disclosure are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present disclosure.

[0033] When using the terms "including," "having," and "comprising" described herein, unless a clear limiting term, such as "only," "consisting of," or the like, is used, another component may be added. Unless otherwise noted, a term in the singular may include a plural form and is not to be construed as meaning one. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on specific circumstances.

[0034] The accuracy of semiconductor lithography tools is affected by factors such as their design, manufacturing process, and the materials and technologies used. For example, the movement accuracy of the tool is affected by factors such as the mechanical structure, guide rail system, drive method, feedback system, and environmental factors. High-quality guide rail systems (such as cross-ball guides) can significantly improve the straightness and stability of the platform, thereby improving movement accuracy. The drive method of the tool also affects its movement accuracy. For example, manual translation stages rely on manual adjustment by the operator and have low positioning accuracy, typically ranging from tens to hundreds of microns; electric translation stages, on the other hand, can achieve sub-micron or even nanometer-level positioning accuracy. Environmental factors such as temperature changes, vibrations, and external interference can also cause positioning deviations, affecting the etching offset of the lithography tool. In semiconductor manufacturing, nanometer-level positioning accuracy is key to ensuring chip manufacturing accuracy.

[0035] For the photolithography process, it is important to focus on controlling the two major indicators: overlay offset (OVL) and critical dimension (CD). For the control of the offset OVL of semiconductor products, a feedback mechanism is generally used. Generally, the compensation value (5QC) of the last product passed through is subtracted from the measured value (6QC) to calculate the new compensation value 5QC. However, the product lines in the semiconductor workshop are complex and the wafer feeding cycle is long. When there is no product passing through for a month or more, unstable products are prone to be put into wafer. However, the compensation value 5QC obtained by using unstable products can easily result in the accuracy of the machine after compensation calibration failing to meet the target requirements. In addition, the offset error caused by factors such as machine movement accuracy and lens distortion is not included in the subsequent machine compensation calibration steps.

[0036] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, a method, apparatus, device, and medium for measuring machine offset are provided, which can incorporate the daily change in the optimal compensation value BSL of the machine OVL into the OVL compensation calibration step of products that have not been delivered for a long time, thereby improving the success rate of machine trial runs, reducing the rework ratio, avoiding the adverse effects of machine errors on subsequent process steps, and improving the performance of the machine, as well as the electrical performance and yield of the manufactured semiconductor products.

[0037] The method for measuring the machine offset provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure can be applied to Figure 1 In the application environment shown, the terminal 104 communicates with the server 102 via a network. The server 102 is connected to the server receiving end for communication, and the terminal 104 can also be directly connected to the server receiving end for communication, and the communication connection method includes wired or wireless connection.

[0038] For example, a machine offset measurement method is applied to terminal 104. Terminal 104 can obtain a monitoring cycle from a server receiver. After obtaining a target control piece, which includes at least one target alignment mark, terminal 104 can control the machine under test to measure the offset measurement value of the target alignment mark according to the monitoring cycle, obtaining a time series of offset measurement values ​​including the offset measurement values ​​and their measurement times. Based on the time series of offset measurement values, a time series of optimal machine compensation values ​​for the work-in-progress on the machine under test can be determined. The time series of optimal machine compensation values ​​includes the optimal compensation values ​​corresponding to the offset measurement values ​​and the corresponding measurement times. Based on the time series of optimal machine compensation values, the optimal target compensation value for the work-in-progress at a target time can be obtained. Terminal 104 can send the optimal target compensation value at the target time to server 102 for storage. Terminal 104 can be, but is not limited to, various personal computers, laptops, smartphones, tablets, IoT devices, and portable wearable devices. Portable wearable devices can include smart watches, smart bracelets, head-mounted devices, etc. Server 102 can be implemented as a standalone server or a server cluster consisting of multiple servers. The terminal 104 and the server 102 may be connected directly or indirectly via wired or wireless communication, such as via a network connection.

