Adjustment independent of emissivity

Abstract

The embodiments disclosed herein include a method of calibrating a processing tool. In one embodiment, the method includes providing a first substrate having a first emissivity, a second substrate having a second emissivity, and a third substrate having a third emissivity. In one embodiment, the process can include implementing a recipe on each of the first substrate, the second substrate, and the third substrate, the recipe including a set of calibration attributes. In one embodiment, the method can further include measuring the layer thicknesses on each of the first substrate, the second substrate, and the third substrate. In one embodiment, the method further includes determining whether the layer thicknesses are uniform.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Cross - Reference to Related Applications This application claims the benefit of U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 832,296, filed on June 3, 2022, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] Embodiments relate to the field of semiconductor manufacturing, and more particularly, to processes and apparatus for performing emissivity - independent adjustments for thermal oxidation processes.

Background Art

[0003] Thermal oxidation processes are commonly used in semiconductor process flows. Thermal oxidation can be performed in a chamber that includes one or more lamps to heat a substrate provided within the chamber. One or more lamp zones can be present to control the temperature across the surface of the substrate. One or more pyrometers can be used to provide feedback to a controller that controls the power of the lamps. The pyrometer can be on the side of the substrate opposite the lamps or on the same side as the lamps.

[0004] The signal from the pyrometer is typically processed before being sent to the controller. For example, a calibration attribute or mask can be applied to the signal before being used by the controller. The calibration attribute can include an offset used to account for different emissivities of the substrate. The process is ideally emissivity - independent. That is, the control of the lamps is independent of the emissivity of the substrate.

[0005] A calibration process is performed to enable independence from emissivity. The calibration process can be performed after planned maintenance (PM) or after a hardware change. The calibration process is typically done by manual intervention and data entry into the tool. This leads to the possibility of errors in collecting measurement data that is copied from the computer screen to the keyboard and entered. Thus, the existing process is error-prone and requires a person skilled in the art to perform the process.

Summary of the Invention

[0006] Embodiments disclosed herein include a method of calibrating a processing tool. In one embodiment, the method includes providing a first substrate having a first emissivity, a second substrate having a second emissivity, and a third substrate having a third emissivity. In one embodiment, the process can include performing a recipe on each of the first substrate, the second substrate, and the third substrate, the recipe including a set of calibration attributes. In one embodiment, the method can further include measuring the layer thickness on each of the first substrate, the second substrate, and the third substrate. In one embodiment, the method further includes determining whether the layer thickness is uniform.

[0007] Embodiments disclosed herein can further include a processing environment. In one embodiment, the processing environment can further include a host computer and a processing tool communicatively coupled to the host computer. In one embodiment, the host computer interfaces with software stored in the memory of the processing tool, and the software includes a uniformity algorithm for setting the offset between signals measured by a pyrometer used by a controller as feedback for controlling a recipe.

[0008] The embodiments disclosed herein can further include a method of calibrating a processing tool to be independent of emissivity. In one embodiment, the method includes providing a first substrate having a first emissivity film, a second substrate having a bare silicon surface, and a third substrate having a second emissivity film. In one embodiment, the method further includes processing the first substrate, the second substrate, and the third substrate in a processing tool using a recipe to form oxide films on the first substrate, the second substrate, and the third substrate. In one embodiment, the recipe includes calibration attributes for modifying a signal from a pyrometer sent to a controller as feedback information. In one embodiment, the method further includes measuring the respective oxide films of the first substrate, the second substrate, and the third substrate, and modifying the calibration attributes when the oxide films are non-uniform.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1A

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[0010] The systems described herein include processes and apparatus for performing emissivity-independent tuning for thermal processes. An example of a thermal process is oxidation. Another example is implant anneal. In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. It will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known aspects are not described in detail so as not to obscure the embodiments needlessly. Further, it should be understood that the various embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings are illustrative representations and are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0011] As described above, the thermal oxidation process requires calibration to be emissivity-independent. In particular, the pyrometer of the thermal oxidation chamber needs to be calibrated to provide accurate feedback to the controller of the thermal oxidation chamber. This calibration can include the generation of a calibration attribute. The calibration attribute can be an offset value that increases or decreases the value of the signal detected by the pyrometer to reflect the difference in emissivity between substrates.

