Detection method for automatically adjusting accuracy of probe of film thickness detector

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of evaporation systems, in particular to a detection method for automatically adjusting the accuracy of a probe of a film thickness detector. The method comprises the following steps: establishing a corresponding relation between the use degree of a crystal oscillator of a probe of a film thickness detector and Tooling parameters; in the evaporation process, the current use degree of the crystal oscillator is monitored in real time; based on the current use degree and the corresponding relation, determining a target Tooling parameter corresponding to the current use degree; and adjusting the current Tooling parameter used for calculating the film thickness or the deposition rate into the target Tooling parameter, and then participating in calculation. According to the detection method for automatically adjusting the accuracy of the probe of the film thickness detector, the Tooling parameter used for calculating the film thickness or the deposition rate can be automatically adjusted in real time, and the accuracy and precision of film thickness and deposition rate measurement are improved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The application relates to the technical field of evaporation systems, in particular to a method for automatically adjusting the precision of a film thickness detector probe. BACKGROUND

[0002] In the field of high-end manufacturing such as semiconductors and display panels, vacuum evaporation is a key thin film preparation process. In this process, accurate real-time monitoring and control of the thickness and deposition rate of the deposited thin film is a core link to ensure the performance, yield and consistency of the final product. Currently, the industry generally uses a probe based on a crystal oscillator to monitor, and the basic principle is to use the relationship between the change in the resonant frequency of the crystal oscillator and the mass of the material deposited thereon to indirectly calculate the thickness and deposition rate of the thin film.

[0003] However, the accuracy of this monitoring method is heavily dependent on a key calibration parameter, Tooling parameter (or calibration factor), which is essentially a proportional coefficient used to compensate for the overall error of the system. Its standard calculation formula is: calibrated Tooling parameter = (actual film thickness / set film thickness) x current Tooling parameter. In actual production, the operator will periodically interrupt the production process to measure the actual film thickness deposited by an offline measurement device (such as a step meter), and manually calibrate the Tooling parameter once according to the above formula. After calibration, the system will use this fixed Tooling parameter for film thickness calculation and display for a subsequent production period.

[0004] This traditional, fixed Tooling parameter-based technical solution has significant inherent defects. Since the crystal oscillator surface on the probe continuously accumulates deposited material during continuous evaporation, its sensitivity and vibration characteristics slowly but continuously drift, which means that the optimal Tooling parameter for the crystal oscillator in "brand new", "moderate use" and "end of life" states should be dynamically changing. A fixed parameter cannot adapt to such state changes, resulting in a growing deviation between the system's displayed film thickness and rate and the true values during the interval between two manual calibrations. The direct consequence of this deviation is that the thickness of the product's key film layer is out of control, leading to device performance failure, shortened lifespan and other serious quality problems. Secondly, the traditional periodic calibration mode relies heavily on manual intervention, which not only reduces production efficiency, but also cannot meet the process requirements of fully automated and intelligent continuous production. SUMMARY

[0005] In order to solve the problems in the prior art, the present application aims to provide a detection method for automatically adjusting the precision of a probe of a film thickness detector, which can automatically adjust Tooling parameters used for calculating film thickness or deposition rate in real time, thereby improving the accuracy and precision of film thickness and deposition rate measurement.

[0006] To achieve the above object, the present application provides a detection method for automatically adjusting the precision of a probe of a film thickness detector, comprising: establishing a correspondence between the usage degree of a crystal oscillator plate of the probe of the film thickness detector and Tooling parameters; monitoring the current usage degree of the crystal oscillator plate in real time during evaporation; determining a target Tooling parameter corresponding to the current usage degree based on the current usage degree and the correspondence; adjusting the current Tooling parameter used for calculating film thickness or deposition rate to the target Tooling parameter for calculation.

[0007] Further, the current usage degree of the crystal oscillator plate comprises at least one of the following: life percentage of the crystal oscillator plate, frequency change rate of the crystal oscillator plate, series resistance value of the crystal oscillator plate, and quality factor Q value of the crystal oscillator plate.

[0008] Further, the correspondence is a pre-established Tooling parameter mapping table, in which a mapping relationship between a plurality of life percentage intervals and Tooling parameters is stored.

