Defect removal apparatus, defect removal method, pattern formation method, and method for manufacturing electronic devices

Abstract

Provided are: a defect removal device, a defect removal method, and a pattern formation method that are capable of accurately removing defects from a semiconductor substrate; and a pattern formation method that uses a semiconductor substrate having surface defects removed therefrom, and an electronic device production method. The defect removal device has: a surface defect measurement unit that has a first light source unit, which emits incident light for detecting defects upon a semiconductor substrate, and a detection unit that detects defects on the semiconductor substrate on the basis of the irradiated light radiated by the reflection or scatting of incident light by defects upon the semiconductor substrate; a removal unit that irradiates a laser beam onto the semiconductor substrate and removes defects on the basis of position information for the defects upon the semiconductor substrate; and an alignment unit that adjusts the optical axis of the incident light and the laser beam. The incident light and the laser beam have the optical axes thereof adjusted and are emitted onto the semiconductor substrate, by the alignment unit.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a defect removal apparatus and defect removal method that remove defects on the surface of a semiconductor substrate using laser ablation, as well as a pattern formation method using a semiconductor substrate from which surface defects have been removed, and a method for manufacturing an electronic device. [Background technology]

[0002] Currently, various semiconductor devices are manufactured using semiconductor substrates such as silicon substrates. If there are defects such as foreign matter on the surface of the semiconductor substrate, the manufacturing of the semiconductor device may result in insufficient formation of transistor gates or disconnection of wiring, leading to defective semiconductor devices. Thus, defects such as foreign matter on the surface of the semiconductor substrate affect the yield of semiconductor devices.

[0003] Defects such as foreign matter on semiconductor substrates are removed using wet cleaning methods such as RCA cleaning. While wet cleaning uniformly cleans the semiconductor substrate, it may not completely remove foreign matter. In such cases, dry cleaning, which removes foreign matter and other defects using laser irradiation, may be performed. For example, dry cleaning may involve a laser processing method described in Patent Document 1, which processes the workpiece using laser light having relatively low photon energy and relatively low fluence. In the laser cleaning method described in Patent Document 1, a semiconductor wafer is used as the target object, and without searching for foreign substances such as nanoparticles and metal contaminants, a first pulse is irradiated over the entire surface of the target object to induce excitation of an electronic system on the surface of the target object. A coherent excited layer is formed by the excitation of the electronic system. Before the excited layer formed by the excitation of the electronic system disappears, a second pulse is irradiated to remove foreign substances located on the surface of the target object. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2017-60991 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0005] In the aforementioned Patent Document 1, the first and second pulses are irradiated over the entire surface of the target object without searching for foreign matter. Therefore, foreign matter may or may not be present at each irradiation location. Consequently, Patent Document 1 has poor foreign matter removal accuracy. Furthermore, in Patent Document 1, a first pulse and a second pulse are irradiated to remove foreign matter, but the irradiation areas must be aligned. For this reason, removing foreign matter is not easy, and maintaining the accuracy of foreign matter removal is difficult.

[0006] The object of the present invention is to provide a defect removal apparatus, a defect removal method, and a pattern formation method that can accurately remove defects from a semiconductor substrate, as well as a pattern formation method using a semiconductor substrate from which surface defects have been removed, and a method for manufacturing an electronic device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To achieve the above-mentioned objective, one aspect of the present invention provides a defect removal apparatus that uses location information of defects on a semiconductor substrate, and has a removal unit that removes defects by irradiating the semiconductor substrate with laser light based on the location information of defects on the semiconductor substrate. It is preferable to have a surface defect measurement unit that measures the presence or absence of defects on the semiconductor substrate and obtains location information of the defects on the semiconductor substrate.

[0008] One aspect of the present invention provides a defect removal device comprising: a surface defect measuring device that measures the presence or absence of defects on a semiconductor substrate and obtains location information of defects on the semiconductor substrate; and a removal device that removes defects by irradiating the semiconductor substrate with laser light based on the location information of defects on the semiconductor substrate obtained by the surface defect measuring device. One aspect of the present invention provides a defect removal apparatus comprising: a surface defect measurement unit having a first light source unit that emits incident light for detecting defects on a semiconductor substrate; a detection unit that detects defects on a semiconductor substrate based on synchrotron light emitted when the incident light is reflected or scattered by defects on the semiconductor substrate; a removal unit that removes defects by irradiating the semiconductor substrate with laser light; and an alignment unit that adjusts the optical axes of the incident light and the laser light, wherein the optical axes of the incident light and the laser light are adjusted by the alignment unit and emitted onto the semiconductor substrate. The removal unit preferably emits laser light towards the defects detected by the surface defect measurement unit. Preferably, the alignment unit adjusts the incident light and the laser light to the same optical axis before they are emitted onto the semiconductor substrate. The surface defect measurement unit preferably includes a light-receiving unit that receives synchrotron radiation, a focusing lens that concentrates the synchrotron radiation onto the light-receiving unit, and a shutter positioned between the focusing lens and the surface of the semiconductor substrate when emitting laser light to a defect.