[0012] Currently, the calibration process is performed using manual intervention. Manual calibration is prone to errors due to data entry errors, measurement analysis errors, etc. Therefore, the embodiments disclosed herein include an automated process to enable calibration of the pyrometer. The calibration process can be performed by a host computer communicatively coupled to the thermal oxidation tool. The host computer can select a substrate to be processed, process the substrate with a given recipe, and provide instructions for performing measurements on the substrate. The tool can include software stored in a memory that can find optimized calibration attributes. For example, physics-based models and other algorithms can be used to find optimized calibration attributes.

[0013] The advantages of the automated process can include the ability to execute the process without the presentation of an expert. Further, errors associated with data entry are reduced. The green-to-green cycle time can also be improved. Further, a record of past adjustments can be obtained for data analysis of tool health. Further, better chamber matching within the fleet is possible since all chambers follow the same procedure. Waste of substrates is also improved.

[0014] Referring now to FIG. 1A, a block diagram of a processing environment 150 according to one embodiment is shown. In one embodiment, the processing environment 150 can include a host computer 105. The host computer 150 can be a manufacturing automation system. For example, the host computer 105 can be communicatively coupled to two or more tools 100 within a manufacturing environment. In the illustrated embodiment, the host computer 105 is shown as being coupled to a single tool 100 for simplicity. In one embodiment, the tool 100 can be any suitable tool for processing a substrate within a manufacturing environment. For example, the tool 100 can include a chamber used to perform a thermal oxidation process.

[0015] Host computer 105 can include instructions stored in memory to execute a chamber calibration process on tool 100. The chamber calibration process will be described in more detail below. In one embodiment, host computer 105 can be communicatively coupled to software 101 stored in memory on tool 100. Software 101 can include instructions for operating tool 100 according to a recipe provided (or selected) by host computer 105.

[0016] Software 101 can also include an algorithm for determining calibration attributes after processing a set of substrates. The calibration attribute is an offset added to a signal generated by one or more pyrometers within the tool before the signal is sent to the controller as feedback information to control processing within the tool. The algorithm can be based on a physics-based model for the heat source and a replication of an algorithm that converts pyrometer sensor data to a temperature that gives feedback control to the controller.

[0017] Referring now to FIG. 1B, a block diagram of tool 100 is shown according to one embodiment. In a particular embodiment, tool 100 can include a central chamber 183. Central chamber 183 can include a robot 184 for handling substrate 110 and moving substrate 110 throughout tool 100. In one embodiment, central chamber 183 can be coupled to a front-opening unified pod (FOUP) 181 via load port 182. FOUP 181 can accommodate a plurality of substrates 110 to be processed by tool 100. In one embodiment, substrate 110 can be of any suitable substrate form factor. In a particular embodiment, substrate 110 is a silicon substrate. The diameter of substrate 110 can be 300 mm, although substrates 110 of smaller or larger form factors may be used. Additionally, materials other than silicon may be used as substrate 110.

[0018] In one embodiment, the processing chamber 185 can be coupled to the central chamber 183. The processing chamber 185 can be a thermal oxidation chamber 185 in some embodiments. Details of the thermal oxidation chamber 185 are provided below. In the particular embodiment shown in FIG. 1B, a pair of chambers 185 (e.g., chamber 1 and chamber 2) are coupled to the central chamber 183. Both chamber 1 and chamber 2 can be thermal oxidation chambers. In other embodiments, chamber 1 and chamber 2 can be different types of chambers (e.g., for performing different processing operations).

