On-the-fly measurement of substrate structures

Abstract

The method includes determining a plurality of measurement targets on a substrate. The substrate comprises a plurality of structures. Each measurement target is associated with one of the plurality of structures. The method further includes operating one or more motors to move a substrate support so that a first measurement target is placed within the field of view of a measuring instrument. The method further includes causing the measuring instrument to perform a first measurement of the first measurement target as the first measurement target passes through the field of view of the measuring instrument. The method further includes operating one or more motors on the substrate support so that a second measurement target on the substrate is placed within the field of view of the measuring instrument.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method for performing measurements on a substrate. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a method for performing on-the-fly measurements of a substrate structure.

Background Art

[0002] Products such as semiconductor wafers may be produced by using manufacturing equipment to perform one or more manufacturing processes. For example, semiconductor manufacturing equipment may be used to produce a substrate by a semiconductor manufacturing process. Determining the characteristics of the substrate may be useful for determining the performance of the manufacturing equipment, the performance of the manufacturing process, or the suitability of the substrate for a target application.

Summary of the Invention

[0003] The following is a simplified summary of the present disclosure to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the present disclosure. This summary is not an extensive overview of the present disclosure. This summary is not intended to identify key or critically important elements of the present disclosure, nor is it intended to limit the scope of particular embodiments of the present disclosure or the scope of the claims. The sole purpose of this summary is to present some concepts of the present disclosure in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that follows.

[0004] In one aspect of the present disclosure, the method includes determining a plurality of measurement targets on a substrate. The substrate comprises a plurality of structures. Each measurement target is associated with one of the plurality of structures. The method further includes operating one or more motors to move a substrate support so that a first measurement target is placed within the field of view of a measuring instrument. The method further includes causing the measuring instrument to perform a first measurement of the first measurement target as the first measurement target passes through the field of view of the measuring instrument. The method further includes operating one or more motors on the substrate support so that a second measurement target on the substrate is placed within the field of view of the measuring instrument.

[0005] In another aspect of this disclosure, a non-temporary machine-readable storage medium stores instructions, which, when executed, cause a processing device to perform an operation. The operation includes determining a plurality of measurement targets on a substrate. The substrate comprises a plurality of structures. Each measurement target is associated with one of the plurality of structures. The operation further includes operating one or more motors to move a substrate support so that a first measurement target is placed within the field of view of a measuring instrument. The operation further includes causing a measuring instrument to perform a first measurement of the first measurement target as the first measurement target passes through the field of view of the measuring instrument. The operation further includes operating one or more motors on a substrate support so that a second measurement target on the substrate is placed within the field of view of the measuring instrument.

[0006] In another aspect of this disclosure, the system includes a memory and a processing device coupled to the memory. The processing device is configured to determine a plurality of measurement targets on a substrate. The substrate includes a plurality of structures. Each measurement target is associated with one of the plurality of structures. The processing device is further configured to operate one or more motors to move a substrate support so that a first measurement target is placed within the field of view of a measuring instrument. The processing device is further configured to cause the measuring instrument to perform a first measurement of the first measurement target as the first measurement target passes through the field of view of the measuring instrument. The processing device is further configured to operate one or more motors on a substrate support so that a second measurement target on the substrate is placed within the field of view of the measuring instrument.

[0007] This disclosure is presented as an example and is not intended to limit it. Different references to “one” embodiment or “one” embodiment in this disclosure do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, and such references should be understood to mean at least one. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a top view of a substrate support including zones, according to several embodiments. [Figure 2] This figure shows the layout of a substrate according to several embodiments. [Figure 3] This figure shows a measurement system for performing measurements on a substrate containing a structure, according to several embodiments. [Figure 4] This figure shows an exemplary measurement path for performing substrate measurements according to several embodiments. [Figure 5] This is a flowchart of a method related to performing on-the-fly measurements of a substrate containing a structure, according to several embodiments. [Figure 6] This is a block diagram showing a computer system in several embodiments. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] This specification describes techniques for determining one or more characteristics of a substrate by on-the-fly measurement. Manufacturing equipment (e.g., processing chambers) is used to produce substrates such as semiconductor wafers. The characteristics of the substrate are determined by the conditions under which the substrate is processed. Components of the processing chamber affect the conditions near the substrate and have an impact on performance (e.g., target substrate characteristics, production consistency, etc.). As technical requirements for substrate manufacturing become more stringent, additional monitoring of substrate characteristics may be performed. Additional monitoring of substrate characteristics (e.g., by measurement) may increase the manufacturing time used to produce the product, reduce the throughput passing through tools or equipment, and require additional equipment to meet target production thresholds.

[0010] In some systems, a substrate containing a structure may have one or more measured properties of the substrate structure. These properties may include structure thickness, critical dimension (CD), optical properties (e.g., refractive index, absorption coefficient), chemical properties, and electrical properties. In some systems, the substrate structure may be measured using a measurement system that detects electromagnetic radiation. (Measurement system that detects reflected radiation) Substrate structures may be measured using various techniques, including reflectometry, ellipsometry, eddy current testing, and non-optical techniques. Substrate structures may also be measured using measurement systems that detect infrared radiation. In some systems, the substrate structure may be small, for example, the size of the substrate structure may be comparable to the field of view of the measuring instrument.

[0011] In some systems, the substrate may be supported by a substrate support. The substrate support may be coupled to one or more motors for moving the substrate support. In some systems, the substrate support may be coupled to a motor configured to generate linear motion of the substrate support and another motor configured to generate rotational motion of the substrate support. By utilizing two motors that span different dimensions, any portion of the substrate may be positioned within the field of view of the measuring instrument.