[0009] The alignment unit includes an optical element that receives incident light and laser light, emits the incident light and laser light in the same direction, and separates the incident light and laser light, emitting a first separated beam (incident light separated from laser light) and a second separated beam (laser light separated from laser light) in the same direction; a first mirror that causes the incident light to enter the optical element; a second mirror that causes the laser light to enter the optical element; and a photodetector that detects at least the light intensity of the first separated beam (incident light) and the second separated beam (laser light) separated by the optical element. Preferably, the tilt of the first mirror and the second mirror is adjustable. The surface defect measurement unit preferably obtains location information of defects on the semiconductor substrate. The surface defect measurement unit preferably includes a first light source unit that emits incident light for detecting defects on a semiconductor substrate, and a light receiving unit that receives the emitted light caused by the reflection or scattering of incident light by defects on the semiconductor substrate. The surface defect measurement unit preferably has a storage unit for storing positional information. It is preferable to have a supply unit that supplies carrier gas onto the surface of the semiconductor substrate. The incident light is preferably a continuously oscillating laser beam. The laser light is preferably a pulsed laser light.

[0010] One aspect of the present invention provides a defect removal method that uses location information of defects on a semiconductor substrate, wherein the defect is removed by irradiating the semiconductor substrate with laser light based on the location information of the defect on the semiconductor substrate. One aspect of the present invention provides a defect removal method that uses location information of defects on a semiconductor substrate, comprising the steps of: measuring the presence or absence of defects on the semiconductor substrate and obtaining location information of the defects on the semiconductor substrate; and removing the defects by irradiating the semiconductor substrate with laser light based on the location information of the defects on the semiconductor substrate. One aspect of the present invention provides a defect removal method comprising: a detection step of detecting defects on a semiconductor substrate by emitting incident light for detecting defects on the semiconductor substrate; and a removal step of removing defects by emitting laser light, whose optical axis is adjusted with that of the incident light, onto the semiconductor substrate. In the removal process, it is preferable to emit laser light at the same optical axis as the incident light towards the defects detected in the detection process.

[0011] Preferably, the detection step or removal step further includes an adjustment step to adjust the optical axis between the incident light and the laser light. In the removal process, it is preferable to remove defects while supplying a carrier gas to the surface of the semiconductor substrate. The detection step preferably involves detecting defects on a semiconductor substrate using a light-receiving unit that receives synchrotron radiation emitted when incident light is reflected or scattered by defects on the semiconductor substrate, and a focusing lens that focuses the synchrotron radiation onto the light-receiving unit. The removal step preferably involves placing a shutter between the focusing lens and the surface of the semiconductor substrate and emitting laser light towards the detected defects. The detection process preferably involves obtaining location information of defects on the semiconductor substrate. The incident light is preferably a continuously oscillating laser beam. The laser beam is preferably a pulsed oscillating laser beam.

[0012] One aspect of the present invention provides a patterning method having a step of forming a resist film on the surface of a semiconductor substrate using the semiconductor substrate with defects on the surface removed by the defect removal method of the present invention, and a step of forming a pattern on the resist film. One aspect of the present invention provides a method of manufacturing an electronic device having a step of forming a resist film on the surface of a semiconductor substrate using the semiconductor substrate with defects on the surface removed by the defect removal method of the present invention, and a step of forming a pattern of an electronic device on the resist film.

Advantages of the Invention

[0013] According to the present invention, defects on a semiconductor substrate can be removed with high precision. Moreover, patterning and manufacturing of electronic devices can be performed using the semiconductor substrate with defects removed.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0014] [Figure 1] It is a schematic diagram showing a first example of a defect removal apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a schematic diagram showing an example of a defect detected by the defect removal apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] It is a schematic cross-sectional view showing another example of a carrier gas supply unit of a defect removal apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] It is a schematic diagram showing a second example of a defect removal apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] It is a schematic diagram showing a third example of a defect removal apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Embodiments of the Invention

[0015] The defect removal apparatus, defect removal method, pattern formation method, and method for manufacturing an electronic device of the present invention will be described in detail below based on preferred embodiments shown in the attached drawings. The figures described below are illustrative examples for illustrating the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the figures shown below. In the following, the "~" indicating a numerical range includes the numbers written on both sides. For example, ε is the numerical value ε a ~Value ε b The range of ε is the numerical value ε a and the numerical value ε b This range includes ε a ≦ε≦ε b That is the case. Unless otherwise specified, angles expressed as "specific numerical values," "perpendicular," and "orthogonal" include the generally acceptable margin of error in the relevant technical field.

