In-situ monitoring of wafer thickness and gap using a laser transmission sensor

Abstract

[Solution] A system for determining the thickness of a substrate disposed in a processing chamber includes an emitter configured to transmit a signal toward a gap between the substrate and a component of the processing chamber disposed above the substrate, a receiver configured to receive at least a portion of the transmitted signal and generate a measurement signal based on characteristics of the received portion of the signal, and a system controller configured to receive the measurement signal and selectively adjust a parameter of the processing chamber based on a relationship between a value of the measurement signal and at least one of the thickness of the substrate, the width of the gap between the substrate and the component of the processing chamber, and an amount for adjusting the parameter of the processing chamber.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 001,145, filed March 27, 2020. The above application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0002] FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure relates to substrate processing, and more particularly to monitoring substrate thickness and processing chamber parameters. [Background technology]

[0003] The background description provided herein is intended to present the contents of the present disclosure generally. Work by the presently named inventors within the scope of what is described in this Background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise be considered prior art at the time of filing, are not admitted, expressly or impliedly, as prior art against the present disclosure.

[0004] Substrate processing systems can be used to process substrates such as semiconductor wafers. Exemplary processes that can be performed on a substrate include, but are not limited to, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD), conductor etching, rapid thermal processing (RTP), ion implantation, physical vapor deposition (PVD), and / or other etching, deposition, or cleaning processes. The substrate may be placed on a substrate support, such as a pedestal or electrostatic chuck (ESC), in a processing chamber of the substrate processing system. During processing, a gas mixture including one or more precursors may be introduced into the processing chamber, and a plasma may be used to initiate a chemical reaction. Summary of the Invention

[0005] A system for determining the thickness of a substrate disposed in a processing chamber includes an emitter configured to transmit a signal toward a gap between the substrate and a component of the processing chamber disposed above the substrate; a receiver configured to receive at least a portion of the transmitted signal and generate a measurement signal based on a characteristic of the received portion of the signal; and a system controller configured to receive the measurement signal and selectively adjust a parameter of the processing chamber based on a relationship between a value of the measurement signal and at least one of the thickness of the substrate, the width of the gap between the substrate and the component of the processing chamber, and an amount for adjusting the parameter of the processing chamber.

[0006] In other features, the transmitted signal is a laser and the characteristic is a beam intensity of the laser. The emitter and receiver are disposed on opposing sidewalls of the processing chamber, and the beam intensity of the laser corresponds to a portion of the laser that passes through a gap and is received by the receiver. The emitter / receiver combination includes an emitter and a receiver, and the beam intensity of the laser corresponds to a portion of the laser that is reflected from at least one of the substrate and the component and returns toward the emitter / receiver. The value of the measured signal includes one of a voltage value and a current value indicative of the beam intensity.

[0007] In other features, the system controller is configured to calculate at least one of a thickness of the substrate and a width of the gap based on values ​​of the measurement signals. The system controller is configured to calculate an amount to adjust the parameter based on at least one of the thickness of the substrate and the width of the gap. The system controller is configured to determine at least one of the thickness of the substrate and the width of the gap based on stored data correlating values ​​of the measurement signals with at least one of the thickness of the substrate and the width of the gap.

[0008] In other features, the system controller is configured to determine an amount to adjust the parameter based on stored data correlating values ​​of the measurement signal with amounts to adjust the parameter, the parameter corresponding to at least one of a deposition rate and an etch rate, and the system controller is configured to adjust the at least one of the deposition rate and the etch rate based on the value of the measurement signal.

[0009] A method for determining the thickness of a substrate disposed in a processing chamber includes transmitting a signal using an emitter toward a gap between the substrate and a component of the processing chamber disposed above the substrate; receiving at least a portion of the transmitted signal using a receiver and generating a measurement signal based on a characteristic of the received portion of the signal; and selectively adjusting a parameter of the processing chamber based on a relationship between a value of the measurement signal and at least one of the thickness of the substrate, the width of the gap between the substrate and the component of the processing chamber, and an amount for adjusting the parameter of the processing chamber.

[0010] In other features, the transmitted signal is a laser and the characteristic is a beam intensity of the laser. The emitter and receiver are disposed on opposing sidewalls of the processing chamber, and the beam intensity of the laser corresponds to a portion of the laser that passes through a gap and is received by the receiver. The emitter / receiver combination includes an emitter and a receiver, and the beam intensity of the laser corresponds to a portion of the laser that is reflected from at least one of the substrate and the component and returns toward the emitter / receiver. The value of the measured signal includes one of a voltage value and a current value indicative of the beam intensity.

[0011] In other features, the method further includes calculating at least one of a thickness of the substrate and a width of the gap based on values ​​of the measurement signals. The method further includes calculating an amount to adjust the parameter based on at least one of the thickness of the substrate and the width of the gap. The method further includes determining at least one of the thickness of the substrate and the width of the gap based on stored data correlating values ​​of the measurement signals with at least one of the thickness of the substrate and the width of the gap.

[0012] In other features, the method further includes determining an amount to adjust the parameter based on stored data correlating values ​​of the measurement signal with amounts to adjust the parameter, the parameter corresponding to at least one of a deposition rate and an etch rate, and further including adjusting the at least one of the deposition rate and the etch rate based on the value of the measurement signal.