[0019] In one embodiment, the tool 100 can also include a measurement chamber 186. The measurement chamber 186 can be used to measure the thickness of a film formed on the substrate 110 within the chamber 185. For example, the measurement chamber 186 can include line scanning capabilities to determine the film thickness across the entire surface of the substrate 110. In the illustrated embodiment, the measurement chamber 186 is coupled to the central chamber 183. However, it should be understood that the measurement chamber 186 can be part of another tool in some embodiments. In one embodiment, the measurement chamber 186 can also measure the emissivity of the substrate and use the measured emissivity as an input to an emissivity-dependent algorithm.

[0020] In the illustrated embodiment, chambers 185 and 186 are coupled to each other by the central chamber 183. However, it should be understood that chambers 185 and 186 can be stand-alone chambers that are not coupled to each other by the central chamber 183.

[0021] Referring now to FIG. 2, a cross-sectional view of a processing chamber 285 according to one embodiment is shown. In one embodiment, the chamber 285 can include any type of semiconductor manufacturing chamber that may require precise substrate temperature control. In the illustrated embodiment, a chamber 285 without plasma capabilities is shown. However, it should be understood that the chamber 285 can also include the ability to use plasma to perform various processing regimes.

[0022] In one embodiment, the chamber 285 can include a chamber body 220. The chamber body 220 can include any suitable material such as stainless steel. In one embodiment, a coating (not shown) can be provided to cover the inner surface of the chamber body 220. For example, the coating can be a seasoning layer or a protective layer of the chamber. In one embodiment, the gas 221 can enter the chamber 285 through the first portion of the chamber body 220, and the gas 222 can exit from the tool through the second portion of the chamber body 220. Although the gases 221 and 222 are shown as entering and exiting through the chamber body 220, it should be understood that the gases can enter and exit the chamber through any portion of the chamber 285 depending on the type of chamber 285 being used.

[0023] In one embodiment, a substrate support 215 can be provided within the chamber 285. The substrate support 215 can include three pins that touch the back side of the substrate 210 and directly support the back side of the substrate 210, or a susceptor 217 that is transparent for high-temperature measurement can be present. The substrate support 215 and the susceptor 217 are configured to hold and / or fix the substrate 210. For example, the substrate 210 can be a semiconductor substrate such as a silicon wafer. The substrate 210 can have any suitable form factor. For example, the diameter of the substrate 210 can be 300 mm, 450 mm, or any standard wafer form factor. Additionally, other substrates 210 can be used within the chamber 285. For example, glass substrates, ceramic substrates, or the like can be used in some embodiments. In one embodiment, the substrate support 215 and the susceptor 217 can be configured to rotate. Rotation can improve the temperature uniformity across the substrate 210.

[0024] The susceptor 217 can include any type of chucking architecture to fix the substrate 210. In some embodiments, the susceptor 217 can include an electrostatic chucking (ESC) architecture. In such embodiments, the substrate 210 is fixed to the susceptor 217 by electrostatic force. Other embodiments can include a vacuum chucking architecture for the susceptor 217. In one embodiment, the susceptor 217 and the substrate support 215 can include a quartz material or another material that is at least substantially transparent to infrared radiation. Thus, the temperature of the back surface of the substrate 210 can be obtained by the thermometer 216.

[0025] In one embodiment, the chamber 285 can include a lid 225. The lid 225 may sometimes be referred to as a chamber dome. It should be understood that although the lid 225 is shaped as a dome, it can have any architecture (e.g., a flat surface, etc.). The lid 225 can be formed from a material that is at least substantially transparent to infrared radiation. For example, the lid 225 can include quartz or the like.

[0026] In one embodiment, the chamber 285 can also include a bottom lid 227. The bottom lid 227 can cover the bottom surface of the chamber 285. The bottom lid 227 can include a material that is at least substantially transparent to infrared radiation. Thus, the thermometer on the bottom side of the chamber 285 can be used to measure the temperature of the bottom surface of the substrate 210. In one embodiment, the bottom lid 227 can be coupled to the substrate support 215. More specifically, the substrate support 215 can pass through the bottom lid 227. The bottom lid 227 is coupled to the substrate support 215 in a configuration where the substrate support 215 can rotate freely.