[0016] [First example of a defect removal device] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing a first example of a defect removal device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is a schematic diagram showing an example of a defect detected by the defect removal device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The defect removal device 10 shown in Figure 1 includes a surface defect measurement unit 15, a second light source unit 16, an alignment unit 18, and a control unit 20. The control unit 20 controls each component of the defect removal device 10.

[0017] The defect removal device 10 detects defects 51 on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50 and removes the defects 51 on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50 using laser ablation. The semiconductor substrate 50 is, for example, a disc-shaped substrate. The incident light Ls for defect detection and the laser light La for defect removal are emitted along the same optical axis. Here, "same optical axis" means that the optical axis of the incident light Ls and the optical axis of the laser light La coincide. If the difference between the optical axis of the incident light Ls and the optical axis of the laser light La is 0.1 degrees or less, they are said to be on the same optical axis. Specifically, the alignment of the optical axes means that the incident light Ls and the laser light La coincide at the same position where they enter the transmission / reflection surface 32e of the optical element 32, which will be described later. Furthermore, aligning the optical axes means making the optical axis of the incident light Ls coincide with the optical axis of the laser light La. Note that the optical axes are considered to coincide if the difference between the optical axes of the incident light Ls and the laser light La is 0.1 degrees or less.

[0018] The defect removal apparatus 10 has a stage 22 on which a semiconductor substrate 50 is placed. The stage 22 is rotatable around a rotation axis C, and can change the position of the semiconductor substrate 50 in the height direction V, and can also change the position in the direction H perpendicular to the height direction V. For example, the stage 22, the light-receiving unit 24 (described later), the condensing lens 26 (described later), the shutter 27 (described later), and the condensing lens 37 (described later) are arranged, for example, inside the chamber 11, and the detection and removal of defects 51 in the semiconductor substrate 50 are performed inside the chamber 11.

[0019] The surface defect measurement unit 15 detects defects 51 on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50 and measures whether or not defects 51 are present on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50. The surface defect measurement unit 15 has a first light source unit 12 and a detection unit 14. The first light source unit 12 emits incident light Ls for detecting defects 51 on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50. The incident light Ls irradiated by the first light source unit 12 is preferably a continuously oscillating laser light. A continuously oscillating laser light is also called a CW (Continuous Wave) laser light. The wavelength of the incident light Ls is not particularly limited. The incident light Ls may be, for example, ultraviolet light, but it may also be visible light or other types of light. Here, ultraviolet light refers to light with a wavelength of less than 400 nm, and visible light refers to light with a wavelength of 400 to 800 nm. The incident angle of the incident light Ls is defined as 0° in all directions horizontal to the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50, and 90° in directions perpendicular to the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50. In this case, if the incident angle of the incident light Ls is defined from a minimum of 0° to a maximum of 90°, the incident angle of the incident light Ls is 0° or more and 90° or less, and preferably greater than 0° and less than 90°.

[0020] The detection unit 14 detects defects 51 on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50 based on synchrotron radiation Ld emitted when incident light Ls is reflected or scattered by defects 51 on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50. The detection unit 14 may also obtain positional information of the defects 51 on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50. The detection unit 14 will be described in detail later.

[0021] The second light source unit 16 emits laser light La to the defects 51 detected by the detection unit 14, and the defects 51 are ablated and removed by the laser light La emitted from the second light source unit 16. The laser light La emitted by the second light source unit 16 is preferably pulsed laser light. Pulsed laser light is also called pulsed laser light. The second light source unit 16 can be a femtosecond laser, nanosecond laser, picosecond laser, or attosecond laser, etc. As a femtosecond laser, for example, a Ti:Sapphire laser can be used. Furthermore, in the case of a femtosecond laser, it is preferable that the pulse width be 1000 femtoseconds or less. In the case of a nanosecond laser, it is preferable that the pulse width be 1000 nanoseconds or less.

[0022] The alignment unit 18 adjusts the optical axes of the incident light Ls and the laser light La, for example, by aligning the optical axes of the incident light Ls and the laser light La. The alignment unit 18 adjusts the incident light Ls and the laser light La to the same optical axis before they are emitted onto the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50. The alignment unit 18 will be described in detail later.

[0023] (Detection unit) The detection unit 14 has a light-receiving unit 24 that receives synchrotron radiation Ld emitted when incident light Ls is reflected or scattered by the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50. The light-receiving unit 24 is positioned, for example, above the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50. When the light-receiving unit 24 receives synchrotron radiation Ld, it outputs, for example, a received signal to the calculation unit 28. A focusing lens 26 is provided between the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50 and the light-receiving unit 24. The focusing lens 26 concentrates the synchrotron radiation Ld generated by the incident light Ls onto the light-receiving unit 24. The focusing lens 26 allows the synchrotron radiation Ld to be efficiently focused onto the light-receiving unit 24.