[0009] Further, the specific steps of establishing the correspondence between the usage degree of the crystal oscillator plate of the probe of the film thickness detector and Tooling parameters comprise: for each life percentage interval of a set crystal oscillator plate, the following operations are performed: in the interval, a current Tooling parameter is used for evaporation to obtain a set film thickness; a new Tooling parameter corresponding to the set film thickness is determined according to the measured actual film thickness, the set film thickness, and the current Tooling parameter; the new Tooling parameter is associated with the life percentage interval and stored in the Tooling parameter mapping table.

[0010] Further, the life percentage of the crystal oscillator plate is determined by detecting the offset frequency of the crystal oscillator plate.

[0011] Further, the specific steps of determining a target Tooling parameter corresponding to the current usage degree based on the current usage degree and the correspondence comprise: determining a life percentage interval to which the current life percentage belongs; Based on the Tooling parameter mapping table, determine the Tooling parameters corresponding to the relevant lifetime percentage range.

[0012] Furthermore, the step size of the lifespan percentage range is not less than 1%.

[0013] Furthermore, the step size of each of the stated lifetime percentage intervals decreases as the lifetime percentage decreases.

[0014] To achieve the above objectives, this application also provides a detection system for automatically adjusting the accuracy of a film thickness gauge probe, comprising: The detection unit is connected to the probe of the film thickness gauge and is used to detect the degree of use of the crystal oscillator of the film thickness gauge probe. The storage unit stores the correspondence between the usage level of the crystal oscillator and the Tooling parameters; The control unit, connected to the detection unit and the storage unit, is configured to determine the target tooling parameter based on the current usage level of the crystal oscillator and the corresponding relationship, and adjust the current tooling parameter used for film thickness or deposition rate calculation to the target tooling parameter.

[0015] To achieve the above objectives, this application also provides a vapor deposition apparatus, including a detection system for automatically adjusting the accuracy of the film thickness detector probe as described above.

[0016] This application discloses a detection method for automatically adjusting the accuracy of a film thickness measuring instrument probe. This method can adjust the tooling parameters used to calculate film thickness or deposition rate in real time according to the usage of the crystal oscillator, significantly improving the accuracy and precision of film thickness and deposition rate measurements.

[0017] This application discloses an automatic method for adjusting the accuracy of a film thickness gauge probe. The adjustment process is fully automated, eliminating the need for production interruption for secondary calibration, thus optimizing the production process and improving production efficiency.

[0018] Other features and advantages of this application will be set forth in the following description, and will be apparent in part from the description, or may be learned by practicing this application. Attached Figure Description

[0019] The accompanying drawings are provided to further illustrate the present application and form part of the specification. Together with the embodiments of the present application, they serve to explain the present application but do not constitute a limitation thereof. In the drawings: Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating the detection method for automatically adjusting the accuracy of the film thickness detector probe according to Embodiment 1 of this application; Figure 2This is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the detection system for automatically adjusting the accuracy of the film thickness detector probe in Embodiment 2 of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0020] Embodiments of this application will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. While some embodiments of this application are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that this application can be implemented in various forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to provide a more thorough and complete understanding of this application. It should be understood that the drawings and embodiments of this application are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application.

[0021] It should be understood that the steps described in the method embodiments of this application may be performed in different orders and / or in parallel. Furthermore, the method embodiments may include additional steps and / or omit the steps shown. The scope of this application is not limited in this respect.

[0022] The term "comprising" and its variations as used herein are open-ended inclusions, meaning "including but not limited to". The term "based on" means "at least partially based on". The term "one embodiment" means "at least one embodiment"; the term "another embodiment" means "at least one additional embodiment"; the term "some embodiments" means "at least some embodiments". Definitions of other terms will be given in the description below.

[0023] It should be noted that the terms "one" and "multiple" used in this application are illustrative rather than restrictive, and those skilled in the art should understand that, unless explicitly stated otherwise in the context, they should be understood as "one or more". "Multiple" should be understood as two or more.

[0024] The embodiments of this application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0025] Example 1 One embodiment of this application provides a detection method for automatically adjusting the accuracy of a film thickness gauge probe. Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating the detection method for automatically adjusting the accuracy of the film thickness detector probe according to Embodiment 1 of this application. Figure 1 As shown, the method for detecting the accuracy of the probe of the automatic film thickness measuring instrument of this application includes: Step S101: Establish the correspondence between the usage level of the crystal oscillator of the film thickness gauge probe and the Tooling parameters; In this embodiment, the lifespan percentage of the crystal oscillator is used as the degree of use of the crystal oscillator. Each set lifespan percentage corresponds to a Tooling parameter. The step size of each lifespan percentage interval decreases as the lifespan percentage decreases, and the step size of the lifespan percentage interval is not less than 1%.