[0013] Further areas of applicability of the present disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description, claims, and drawings. The detailed description and specific examples are for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] The present disclosure will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0015] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of an exemplary substrate processing system including a substrate support according to the present disclosure.

[0016] [Figure 2] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary process chamber including an emitter and receiver positioned to measure the thickness of a substrate according to the present disclosure.

[0017] [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a graph illustrating exemplary deposition rates for various effective gaps according to the present disclosure.

[0018] [Figure 4] FIG. 4 illustrates another exemplary processing chamber including an emitter / receiver positioned to measure the thickness of a substrate in accordance with the present disclosure.

[0019] [Figure 5] FIG. 5 illustrates steps of an exemplary method 500 for determining the thickness of a substrate according to the present disclosure.

[0020] Among the drawings, reference numbers may be reused to identify similar and / or identical elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] As substrate processing becomes more complex with technologies such as bonded wafers, 3D stacking, and 3D NAND memory, variations in substrate thickness (i.e., variations between substrates) are also increasing. Some processes are highly sensitive to the substrate thickness and the effective gap between the substrate and a gas distribution apparatus (e.g., showerhead) located above the substrate in a substrate processing chamber. Therefore, variations in substrate thickness can cause process non-uniformity and alter both process behavior and results. Furthermore, processing chamber components (e.g., gas distribution apparatus, substrate support, etc.) can have associated manufacturing tolerances that cause variations in the effective gap.

[0022] Systems and methods according to the present disclosure implement lasers or other signals and sensors to measure the thickness of the substrate and / or the effective gap between the substrate and the gas distribution apparatus. For example, one or more characteristics of the laser (e.g., beam intensity) may be proportional to the gap and / or the thickness of the substrate. Process parameters may then be adjusted to compensate for any variations in the substrate thickness or the effective gap.

[0023] 1 illustrates a substrate processing system 100, including a processing chamber 102 that contains an RF plasma, enclosing components of the substrate processing system 100. The processing chamber 102 includes an upper electrode 104 and a substrate support 106, which may be an electrostatic chuck (ESC). During operation, a substrate 108 is placed on the substrate support 106. While the particular substrate processing system 100 and processing chamber 102 are illustrated as an example, the principles of the present disclosure are applicable to other types of substrate processing systems and chambers, such as substrate processing systems that generate plasma in situ, substrate processing systems that implement remote plasma generation and delivery (e.g., using plasma tubes, microwave tubes), etc.

[0024] By way of example only, the upper electrode 104 may include a gas distribution device, such as a showerhead 109, for introducing and distributing process gases. The showerhead 109 may include a stem portion connected at one end to the top surface of the processing chamber 102. The base portion is generally cylindrical and extends radially outward from the opposite end of the stem portion, away from the top surface of the processing chamber 102. The substrate-facing surface or faceplate of the base portion of the showerhead 109 has holes through which process or purge gases flow. Alternatively, the upper electrode 104 may include a conductive plate, or the process gases may be introduced in another manner.

[0025] The substrate support 106 includes a conductive base plate 110 that functions as a bottom electrode. The base plate 110 supports a top plate 112, which may be formed of ceramic. In some examples, the top plate 112 may include one or more heating layers, such as a ceramic multi-zone heating plate. The one or more heating layers may include one or more heating elements, such as conductive traces, as described in more detail below.

[0026] An adhesive layer 114 is disposed between the top plate 112 and the base plate 110 to bond the top plate 112 and the base plate 110. The base plate 110 may include one or more coolant channels 116 for flowing coolant through the base plate 110. In some examples, the substrate support 106 may include an edge ring 118 disposed around the outer periphery of the substrate 108.

[0027] The RF generation system 120 generates an RF voltage and outputs it to one of the upper electrode 104 and the lower electrode (e.g., the base plate 110 of the substrate support 106). The other of the upper electrode 104 and the base plate 110 is connected to digital ground, analog ground, or floating. By way of example only, the RF generation system 120 may include an RF voltage generator 122 that generates an RF voltage, which is supplied to the base plate 110 by a matching and distribution network 124. In other examples, the RF voltage is supplied to the upper electrode 104. In other examples, the plasma may be generated in an inductive or remote manner. For purposes of illustration, the RF generation system 120 is shown as corresponding to a capacitively coupled plasma (CCP), although the principles of the present disclosure may be implemented in other suitable systems, such as, by way of example only, a transformer coupled plasma (TCP) system, a CCP cathode system, or a remote microwave plasma generation and delivery system.

[0028] The gas delivery system 130 includes one or more gas sources 132-1, 132-2, ..., and 132-N (collectively referred to as gas sources 132), where N is an integer greater than 0. The gas sources provide one or more gas mixtures. The gas sources may also provide purge gases. Vaporized precursors may also be used. The gas sources 132 are connected to a manifold 140 by valves 134-1, 134-2, ..., and 134-N (collectively referred to as valves 134) and mass flow controllers 136-1, 136-2, ..., and 136-N (collectively referred to as mass flow controllers 136). The output from the manifold 140 is routed to the process chamber 102. By way of example only, the output from the manifold 140 is routed to a showerhead 109.