[0024] The light-receiving unit 24 receives the synchrotron radiation Ld at a high angle. Receiving at a high angle means receiving the light in the range of more than 80° and less than or equal to 90° at the incident angle mentioned above. The detection unit 14 shown in Figure 1 has a configuration with one light-receiving unit 24, but the number of light-receiving units is not particularly limited and may be multiple. If there are multiple light-receiving units, for example, light-receiving units 25 may be arranged around the semiconductor substrate 50. The light-receiving unit 25 receives synchrotron radiation Ld at a low angle. Receiving at a low angle means receiving light in the range of 0° to 80° at the incident angle described above. When the light-receiving units 24 and 25 receive synchrotron radiation Ld, they output a received signal to the calculation unit 28. The light-receiving units 24 and 25 are composed of, for example, photosensors such as photomultiplier tubes. The light-receiving units 24 and 25 may be capable of receiving unpolarized or polarized light.

[0025] Furthermore, the detection unit 14 has a shutter 27 positioned between the focusing lens 26 and the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50. The shutter 27 prevents contamination of the focusing lens 26 by laser ablation, which will be described later. The shutter 27 prevents the evaporated material 51a (see Figure 3), which is the evaporated material of defects 51 caused by laser ablation, from adhering to the focusing lens 26. This suppresses a decrease in the sensitivity of the synchrotron radiation Ld of the light receiving unit 24, and thus suppresses a decrease in defect detection accuracy. The shutter 27 is positioned in front of the focusing lens 26 when emitting laser light La towards the defect 51. Positioning the shutter 27 in front of the focusing lens 26 is also referred to as closing the shutter 27. Furthermore, the shutter 27 retracts from the front of the condensing lens 26 when the detection unit 14 is operated to detect the defect 51, and is positioned in other cases. Retracting the shutter 27 from the front of the condensing lens 26 is also referred to as opening the shutter 27. The position of the shutter 27 can be changed by a moving mechanism (not shown). The shutter 27 is made of, for example, a metal plate, a plastic plate, or the like.

[0026] The surface defect measurement unit 15 has a calculation unit 28 and a storage unit 29. The calculation unit 28 obtains the light-receiving signal output when the light-receiving unit 24 receives the synchrotron radiation Ld, and detects the defect 51. In other words, when the light receiving unit 24 receives synchrotron radiation Ld, it outputs a received signal to the calculation unit 28. The calculation unit 28 determines that there is a defect 51 on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50, and if no synchrotron radiation Ld is generated, for example, the light receiving unit 24 does not output a received signal to the calculation unit 28. In this case, it is determined that there is no defect 51 on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50. In this way, the calculation unit 28 detects the presence or absence of a defect 51 on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50 based on the information of whether or not the light receiving unit 24 has received synchrotron radiation Ld. Furthermore, the calculation unit 28 can also calculate the location information and size of the detected defect based on the information of the synchrotron radiation received by the light receiving unit 24. The location information of the defect refers to the location coordinates of the defect on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50. The location coordinates are set, for example, by pre-setting a common reference position for multiple semiconductor substrates 50 and setting it as the origin of the reference position.

[0027] The first light source unit 12 irradiates an incident light Ls, which is then reflected or scattered by a defect 51 on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50. The resulting synchrotron radiation Ld is emitted and received by the light receiving unit 24. The light receiving unit 24 detects the synchrotron radiation Ld as a bright spot. The calculation unit 28 calculates the size of the defect that caused the bright spot, i.e., the detected size, based on the size of a standard particle, from the size of the bright spot containing information about the synchrotron radiation from the defect in the light receiving unit 24. The calculation of the detected size based on the size of a standard particle is performed by a calculation device provided in a commercially available surface inspection device or by a known calculation method. The calculation unit 28 obtains position information of the irradiation position of the incident light Ls from the control unit 20, and the light receiving unit 24 obtains position information of the defect 51 and size information of the defect 51 on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50 based on the information about the synchrotron radiation from the defect 51. The obtained position information of the defect 51 and size information of the defect 51 on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50 are stored in the storage unit 29. In this way, the surface defect measurement unit 15 obtains location information and size information of the defect 51 on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50. The memory unit 29 is not particularly limited as long as it can store location information and size information of defects 51 such as foreign matter on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50. For example, various storage media such as volatile memory, non-volatile memory, hard disk, or SSD (Solid State Drive) can be used.