[0026] For example, 80%-81% is a lifespan percentage range, 81%-82% is a lifespan percentage range, 82%-83% is a lifespan percentage range, 83%-84% is a lifespan percentage range, 84%-85% is a lifespan percentage range, 85%-86% is a lifespan percentage range, 86%-88% is a lifespan percentage range, 88%-90% is a lifespan percentage range, 90%-92% is a lifespan percentage range, 92%-94% is a lifespan percentage range, 94%-96% is a lifespan percentage range, 96%-98% is a lifespan percentage range, and 98%-100% is a lifespan percentage range.

[0027] In some other implementations, the step size of the lifetime percentage range can also be the same, all set to 1%.

[0028] In this embodiment, the correspondence is a pre-established Tooling parameter mapping table, which stores the mapping relationships between multiple lifetime percentage ranges and Tooling parameters. Specific steps include: For each defined percentage of the crystal oscillator's lifespan, perform the following operations: Within this range, vapor deposition is performed using a current Tooling parameter to obtain a set film thickness; Based on the measured actual film thickness, the set film thickness, and the current Tooling parameters, the corresponding new Tooling parameters are determined using the following formula: TF = td / sd × DT; Where td is the actual film thickness, sd is the set film thickness, DT is the current Tooling parameter, and TF is the new Tooling parameter.

[0029] The new Tooling parameter is associated with the lifespan percentage range and stored in the Tooling parameter mapping table.

[0030] Step S102: During the vapor deposition process, monitor the current usage status of the crystal oscillator in real time; In this embodiment, the lifespan percentage of the crystal oscillator is determined by detecting its offset frequency. The maximum allowable offset frequency of the crystal oscillator is used as the failure index. The lifespan percentage is determined based on the detected offset frequency and the set maximum allowable offset frequency, using the following formula: L = (HA) / H × 100%; Where L is the lifetime percentage, H is the maximum allowable offset frequency, and A is the detected offset frequency.

[0031] In other embodiments, parameters that characterize the degree of use of the crystal oscillator, such as the frequency change rate, the series resistance value, and the quality factor Q value, can also be used to represent the degree of use of the crystal oscillator.

[0032] Step S103: Based on the current usage level and the corresponding relationship, determine the target Tooling parameter corresponding to the current usage level; During the production process, the lifespan percentage range of the crystal oscillator is determined based on the detected lifespan percentage. Then, based on the Tooling parameter mapping table, the Tooling parameter corresponding to the lifespan percentage range is determined, which means the target Tooling parameter corresponding to the current usage level is determined. Step S104: Adjust the current Tooling parameter used for film thickness or deposition rate calculation to the target Tooling parameter before participating in the calculation.

[0033] If the current Tooling parameter is different from the determined target Tooling parameter, it is adjusted to the target Tooling parameter and then used in the calculation of film thickness or deposition rate, and displayed in real time; For example, when the original Tooling parameter is T1, the calculated deposition rate is V1; after changing to the target Tooling parameter, the new deposition rate is V2 = T2 / T1 × V1.

[0034] Example 2 One embodiment of this application provides a detection method for automatically adjusting the accuracy of a film thickness detector probe. The difference between embodiment 2 and embodiment 1 is as follows: In this embodiment of the application, the lifetime percentage and the activity of the crystal oscillator are used as parameters to characterize the degree of use of the crystal oscillator. That is, in step S101, the correspondence between the degree of use of the crystal oscillator and the Tooling parameter is the correspondence between the two parameters, the lifetime percentage and the activity of the crystal oscillator, and the Tooling parameter. In step S101, the activity and lifetime percentage of the crystal oscillator are monitored in real time during the vapor deposition process.