[0029] The temperature controller 142 may be connected to heating elements, such as thermal control elements (TCEs) 144, disposed within the top plate 112. For example, the heating elements may include, but are not limited to, macro-heating elements corresponding to each zone of a multi-zone heating plate and / or an array of micro-heating elements disposed throughout multiple zones of a multi-zone heating plate. The temperature controller 142 may be used to control the heating elements to control the temperature of the substrate support 106 and the substrate 108.

[0030] The temperature controller 142 may be in communication with the coolant assembly 146 to control the flow of coolant through the channels 116. For example, the coolant assembly 146 may include a coolant pump and a reservoir. The temperature controller 142 may operate the coolant assembly 146 to selectively flow coolant through the channels 116 to cool the substrate support 106.

[0031] Valves 150 and pumps 152 may be used to evacuate reactants from the processing chamber 102. A system controller 160 may be used to control components of the substrate processing system 100. The system controller 160 may include and / or communicate with a memory 162, which may include volatile memory, non-volatile memory, or a combination thereof. One or more robots 170 may be used to deliver substrates onto and remove substrates from the substrate support 106. For example, the robot 170 may transfer substrates between an equipment front-end module (EFEM) 171 and a load lock 172, between the load lock and a vacuum transfer module (VTM) 173, between the VTM 173 and the substrate support 106, etc. Although illustrated as a separate controller, the temperature controller 142 may be implemented within the system controller 160. In some examples, a protective seal 176 may be provided around the adhesive layer 114 between the top plate 112 and the base plate 110.

[0032] A processing chamber 102 according to the present disclosure includes an emitter 180 positioned to transmit an optical signal, such as a laser, through the processing chamber 102 and through the effective gap between the substrate 108 and the showerhead 109. A receiver (e.g., a sensor) 182 for receiving the optical signal is positioned on a side of the processing chamber 102 opposite the emitter 180. As described in more detail below, the width of the effective gap, and similarly the thickness of the substrate, can be calculated based on characteristics of the optical signal measured by the receiver 182.

[0033] 2 illustrates an exemplary processing chamber 200 including an emitter 204 and a receiver 208 according to the present disclosure. For example, the emitter 204 and the receiver 208 are disposed on opposing sidewalls of the processing chamber 200. A substrate 212 is disposed on a substrate support 216 below components such as a showerhead 220 (as shown), a central insulator, etc. For example, the substrate support 216 includes a base plate 224 and a top plate or layer (e.g., a ceramic layer) 228, with the substrate 212 disposed on the top plate 228. An effective gap T G A gap (eg, a gap width) is defined between the lower surface of the showerhead 220 and the substrate 212 .

[0034] In this example, the emitter 204 is configured to transmit a signal (e.g., a laser or other suitable optical signal) 232 through an effective gap between the substrate 212 and the showerhead 220 toward the receiver 208. For example, the emitter 204 is configured to transmit the optical signal 232 in response to a control signal generated by a system controller 236. In some examples, the optical signal 232 is transmitted while a plasma is present in the process chamber 200.

[0035] The receiver 208 senses / receives the optical signal 232 and provides a signal to the system controller 236 indicative of a characteristic of the optical signal 232. For example, the signal provided to the system controller 236 may be indicative of the beam intensity of the optical signal 232 measured by the receiver 208. The system controller 236 is configured to calculate the thickness of the substrate 212 and / or the effective gap width based on the measured characteristic of the optical signal 232. Although beam intensity is provided as an example, other characteristics of the optical signal 232 that may be measured by a suitable sensor include, but are not limited to, beam energy, beam width, etc.

[0036] By way of example only, the beam intensity of the optical signal 232 may depend on the thickness of the optical signal 232 that is permitted to pass through the effective gap. In other words, if the substrate 212 is thicker or if the effective gap is otherwise decreased (e.g., due to manufacturing tolerances of the showerhead 220, base plate 224, top plate 228, etc., shrinkage and expansion of components over time, wear of components, etc.), less of the optical signal 232 can pass through the gap to the receiver 208. Conversely, if the substrate 212 is thinner or if the effective gap is otherwise increased, more of the optical signal 232 can pass through the gap. Thus, the laser intensity I is proportional to the gap T. G and has an inverse proportional relationship with respect to the thickness of the substrate.

[0037] The signal transmitted from the receiver 208 to the system controller 236 is proportional to the measured laser intensity. For example, the receiver 208 may be configured to generate a measurement signal having a voltage indicative of the laser intensity. The system controller 236 is configured to calculate the effective gap and / or substrate thickness based on the measured laser intensity. In some examples, the system controller 236 may store data in a memory (e.g., memory 162), such as calibration data stored in a look-up table correlating laser intensity to known gap and / or substrate thickness. The data may include an initial calibrated gap value and corresponding laser intensity measured during manufacturing or maintenance. The calibration data may include measurements of laser intensity for a nominal (e.g., ideal) gap with and without the presence of a substrate (e.g., a substrate having a known nominal or predicted thickness).