[0028] The control unit 20 acquires positional information of the incident light Ls irradiated by the first light source unit 12 on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50. The stage 22 is controlled by the control unit 20. The control unit 20 drives the stage 22 to irradiate areas on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50 that have not been irradiated with incident light Ls, thereby changing the irradiation position of the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50. In the surface defect measurement unit 15, incident light Ls is irradiated over the entire surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50, and defects 51 are detected at each irradiation position based on information about whether or not the synchrotron radiation Ld is received by the light receiving unit 24. Furthermore, the surface defect measurement unit 15 can irradiate the entire surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50 with incident light Ls, and based on the information of the synchrotron radiation Ld received by the light receiving unit 24, it can obtain information on the location and size of defects on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50 at each irradiation position. This allows for obtaining information on the location and size of defects across the entire surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50. In other words, it is possible to obtain two-dimensional information on the location and size of defects on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50. For example, a surface inspection device (SurfScanSP5; manufactured by KLA Corporation) can be used for the surface defect measurement unit 15.

[0029] The surface defect measurement unit 15 measures surface defects in the semiconductor substrate 50. This detects the location and size of defects such as foreign matter on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50. For example, as shown in Figure 2, a defect 51 can be shown on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50. Showing a defect 51 on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50 is called mapping. The location and size information of the defect 51 on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50 is stored in the storage unit 29. The location and size information of the defect 51 on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50 is called mapping information.

[0030] (Alignment Department) The alignment unit 18 includes, for example, an optical element 32, a first mirror 30 that directs incident light Ls onto the optical element 32, a second mirror 34 that directs laser light La onto the optical element 32, and a photodetector 36. The optical element 32 receives incident light Ls and laser light La, emits the incident light Ls and laser light La in the same direction, and separates the incident light Ls and laser light La, causing a first separated light Ls1 (from which the incident light Ls has been separated) and a second separated light La1 (from which the laser light La has been separated) to be emitted in the same direction. Here, "emitting in the same direction" means that the surface from which the incident light Ls and the laser light La are emitted is the same. Specifically, the surface from which the incident light Ls and the laser light La are emitted is the emission surface 32b. Also, the surface from which the first separating light Ls1 and the second separating light La1 are emitted is the same. Specifically, the surface from which the first separating light Ls1 and the second separating light La1 are emitted is surface 32d.

[0031] The photodetector 36 detects at least the light intensity of the first separated light Ls1 of the incident light Ls separated by the optical element 32 and the second separated light La1 of the laser light La. A photodetector 36 is positioned opposite the surface 32d of the optical element 32 from which the first separated light Ls1 and the second separated light La1 are emitted. The photodetector 36 is connected to the control unit 20. Furthermore, a focusing lens 37 is provided between the emission surface 32b of the optical element 32 and the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50, which focuses the incident light Ls and laser light La onto a defect 51 on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50.

[0032] The system includes a mirror 30a into which incident light Ls emitted from the first light source unit 12 is incident, and a mirror 30b into which the incident light Ls reflected by mirror 30a is incident, reflected, and incident onto the optical element 32. Mirrors 30a and 30b together constitute the first mirror 30. The tilt of mirrors 30a and 30b of the first mirror 30 is adjustable, and the system may have a mirror adjustment unit for adjusting the tilt of mirrors 30a and 30b. The number of mirrors in the first mirror 30 is not limited to two; it may be one or three or more. The optical axis of the incident light Ls is adjusted by mirrors 30a and 30b. For this reason, a number of mirrors that allows for both accuracy of the optical axis and ease of adjustment is preferable. The second mirror 34 consists of a mirror 34a into which the laser light La emitted from the second light source 16 is incident, and a mirror 34b into which the laser light La reflected by mirror 34a is incident and reflected back into the optical element 32. Mirrors 34a and 34b together constitute the second mirror 34. The tilt of mirrors 34a and 34b of the second mirror 34 is adjustable, and the mirror may have a mirror adjustment unit to adjust the tilt of mirrors 34a and 34b. Furthermore, the number of mirrors in the second mirror 34 is not limited to two; it may be one or three or more. The optical axis of the incident light Ls is adjusted by mirrors 34a and 34b. For this reason, a number of mirrors that allows for both accuracy of the optical axis and ease of adjustment is preferable. Furthermore, the aforementioned mirror adjustment unit adjusts the tilt of the mirror using, for example, a piezoelectric element.

[0033] The optical element 32 is composed of, for example, a beam splitter. The shape of the beam splitter is not limited to a cube shape, but may also be a flat plate shape. In addition to a beam splitter, a partial reflection mirror can also be used as the optical element 32.

[0034] Incident light Ls is incident on the first incident surface 32a of the optical element 32, passes through the transmission / reflection surface 32e, and is emitted from the exit surface 32b opposite the first incident surface 32a. Furthermore, the incident light Ls that enters the first incident surface 32a of the optical element 32 is reflected and separated by the transmission-reflection surface 32e to become the first separated light Ls1, which is emitted from surface 32d toward the photodetector 36 and enters the photodetector 36. The first separated light Ls1 that is separated by the transmission-reflection surface 32e and emitted from surface 32d is a part of the incident light Ls. Laser light La is incident on the second incident surface 32c of the optical element 32, reflects off the transmission / reflection surface 32e, and is emitted from the exit surface 32b facing the first incident surface 32a.