[0012] In some systems, a measurement target, substrate structure, or part of a substrate may be placed within the field of view of the measuring instrument. Aligning the measurement target with the instrument's field of view may involve correlating substrate coordinates with substrate support coordinates, or determining the offset between the substrate's position and the expected substrate position. Moving the substrate structure into the instrument's field of view may involve accelerating, maintaining the speed of, decelerating, and stabilizing one or more motors of the substrate support. The substrate support may remain stationary while the measurement target is within the instrument's field of view. A number of target measurements may be performed. The motors may then accelerate the substrate support. The substrate support may be moved so that another measurement target is within the instrument's field of view. In some embodiments, many measurement sites on a single substrate may be visited. Dozens, hundreds, or thousands of measurement sites may be measured. The substrate support may be moved so that the substrate is repositioned, for example, to a different chamber. A considerable amount of time may be consumed by motor starting, accelerating, decelerating, and stabilizing. The numerous acceleration, deceleration, and stabilization operations of a motor can reduce the throughput of a substrate during measurement operations, particularly those involving multiple measurement targets.

[0013] The methods and systems of this disclosure may solve one or more drawbacks of conventional systems. In some embodiments, a substrate for measurement may be provided. The substrate may include several structures. A measuring instrument may be used when measuring the structures. The size of the field of view of the measuring instrument may be the same as the size of the structures on the substrate. Randomly selected measurement locations on the surface of the substrate (e.g., spots randomly placed within the size of the field of view) may be located, for example, between structures on the substrate, between structures of interest, or overlapping with multiple adjacent structures.

[0014] In some embodiments, a set of structures may be selected for measurement. The set of structures may be limited to a spatial region of the substrate. The set of structures may sample many regions of the substrate. A motor path may be constructed for the substrate support that moves the stage so that each of the set of structures passes through the field of view of the measuring instrument. The motor may move the substrate along the defined path without stopping for each measurement, for example, so that the measurements are performed on the fly.

[0015] In some embodiments, one or more constraints may be considered when designing the path the substrate follows. Stage motion constraints, such as the maximum and minimum stage speeds, maximum stage acceleration and jerk, and transformations between stage coordinates and substrate coordinates, may be considered. Measurement instrument constraints may be considered. When determining the path, the maximum and minimum measurement speeds, target measurement time, field of view size and spatial extent may be considered. Application constraints such as target signal-to-noise characteristics, target substrate throughput, and target area of ​​interest on the substrate may be considered.

[0016] The measuring instrument may include one or more components that facilitate the generation of substrate data. For example, the measuring instrument may include a spectral sensing component for generating spectral data. One or more components may be interchangeable or compatible with one another, for example, to facilitate different types of measurements or to facilitate the measurement of substrate properties of interest. The measuring instrument may generate reflectometry data, ellipsometry data, imaging data, hyperspectral imaging data, or chemical imaging data (e.g., X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray fluorescence, etc.). The measuring instrument may be a pulsed reflectometry instrument or may include a pulsed reflectometry instrument. The measuring instrument (or other components of the measurement system) may further include a position component for selecting, identifying, and / or changing the position and / or orientation of the substrate, for example, the position and / or orientation of the substrate relative to one or more components of the measuring instrument. The measuring instrument may record the reflected intensity of one or more wavelengths or polarizations reflected from a portion of the substrate. The measuring instrument may collect thermal data, spectral data, intensity data, etc. The measuring instrument may include one or more vortex sensors, capacitive sensors, etc.

[0017] In some embodiments, the measuring instrument may be an optical measuring device. In some embodiments, the measuring instrument may include an electromagnetic radiation detector. In some embodiments, the measuring instrument may be a reflectometer or include a reflectometer. In some embodiments, the measuring instrument may be an infrared reflectometer or include an infrared reflectometer. The measuring instrument may perform ellipsometry, eddy current testing, other non-optical measuring techniques, etc. The measuring instrument may be a pulse instrument, and measurements may be performed periodically according to a measurement frequency, for example. In some embodiments, the path taken by the substrate may be selected so that the movement of the target measurement site into the field of view of the measuring instrument is temporally correlated with the pulses of the measuring instrument. In some embodiments, the measurement frequency or period may be adjusted to account for the time it takes for the substrate to move between two measurement sites. In some embodiments, one or more measurement pulses that do not correspond to a measurement site in the field of view of the measuring instrument may be ignored.

[0018] In some embodiments, statistical metrics may be used when determining the characteristics of the substrate. For example, when performing measurements on a substrate, measurements may be grouped together according to corresponding spatial regions of the substrate. A spatial region may correspond to a group of substrate structures such as dies or fields. A spatial region may correspond to other groupings of interest, such as measurement targets associated with a specific region of the substrate support (such as a heater zone), or a specific region of processing equipment (such as one plasma source in an array of plasma sources). To provide an estimate of the characteristics of a particular spatial region, several measurements of that spatial region may be considered together. This may be done by grouping measurements into sets based on spatial proximity, spatial region, pattern region (e.g., die or field), or region associated with a specific region or component of a process chamber. For example, the average of thickness values ​​measured for a die may serve as the average thickness of that die. The signal-to-noise ratio may be improved by increasing the number of measurement sites in target zones or areas of the substrate. In some embodiments, each measurement site may correspond to a memory block, and regions of the substrate may correspond to groups of nearby memory blocks. Each measurement area may correspond to a structure other than a memory block. Each measurement area may correspond to a target region on the substrate.