[0038] The system controller 236 is configured to adjust the position of components of the processing chamber 200 based on process parameters (i.e., to compensate for differences between the effective gap and the ideal gap) and / or, in some examples, the calculated gap. For example, the deposition rate may correspond to the gap and the thickness of the substrate. More specifically, the deposition rate may decrease with decreasing gap and increase with increasing gap in some portions of the substrate (e.g., as indicated by the radius of the substrate). In other words, the deposition rate may be proportional to the gap width and inversely proportional to the substrate thickness. By way of example only, the deposition rate for a first substrate thickness and corresponding first gap may be less than the deposition rate for a second substrate thickness and corresponding second gap, where the first substrate thickness is greater than the first substrate thickness and the first gap is smaller than the second gap. While described with respect to deposition rate, the principles of the present disclosure are also applicable to etch rates.

[0039] FIG. 3 illustrates normalized deposition rates versus substrate radius (e.g., at the outer edge of a substrate having a radius of 150 mm) at various effective gaps according to the present disclosure. For example, deposition rate 300 corresponds to a first effective gap (e.g., 0.6 mm), deposition rate 304 corresponds to a second effective gap (0.35 mm), and deposition rate 308 corresponds to a third effective gap (0.15 mm). By way of example only, as illustrated, as the effective gap decreases, the deposition rate begins to increase at larger radii, but increases overall, resulting in an increased deposition rate. In other words, deposition rate 300 for the first effective gap begins to increase at a smaller radius than deposition rate 308 for the third effective gap, but deposition rate 308 closer to the edge of the substrate is greater than deposition rate 300. In this manner, the deposition rate at the edge of the substrate can be adjusted by the effective gap (e.g., according to the available adjustment range defined by the range of possible effective gaps and / or substrate thicknesses).

[0040] Thus, the system controller 236 may adjust process parameters (e.g., process gas flow rates, plasma RF power, etc.) to selectively increase and decrease the deposition rate based on the calculated gap / substrate thickness. Data may be stored that directly correlates deposition rates and / or desired process parameters to the values ​​(e.g., voltages) of the measurement signals transmitted by the receivers. The data may include a table that indexes deposition rates to the values ​​of the measurement signals and the corresponding substrate thicknesses and / or gaps.

[0041] In some examples, the height of the showerhead 220 and / or the substrate support 216 can be adjusted using associated actuators. For example, actuator 240 can be controlled to raise and lower the substrate support 216, while actuator 244 can be used to raise and lower the showerhead 220. In these examples, instead of and / or in addition to adjusting process parameters, the system controller 236 can selectively raise and lower the showerhead 220 and / or the substrate support 216 to adjust the gap width.

[0042] 4 illustrates another exemplary processing chamber 400 according to the present disclosure. In this example, the processing chamber 400 includes an emitter / receiver combination 404. A substrate 412 is positioned on a substrate support 416 below a showerhead 420. The effective gap T G is defined between the lower surface of the showerhead 420 and the substrate 412.

[0043] In this example, the emitter / receiver 404 is configured to transmit a signal, such as a laser or other optical signal 432, toward the effective gap between the substrate 412 and the showerhead 420. For example, the emitter / receiver 404 is configured to transmit the optical signal 432 in response to a control signal generated by a system controller 436. In contrast to the example shown in FIG. 2, the emitter / receiver 404 receives a portion of the optical signal 432 reflected from the showerhead 420 and the substrate 412 and provides a signal to the system controller 436 indicative of a characteristic of the reflected optical signal 432. For example, the signal provided to the system controller 436 may indicate the beam intensity of the portion of the optical signal 432 reflected and received by the emitter / receiver 404. The system controller 436 is configured to calculate the thickness of the substrate 412 and / or the width of the effective gap based on the measured characteristic of the optical signal 432.

[0044] By way of example only, the beam intensity of the optical signal 232 depends on the amount of optical signal 432 that is reflected and does not pass through the effective gap. In other words, if the substrate 412 is thicker or the effective gap is otherwise decreased (e.g., due to manufacturing tolerances of the showerhead 420, substrate support 416, etc., shrinkage and expansion of components over time, wear of components, etc.), less of the optical signal 432 can pass through the gap and more of the optical signal 432 is reflected back towards the emitter / receiver 404. Conversely, if the substrate 412 is thinner or the effective gap is otherwise increased, more of the optical signal 432 can pass through the gap and less of the optical signal 432 is reflected back towards the emitter / receiver 404.

[0045] Therefore, in this example, the laser intensity I is equal to the gap T G and is proportional to the substrate thickness Ts. The system controller 436 is configured to calculate the effective gap and / or the substrate thickness based on the measured laser intensity, similar to that described in FIG.

[0046] Although discussed with respect to substrate thickness and effective gap, the emitter 204 and receiver 208 and / or emitter / receiver 404 may be used to determine and adjust other characteristics of the processing chamber. For example, the characteristics of the optical signal 232 / 432 may also indicate the dimensions of other mechanical components, including, but not limited to, a showerhead, upper electrode, or other component disposed above the substrate support, the top plate of the substrate support, an edge ring, etc. The thickness of a component may vary due to component contraction and expansion, wear, machining tolerances, etc. The optical signal 232 / 432 may also indicate the placement of a component (e.g., the placement of an edge ring or other component, the height of a movable edge ring, etc.). In yet another example, the optical signal 232 / 432 may be used to determine the placement of a substrate. For example, the measured characteristics of the optical signal 232 / 432 may vary based on whether the substrate is in a desired center position.