[0035] Furthermore, the light incident on the second incident surface 32c of the optical element 32 is separated by passing through the transmission / reflection surface 32e to become the second separated light La1, which is emitted from the surface 32d opposite the second incident surface 32c toward the photodetector 36 and incident on the photodetector 36. The second separated light La1 emitted from surface 32d after being separated is a part of the laser light La. In this way, the optical element 32 causes the incident light Ls and the laser light La to be emitted in the same direction and exit from the exit surface 32b. The first separated light Ls1 and the second separated light La1 are also emitted in the same direction and exit from surface 32d. Furthermore, the degree of separation, for example, the amount of light, of the first separating light Ls1 and the second separating light La1 can be adjusted by adjusting the reflectance or transmittance of the transmission / reflection surface 32e of the optical element 32. Furthermore, the degree of separation can be adjusted by placing a polarizing plate or similar device before separation to adjust the polarization direction.

[0036] The photodetector 36 detects the light intensity of at least the first separated light Ls1, which is a part of the incident light Ls, and the second separated light La1, which is a part of the laser light La. Preferably, the photodetector 36 can measure the diameter of the incident light and the intensity distribution of the incident light; for example, a beam profiler is used. The photodetector 36 measures the diameter of the first separated light Ls1 and the diameter of the second separated light La1, as well as the intensity distribution of the first separated light Ls1 and the second separated light La1. Beam profilers, for example, utilize a system in which light sensors are arranged in a two-dimensional configuration. A CCD (Charge Coupled Device) camera is one example of a system with two-dimensionally arranged light sensors.

[0037] When aligning the optical axes of the incident light Ls and the laser light La, for example, with the incident light Ls and the laser light La being emitted, the photodetector 36 measures the light intensity of the first separated light Ls1 and the second separated light La1 emitted from the surface 32d of the optical element 32. When the optical axes of the incident light Ls and the laser light La coincide, the incident positions of the incident light Ls and the laser light La on the transmission / reflection surface 32e become the same, and the optical axes of the first separated light Ls1 and the second separated light La1 emitted from the surface 32d of the optical element 32 coincide. As a result, the light intensity increases. For example, the state in which the light intensity measured by the photodetector 36 is highest is defined as the state in which the optical axes of the incident light Ls and the laser light La are aligned. At this time, the mirrors 30a and 30b of the first mirror 30 and the mirrors 34a and 34b of the second mirror 34 are adjusted so that the light intensity measured by the photodetector 36 is highest. The alignment of the optical axes of the incident light Ls and the laser light La is obtained, for example, by the light intensity of the photodetector 36, and the alignment or misalignment of the optical axes is detected by the control unit 20. Furthermore, the detection of optical axis alignment and misalignment is not limited to using light intensity; for example, the light intensity distribution can also be used. In this case, the light intensity distribution when the optical axes are aligned is measured in advance. By comparing the measured light intensity distribution with the light intensity distribution when the optical axes are aligned, the alignment and misalignment of the optical axes can be detected.

[0038] In the defect removal device 10, as described above, the optical axes of the incident light Ls and the laser light La are aligned, and the detection unit 14 measures the defects 51 on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50 using the incident light Ls, and the laser light La is irradiated with the same optical axis as the incident light Ls. This makes it possible to remove the defects 51 of the semiconductor substrate 50 with higher precision and accuracy. Due to alignment errors caused by differences in equipment and return errors associated with stage movement, sufficient accuracy may not be achieved in defect positioning. However, by aligning the optical axes of the incident light Ls used for defect inspection and the laser light La used for defect removal, defect inspection and defect removal of the semiconductor substrate 50 can be performed with a single device, eliminating the need to move between devices and the stage 22. As a result, defects can be removed with high accuracy and ease. Furthermore, the size of the equipment configuration can be kept down.

[0039] Furthermore, for example, the defect removal device 10 has a supply unit 38 that supplies carrier gas onto the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50. The supply unit 38 supplies carrier gas onto the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50 using, for example, a pipe 38a. The chamber 11 is also provided with an outlet unit (not shown) consisting of, for example, a pipe and a valve. By opening the valve, the carrier gas can be discharged from inside the chamber 11 to the outside. The supply unit 38 includes a gas supply source (not shown), such as a cylinder in which the carrier gas is stored, a regulator (pressure regulator) (not shown) connected to the gas supply source, and a control valve (not shown) for controlling the amount of carrier gas supplied. For example, the regulator and the control valve are connected by a tube. The carrier gas used is, for example, helium gas or argon gas. The carrier gas removes the evaporated material 51a (see Figure 3) produced by the ablation of the defect 51 from the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50, preventing the evaporated material 51a from adhering to the focusing lens 26. The carrier gas also suppresses the re-adhesion of the evaporated material 51a (see Figure 3) to the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50. The evaporated material 51a (see Figure 3) is also referred to as the ablation product.