[0019] The methods and systems of this disclosure offer technical advantages not found in conventional methods. Performing substrate measurements according to this disclosure may reduce time delays in the measurement process. A typical measurement process involves many operations, such as starting a stopped motor, accelerating the substrate support, decelerating the substrate support, and waiting for the motion to stabilize, in order to facilitate the measurement of the measurement site. Performing a series of measurements of the substrate structure on the fly may avoid delays associated with starting and stopping the motor for each measurement site. The time spent measuring the substrate may be reduced. Reducing the time spent measuring the substrate may improve the processing throughput of the substrate. Improved processing throughput may lead to greater efficiency in terms of energy consumption, environmental impact of processing, material consumption such as process gases, and processing delays due to measurement queues. Reducing the time spent measuring the substrate may enable monitoring of larger portions of the manufactured substrate. Monitoring larger portions of the manufactured substrate may enable earlier detection of processing errors, equipment errors, input material errors, and necessary maintenance. Monitoring larger portions of the manufactured substrate may enable more agile repairs, reconditioning, process recipe adjustments, and component replacements. Monitoring a larger portion of the manufactured circuit boards can, for example, reduce the number of defective circuit boards produced, lower energy and material costs, reduce the costs associated with locating defective circuit boards, and mitigate the environmental impact of wasted energy and materials.

[0020] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the method includes determining a plurality of measurement targets on a substrate. The substrate comprises a plurality of structures. Each measurement target is associated with one of the plurality of structures. The method further includes operating one or more motors to move a substrate support so that a first measurement target is positioned within the field of view of a measuring instrument. The method further includes causing the measuring instrument to perform a first measurement of the first measurement target without stopping the movement of the substrate support as the first measurement target passes through the field of view of the measuring instrument. The method further includes operating one or more motors on the substrate support so that a second measurement target on the substrate is positioned within the field of view of the measuring instrument.

[0021] Figure 1 is a top view of a substrate support 100 including zones, according to several embodiments. The substrate support 100 may be understood with respect to a coordinate system that maps positions on the substrate support 100. As shown, the substrate support 100 may be understood / mapped by the (r,θ) coordinate system. A substrate supported by the substrate support 100 may be mapped by a different set of coordinates, e.g., a different set of (r,θ) coordinates, or a set of linear coordinates such as (x,y) coordinates. Transformations may allow mapping a set of coordinates related to the substrate support to a corresponding set of coordinates on a substrate, such as another substrate associated with the substrate support. Transformations may allow mapping the positioning of the substrate support achieved by the substrate support's motor to a position on the substrate, such as a target structure on the substrate. One or more coordinate transformations may allow understanding of characteristics (e.g., differences in different zones of the substrate support) imparted to the substrate by the substrate support based on measurements of the substrate performed while the substrate is on different supports (e.g., in a measurement system).

[0022] The substrate support 100 includes several zones 112. The zones may include individual hardware. For example, the zones may be related to different heating elements, chucking elements, backside gas outlet zones, or combinations of these components. One or more zones may be targeted to understand the impact of the zones on substrate manufacturing. Measurements of one or more structures of the substrate related to zone 112 may enable understanding of the characteristics of that zone. Measurements of one or more structures of the substrate related to zone 112 may enable recommendations for corrective actions related to that zone.

[0023] The substrate support 100 includes a target measurement area 114. Measurements of the substrate may be performed, and the measurements of the substrate may enable understanding of the performance of zones of the substrate support (e.g., zone 112), or areas of the substrate support 100 (e.g., area 114). In some embodiments, when determining the performance of a zone of the substrate support 100, measurements performed on a portion of the substrate related to a target measurement area such as target measurement area 114 may be utilized. For example, measurements of the substrate supported by target measurement area 114, or measurements of the substrate supported by target measurement area 114 during a process operation, may be utilized when generating an understanding of the performance of the substrate support 100, a particular zone of the substrate support 100, or target measurement area 114.

[0024] In some embodiments, measurements of the substrate related to the substrate support 100 may be performed in an on-the-fly manner. For example, measurements of the substrate may be performed without stopping the motor of the stage of the measurement system. In some embodiments, the measurement system (such as a reflectometry system) may include the substrate support 100. In some embodiments, different substrate supports may be utilized for the measurement system, and information related to the target area of the substrate may indicate the performance of the corresponding area of the substrate support 100 that was in use during the processing of the substrate.

[0025] In some embodiments, on-the-fly measurements may be performed based on the arrangement of motors on the stage of the measurement system, such as the motors of the substrate support 100. For example, the substrate support 100 may include two-dimensional control of the substrate position. The two-dimensional control may determine an efficient movement pattern for measuring the substrate. In some embodiments, a first motor may cause linear movement of the substrate relative to the measuring tool, and a second motor may cause rotational movement of the substrate. In such cases, a helical measurement pattern may be used for on-the-fly measurement of the substrate. In some embodiments, the target measurement area 114 may include multiple measurements (e.g., substrate thickness, critical dimension, refractive index, absorption coefficient, film thickness, or another metric of interest), and the multiple measurements may be used to determine the behavior associated with the target measurement area 114 (e.g., via mean, median, or other statistical metrics associated with the measurement). In some embodiments, for example, measurements performed separately with respect to time (e.g., across multiple passes of the helical measurement pattern) may be included in the target measurement area 114, or included in the statistical metrics of the measurement of the substrate. An explanation of the additional on-the-fly measurement pathway is provided with reference to Figure 4.

[0026] Figure 2 shows the layout of the substrate 200 according to several embodiments. The substrate 200 may be a semiconductor wafer, and the substrate 200 may have several structures on its surface. The substrate 200 may have several memory blocks on its surface. The substrate 200 may be a substrate that has undergone a substrate processing procedure. In some embodiments, the diameter of the substrate 200 may be about 30 cm.

[0027] A processed substrate containing a structure may have a structure on its surface that is organized into multiple regions. For example, as shown, the substrate 200 is divided into several fields, and the fields are further divided into several dies. In some embodiments, measurements of target dies may be grouped together. For example, measurements of the die structure may be averaged to determine the characteristics of the die. In another example, measurements of the field structure may be averaged to determine the characteristics of the field.