[0035] For example, in this embodiment, the correspondence is as follows: When 700 <= activity < 800 and 80% <= lifetime percentage < 85%, the corresponding Tooling is T1; When 700 <= activity < 800 and 85% <= lifetime percentage < 90%, the corresponding Tooling is T2; When 700 <= activity < 800 and 90% <= lifetime percentage < 95%, the corresponding Tooling is T3; When 700 <= activity < 800 and 95% <= lifetime percentage < 100%, the corresponding Tooling is T4; When 600 <= activity < 700 and 80% <= lifetime percentage < 85%, the corresponding Tooling is T5; When 600 <= activity < 700 and 85% <= lifetime percentage < 90%, the corresponding Tooling is T6; When 600 <= activity < 700 and 90% <= lifetime percentage < 95%, the corresponding Tooling is T7; When 600 <= activity < 700 and 95% <= lifetime percentage < 100%, the corresponding Tooling is T8; When 500 <= activity < 600 and 80% <= lifetime percentage < 85%, the corresponding Tooling is T9; When 500 <= activity < 600 and 85% <= lifetime percentage < 90%, the corresponding Tooling is T10; When 500 <= activity < 600 and 90% <= lifetime percentage < 95%, the corresponding Tooling is T11; When 500 <= activity < 600 and 95% <= lifetime percentage < 100%, the corresponding Tooling is T12; If the activity level is less than 500 or the lifespan is less than 80%, the crystal oscillator is considered to be faulty and needs to be replaced.

[0036] Since the series resistance of a crystal oscillator increases when it is about to fail, resulting in a decrease in the current flowing through the crystal oscillator and thus a decrease in its activity, in the embodiments of this application, the activity of the crystal oscillator is determined by detecting the resistance value of the resistor connected in series with the crystal oscillator.

[0037] Example 3 One embodiment of this application provides a detection system that automatically adjusts the accuracy of a film thickness gauge probe. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the detection system for automatically adjusting the accuracy of the film thickness detector probe according to Embodiment 3 of this application, as shown below. Figure 2 As shown, the detection system for automatically adjusting the accuracy of the film thickness detector probe of this application includes: The detection unit 100 is connected to the probe of the film thickness gauge and is used to detect the degree of use of the crystal oscillator of the film thickness gauge probe. In this embodiment, the lifespan percentage of the crystal oscillator is used as the degree of use of the crystal oscillator. Each set lifespan percentage corresponds to a Tooling parameter. The step size of each lifespan percentage interval decreases as the lifespan percentage decreases, and the step size of the lifespan percentage interval is not less than 1%.

[0038] In this embodiment, the lifespan percentage of the crystal oscillator is determined by detecting its offset frequency. The maximum allowable offset frequency of the crystal oscillator is used as the failure index. The lifespan percentage is determined based on the detected offset frequency and the set maximum allowable offset frequency, using the following formula: L = (HA) / H × 100%; Where L is the lifetime percentage, H is the maximum allowable offset frequency, and A is the detected offset frequency.

[0039] In other embodiments, parameters that characterize the degree of use of the crystal oscillator, such as the frequency change rate, the series resistance value, and the quality factor Q value, can also be used to represent the degree of use of the crystal oscillator.

[0040] Storage unit 200 stores the correspondence between the usage level of the crystal oscillator and the Tooling parameters; In this embodiment, the correspondence is a pre-established Tooling parameter mapping table, which stores the mapping relationships between multiple lifetime percentage ranges and Tooling parameters. Specific steps include: For each defined percentage of the crystal oscillator's lifespan, perform the following operations: Within this range, vapor deposition is performed using a current Tooling parameter to obtain a set film thickness; Based on the measured actual film thickness, the set film thickness, and the current Tooling parameters, the corresponding new Tooling parameters are determined using the following formula: TF = td / sd × DT; Where td is the actual film thickness, sd is the set film thickness, DT is the current Tooling parameter, and TF is the new Tooling parameter.

[0041] The new Tooling parameter is associated with the lifespan percentage range and stored in the Tooling parameter mapping table.

[0042] The control unit 300, connected to the detection unit 100 and the storage unit 200, is configured to determine the target tooling parameter based on the current usage level and the corresponding relationship, and adjust the current tooling parameter used for film thickness or deposition rate calculation to the target tooling parameter.

[0043] The control unit 300 determines the lifespan percentage range based on the lifespan percentage of the crystal oscillator detected by the detection unit 100. Then, according to the Tooling parameter mapping table, it determines the Tooling parameter corresponding to the lifespan percentage range, i.e., it determines the target Tooling parameter corresponding to the current usage level. The current Tooling parameter used for film thickness or deposition rate calculation is then adjusted to the target Tooling parameter for subsequent calculations and display.