[0027] In one embodiment, a plurality of lamps 230 can be provided outside the internal volume of the chamber 285. The internal volume of the tool can refer to the volume defined by the lid 225, the chamber body 220, and the bottom lid 227. That is, the lamp 230 is not provided within the internal volume of the chamber 285 where substrate processing is performed. In the illustrated embodiment, three sets of lamps 230 A ~230 C are provided on the upper surface of the lid 225. The lamps 230 A ~230 C each represent a different lamp region. The lamp 230 A can be for the outer zone of the substrate 210, the lamp 230 B can be for the middle zone of the substrate 210, and the lamp 230 C can be for the central zone of the substrate 210. The lamps 230 A ~230 C can be focused onto different zones by reflectors (not shown) provided around the lamps 230. Although one or two lamps 230 are shown for each zone, it should be understood that any number of lamps can be used to heat each zone of the substrate 210. In the illustrated embodiment, the lines from the lamps 230 to the substrate 210 show the complete focusing of infrared light onto specific regions of the substrate. However, it should be understood that the infrared light from the lamps 230 can partially overlap with each other to some extent. In the illustrated embodiment, three front-side lamp zones are shown. However, it should be understood that other embodiments can include four or more lamp zones. For example, the reflector structure can include four or more zones to allow for even more advanced control of the temperature across the surface of the substrate 210.

[0028] In one embodiment, a plurality of pyrometers 216 A ~216 Ccan penetrate through the bottom cover 227. The pyrometer 216 can be focused on the back surface of the substrate 210. In one embodiment, the number of pyrometers 216 can be equal to the number of heating zones on the substrate 210. For example, three heating zones are shown in FIG. 2, and three pyrometers 216 A ~216 C are provided. The pyrometer 216 A can measure the temperature in the outer region of the substrate 210, and the pyrometer 216 B can measure the temperature in the middle region of the substrate 210, and the pyrometer 216 C can measure the temperature in the central region of the substrate 210.

[0029] In one embodiment, the reflectometer 218 can be located on the same side as the pyrometer 216. The reflectometer 218 can measure the emissivity of the substrate and can be used to provide that information to an algorithm.

[0030] Referring now to FIG. 3, a block diagram of an algorithm for setting calibration attributes according to one embodiment is shown. In one embodiment, the algorithm can be implemented by software 101 within the tool 100. Generally, the pyrometer 315 generates a signal that is processed by the calibration attribute 316 before being passed to the controller 317. The controller 317 can use the signal as a feedback input to control the power delivered to the lamp 225 in the chamber 285. In one embodiment, the calibration attribute 316 is an offset value that is added to the signal to account for various conditions such as the emissivity of the substrate. That is, different emissivities will result in different readings by the pyrometer 315. Thus, the calibration attribute 316 serves to nullify the effect of emissivity on the sensor readings in order to provide a feedback signal to the controller 317 that is independent of emissivity.

[0031] In one embodiment, the calibration attribute 316 can be generated by the uniformity algorithm 318. The uniformity algorithm 318 can be an algorithm stored in the memory of the tool 100. In particular, the measurement data 319 is used to inform the uniformity algorithm 318. The measurement data 319 can be generated by a measurement chamber 386 or the like. For example, measurement data (e.g., film thickness) from three or more substrates having different emissivities can be used to provide data to the uniformity algorithm 318.

[0032] In one embodiment, the uniformity algorithm 318 can include a physics-based model for the heat source and a replication of an algorithm that converts pyrometer sensor data to temperature values for the controller. The physics-based model can be a thermal model of the chamber 285. That is, the heat source and the different components of the chamber 285 are modeled using physics-based equations (e.g., heat transfer equations) to provide an accurate thermal model of the chamber 285. The thermal model can then be used to calculate the backside temperature of the substrate at various times in the recipe. The calculated temperature can then be compared to the pyrometer readings to determine the offset used for the calibration attribute.