[0028] The substrate 200 includes a field 204. The field 204 includes several dies, including a die 206. Each die may include several memory blocks. Measurements of the substrate may target the memory blocks, the dies, or the fields, etc. Measurements of target areas of the substrate (e.g., memory blocks, dies, fields, heater areas of the substrate support, or other target areas) may be performed on the fly, for example, without stopping the movement of the substrate relative to the measurement device to perform the measurement. In some embodiments, multiple measurements of the same target area may be used to overcome the drawbacks such as resolution, accuracy, or reliability introduced by performing the measurement on the fly. In some embodiments, multiple measurements of the same memory block, multiple measurements of the same die, or multiple measurements of the same field may be performed, and statistical analysis (e.g., mean, median, outlier removal, quartile analysis, etc.) may be used to determine the characteristics of the target area.

[0029] In some embodiments, the die 206 may include several memory blocks. An exemplary memory block structure is shown in Figure 3. Several measurements may be performed during the on-the-fly procedure of the die 206. For example, several measurements may be performed on a single memory block of the die 206, or multiple measurements may be performed corresponding to different memory blocks of the die 206.

[0030] In some embodiments, one or more dies (e.g., die 206), one or more fields (e.g., field 204), or one or more other areas of the substrate may be used as targets for measurement, such as measurement by a reflectometry system. An on-the-fly measurement path may be established that includes measuring the target number of times in the target measurement area, for example, to enable sufficient statistical certainty that the measurement results are meaningful. An on-the-fly measurement path may be established that enables the continuous movement of one or more motors associated with positioning the substrate 200 relative to a reflectometry device, measuring device, optical measuring device, or other measuring device. An on-the-fly measurement path may be determined that is consistent with one or more constraints of the system, such as the maximum speed of one or more motors, the maximum acceleration of one or more motors, the maximum acceleration that the substrate can tolerate (e.g., without slippage), the maximum jerk that the system may tolerate, the measurement frequency of the system, the flexibility of the measurement frequency of the system, the target size and position, the target signal-to-noise ratio, the number of target measurements in the area of ​​the substrate 200, the target throughput, the motor resolution, the motor jitter, the motor timing resolution and jitter, the measurement system timing resolution, accuracy, and jitter. The on-the-fly measurement path will be discussed further with respect to Figure 4.

[0031] Figure 3 shows a measurement system 300 for performing measurements on a substrate containing structures, according to several embodiments. The die 312 may be a die on the substrate, or alternatively, a system such as the measurement system 300 may be run on a substrate that is not divided into fields or dies. The die 312 may be a die shown as a small box in Figure 2, for example, die 206 may correspond to die 312. The die 312 may be a die on the substrate. The die 312 may be a die on the substrate that is measured by an on-the-fly measurement system for a substrate containing structures. The die 312 contains several structures, such as structure 302. Structures such as structure 302 may be memory blocks. The die (e.g., die 312) may contain any number of structures of interest, for example, any number of memory blocks, for example, about 10 memory blocks per die.

[0032] Figure 3 shows an exemplary measurement system 300 including a measurement field 304. The measurement field 304 may correspond to the spatial extent of the field of view of a measuring instrument such as a reflectometer. The measurement field 304 may be aligned with the structure 302 to determine one or more properties of the structure 302. Figure 3 further shows an off-structure measurement field 308. In some embodiments, the measurement may target the structure 302 instead of overlapping structures or the space between structures, etc.

[0033] The measurement field 304 may correspond to the resolution of the measurement or measuring instrument. The measurement field 304 may be smaller than the target measurement area of ​​interest, such as a memory block or structure 302. In some embodiments, the measurement field 304 may have a size that includes some inaccuracies in the measurement system, such as in the movement of a motor which is conceptualized as a larger measurement field 304, or a size that takes into account some inaccuracies in the measurement system, such as in the movement of a motor which is conceptualized as a larger measurement field 304. In some embodiments, the measurement field 304 may have a size similar to the target measurement area, for example, as shown in Figure 3, the measurement field 304 has a size similar to the structure 302. The measurement field may be significantly smaller than the target measurement area, which may reduce constraints on the relative positions of the measurement system and the substrate when measurements are performed in an on-the-fly measurement system (e.g., introduce less stringent constraints).

[0034] The out-of-structure measurement field 308 indicates a measurement that may be performed, including the boundaries of a target structure, the space between target structures, or multiple structures. In some embodiments, measurements such as the out-of-structure measurement field 308 may not be included in the target measurement, for example, the target measurement may include the target structure. The on-the-fly measurement technique may determine a measurement path that is subject to the constraints of the measurement system. The measurement path may avoid out-of-structure measurements. The measurement path may include out-of-structure measurements, but additional processing of the measurement data may include excluding measurements that are out-of-structure and do not measure the target of interest, etc. A measurement path may be determined that includes several measurements of a target structure, such as structure 302. A measurement path may be determined that includes several measurements of a target structure separated between multiple “paths” of the on-the-fly system, for example, a rotary motor may rotate the substrate several times, and one or more measurements of the target structure may be performed with each rotation.

[0035] In some embodiments, the target structure may be slightly larger than the field of view of the measuring instrument. The field selection 306 indicates a range of fields spanning an acceptable measurement space for capturing the structural characteristics of the die 312. In some embodiments, the selection of the measurement target may include the selection of a specific structure of the substrate to be measured. In some embodiments, the selection of the measurement target may include selecting which parts of the structure may overlap with the field of view of the measuring instrument when performing the measurement. The selection of measurement sites from the selected measurement target may be performed according to one or more system constraints. The selection of measurement sites may include selecting sites that allow motor control constraints to be within the target window. The selection of measurement sites may include selecting sites that allow motor acceleration below a threshold, or motor acceleration to be kept to a minimum, etc. The selection of measurement sites may include selecting sites that allow a target measurement frequency, for example, selecting sites that minimize deviations from the measurement frequency associated with the measuring instrument.