[0039] For another example, a machine offset measurement method is applied to server 102. Server 102 obtains a monitoring cycle from a server receiving terminal. After obtaining a target control piece, which includes at least one target alignment mark, server 102 can control the machine under test to measure the offset measurement value of the target alignment mark according to the monitoring cycle, obtaining an offset measurement value time series including the offset measurement value and its measurement time. Based on the offset measurement value time series, a machine optimal compensation value time series for the work-in-process (WIP) on the machine under test is determined. The machine optimal compensation value time series includes the optimal compensation value corresponding to the offset measurement value and the corresponding measurement time. Based on the machine optimal compensation value time series, the optimal target compensation value for the WIP at the target time is obtained. Server 102 can store the optimal target compensation value at the target time and can also forward the obtained optimal target compensation value at the target time to a preset monitoring terminal for operator monitoring.

[0040] Based on this, please refer to Figure 2 The present disclosure provides a method for measuring machine offset, which can quickly detect the problem of etch hole tilt without damaging the wafer and quickly determine the amount of etching process drift, thereby quickly adjusting the etching deviation of the lithography machine and improving the yield and performance of the manufactured semiconductor products. The method includes the following steps:

[0041] Step S11: Acquire a monitoring cycle and a target control piece, where the target control piece includes at least one target alignment mark;

[0042] Step S12: controlling the machine to be tested to measure the offset measurement value of the target alignment mark according to the monitoring period, and obtaining an offset measurement value time series including the offset measurement value and its measurement time;

[0043] Step S13: determining a time series of optimal compensation values ​​for the work-in-progress on the machine to be tested based on the time series of the offset measurement values, wherein the time series of optimal compensation values ​​for the machine to be tested includes optimal compensation values ​​corresponding to the offset measurement values ​​and corresponding measurement times;

[0044] Step S14: Obtain the optimal target compensation value of the work in process at the target time according to the time series of the optimal compensation value of the machine.

[0045] As an example, please refer to Figure 2 The monitoring period can be set based on the machine's calibration frequency requirements. For example, by setting a shorter monitoring period, the machine's automatic calibration frequency can be increased to maximize the machine's accuracy and performance. If the machine's inherent performance and accuracy are excellent, a longer monitoring period can be appropriately set to reduce the number of calibrations and costs while maintaining accuracy and performance. After obtaining a preset monitoring cycle and a target control wafer including at least one target alignment mark, the machine under test is controlled to measure the offset measurement value of the target alignment mark according to the monitoring cycle to obtain an offset measurement value time series including the offset measurement value and its measurement time; the machine optimal compensation value time series of the work-in-progress on the machine under test is determined based on the offset measurement value time series, and the machine optimal compensation value time series includes the optimal compensation value corresponding to the offset measurement value and the corresponding measurement time; the optimal target compensation value of the work-in-progress at the target moment is obtained based on the machine optimal compensation value time series, and the machine is compensated and calibrated based on the optimal target compensation value at the target moment, thereby avoiding environmental errors or machine errors generated between the last manual calibration and the target moment, which may have adverse effects on subsequent process steps, thereby improving the performance of the machine, as well as the electrical performance and yield of the manufactured semiconductor products.

[0046] As an example, the monitoring period can be set to 24 hours or 1 day. On the one hand, the offset data of the machine can be obtained every day; on the other hand, the measurement cost caused by frequent monitoring can be avoided.

[0047] In some cases, due to the lack of intelligent machine monitoring and calibration tools, changes in the machine's offset data may go undetected for over a week or even a month. During this period, the machine undergoes multiple maintenance sessions, undergoes several manual fine-tunings, and exhibits slow distortion in the exposure lens, demonstrating significant changes in the machine's Best-Side-Side Value (BSL). However, the lack of a monitoring and calibration mechanism creates an idle calibration period, leading to environmental and machine errors between the last manual calibration and the target time, negatively impacting subsequent process steps.