[0033] Referring now to FIG. 4, a process flow diagram of a process 490 for calibrating the chamber 285 to be independent of emissivity according to one embodiment is shown. The process 490 can be executed within the processing environment 150 using the software 101 of the host computer 105 and the tool 100. In other embodiments, the entire process 490 can be implemented by the software 101 of the tool 100 or by the host computer 105.

[0034] In one embodiment, process 490 can begin with operation 491, which includes loading three substrates having different emissivities into the FOUP. Note that in one embodiment, four or more substrates may be provided within the FOUP. For example, six substrates may be provided within the FOUP, and the six substrates can have three different emissivities (i.e., each emissivity level can be implemented on two substrates). In one embodiment, the substrates can be manufactured within a manufacturing environment. In other embodiments, the substrates can be obtained from an external source of the substrates. It should be understood that the substrates may be reused or repaired after process 490 so that waste of the substrates is minimized.

[0035] An example of such a FOUP 581 is shown in FIG. 5A. As shown, the FOUP 581 can include three slots 571 for supporting the substrates 510. The first substrate 510 A can have a layer 541 having a first emissivity, and the second substrate 510 B can have a bottom surface 542 that is bare silicon having a second emissivity, and the third substrate 510 C can have a layer 543 having a third emissivity. In one embodiment, the first emissivity can be greater than the second emissivity, and the second emissivity can be greater than the third emissivity. In a particular embodiment, the layer 541 can include nitrogen (e.g., a nitride film), and the layer 543 can include oxygen (e.g., an oxide film). The upper surfaces of the substrates 510 A ~510 C can be bare silicon surfaces in some embodiments. The substrates 510 A ~510 C are shown in FIG. 5A, but it should be understood that any number of substrates 510 can be included in the FOUP 581.

[0036] Returning to process 490 of FIG. 4, process 490 can continue with operation 492, which includes implementing a recipe on each of three substrates having a set of calibration attributes. The calibration attributes can be set prior to implementing the recipe. Calibration attributes previously used to implement the recipe (e.g., before a scheduled maintenance event or after a hardware replacement) may be used. The calibration attributes provide an offset to the pyrometer data in order for the controller to provide an accurate feedback signal.

[0037] Referring now to FIG. 5B, a cross-sectional view of chamber 585 for executing a process recipe according to one embodiment is shown. In one embodiment, chamber 585 can include a chamber body 520. Chamber body 520 can include any suitable material such as stainless steel. In one embodiment, a coating (not shown) can be provided to cover the inner surface of chamber body 520. In one embodiment, gas 521 can enter chamber 585 through a first portion of chamber body 520, and gas 522 can exit the tool through a second portion of chamber body 520.

[0038] In one embodiment, a substrate support 515 and a susceptor 517 can be provided within the chamber. Substrate support 515 and susceptor 517 are configured to hold and / or fix substrate 510. For example, a first substrate 510 A is shown within chamber 585. In one embodiment, substrate support 515 and susceptor 517 can be configured to rotate. Rotation can improve temperature uniformity across substrate 510. In one embodiment, susceptor 517 and substrate support 515 can include a quartz material or another material that is at least substantially transparent to infrared radiation. Thus, the temperature of the back surface of substrate 510 can be acquired by pyrometer 516.

[0039] In one embodiment, the chamber 585 can include a lid 525. The lid 525 may sometimes be referred to as a chamber dome. The lid 525 can be formed from a material that is at least substantially transparent to infrared radiation. For example, the lid 225 can include quartz or the like. In one embodiment, the chamber 285 can also include a bottom lid 227. The bottom lid 227 can cover the bottom surface of the chamber 285. The bottom lid 227 can include a material that is at least substantially transparent to infrared radiation. Accordingly, the pyrometer 516 on the bottom side of the chamber 585 can be used to measure the temperature of the bottom surface of the substrate 510 A and can be used to measure the temperature of the bottom surface of the substrate 510.