[0036] In some embodiments, multiple measurements may be performed on a single structure or on a target measurement area. For example, multiple measurements may be performed on multiple structures of die 312 to generate an indication of the die 312's characteristics, for example, through a statistical metric of the measurements. Multiple measurements may be performed on a single structure (e.g., structure 302) to determine the characteristics of that structure. Field selection 306 may indicate several measurements performed to determine the characteristics of a structure, field, or die, etc. Measurements subject to the constraints of the measurement system may be performed on the fly. Measurements may be performed in multiple “passes,” for example, by temporally separating measurements associated with field selection 306 from measurements of other areas of the substrate performed between the one or more measurements associated with field selection 306.

[0037] The measurement system 300 includes a measuring instrument 310, such as a measuring device, reflectometry instrument, or measuring instrument. The measuring instrument 310 may be configured to measure one or more properties of the die 312. The measuring instrument 310 may be configured to measure the thickness, limit dimensions, reflectance, refractive index, absorption coefficient, or other properties of the die 312. The measuring instrument 310 may also be a pulse instrument, for example, configured to provide laser pulses to the die 312 in order to perform measurements of the die 312.

[0038] The measuring instrument 310 may be coupled to a measuring system processing device 314, which may be a general-purpose computing device, a purpose-built computing device, or a remote or cloud-based computing function, or may include a general-purpose computing device, a purpose-built computing device, or a remote or cloud-based computing function. The measuring system processing device 314 may provide commands to control the measuring instrument 310. The measuring system processing device 314 may further provide commands to one or more motors that control the relative position of a substrate, structure, die, or field to the measuring instrument 310. The measuring system processing device 314 may provide commands to one or more motors of a substrate support associated with the die 312. The measuring system processing device 314 may generate a measurement path for one or more motors to generate motion. The measuring system processing device 314 may generate a measurement path that is subject to one or more constraints of the measuring system 300, such as motion constraints, measurement constraints, and application constraints. The measurement system processing device may include and / or perform on-the-fly measurement components 316, which may perform operations related to performing on-the-fly measurements of the substrate. For example, the on-the-fly measurement components 316 may perform operations to determine an on-the-fly measurement path. The on-the-fly measurement components 316 may perform operations to perform on-the-fly measurements. For example, the on-the-fly measurement components 316 may generate control signals provided to the measuring instrument 310 to perform measurement operations. The on-the-fly measurement components 316 may generate control signals provided to one or more motors for purposes such as operating motors, moving motors, or causing motors to position the substrate relative to the measuring instrument 310. The on-the-fly measurement components 316 may provide control signals to one or more other components (e.g., the measuring instrument 310, one or more motors, etc.) to cause the components to perform operations.

[0039] Figure 4 shows an exemplary measurement path 402 for performing measurements on a substrate 400 according to several embodiments. In some embodiments, it may be natural to perform measurements on several parts of the substrate using a helical path. For example, if the substrate support has motor control in (r,θ) space, a helical path may be the most natural and / or efficient way to cover a large portion of the substrate surface. A helical path (or another type of path, e.g., another type of path for a motor with a different configuration) may reduce the required acceleration, jerk, etc., of the motor on the substrate support. A substrate support provided with a motor in (x,y) space may naturally follow, for example, a forward reciprocating measurement path.

[0040] The efficient path does not need to precisely coincide with the measurement target 404. In the case of a substrate containing structures such as memory blocks (e.g., a patterned semiconductor wafer), the path generated by the convenient operation of the motor (e.g., a helical path generated by constant velocity adjustment of both linear and rotary motors) may not result in alignment between the measurement resolution elements and the substrate structure. The measurement path induced by the convenient operation of the motor may result in measurements of areas including overlapping structures or spaces between structures. The measurement path 402 may roughly coincide with the efficient path for scanning the surface of the substrate. The measurement path 402 may be used in accordance with experimental constraints. The measurement path 402 may be designed so that the acceleration, jerk, and timing of the structure's arrival within the field of view of the measuring instrument are all kept within threshold boundary conditions.

[0041] The measurement path 402 may be determined using computing devices, processing devices, algorithms, or purpose-built hardware. The measurement path 402 may be associated with a pulse measurement system, such as a pulse reflectometry substrate measurement system. The spacing between measurement targets, such as the measurement target 404, may be determined by the operating speed and other parameters of one or more motors in the measurement system, as well as the pulse rate, frequency, or period of the operation of the measurement system.

[0042] The determination of the measurement path 402 may be influenced by one or more constraints of the measurement system. These constraints may include constraints on the substrate support stage used during substrate measurement. Support stage constraints may include a range of motor speed, a range of motor acceleration, or other movement constraints of the stage (e.g., jerk). Performing measurements on the fly can save considerable time, for example, by performing measurements without waiting for the motor, substrate, etc. to stabilize when the motor stops or starts. A measurement path may be determined that achieves one or more target measurement positions while adhering to stage constraints. A measurement path may be determined that targets a category of structures of interest (e.g., maximizing the number of measurements performed on a single memory block), which is influenced by the constraints of the measurement stage (and other constraints).

[0043] The constraints may include constraints on the measuring device (e.g., a reflectometer). The measurement constraints may include constraints related to the pulse timing of the measuring device. The constraints may include a range of pulse timings that may be used for the measuring device (e.g., a reflectometer may operate at a target quality between 5 and 50 Hz). The constraints may include variations that may be applied to the pulse timing without degrading performance below a target threshold (e.g., a reflectometer operating at 10 Hz may have pulses that vary between 5 Hz and 15 Hz without degrading performance below a target threshold). In some embodiments, the measuring device may be operated with a consistent pulse timing throughout its operation.