[0048] In some embodiments, obtaining the optimal target compensation value of the work in progress at the target time in step S14 includes:

[0049] Step S141: obtaining the sum of the offset measurement values ​​of the offset measurement value time series within the calibration idle interval;

[0050] Step S142: Determine the optimal target compensation value at the target moment according to the sum value and the calibration value.

[0051] For example, because the offset measurement values ​​in the offset measurement time series are vectors, they can reflect changes in the tool's OVL. The offset measurement values ​​generated between the last manual calibration and the target time can be accumulated and then used to perform compensation calibration on the tool based on the sum. This allows for daily compensation calibration of the tool based on a preset monitoring cycle, such as one day. This prevents environmental or tool errors generated between the last manual calibration and the target time from adversely affecting subsequent process steps, thereby improving tool performance and the electrical performance and yield of manufactured semiconductor products.

[0052] In some embodiments, controlling the test machine to measure the offset value of the target alignment mark in step S12 includes:

[0053] Step S121: controlling the machine to be tested to measure the offset value of the alignment pattern of the current layer relative to the alignment pattern of the previous layer.

[0054] As an example, the monitoring period can be set to 24 hours or 1 day. This allows daily acquisition of machine offset data while also reducing the measurement costs associated with frequent monitoring. In step S121, the offset of the current alignment pattern relative to the previous alignment pattern can be measured daily to monitor the machine offset.

[0055] In some embodiments, before obtaining the optimal compensation value corresponding to the measurement time of the offset measurement value in step S14, the method includes:

[0056] Step S140 : obtaining an adjacent calibration value before the measurement time of the offset measurement value, where the calibration value is used to calibrate the offset of the process executed by the machine under test on the work-in-progress product.

[0057] For example, during regular maintenance and calibration, engineers use various measurement methods to measure the tool's calibration values. These values ​​are then used to calibrate the offset of the tool under test when executing the process on the work-in-progress product. In this embodiment, by using the current-layer alignment pattern 300 on the target control wafer 100 and the previous-layer alignment pattern 200 located between the target control wafer 100 and the current-layer alignment pattern 300, the tool's offset, which is affected by various factors, is measured. This allows for dual calibration of the tool, preventing offsets between two consecutive maintenance steps from adversely affecting the tool's process.

[0058] In some embodiments, obtaining the optimal target compensation value of the work-in-process at the target time according to the time series of the optimal compensation value of the machine in step S14 includes:

[0059] Step S1421: Obtain the optimal target compensation value of the work-in-process at the target time based on the calibration value and the offset measurement value time series within the calibration idle interval; the calibration idle interval includes a time interval starting from the measurement time of the adjacent calibration value and ending at the target time.

[0060] Please refer to Figure 3-Figure 4 In some embodiments, the target alignment mark includes a current layer alignment graphic 300 located on the target control piece 100, and a front layer alignment graphic 200 located between the target control piece 100 and the current layer alignment graphic 300; the actual offset between the current layer alignment graphic 300 and the front layer alignment graphic 200 is a known value, for example, it can be 0.

[0061] For example, since the actual offset between the current-layer alignment pattern 300 and the previous-layer alignment pattern 200 is a known value, the tool under test can be controlled to measure the offset of the current-layer alignment pattern 300 relative to the previous-layer alignment pattern 200 according to a monitoring period, thereby obtaining a time series of offset measurements including the offset measurements and their measurement times. After obtaining the adjacent calibration value before the measurement time of the offset measurement value, the optimal target compensation value for the work-in-process at the target time is obtained based on the calibration value and the offset measurements in the calibration idle interval of the offset measurement time series. This avoids environmental errors or tool errors caused between the last manual calibration and the target time, which could adversely affect subsequent process steps, thereby improving tool performance and improving the electrical performance and yield of the manufactured semiconductor products.

[0062] Please continue to refer to Figure 3-Figure 4In some embodiments, when the center points of the layer alignment pattern 300 and the front layer alignment pattern 200 overlap in their orthographic projections on the top surface of the target control piece 100, the machine can accurately measure the offset measurement value of the target alignment mark according to a preset monitoring period.