[0040] In one embodiment, a plurality of lamps 530 can be provided outside the internal volume of the chamber 585. In the illustrated embodiment, three sets of lamps 530 A ~530 C are provided on the upper surface of the lid 525. The lamps 530 A ~530 C each represent a different lamp region. The lamps 530 A ~530 C can be focused into different zones by reflectors (not shown) provided around the lamps 530. Although one or two lamps 530 are shown for each zone, it should be understood that any number of lamps can be used to heat each zone of the substrate 510. In the illustrated embodiment, three front lamp zones are shown. However, it should be understood that four or more lamp zones can be included in other embodiments. For example, the reflector structure can include four or more zones to allow for even more sophisticated control of the temperature across the surface of the substrate 510 A across the surface of the substrate 510.

[0041] In one embodiment, a plurality of pyrometers 516 A ~516 C can be provided through the bottom lid 527. The pyrometers 516 can be focused on the back surface of the substrate 510 A on the back surface of the substrate 510. In one embodiment, the number of pyrometers 516 is the substrate 510 AIt can be made equal to the number of upper heating zones. For example, three heating zones are shown in FIG. 5B, and three pyrometers 516 A ~516 C are provided.

[0042] In one embodiment, the reflectometer 518 can be located on the same side as the pyrometer 516. The reflectometer 518 can be used to measure the emissivity of the substrate and provide that information to the algorithm.

[0043] In one embodiment, the recipe can be a thermal oxidation recipe. That is, an oxygen source may flow into the chamber 585 as the gas 521, and the lamp 530 can be used to rapidly heat the surface of the substrate 510 A . In one embodiment, the thermal oxidation process can result in the growth of an oxide film 545 over the entire upper surface of the substrate 510 A . Then, the recipe can be repeated for the remaining substrate 510 B and 510 C .

[0044] Referring back to process 490, the process can continue with operation 493, which includes checking the thickness uniformity between the three substrates. In one embodiment, the thickness uniformity can be measured with a line scan tool to determine the thickness of the oxide film 545 across the entire diameter of the substrates 510 A ~510 C . For example, in FIGS. 5C - 5E, the line scan (shown as a dashed line) is performed across the entire first substrate 510 A (FIG. 5C), the third substrate 510 C (FIG. 5D), and the second substrate 510 B (FIG. 5E). The line scan can be performed in the measurement chamber 186 coupled to the chamber 585 via the central chamber 183. In other embodiments, the measurement chamber can be a tool separate from the chamber 585.

[0045] Referring back to process 490, the process continues with decision block 494, which determines whether the thickness of the oxide layer on the three substrates is uniform. If the thickness is uniform, it is determined that the process is independent of emissivity, and the process proceeds to block 496. In such an embodiment, the calibration attributes are correct and the tool is considered to be properly calibrated.

[0046] However, if the thickness is not uniform, it does not follow this path and operation 495 is performed. Operation 495 can include updating a set of calibration attributes. In one embodiment, the calibration attributes can be updated using a uniformity algorithm. The uniformity algorithm can include a physics-based model for the heat source and a replication of an algorithm that converts pyrometer sensor data and reflectometer data into temperature values for the controller. The physics-based model can be a thermal model of chamber 585. That is, the heat source and the different components of chamber 585 are modeled using physics-based equations (e.g., heat transfer equations) to provide an accurate thermal model of chamber 585. The thermal model can then be used to calculate the backside temperature of the substrate at various times in the recipe. The calculated temperature can then be compared to the pyrometer readings to determine the offset used for the updated calibration attributes. In one embodiment, process 490 then subsequently returns to the beginning of process 490, and operations 491-495 can be repeated until the thickness of the different substrates is uniform.