[0047] 5, an exemplary method 500 for determining a thickness (and / or effective gap) of a substrate and adjusting process parameters accordingly, according to the present disclosure, begins at 504. At 508, the method 500 (e.g., emitter 204, emitter / receiver 404, etc.) transmits a signal, such as a laser or other optical signal, toward a gap between the substrate and a component disposed above the substrate. At 512, the method 500 (e.g., receiver 208, emitter / receiver 404, etc.) generates a measurement signal indicative of a characteristic of the received transmitted signal that passes through the gap toward the receiver 208 or is reflected back toward the emitter / receiver 404. For example, the characteristic may include beam or laser intensity I, and the measurement signal may correspond to a voltage or other value (e.g., current) that increases or decreases according to the laser intensity.

[0048] At 516, method 500 (e.g., system controller 236) receives a measurement signal indicative of a characteristic of the transmitted signal. For example, the measurement signal may indicate laser intensity. At 520, method 500 (e.g., system controller 236) determines a characteristic of the substrate or process chamber, such as a thickness of the substrate, a dimension of a chamber component, and / or an effective gap, based on the measurement signal. For example, method 500 may determine the thickness of the substrate based on stored data directly correlating voltage or other values ​​of the signal generated by receiver 208 with the thickness of the substrate and / or the effective gap.

[0049] At 524, the method 500 (e.g., the system controller 236) adjusts one or more process and / or processing chamber parameters based on the determined characteristic (e.g., the determined thickness of the substrate). For example, the method 500 may adjust a process parameter associated with deposition to increase or decrease the deposition rate based on the determined thickness of the substrate. In some examples, the method 500 may adjust the process parameter based on stored data that directly correlates voltage or other values ​​to adjustments of the process parameter.

[0050] At 528, the method 500 (e.g., the system controller 236) determines whether the processing step (e.g., the deposition step) is complete. If true, the method 500 ends at 532. If false, the method 500 continues at 508.

[0051] The foregoing description is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the disclosure, its application, or uses. The broad teachings of the present disclosure can be embodied in a variety of forms. Accordingly, while the present disclosure includes specific examples, the true scope of the present disclosure should not be limited to such examples, as other modifications will become apparent upon review of the drawings, the specification, and the following claims. It should be understood that one or more steps in a method may be performed in a different order (or simultaneously) without altering the principles of the present disclosure. Furthermore, although each embodiment is described above as having particular features, any one or more of these features described with respect to any embodiment of the present disclosure can be implemented in other embodiments and / or combined with any features of the other embodiments (even if such combination is not explicitly described). In other words, the described embodiments are not mutually exclusive, and substituting one or more embodiments for one another is within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0052] Spatial and functional relationships between elements (e.g., between modules, circuit elements, semiconductor layers, etc.) are described using various terms such as "connected," "engaged," "coupled," "adjacent," "next to," "on," "above," "below," and "disposed." Also, in the above disclosure, when a relationship between a first element and a second element is described, unless expressly described as "direct," the relationship may be a direct relationship, with no other intervening elements present between the first and second elements. However, an indirect relationship, with one or more intervening elements (spatial or functional) present between the first and second elements, is also possible. As used herein, the phrase "at least one of A, B, and C" should be interpreted in the sense of a logical (A or B or C) using a non-exclusive logical OR, and not in the sense of "at least one of A, at least one of B, and at least one of C."

[0053] In some implementations, the controller is part of a system that may be part of the examples described above. Such a system may include semiconductor processing equipment, including one or more processing tools, one or more chambers, one or more processing platforms, and / or specific processing components (such as a wafer pedestal, a gas flow system, etc.). These systems may be integrated with electronics for controlling pre-, during-, and post-processing operations of semiconductor wafers or substrates. This electronics may be referred to as a "controller" and may control various components or subparts of one or more systems. Depending on the processing requirements and / or type of system, this controller may be programmed to control any of the processes disclosed herein, including process gas delivery, temperature settings (e.g., heating and / or cooling), pressure settings, vacuum settings, power settings, radio frequency (RF) generator settings, RF matching circuit settings, frequency settings, flow rate settings, fluid delivery settings, position and operation settings, wafer transfer to and from tools and other transfer tools and / or load locks connected or interfaced with the particular system.

[0054] Broadly speaking, a controller may be defined as an electronic device having various integrated circuits, logic, memory, and / or software that receive instructions, issue instructions, control operations, enable cleaning operations, and enable endpoint measurements. The integrated circuits may include chips in the form of firmware that store program instructions, digital signal processors (DSPs), chips defined as application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), and / or one or more microprocessors or microcontrollers (e.g., software) that execute the program instructions. The program instructions may be instructions communicated to the controller in the form of various personalizations (or program files) that define operational parameters for performing a particular process on or for a semiconductor wafer or for a system. In some embodiments, the operational parameters may be part of a recipe defined by a process engineer to accomplish one or more processing steps during the fabrication of one or more layers, materials, metals, oxides, silicon, silicon dioxide, surfaces, circuits, and / or wafer dies.