[0063] Please continue to refer to Figure 3-Figure 4 In some embodiments, when the positive projection of the layer alignment pattern on the top surface of the previous layer alignment pattern is located within the previous layer alignment pattern, the machine can accurately measure specific offset parameter values ​​such as lateral offset and longitudinal offset.

[0064] Please continue to refer to Figure 3-Figure 4 , in some embodiments, Figure 3 In the example, the target control piece 100 is used to perform the first exposure measurement on the machine to be tested, and the first compensation value BSL1 of the machine to be tested is obtained. Figure 4 Example: One day later, the second exposure measurement is performed on the test machine based on the target control film 100 to obtain the second compensation value BSL2 of the test machine. Similarly, the nth exposure measurement is performed on the test machine based on the target control film 100 to obtain the nth compensation value BSL of the test machine. n , n is greater than or equal to 2, n is a positive integer. The optimal compensation value time series of the machine [BSL1, BSL2, ..., BSL n ], where the nth compensation value BSL n The corresponding measurement time is included.

[0065] For example, if the target time is the offset measurement time corresponding to the second compensation value BSL2, the previous machine calibration value of the first compensation value BSL1 is OVL m The offset measurement value in the calibration idle interval includes the first compensation value BSL1 and the second compensation value BSL2. The optimal target compensation value OVL at the target time d =OVL m +BSL1+BSL2.

[0066] In some embodiments, the offset measurement values ​​include wafer lateral offset, wafer longitudinal offset, wafer lateral expansion, wafer longitudinal expansion, wafer lateral rotation, wafer longitudinal rotation, exposure area lateral offset, exposure area longitudinal offset, exposure area lateral expansion, exposure area longitudinal expansion, exposure area lateral rotation, and exposure area longitudinal rotation. This allows for accurate calibration of the tool based on specific offset parameter values, precisely improving tool performance, and improving the electrical performance and yield of the manufactured semiconductor products.

[0067] In some embodiments, the nth compensation value BSL nThe 10 components are: wafer lateral offset, wafer longitudinal offset, wafer lateral expansion, wafer longitudinal expansion, wafer lateral rotation, wafer longitudinal rotation, exposure area lateral offset, exposure area longitudinal offset, exposure area lateral expansion, exposure area longitudinal expansion, exposure area lateral rotation, and exposure area longitudinal rotation. Each component represents a time series. Based on this specific component time series, precise calibration and compensation can be performed on the instrument under test.

[0068] It should be noted that, in other embodiments of the present application, the nth compensation value BSL n The number of component types contained in can be less than 10 or greater than 10.

[0069] In some embodiments, after obtaining the optimal target compensation value for the work-in-process product at the target time in step S14, the following steps are performed: after the target time, but before the machine under test performs a process on the work-in-process product, the machine is calibrated based on the optimal target compensation value at the target time. This prevents environmental errors or machine errors between the last manual calibration and the target time from adversely affecting subsequent processes.

[0070] Please refer to Figure 5 In some embodiments, a machine offset measurement device is provided, comprising: an acquisition module 10, a measurement module 20, and a machine optimal compensation value determination module 30, wherein the acquisition module 10 is used to acquire a monitoring period and a target control piece 100, wherein the target control piece 100 includes at least one target alignment mark; the measurement module 20 is used to control the machine to be tested to measure the offset measurement value of the target alignment mark according to the monitoring period, and obtain an offset measurement value time series including the offset measurement value and its measurement time; the machine optimal compensation value determination module 30 is used to determine the machine optimal compensation value time series of the work-in-progress on the machine to be tested based on the offset measurement value time series, wherein the machine optimal compensation value time series includes the optimal compensation value corresponding to the offset measurement value and the corresponding measurement time; the machine optimal compensation value determination module 30 is further used to obtain the optimal target compensation value of the work-in-progress at the target time based on the machine optimal compensation value time series.