[0044] The constraints may include application constraints, such as those relating to the target output of the measurement system. The application constraints may include measurement constraints, such as target measurement areas (e.g., targeting a specific heater zone, target area of ​​a substrate process chamber, field, die, or memory block of interest). The application constraints may include reliability constraints, such as the target signal-to-noise ratio or the number of target measurements for averaging. The application constraints may include the number of target measurements for a single structure, the number of target measurements for one or more structures on a target die, the number of target measurements for one or more structures on any single die, the number of target measurements for one or more structures in a target field, the number of target measurements for any one or more structures contained in a target field, or the number of target measurements for the total number of structures being measured on the substrate. The application constraints may include the target throughput of the measurement system, such as the maximum target measurement time for the substrate.

[0045] The determination of the measurement path may be based on various constraints, the strength or importance of those constraints, etc. For example, the measurement path may be a compromise between various constraints of the measurement. The measurement path may include absolute constraints, such as constraints that must be satisfied within the measurement path. The measurement path may include target constraints, such as a target throughput that is not necessarily achievable and is subject to other constraints of the measurement system, but the measurement path determination system may select a path that achieves a throughput as close as possible to the target throughput while maintaining other constraints of the system. Any system constraints may be used in any of the ways described herein, such as being influenced by the relative target of the system, the threshold of the measurement system, etc.

[0046] Figure 5 is a flowchart of Method 500 relating to performing on-the-fly measurements of a substrate including a structure, according to several embodiments. Method 500 may be performed by processing logic, which may include hardware (e.g., circuits, dedicated logic, programmable logic, microcode, processing devices, etc.), software (e.g., instructions executed on a processing device, general-purpose computer system, or dedicated machine), firmware, microcode, or a combination thereof. Method 500 may be performed by the measurement system processing device 314, on-the-fly measurement component 316, etc., in Figure 3. Method 500 may be performed in whole or in part by one or more controllers, for example, by a device that provides instructions to various components of the substrate processing and / or measurement system to perform on-the-fly measurements of the substrate. Method 500 may include providing control signals to operate one or more components, such as measuring instruments, motors configured to adjust the position of the substrate. Method 500 may be used to generate substrate measurements and data, including data indicating the performance of the substrate, the performance of the substrate process system, the performance of the substrate process procedure, or the performance of the substrate support, etc. In some embodiments, a non-temporary machine-readable storage medium stores instructions that cause the processing device to execute method 500 when executed by the processing device.

[0047] For the sake of simplicity, Method 500 is illustrated and described as a series of actions. However, the actions based on this disclosure can be performed in various orders and / or simultaneously, and can be performed together with other actions not presented or described herein. Furthermore, not all illustrated actions are required to carry out Method 500 in accordance with the disclosed subject matter. In addition, those skilled in the art will understand and recognize that Method 500 can instead be represented by a state diagram or events as a series of interrelated states.

[0048] Referring next to Figure 5, in block 502, the processing logic determines a plurality of measurement targets on the substrate. The measurement targets may be, for example, locations of interest on the substrate, locations of interest in the substrate process system, or locations of interest on the substrate support, etc. The substrate may contain a plurality of structures of interest, such as memory blocks. Each measurement target may be related to one of the plurality of structures. The measurement targets may be structures, for example, any measurement including a structure. The measurement targets may be specific locations on a structure. Each measurement target may optionally correspond to a memory block. In some embodiments, the measurement targets may be measured multiple times in a single measurement procedure. For example, the substrate may be rotated several times to perform some surface measurements, and the measurement targets may be measured multiple times during subsequent rotations of the substrate. In some embodiments, the processing logic may generate a measurement path. The measurement path may be aligned with, approximately aligned with, or similar to, the “natural” sweep of the substrate, for example, the sweeping pattern suggested by the motor arrangement of the substrate support. The measurement path may allow for the measurement of multiple measurement targets. As an example, for a substrate support having linear and rotary motor control, the measurement path may be substantially helical on the surface of the substrate, and the helix may have deviations from an ideal helix to ensure that multiple measurement targets are measured and that various constraints of the system (e.g., motor constraints, measuring instrument constraints, application constraints, etc.) are maintained.

[0049] In block 504, the processing logic operates one or more motors of the substrate support (for example, by providing control signals to one or more motors) to move the substrate support so that a first measurement target is placed within the field of view of the measuring instrument. The motors may be configured to produce relative motion between the measuring instrument and the substrate, and in some embodiments, for example, the motors may be associated with the measuring instrument. The measuring instrument may be an optical measuring instrument. The measuring instrument may be a pulsed instrument, such as a pulsed laser-based instrument. The measuring instrument may be a reflectometry instrument, such as an infrared reflectometer.

[0050] In block 506, the processing logic causes the measuring instrument to perform a first measurement of a first measurement target. Causing the measuring instrument to perform a first measurement may include providing the measuring instrument with one or more control signals or providing the measuring instrument with commands. The first measurement may be performed when the first measurement target passes through the field of view of the measuring instrument. In some embodiments, the first measurement may be performed without stopping the movement of the board relative to the measuring instrument (for example, without stopping one or more motors of the system), for example, in an on-the-fly manner.

[0051] In block 508, the processing logic operates one or more motors of the substrate support (for example, by providing additional control signals to one or more motors) to position a second measurement target of the substrate within the field of view of the measuring instrument. The second measurement target may share one or more features with the first measurement target. Measurement of the second target may be performed. Measurement of the second target may be performed on the fly.