[0055] The controller, in some embodiments, may be part of, coupled to, or a combination of a computer integrated with, coupled to, or otherwise networked to the system. For example, the controller may be in the “cloud” or all or part of a fab host computer system. This allows for remote access of wafer processing. The computer may provide remote access to the system to monitor the current progress of a fabrication operation, review the history of past fabrication operations, review trends or performance criteria from multiple fabrication operations, modify parameters of a current process, configure processing steps following a current process, or initiate a new process. In some examples, a remote computer (e.g., a server) can provide process recipes to the system over a network. Such a network may include a local network or the Internet. The remote computer may include a user interface that allows entry or programming of parameters and / or settings, which are then communicated to the system from the remote computer. In some examples, the controller receives instructions in the form of data. Such data identifies parameters for each of the processing steps performed during one or more operations. It should be understood that the parameters may be specific to the type of process being performed and the type of tool the controller is configured to interface with or control. Thus, as discussed above, the controller may be distributed, for example, by having one or more individual controllers networked together and cooperating toward a common purpose, such as the processes and controls described herein. An example of a distributed controller for such purposes would include one or more integrated circuits on the chamber that are located remotely (e.g., at the platform level or as part of a remote computer) and communicate with one or more integrated circuits that are coupled to control the process on the chamber.

[0056] Exemplary systems may include, but are not limited to, a plasma etch chamber or module, a deposition chamber or module, a spin rinse chamber or module, a metal plating chamber or module, a cleaning chamber or module, a bevel edge etch chamber or module, a physical vapor deposition (PVD) chamber or module, a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chamber or module, an atomic layer deposition (ALD) chamber or module, an atomic layer etch (ALE) chamber or module, an ion implantation chamber or module, a tracking chamber or module, and any other semiconductor processing system that may be associated with or used in the fabrication and / or manufacturing of semiconductor wafers.

[0057] As described above, depending on the process step or steps being performed by the tool, the controller may communicate with one or more other tool circuits or modules, other tool components, cluster tools, other tool interfaces, adjacent tools, nearby tools, tools located throughout the factory, a main computer, another controller, or one or more of tools used in material transport to and from tool locations and / or load ports within a semiconductor fabrication factory to transport wafer containers. The present disclosure can also be realized in the following forms. [Form 1] 1. A system for determining a thickness of a substrate disposed in a processing chamber, comprising: an emitter configured to transmit a signal toward a gap between the substrate and a component of the processing chamber disposed above the substrate; a receiver configured to receive at least a portion of the transmitted signal and generate a measurement signal based on a characteristic of the received portion of the signal; a system controller configured to receive the measurement signal and selectively adjust the parameter of the processing chamber based on a relationship between a value of the measurement signal and at least one of: (i) a thickness of the substrate; (ii) a width of the gap between the substrate and the component of the processing chamber; and (iii) an amount for adjusting the parameter of the processing chamber. Including, the system. [Form 2] 10. The system according to claim 1, The system wherein the transmitted signal is a laser and the characteristic is a beam intensity of the laser. [Form 3] The system according to aspect 2, The system wherein the emitter and the receiver are disposed on opposing sidewalls of the processing chamber, and the beam intensity of the laser corresponds to the portion of the laser that passes through the gap and is received by the receiver. [Form 4] The system according to aspect 2, an emitter / receiver combination comprising the emitter and the receiver, wherein the beam intensity of the laser corresponds to a portion of the laser reflected from at least one of the substrate and the component back toward the emitter / receiver. [Form 5] The system according to aspect 2, The system, wherein the value of the measurement signal comprises one of a voltage value and a current value indicative of the beam intensity. [Form 6] 10. The system according to claim 1, The system, wherein the system controller is configured to calculate at least one of a thickness of the substrate and a width of the gap based on values ​​of the measurement signals. [Form 7] The system according to aspect 6, The system, wherein the system controller is configured to calculate an amount to adjust the parameter based on the at least one of a thickness of the substrate and a width of the gap. [Form 8] 10. The system according to claim 1, The system controller is configured to determine at least one of the thickness of the substrate and the width of the gap based on stored data correlating values ​​of the measurement signal with at least one of the thickness of the substrate and the width of the gap. [Form 9] 10. The system according to claim 1, The system, wherein the system controller is configured to determine an amount to adjust the parameter based on stored data correlating values ​​of the measurement signal with an amount to adjust the parameter. [Form 10] 10. The system according to claim 1, The parameter corresponds to at least one of a deposition rate and an etch rate, and the system controller is configured to adjust the at least one of the deposition rate and the etch rate based on a value of the measurement signal. [Form 11] 1. A method for determining a thickness of a substrate disposed in a processing chamber, comprising: using an emitter to transmit a signal toward a gap between the substrate and a component of the processing chamber disposed above the substrate; receiving, using a receiver, at least a portion of the transmitted signal and generating a measurement signal based on a characteristic of the received portion of the signal; Selectively adjusting a parameter of the processing chamber based on a relationship between a value of the measurement signal and at least one of (i) a thickness of the substrate, (ii) a width of the gap between the substrate and the component of the processing chamber, and (iii) an amount for adjusting the parameter of the processing chamber; A method comprising: [Form 12] 12. The method of claim 11, further comprising: The method wherein the transmitted signal is a laser and the characteristic is a beam intensity of the laser. [Form 13] 13. The method of claim 12, further comprising: The method, wherein the emitter and the receiver are positioned on opposite sidewalls of the processing chamber, and the beam intensity of the laser corresponds to the portion of the laser that passes through the gap and is received by the receiver. [Form 14] 13. The method of claim 12, further comprising: an emitter / receiver combination includes the emitter and the receiver, and the beam intensity of the laser corresponds to a portion of the laser reflected from at least one of the substrate and the component back toward the emitter / receiver. [Form 15] 13. The method of claim 12, further comprising: The method, wherein the value of the measurement signal comprises one of a voltage value and a current value indicative of the beam intensity. [Form 16] 12. The method of claim 11, further comprising: The method further includes calculating at least one of a thickness of the substrate and a width of the gap based on values ​​of the measurement signals. [Form 17] 17. The method of claim 16, The method further comprising calculating an amount to adjust the parameter based on the at least one of a thickness of the substrate and a width of the gap. [Form 18] 12. The method of claim 11, further comprising: The method further includes determining at least one of a thickness of the substrate and a width of the gap based on stored data correlating values ​​of the measurement signal with the at least one of a thickness of the substrate and a width of the gap. [Form 19] 12. The method of claim 11, further comprising: The method further includes determining an amount to adjust the parameter based on stored data correlating values ​​of the measurement signal with amounts to adjust the parameter. [Form 20] 12. The method of claim 11, further comprising: The parameter corresponds to at least one of a deposition rate and an etch rate, and the method further includes adjusting the at least one of the deposition rate and the etch rate based on a value of the measurement signal.