[0071] Please continue to refer to Figure 5After the acquisition module 10 acquires a preset monitoring cycle and a target control wafer 100 including at least one target alignment mark, the control measurement module 20 is controlled to measure the offset measurement value of the target alignment mark according to the monitoring cycle to obtain an offset measurement value time series including the offset measurement value and its measurement time; the machine optimal compensation value determination module 30 is enabled to determine the machine optimal compensation value time series of the work-in-process on the machine to be tested based on the offset measurement value time series, where the machine optimal compensation value time series includes the optimal compensation value corresponding to the offset measurement value and the corresponding measurement time; and the machine optimal compensation value determination module 30 is enabled to obtain the optimal target compensation value of the work-in-process at the target time based on the machine optimal compensation value time series, so that the machine can be compensated and calibrated based on the optimal target compensation value at the target time, thereby avoiding environmental errors or machine errors generated between the last manual calibration and the target time, which may have adverse effects on subsequent process steps, thereby improving the performance of the machine, as well as the electrical performance and yield of the manufactured semiconductor products.

[0072] Please continue to refer to Figure 3-Figure 4 In some embodiments, the target alignment mark includes a current layer alignment graphic 300 located on the target control piece 100, and a front layer alignment graphic 200 located between the target control piece 100 and the current layer alignment graphic 300; the actual offset between the current layer alignment graphic 300 and the front layer alignment graphic 200 is a known value.

[0073] Please refer to Figure 6 In some embodiments, the measurement module 20 includes a measurement unit 21, which is used to control the machine under test to measure the offset measurement value of the current layer alignment pattern 300 relative to the previous layer alignment pattern 200. The measurement unit 21 can measure the offset measurement value of the current layer alignment pattern 300 relative to the previous layer alignment pattern 200 according to the monitoring period, so as to obtain a time series of offset measurement values ​​including the offset measurement value and its measurement time. After obtaining the adjacent calibration value before the measurement time of the offset measurement value, the optimal target compensation value of the work-in-progress at the target time is obtained based on the calibration value and the offset measurement value of the offset measurement value time series within the calibration idle interval, thereby avoiding the environmental error or machine error generated between the adjacent last manual calibration and the target time, which may cause adverse effects on subsequent process steps, and improving the performance of the machine, as well as the electrical performance and yield of the manufactured semiconductor products.

[0074] Please refer to Figure 7 In some embodiments, a computer device is provided, including a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program, and when the processor executes the computer program, the steps of any one of the above-mentioned machine offset measurement methods are implemented.

[0075] It should be understood that, although the various steps in the flowcharts involved in the various embodiments described above are displayed in sequence according to the instructions of the arrows, these steps are not necessarily executed in sequence in the order indicated by the arrows. Unless otherwise specified herein, there is no strict order restriction on the execution of these steps, and these steps can be executed in other orders. Moreover, at least a portion of the steps in the flowcharts involved in the various embodiments described above can include multiple steps or multiple stages, and these steps or stages are not necessarily executed and completed at the same time, but can be executed at different times, and the execution order of these steps or stages is not necessarily to be carried out in sequence, but can be executed in turn or alternately with other steps or at least a portion of steps or stages in other steps.

[0076] In some embodiments, a computer device is provided, whose internal structure diagram can be as follows: Figure 7 As shown. The computer device includes a processor, memory, a communication interface, a display screen, and an input device connected via a system bus. The processor of the computer device is used to provide computing and control capabilities. The memory of the computer device includes a non-volatile storage medium and an internal memory. The non-volatile storage medium stores an operating system and a computer program. The internal memory provides an environment for the operation of the operating system and computer program in the non-volatile storage medium. The communication interface of the computer device is used to communicate with an external terminal via wired or wireless communication. The wireless communication can be achieved via Wi-Fi, a mobile cellular network, NFC (near-field communication), or other technologies. When executed by the processor, the computer program implements a method for measuring machine offset. The display screen of the computer device can be a liquid crystal display or an electronic ink display. The input device of the computer device can be a touch layer covering the display screen, or can be a key, trackball, or touchpad provided on the computer device housing, or can be an external keyboard, touchpad, or mouse.