[0047] In one embodiment, processing operations 491-494 can be performed under the instruction of host computer 105, and the update of the calibration attributes can be performed by software 101 of tool 100. In other embodiments, the entire process 490 may be performed by host computer 105, or the entire process 490 may be performed by tool 100.

[0048] Referring now to FIG. 6, an exemplary computer system 600 for a processing tool, according to one embodiment, is shown. In one embodiment, the computer system 600 is coupled to the processing tool and controls processing within the processing tool. The computer system 600 can be connected (e.g., network-connected) to other machines within a local area network (LAN), intranet, extranet, or the Internet. The computer system 600 can operate in the capacity of a server or client machine within a client-server network environment, or as a peer machine within a peer-to-peer (or distributed) network environment. The computer system 600 can be a personal computer (PC), tablet PC, set-top box (STB), personal digital assistant (PDA), cellular phone, web appliance, server, network router, switch or bridge, or any machine capable of executing a set of instructions (a series of instructions or instructions in some other format) that specify actions to be taken by that machine. Further, although only a single machine is shown for the computer system 600, the term "machine" should also be taken to include any collection of machines (e.g., computers) that individually or jointly execute a set (or multiple sets) of instructions to perform any one or more of the methodologies described herein.

[0049] The computer system 600 can include a computer program product having a non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions, i.e., software 622, which can be used to program the computer system 600 (or other electronic device) to execute the process according to the embodiments. The machine-readable medium includes any mechanism for storing or transmitting information in a form readable by a machine (e.g., a computer). For example, the machine-readable (e.g., computer-readable) medium includes machine (e.g., computer) readable storage media (e.g., read-only memory (“ROM”), random access memory (“RAM”), magnetic disk storage media, optical storage media, flash memory devices, etc.), machine (e.g., computer) readable transmission media (electrical signals, optical signals, acoustic signals, or other forms of propagated signals (e.g., infrared signals, digital signals, etc.)), etc.

[0050] In one embodiment, the computer system 600 includes a system processor 602, a main memory 604 (e.g., read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, dynamic random access memory (DRAM) such as synchronous DRAM (SDRAM) and Rambus DRAM (RDRAM), etc.), a static memory 606 (e.g., flash memory, static random access memory (SRAM), etc.), and a secondary memory 618 (e.g., a data storage device), which communicate with each other via a bus 630.

[0051] The system processor 602 represents one or more general-purpose processing devices such as a micro-system processor or a central processing unit. More specifically, the system processor can be a complex instruction set computing (CISC) micro-system processor, a reduced instruction set computing (RISC) micro-system processor, a very long instruction word (VLIW) micro-system processor, a system processor implementing other instruction sets, or a system processor implementing a combination of instruction sets. The system processor 602 can also be one or more dedicated processing devices such as an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a digital signal system processor (DSP), a network system processor, etc. The system processor 602 is configured to execute processing logic 626 for performing the operations described herein.

[0052] The computer system 600 can further include a system network interface device 608 for communicating with other devices or machines. The computer system 600 can further include a video display unit 610 (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light emitting diode display (LED), or a cathode ray tube (CRT)), an alphanumeric input device 612 (e.g., a keyboard), a cursor control device 614 (e.g., a mouse), and a signal generation device 616 (e.g., a speaker).

[0053] The secondary memory 618 can include a machine-accessible storage medium 632 (or more specifically a computer-readable storage medium), and the machine-accessible storage medium 632 stores one or more instruction sets (e.g., software 622) that embody any one or more of the methodologies or functions described herein. The software 622 can also be present, in whole or at least in part, within the main memory 604 or within the system processor 602 while the computer system 600 executes the software, and the main memory 604 and the system processor 602 also constitute machine-readable storage media. The software 622 can further be transmitted or received through the network 620 via the system network interface device 608. In one embodiment, the network interface device 608 can operate using RF coupling, optical coupling, acoustic coupling, or inductive coupling.