Claims

1. 1. A system for controlling processing of a substrate disposed in a processing chamber, comprising: an emitter configured to transmit a signal toward a gap between the substrate and a component of the processing chamber disposed above the substrate; a receiver configured to receive at least a portion of the transmitted signal and generate a measurement signal based on a characteristic of the received portion of the transmitted signal; a system controller configured to receive the measurement signal and selectively adjust at least one of (a) the parameter corresponding to at least one of a deposition rate and an etch rate, (b) a process parameter related to processing the substrate, and (c) the parameter for varying a width of the gap based on a relationship between a value of the measurement signal and at least one of (i) a thickness of the substrate, and (ii) an amount for adjusting a parameter; Including, The parameter in (ii) is at least one of the parameter corresponding to at least one of the deposition rate and the etching rate in (a), the process parameter in (b), and the parameter for changing the width of the gap in (c).

2. 10. The system of claim 1, The system wherein the transmitted signal is a laser and the characteristic is a beam intensity of the laser.

3. 3. The system of claim 2, The system wherein the emitter and the receiver are disposed on opposing sidewalls of the processing chamber, and the beam intensity of the laser corresponds to the portion of the laser that passes through the gap and is received by the receiver.

4. 3. The system of claim 2, an emitter / receiver combination includes the emitter and the receiver, and the beam intensity of the laser corresponds to a portion of the laser reflected from at least one of the substrate and the component back toward the emitter / receiver combination.

5. 3. The system of claim 2, The system, wherein the value of the measurement signal comprises one of a voltage value and a current value indicative of the beam intensity.

6. 10. The system of claim 1, The system controller is configured to calculate a thickness of the substrate and a width of the gap based on values ​​of the measurement signals.

7. 7. The system of claim 6, The system controller is configured to calculate an amount for adjusting at least one of the parameters corresponding to at least one of the deposition rate and the etching rate in (a), the process parameters in (b), and the parameters for changing the width of the gap in (c) based on the at least one of the thickness of the substrate and the width of the gap.

8. 10. The system of claim 1, The system controller is configured to determine the thickness of the substrate and the width of the gap based on stored data correlating values ​​of the measurement signals with the thickness of the substrate and the width of the gap.

9. 10. The system of claim 1, the system controller is configured to use the value of the measurement signal based on stored data to determine an amount for adjusting at least one of the parameters corresponding to at least one of the deposition rate and the etching rate in (a), the process parameter in (b), and the parameter for changing the width of the gap in (c); The system, wherein the stored data correlates with an amount for adjusting at least one of the parameters corresponding to at least one of the deposition rate and the etching rate in (a), the process parameters in (b), and the parameters for changing the width of the gap in (c).

10. 10. The system of claim 1, The system controller is configured to adjust the at least one of the deposition rate and the etch rate based on the value of the measurement signal.

11. 1. A method for controlling processing of a substrate disposed in a processing chamber, comprising: using an emitter to transmit a signal toward a gap between the substrate and a component of the processing chamber disposed above the substrate; receiving, using a receiver, at least a portion of the transmitted signal and generating a measurement signal based on characteristics of the received portion of the transmitted signal; selectively adjusting at least one of (a) the parameter corresponding to at least one of a deposition rate and an etch rate, (b) a process parameter related to processing of the substrate, and (c) the parameter for varying a width of the gap based on a relationship between a value of the measurement signal and at least one of (i) a thickness of the substrate, and (ii) an amount for adjusting the parameter; Including, The method, wherein the parameter in (ii) is at least one of the parameter corresponding to at least one of the deposition rate and the etching rate in (a), the process parameter in (b), and the parameter for changing the width of the gap in (c).