[0077] Those skilled in the art will understand that Figure 7 The structure shown in the figure is merely a block diagram of a portion of the structure related to the solution of the present disclosure, and does not constitute a limitation on the computer device to which the solution of the present disclosure is applied. The specific computer device may include more or fewer components than shown in the figure, or combine certain components, or have a different component arrangement.

[0078] In some embodiments, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, on which a computer program is stored. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the steps of any one of the above-mentioned machine offset measurement methods are implemented.

[0079] In some embodiments, a computer program product is provided, on which a computer program is stored. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the steps of any one of the above-mentioned machine offset measurement methods are implemented.

[0080] The machine offset measurement method, device, apparatus, and medium in the above-mentioned embodiments have at least the following unexpected technical effects:

[0081] The monitoring period can be set based on the machine's calibration frequency requirements. For example, by setting a shorter monitoring period, the machine's automatic calibration frequency can be increased to maximize the machine's accuracy and performance. If the machine's inherent performance and accuracy are excellent, a longer monitoring period can be appropriately set to reduce the number of calibrations and costs while maintaining accuracy and performance. After obtaining a preset monitoring cycle and a target control wafer including at least one target alignment mark, the machine under test is controlled to measure the offset measurement value of the target alignment mark according to the monitoring cycle to obtain an offset measurement value time series including the offset measurement value and its measurement time; the machine optimal compensation value time series of the work-in-progress on the machine under test is determined based on the offset measurement value time series, and the machine optimal compensation value time series includes the optimal compensation value corresponding to the offset measurement value and the corresponding measurement time; the optimal target compensation value of the work-in-progress at the target moment is obtained based on the machine optimal compensation value time series, and the machine is compensated and calibrated based on the optimal target compensation value at the target moment, thereby avoiding environmental errors or machine errors generated between the last manual calibration and the target moment, which may have adverse effects on subsequent process steps, thereby improving the performance of the machine, as well as the electrical performance and yield of the manufactured semiconductor products.

[0082] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that all or part of the processes in the above-described method embodiments can be implemented by instructing the relevant hardware through a computer program. The computer program can be stored in a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium. When executed, the computer program can include the processes of the above-described method embodiments. Any reference to memory, database, or other media used in the various embodiments provided herein may include at least one of non-volatile and volatile memory. Non-volatile memory may include read-only memory (ROM), magnetic tape, floppy disk, flash memory, optical memory, high-density embedded non-volatile memory, resistive random access memory (ReRAM), magneto-resistive random access memory (MRAM), ferroelectric random access memory (FRAM), phase change memory (PCM), graphene memory, etc. Volatile memory may include random access memory (RAM) or external cache memory, etc. By way of illustration and not limitation, RAM may be dynamic random access memory (DRAM). The processors involved in the various embodiments provided in the present disclosure may be general-purpose processors, central processing units, graphics processors, digital signal processors, programmable logic units, data processing logic units based on quantum computing, etc., but are not limited thereto.

[0083] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined arbitrarily. To make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0084] The above-described embodiments merely represent several implementation methods of the present disclosure. While the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. It should be noted that a person skilled in the art would be able to make numerous variations and improvements without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, all of which fall within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A method for measuring machine offset, characterized in that: include: Acquire a monitoring cycle and a target control piece, wherein the target control piece includes at least one target alignment mark; Controlling the machine to be tested to measure the offset measurement value of the target alignment mark according to the monitoring period to obtain an offset measurement value time series including the offset measurement value and its measurement time; Determine a time series of optimal compensation values ​​for the work-in-progress on the machine to be tested based on the time series of the offset measurement values, wherein the time series of optimal compensation values ​​for the machine to be tested includes optimal compensation values ​​corresponding to the offset measurement values ​​and corresponding measurement times; The optimal target compensation value of the work in progress at the target time is obtained according to the time series of the optimal compensation value of the machine.