[0040] The defect removal device 10 is configured to include a shutter 27 and a supply unit 38, but it is not limited to this configuration. The defect removal device 10 may also be configured without the shutter 27 and the supply unit 38, or with only the shutter 27, or with only the supply unit 38.

[0041] Figure 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing another example of the carrier gas supply section of a defect removal device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The defect removal apparatus 10 is configured to include a supply unit 38 that supplies carrier gas onto the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50, but it is not limited to this configuration. For example, as shown in Figure 3, a container section 39 for housing the semiconductor substrate 50 placed on the stage 22 may be provided. The supply section 38 is connected to the container section 39 via piping 38a. The container section 39 is provided with an outlet section 38b that allows the carrier gas to flow out from inside the container section 39 to the outside. The outlet section 38b is composed of, for example, a pipe and a valve. By opening the valve, the carrier gas can be discharged from inside the container section 39 to the outside. With the semiconductor substrate 50 housed in the container section 39, carrier gas is supplied from the supply section 38. By providing the container section 39, contamination of the focusing lens 26 can be suppressed. Therefore, the shutter 27 (see Figure 1) becomes unnecessary. The container portion 39 is provided with a window portion (not shown) through which incident light Ls and laser light La can pass, so as to allow them to pass into the interior of the container, and a window portion (not shown) through which synchrotron radiation Ld can pass, so as to allow synchrotron radiation Ld to pass to the outside.

[0042] A heater (not shown) may be provided in the container section 39 for flushing. By heating the inside of the container section 39 with the heater while a carrier gas is supplied into the container section 39, foreign matter such as ablated deposits or adsorbed gases inside the container section 39 is removed. This increases the cleanliness of the inside of the container section 39 and suppresses contamination of the semiconductor substrate 50. For example, an infrared lamp or a xenon flash lamp can be used as the heater.

[0043] If the carrier gas supplied from the supply unit 38 has a moisture content of 0.00001 volume ppm or more and 0.1 volume ppm or less, contamination of the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50 can be reduced when detecting defects in the chamber 11 or the container unit 39. For example, if the moisture content of the carrier gas is high, impurities may dissolve into the trace amounts of moisture adhering to the surface of the carrier gas piping, the inner surface of the chamber 11, or the inner surface of the container unit 39, and these impurities may re-adhere to the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50, increasing the number of defects. However, if the moisture content of the carrier gas is within the above range, these problems can be suppressed. Furthermore, if the moisture content is low, the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50 is more likely to become charged as the carrier gas passes near the semiconductor substrate 50. As a result, charged particles floating in the chamber 11 or container 39 are more likely to be attracted to the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50, or particles floating nearby during transport in the transport system are more likely to be attracted to the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50. In addition, re-adhesion of the products resulting from laser ablation is more likely to occur, but these are suppressed if the moisture content of the carrier gas is within the range described above.

[0044] The amount of water vapor in the carrier gas can be measured using an atmospheric pressure ionization mass spectrometer (API-MS) (for example, manufactured by API Japan Co., Ltd.). The method for adjusting the moisture content is not particularly limited, but it is achieved by performing a gas purification process that removes water (water vapor) contained in the raw gas. In particular, the amount of moisture contained in the carrier gas can be adjusted by adjusting the number of purification steps or the filter. The carrier gas flow rate is 1.69 × 10⁻⁶ -3 ~1.69 Pa·m 3 A value of / sec (1 to 1000 sccm (standard cubic centimeter per minute)) is desirable.

[0045] As shown in Figure 1, in the defect removal device 10, the control unit 20 uses the incident light Ls and the detection unit 14 to attempt to detect defects 51 such as foreign matter on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50. When a defect 51 is detected, since the laser beam La is aligned with the optical axis of the incident light Ls, the laser beam La is irradiated onto the defect 51 on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50 without needing to adjust the irradiation position of the laser beam La. This removes the defect 51 on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50. In this way, because the optical axes of the incident light Ls and the laser beam La coincide, defects 51 on the semiconductor substrate 50 can be removed with higher precision and accuracy. By repeatedly performing defect detection using the incident light Ls and defect removal using the laser beam La, defects 51 on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50 can be removed with higher precision and accuracy. Moreover, defects 51 can be removed efficiently without the need for positioning or other adjustments.

[0046] Furthermore, the semiconductor substrates 50 can also be transported from the outside to the defect removal device 10 in a state where multiple semiconductor substrates 50 are stored in a storage container (not shown) arranged in a shelf-like configuration. The storage container is, for example, a Front Opening Unified Pod (FOUP). By using the storage container, the semiconductor substrate 50 can be transported to the defect removal device 10 in a sealed state without being exposed to the outside air. This suppresses contamination of the semiconductor substrate 50. The transfer of the semiconductor substrate 50 from the storage container to the stage 22 can be appropriately carried out using methods used for inter-process transfer of semiconductor wafers in known semiconductor manufacturing equipment.