12. 12. The method of claim 11, The method wherein the transmitted signal is a laser and the characteristic is a beam intensity of the laser.

13. 13. The method of claim 12, The method, wherein the emitter and the receiver are positioned on opposite sidewalls of the processing chamber, and the beam intensity of the laser corresponds to the portion of the laser that passes through the gap and is received by the receiver.

14. 13. The method of claim 12, an emitter / receiver combination includes the emitter and the receiver, and the beam intensity of the laser corresponds to a portion of the laser reflected from at least one of the substrate and the component back toward the emitter / receiver combination.

15. 13. The method of claim 12, The method, wherein the measurement signal value comprises one of a voltage value and a current value indicative of the beam intensity.

16. 12. The method of claim 11, The method further includes calculating a thickness of the substrate and a width of the gap based on values ​​of the measurement signals.

17. 17. The method of claim 16, The method further includes calculating an amount for adjusting at least one of the parameters corresponding to at least one of the deposition rate and the etching rate in (a), the process parameters in (b), and the parameters for changing the width of the gap in (c) based on the at least one of the thickness of the substrate and the width of the gap.

18. 12. The method of claim 11, The method further includes determining a thickness of the substrate and a width of the gap based on stored data correlating values ​​of the measurement signal with a thickness of the substrate and a width of the gap.

19. 12. The method of claim 11, The method further includes determining an amount for adjusting at least one of the parameters corresponding to at least one of the deposition rate and the etching rate in (a), the process parameter in (b), and the parameter for changing the width of the gap in (c) based on stored data using the value of the measurement signal.

20. 12. The method of claim 11, The method further comprising adjusting the at least one of the deposition rate and the etch rate based on a value of the measurement signal.

21. 10. The system of claim 1, The system controller is configured to (i) determine a width of the gap based on the measurement signal, and (ii) adjust the parameters for changing the width of the gap based on the determined width and a target width.

22. 22. The system of claim 21, The system, wherein the system controller is configured to move at least one of the component and the substrate support to adjust the width of the gap.

23. 23. The system of claim 22, The system wherein the component is a showerhead.

24. 10. The system of claim 1, The system includes only one emitter and one receiver for which the parameters are adjusted, the one emitter being the emitter that emits the signal transmitted toward the gap, and the one receiver being the receiver that receives the received portion of the transmitted signal.

25. 10. The system of claim 1, The system, wherein the system controller is configured to (i) determine a thickness of the substrate, and (ii) adjust a width of the gap based on the determined thickness.

26. 10. The system of claim 1, A system wherein there are no intermediate components disposed between the substrate and the components of the processing chamber.

27. 10. The system of claim 1, The system wherein the width of the gap is defined by the surfaces of the substrate and the component.

28. 10. The system of claim 1, The gap width is the distance between the substrate and the component.

29. 10. The system of claim 1, The system controller is configured to adjust the parameters to compensate for a difference between the width of the gap and an ideal width of the gap.

30. 4. The system of claim 3, The system, wherein a system controller is configured to (i) determine a width of the gap based on the measurement signal, and (ii) adjust the parameters for varying the width of the gap based on the determined width.

31. 31. The system of claim 30, The system includes only one emitter and one receiver for determining the width of the gap, the one emitter being the emitter that emits the signal transmitted toward the gap, and the one receiver being the receiver that receives the received portion of the transmitted signal.

32. 31. The system of claim 30, The system, wherein the system controller is configured to move at least one of the component and the substrate support to adjust the width of the gap.

33. 33. The system of claim 32, The system wherein the component is a showerhead.

34. 4. The system of claim 3, The system, wherein the system controller is configured to (i) determine a thickness of the substrate, and (ii) adjust a width of the gap based on the determined thickness.

35. 35. The system of claim 34, The system includes only one emitter and one receiver for determining the thickness of the substrate, the one emitter emitting the signal transmitted toward the gap, and the one receiver receiving the received portion of the transmitted signal.

36. 5. The system of claim 4, The system, wherein a system controller is configured to (i) determine a width of the gap based on the measurement signal, and (ii) adjust the parameters for varying the width of the gap based on the determined width.

37. 37. The system of claim 36, The system includes only one emitter and one receiver for determining the width of the gap, the one emitter being the emitter that emits the signal transmitted toward the gap, and the one receiver being the receiver that receives the received portion of the transmitted signal.

38. 37. The system of claim 36, The system, wherein the system controller is configured to move at least one of the component and the substrate support to adjust the width of the gap.

39. 39. The system of claim 38, The system wherein the component is a showerhead.

40. 5. The system of claim 4, The system, wherein the system controller is configured to (i) determine a thickness of the substrate, and (ii) adjust a width of the gap based on the determined thickness.

41. 41. The system of claim 40, The system includes only one emitter and one receiver for determining the thickness of the substrate, the one emitter emitting the signal transmitted toward the gap, and the one receiver receiving the received portion of the transmitted signal.

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