[0044] Example 4 One embodiment of this application provides a vapor deposition apparatus, including a detection system that automatically adjusts the accuracy of the film thickness detector probe as described above.

[0045] The above description is merely a partial embodiment of this application and an explanation of the technical principles employed. Those skilled in the art should understand that the scope of disclosure in this application is not limited to technical solutions formed by specific combinations of the above-described technical features, but should also cover other technical solutions formed by arbitrary combinations of the above-described technical features or their equivalents without departing from the above-described concept. For example, technical solutions formed by substituting the above features with (but not limited to) technical features with similar functions disclosed in this application.

[0046] Furthermore, while the operations are described in a specific order, this should not be construed as requiring these operations to be performed in the specific order shown or in sequential order. Multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous in certain environments. Similarly, while several specific implementation details are included in the above discussion, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of this application. Certain features described in the context of individual embodiments may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented individually or in any suitable sub-combination in multiple embodiments.

[0047] Although the subject matter has been described using language specific to structural features and / or methodological logic, it should be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or actions described above. Rather, the specific features and actions described above are merely illustrative examples of implementing the claims.

Claims

1. A method for automatically adjusting the accuracy of a film thickness detector probe, comprising: The application relates to a method for automatically adjusting precision of a film thickness detector probe. ​ The method comprises the following steps: establishing a correspondence between a usage degree of a crystal sheet of the film thickness detector probe and a Tooling parameter; monitoring a current usage degree of the crystal sheet in real time during a deposition process; determining a target Tooling parameter corresponding to the current usage degree based on the current usage degree and the correspondence; 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises: adjusting a current Tooling parameter used for film thickness or deposition rate calculation to the target Tooling parameter.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the method further comprises: The current usage degree of the crystal sheet comprises at least one of a life percentage of the crystal sheet, a frequency change rate of the crystal sheet, a series resistance value of the crystal sheet and a quality factor Q value of the crystal sheet.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the method further comprises: The correspondence is a pre-established Tooling parameter mapping table in which mapping relationships between a plurality of life percentage intervals and Tooling parameters are stored. The specific steps for establishing the correspondence between the usage degree of the crystal sheet of the film thickness detector probe and the Tooling parameter comprise the following steps: for each life percentage interval of the crystal sheet, the following operations are performed: in the interval, a current Tooling parameter is used for deposition to obtain a set film thickness; a new Tooling parameter corresponding to the set film thickness is determined according to a measured actual film thickness, the set film thickness and the current Tooling parameter; 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the method further comprises: the new Tooling parameter is stored in the Tooling parameter mapping table in association with the life percentage interval.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the method further comprises: The life percentage of the crystal sheet is determined by detecting a frequency offset of the crystal sheet. The specific steps for determining the target Tooling parameter corresponding to the current usage degree based on the current usage degree and the correspondence comprise the following steps: determining a life percentage interval to which a current life percentage belongs; 7. The method of claim 3, wherein the method further comprises: determining a Tooling parameter corresponding to the life percentage interval according to the Tooling parameter mapping table.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the method further comprises: The step length of the life percentage interval is not less than 1%.

9. A detection system for automatically adjusting the precision of a film thickness detector probe, comprising: The step length of each life percentage interval decreases with the decrease of the life percentage. The application further discloses a film thickness detector probe precision automatic adjustment system. The system comprises the following units: a detection unit connected with the film thickness detector probe and used for detecting a usage degree of a crystal sheet of the film thickness detector probe; 10. An evaporation apparatus, characterized by, a storage unit storing a correspondence between the usage degree of the crystal sheet and a Tooling parameter; a control unit connected with the detection unit and the storage unit and configured to determine a target Tooling parameter according to a current usage degree of the crystal sheet and the correspondence and adjust a current Tooling parameter used for film thickness or deposition rate calculation to the target Tooling parameter. The application further discloses a film thickness detector probe precision automatic adjustment system. The system comprises the following units: a detection unit connected with the film thickness detector probe and used for detecting a usage degree of a crystal sheet of the film thickness detector probe; a storage unit storing a correspondence between the usage degree of the crystal sheet and a Tooling parameter; a control unit connected with the detection unit and the storage unit and configured to determine a target Tooling parameter according to a current usage degree of the crystal sheet and the correspondence and adjust a current Tooling parameter used for film thickness or deposition rate calculation to the target Tooling parameter.

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