[0052] In block 510, the processing logic optionally causes the measuring instrument to perform multiple measurements. Each of the multiple measurements may be associated with one of the multiple measurement targets. Each of the multiple measurement targets may be associated with one of the multiple measurements.

[0053] In block 512, the processing logic groups the measurements into multiple measurement groups based on the spatial proximity of the related measurement targets. In some embodiments, the measurements may be grouped based on belonging to a common category, such as belonging to the same field, the same die, a die located at the same position relative to other dies in other fields, or a structure located at the same relative position as other structures on other dies.

[0054] In block 514, the processing logic represents the properties of a spatial region of the substrate by determining a statistical metric based on measurements from one of several measurement groups. Optionally, one of the measurement groups relates to a group of structural elements of the substrate or a region of substrate support. The properties measured by the system may include thickness, critical dimensions, profile, refractive index, absorption coefficient, or other properties.

[0055] In some embodiments, measurements performed on the substrate in an on-the-fly manner (for example, in a single operation involving a series of measurements) may include measurements targeting different characteristics, measurements using different measuring instruments, or measurements targeting different wavelengths. For example, different measurements, or measurements related to different characteristics, may be performed in multiple passes through which a region of the substrate passes through the field of view of one or more measuring instruments. For example, in a measuring system including a rotary motor, an on-the-fly measurement to determine the thickness of the substrate may be performed in a first pass, and an on-the-fly measurement to determine a second characteristic of the same region of the substrate, such as the thickness of the top film layer, may be performed in a second pass.

[0056] Figure 6 is a block diagram showing computer system 600 in several embodiments. In some embodiments, computer system 600 may be connected to other computer systems (for example, via a network such as a local area network (LAN), intranet, extranet, or internet). Computer system 600 may operate as a server or client computer in a client-server environment, or as a peer computer in a peer-to-peer or distributed network environment. Computer system 600 may be provided by a personal computer (PC), tablet PC, set-top box (STB), personal digital assistant (PDA), mobile phone, web appliance, server, network router, switch or bridge, or any device capable of executing a set of instructions (sequential or otherwise) that specify the actions to be taken by such device. Furthermore, the term “computer” includes any collection of computers that individually or jointly execute a set of instructions (or several sets of instructions) to perform one or more of the methods described herein. The computer system 600 may be any combination of devices such as a device for performing the operation of the measurement system processing device 314 in Figure 3, or a device for performing the method of the on-the-fly measurement component 316, or it may include any combination of devices such as a device for performing the operation of the measurement system processing device 314 in Figure 3, or a device for performing the method of the on-the-fly measurement component 316.

[0057] In an additional embodiment, the computer system 600 may include a processing device 602, a volatile memory 604 (e.g., random access memory (RAM)), a non-volatile memory 606 (e.g., read-only memory (ROM) or electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM)), and a data storage device 618, which may communicate with each other via a bus 608.

[0058] The processing device 602 may be provided by one or more processors, such as a general-purpose processor (e.g., a composite instruction set computing (CISC) microprocessor, a reduced instruction set computing (RISC) microprocessor, a very long instruction word (VLIW) microprocessor, a microprocessor that implements other types of instruction sets, or a microprocessor that implements a combination of instruction set types) or a specialized processor (e.g., an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a digital signal processing processor (DSP), or a network processor).

[0059] The computer system 600 may further include a network interface device 622 (for example, coupled to network 674). The computer system 600 may further include a video display unit 610 (for example, an LCD), a character / number input device 612 (for example, a keyboard), a cursor control device 614 (for example, a mouse), and a signal generation device 620.

[0060] In some embodiments, the data storage device 618 may include a non-temporary computer-readable storage medium 624 (e.g., a non-temporary machine-readable medium) storing instructions 626 that code one or more of the methods or functions described herein, including instructions that code components of the components of Figure 3 (e.g., on-the-fly measurement component 316) and instructions for performing the methods described herein.

[0061] Instruction 626 may also reside entirely or partially in volatile memory 604 and / or processing device 602 while instruction 626 is being executed by computer system 600, so that volatile memory 604 and processing device 602 may also constitute machine-readable storage media.

[0062] In the illustrative examples, computer-readable storage medium 624 is shown as a single medium, but the term “computer-readable storage medium” includes a single or multiple mediums (e.g., a centralized or distributed database and / or associated caches and servers) that store one or more sets of executable instructions. The term “computer-readable storage medium” further includes any tangible medium capable of storing or encoding a set of instructions for a computer to execute, which causes the computer to execute one or more of the methods described herein. The term “computer-readable storage medium” includes, but is not limited to, solid memory, optical media and magnetic media.

[0063] The methods, components, and features described herein may be implemented by individual hardware components or integrated into the functions of other hardware components such as ASICs, FPGAs, DSPs, or similar devices. Furthermore, the methods, components, and features described herein may be implemented by firmware modules or by functional circuits within hardware devices. Moreover, the methods, components, and features described herein may be implemented by any combination of hardware devices and computer program components, or by computer programs.

[0064] Unless otherwise specified, terms such as “receive,” “execute,” “provide,” “acquire,” “make (execute),” “access,” “determine,” “add,” “use,” “train,” “reduce,” “generate,” or “correct” relate to actions and processes performed or implemented by a computer system that manipulate data in computer system registers and memory, expressed as physical (electronic) quantities, and convert them into other data in computer system memory or registers, or other such information storage, transmission, or display devices, also expressed as physical quantities. Furthermore, terms such as “first,” “second,” “third,” and “fourth” as used herein have meaning as indicators to distinguish between different elements and may not have ordinal meanings based on the numerical designations of those terms.