2. The method for measuring machine offset according to claim 1, wherein: The target alignment mark includes a current layer alignment pattern located on the target control piece, and a front layer alignment pattern located between the target control piece and the current layer alignment pattern; The actual offset between the alignment pattern of the current layer and the alignment pattern of the previous layer is a known value; Controlling the machine under test to measure the offset measurement value of the target alignment mark includes: Controlling the machine to be tested to measure an offset value of the alignment pattern of the current layer relative to the alignment pattern of the previous layer; The optimal compensation value corresponding to the measurement time of the offset measurement value is obtained by: Acquire an adjacent calibration value before the measurement time of the offset measurement value, wherein the calibration value is used to calibrate the offset of the process executed by the machine under test on the work-in-progress; Obtaining the optimal target compensation value of the work-in-process at the target time according to the time series of the optimal compensation value of the machine includes: Based on the calibration value and the offset measurement value of the offset measurement value time series within the calibration idle interval, the optimal target compensation value of the work-in-process at the target time is obtained; the calibration idle interval includes a time interval with the measurement time of the adjacent calibration values ​​as the starting point and with the target time as the end point.

3. The method for measuring machine offset according to claim 2, wherein: Obtaining the optimal target compensation value of the work in progress at the target time includes: Obtaining a sum of the offset measurement values ​​of the offset measurement value time series within the calibration idle interval; An optimal target compensation value at the target moment is determined according to the sum value and the calibration value.

4. The method for measuring the machine offset according to claim 2, wherein: The center points of the current layer alignment pattern and the previous layer alignment pattern have their orthographic projections on the top surface of the target control piece coincide with each other; and / or The orthographic projection of the current-layer alignment pattern on the top surface of the previous-layer alignment pattern is located within the previous-layer alignment pattern.

5. The method for measuring machine offset according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The offset measurement values ​​include the wafer lateral offset, wafer longitudinal offset, wafer lateral expansion and contraction, wafer longitudinal expansion and contraction, wafer lateral rotation, wafer longitudinal rotation, exposure area lateral offset, exposure area longitudinal offset, exposure area lateral expansion and contraction, exposure area longitudinal expansion and contraction, exposure area lateral rotation, and exposure area longitudinal rotation.

6. The method for measuring machine offset according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: After obtaining the optimal target compensation value of the work in progress at the target time, the method includes: After the target time, and before the tool under test performs a process on the work-in-progress, the tool is calibrated according to the optimal target compensation value at the target time.

7. A device for measuring machine offset, characterized in that: include: An acquisition module, configured to acquire a monitoring cycle and a target control piece, wherein the target control piece includes at least one target alignment mark; a measuring module, configured to control the machine to be tested to measure the offset measurement value of the target alignment mark according to the monitoring period, and obtain an offset measurement value time series including the offset measurement value and its measurement time; A machine optimal compensation value determination module is used to determine the machine optimal compensation value time series of the work-in-process on the machine to be tested based on the offset measurement value time series, wherein the machine optimal compensation value time series includes the optimal compensation value corresponding to the offset measurement value and the corresponding measurement time; and is also used to obtain the optimal target compensation value of the work-in-process at the target time based on the machine optimal compensation value time series.

8. The machine offset measuring device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The target alignment mark includes a current layer alignment pattern located on the target control piece, and a front layer alignment pattern located between the target control piece and the current layer alignment pattern; The actual offset between the alignment pattern of the current layer and the alignment pattern of the previous layer is a known value; The measurement module includes: The measuring unit is used to control the machine to be tested to measure the offset measurement value of the alignment pattern of the current layer relative to the alignment pattern of the previous layer.

9. A computer device comprising a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program, wherein: When the processor executes the computer program, the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 6 are implemented.

10. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that: When the computer program is executed by a processor, the steps of the machine offset measurement method according to any one of claims 1 to 6 are implemented.

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