[0054] Although the machine-accessible storage medium 632 is shown as a single medium in the exemplary embodiments, the term "machine-readable storage medium" should be taken to include a single medium or a plurality of media (e.g., a centralized database or a distributed database, and / or associated caches and servers) that store one or more instruction sets. The term "machine-readable storage medium" should also be taken to include any medium that can store or encode the instruction sets executed by the machine and cause the machine to execute any one or more of the methodologies. Thus, the term "machine-readable storage medium" should be taken to include, but not be limited to, solid-state memory, optical media, and magnetic media.

[0055] In the foregoing specification, specific exemplary embodiments have been described. It will be apparent that various modifications can be made to these embodiments without departing from the scope of the following claims. Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a limiting sense.

Claims

1. A method for calibrating a processing tool, comprising: providing a first substrate having a first emissivity, a second substrate having a second emissivity, and a third substrate having a third emissivity; performing a recipe on each of the first substrate, the second substrate, and the third substrate, the recipe including a set of calibration attributes; measuring a layer thickness on each of the first substrate, the second substrate, and the third substrate; and determining whether the layer thickness is uniform .

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting the set of calibration attributes when the layer thickness is non-uniform .

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the set of calibration attributes is adjusted using a uniformity algorithm .

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the uniformity algorithm includes a physics-based model for a heat source and a replication of an algorithm for converting pyrometer sensor data into temperature data used to provide feedback control of the recipe .

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the calibration attributes are detected by a pyrometer and used to correct a signal sent to a controller of the processing tool .

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first emissivity is higher than the second emissivity, and the second emissivity is higher than the third emissivity .

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first substrate includes a film containing nitrogen, the second substrate includes bare silicon, and the third substrate includes a film containing oxygen .

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the first emissivity and the third emissivity are provided by a film on a surface of the substrate opposite to a lamp used in the recipe .

9. The method of claim 8, wherein a pyrometer detects signals from the film of the first substrate and the film of the third substrate, and the pyrometer detects a signal from the bare silicon of the second substrate .

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the recipe is a thermal oxidation recipe .

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the recipe includes controlling a plurality of lamp zones on the substrate .

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the measuring of the layer thickness is performed by line scanning .

13. A processing environment, comprising a host computer; and a processing tool communicatively coupled to the host computer comprising, wherein the host computer interfaces with software stored in the memory of the processing tool, and the software includes a uniformity algorithm for setting an offset between signals measured by a pyrometer used by a controller as feedback for controlling a recipe, a processing environment.

14. The uniformity algorithm is a physics-based model for a heat source and a replication of an algorithm for converting pyrometer sensor data into temperature data used to provide feedback control of the recipe The processing environment according to claim 13, comprising.

15. The processing environment according to claim 13, wherein the host computer processes three substrates having different emissivities and includes instructions stored in memory for comparing film thicknesses formed on the three substrates.

16. The processing environment according to claim 15, wherein the three substrates comprise a first substrate having a first emissivity, a second substrate having a second emissivity, and a third substrate having a third emissivity, the first emissivity being higher than the second emissivity, and the second emissivity being higher than the third emissivity.

17. The processing environment according to claim 13, wherein the processing tool comprises a load port, a central chamber, a processing chamber, and a measurement chamber.

18. A method of calibrating a processing tool to be independent of emissivity, comprising: providing a first substrate having a first emissivity film, a second substrate having a bare silicon surface, and a third substrate having a second emissivity film; processing the first substrate, the second substrate, and the third substrate in the processing tool using a recipe to form oxide films on the first substrate, the second substrate, and the third substrate, the recipe including calibration attributes for modifying signals from a pyrometer sent to a controller as feedback information; measuring the respective oxide films of the first substrate, the second substrate, and the third substrate; and modifying the calibration attributes when the oxide films are non-uniform A method comprising.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the first emissivity film contains nitrogen and the second emissivity film contains oxygen.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the calibration attribute is corrected by a uniformity algorithm including a physics-based model for a heat source and a replication of an algorithm that converts pyrometer sensor data into temperature data used to provide the feedback information.

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