[0065] The examples described herein further relate to apparatus for carrying out the methods described herein. This apparatus may be specifically constructed for carrying out the methods described herein, or it may include a general-purpose computer system selectively programmed by computer programs stored in the computer system. Such computer programs may be stored on computer-readable tangible storage media.

[0066] The methods and examples described herein are not inherently related to any particular computer or other device. Various general-purpose systems may be used in accordance with the teachings provided herein, or it may be more convenient to construct a more specialized device to perform the methods and / or individual functions, routines, subroutines, or operations of those methods described herein. Examples of the construction of these various systems are provided in the above description.

[0067] The above description is intended to be illustrative and not limiting. While the disclosure has described examples and embodiments for specific illustrative purposes, it should be recognized that the disclosure is not limited to the examples and embodiments described. The scope of the disclosure should be determined by referring to the following claims, along with the entire scope of the equivalents to which such claims are granted.

Claims

1. Determining multiple measurement targets on a substrate, wherein the substrate includes multiple structures, and each measurement target is related to one of the multiple structures. To provide a first control signal that causes one or more motors to move a substrate support so that a first measurement target is positioned within the field of view of a measuring instrument, The first measurement target is to pass through the field of view of the measuring instrument, causing the measuring instrument to perform a first measurement of the first measurement target, To provide one or more motors of the substrate support with a second control signal that causes the second measurement target of the substrate to be positioned within the field of view of the measuring instrument. A method that includes this.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the measuring instrument includes a pulse reflectometry instrument.

3. The method of having the measuring instrument perform a plurality of measurements, wherein each of the plurality of measurements is related to one of the plurality of measurement targets, and each of the plurality of measurement targets is related to one of the plurality of measurements. Based on the spatial proximity of the aforementioned related measurement targets, the measurements are grouped into multiple measurement groups. To represent one or more characteristics of a spatial region of the substrate by determining a statistical metric based on the measurements of one of the multiple measurement groups, The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein one of the plurality of measurement groups is related to a group of substrate structures.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein one of the plurality of measurement groups is related to a region of the substrate support.

6. The one or more of the above characteristics are Substrate thickness, Film thickness, Limit dimensions, Refractive index, or Absorption coefficient The method according to claim 3, including the method described in claim 3.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein each measurement target corresponds to a memory block.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first measurement is performed without stopping the movement of the substrate support.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining a measurement path including the plurality of measurement targets, wherein the measurement path is determined based on one or more constraints of the measurement system used to perform the first measurement.

10. A non-temporary machine-readable storage medium that stores instructions, wherein when the instructions are executed, the processing device... Determining multiple measurement targets on a substrate, wherein the substrate includes multiple structures, and each measurement target is related to one of the multiple structures. To provide a first control signal that causes one or more motors to move a substrate support so that a first measurement target is positioned within the field of view of a measuring instrument, The first measurement target is to pass through the field of view of the measuring instrument, causing the measuring instrument to perform a first measurement of the first measurement target, To provide one or more motors of the substrate support with a second control signal that causes the second measurement target of the substrate to be positioned within the field of view of the measuring instrument. A non-temporary, machine-readable storage medium that enables the execution of operations including [specific actions].

11. The aforementioned operation, The method of having the measuring instrument perform a plurality of measurements, wherein each of the plurality of measurements is related to one of the plurality of measurement targets, and each of the plurality of measurement targets is related to one of the plurality of measurements. Based on the spatial proximity of the aforementioned related measurement targets, the measurements are grouped into multiple measurement groups. To represent one or more characteristics of a spatial region of the substrate by determining a statistical metric based on the measurements of one of the multiple measurement groups, A non-temporary machine-readable storage medium according to claim 10, further comprising:

12. The non-temporary machine-readable storage medium according to claim 11, wherein one of the plurality of measurement groups is related to a group of substrate structures.

13. The non-temporary machine-readable storage medium according to claim 11, wherein one of the plurality of measurement groups is related to a region of the substrate support.

14. The one or more of the above characteristics are Substrate thickness, Film thickness, Limit dimensions, Refractive index, or Absorption coefficient A non-temporary machine-readable storage medium according to claim 11, including the following:

15. The non-temporary machine-readable storage medium according to claim 11, further comprising determining a measurement path including the plurality of measurement targets, wherein the measurement path is determined based on one or more constraints of a measurement system used to perform the first measurement.

16. A system including memory and a processing device coupled to the memory, wherein the processing device is Determining multiple measurement targets on a substrate, wherein the substrate includes multiple structures, and each measurement target is related to one of the multiple structures. To provide a first control signal that causes one or more motors to move a substrate support so that a first measurement target is positioned within the field of view of a measuring instrument, The first measurement target is to pass through the field of view of the measuring instrument, causing the measuring instrument to perform a first measurement of the first measurement target, To provide one or more motors of the substrate support with a second control signal that causes the second measurement target of the substrate to be positioned within the field of view of the measuring instrument. A system configured to perform [a specific action].

17. The aforementioned processing device The method of having the measuring instrument perform a plurality of measurements, wherein each of the plurality of measurements is related to one of the plurality of measurement targets, and each of the plurality of measurement targets is related to one of the plurality of measurements. Based on the spatial proximity of the aforementioned related measurement targets, the measurements are grouped into multiple measurement groups. To represent one or more characteristics of a spatial region of the substrate by determining a statistical metric based on the measurements of one of the multiple measurement groups, The system according to claim 16, further configured to perform the following:

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein one of the plurality of measurement groups is related to a group of substrate structures.

19. The system according to claim 16, wherein the first measurement is performed without stopping the movement of the substrate support.

20. The system according to claim 16, wherein the processing device is further configured to determine a measurement path including the plurality of measurement targets, the measurement path is determined based on one or more constraints of the measurement system used to perform the first measurement.

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