[0047] [Example 1 of a defect removal method] The defect removal method includes a detection step of detecting defects 51 on the surface 50a of a semiconductor substrate 50 by emitting incident light Ls to detect defects 51 on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50, and a removal step of emitting laser light La, whose optical axis is adjusted with that of the incident light Ls, onto the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50 to remove the defects 51. In the removal step, it is preferable to emit the laser light La at the same optical axis as the incident light Ls to the defects 51 detected in the detection step. Furthermore, it is preferable to have an adjustment step before the detection step or before the removal step to adjust the optical axis between the incident light Ls and the laser light La. Furthermore, it is preferable that the removal process removes the defects 51 while supplying a carrier gas. The detection process includes measuring the presence or absence of defects 51 on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50 and obtaining positional information of the defects 51 on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50. In the removal process, the detected defects 51 are removed by irradiating the defects 51 on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50 with laser light La. The defect removal method will be explained in detail.

[0048] In the defect removal method, first, an adjustment process is performed to align the optical axes of the incident light Ls and the laser light La before the detection process. In the adjustment process, in the defect removal apparatus 10 shown in Figure 1, the incident light Ls is emitted from the first light source unit 12. When it is incident on the first incident surface 32a of the optical element 32, the first separated light Ls1 is emitted from surface 32d, and the first separated light Ls1 is incident on the photodetector 36. The second light source unit 16 emits laser light La. When it is incident on the second incident surface 32c, the second separated light La1 is emitted from surface 32d, and the second separated light La1 is incident on the photodetector 36. The photodetector 36 measures, for example, the light intensity of the first separated light Ls1 and the second separated light La1. As described above, when the optical axes of the incident light Ls and the laser light La coincide, the optical axes of the first separated light Ls1 and the second separated light La1 also coincide, and the light intensity increases. For this reason, the tilt of the mirrors 30a and 30b of the first mirror 30 and the mirrors 34a and 34b of the second mirror 34 are adjusted so that the light intensity in the photodetector 36 is maximized. This allows the optical axes of the incident light Ls and the laser light La to be aligned. Note that the adjustment process only needs to be performed before the removal process, as the optical axes only need to be adjusted during the removal process.

[0049] After aligning the optical axes of the incident light Ls and the laser light La through an adjustment process, an incident light Ls for detecting defects 51 on the semiconductor substrate 50 is emitted from the first light source unit 12, and a detection process is performed to detect defects 51 on the semiconductor substrate 50. In the detection process, the synchrotron radiation Ld emitted by the reflection or scattering of the incident light Ls by the defects 51 on the semiconductor substrate 50 is focused onto the light receiving unit 24 by the focusing lens 26. When the light receiving unit 24 receives the synchrotron radiation Ld, the received signal is output to the calculation unit 28. This allows the defects 51 to be detected. Furthermore, the calculation unit 28 can identify the location of the defect 51 on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50 based on the synchrotron radiation Ld received by the light receiving unit 24, and can detect the location information and size of defects such as foreign matter on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50. As a result, for example, the defect 51 can be shown on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50 as shown in Figure 2.

[0050] In the detection process, if a defect 51 is detected as described above, the emission of incident light Ls from the first light source unit 12 is stopped. Next, for example, a shutter 27 is placed in front of the condensing lens 26. Next, laser light La is emitted from the second light source unit 16 along the same optical axis as the incident light Ls, and the detected defect 51 is irradiated to evaporate and remove the defect 51 (removal step). In other words, the defect 51 is removed by laser ablation using laser light La. In the removal process, by aligning the optical axes of the incident light Ls and the laser light La, and performing the detection and removal of the defect 51 in a single process, the defect 51 can be removed with higher precision and accuracy, and the positioning of the laser light La irradiation position is not required. Therefore, the defect 51 can be removed efficiently.

[0051] In the removal process, a shutter 27 was placed in front of the focusing lens 26 to prevent contamination of the focusing lens 26 when emitting laser light La to the defect 51, but this is not the only option. The shutter 27 does not need to be placed in front of the focusing lens 26. However, from the viewpoint of preventing contamination of the focusing lens 26 and suppressing a decrease in defect detection accuracy, it is preferable to place the shutter 27 in front of the focusing lens 26 when emitting laser light La to the defect 51. Furthermore, in the removal process, it is preferable to remove the defects 51 while supplying a carrier gas onto the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50. As a result, the evaporated material 51a (see Figure 3) generated by the ablation of the defects 51 is removed from the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50 by the carrier gas, preventing the evaporated material 51a from adhering to the focusing lens 26. In addition, the re-adhesion of the evaporated material 51a (see Figure 3) to the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50 is also suppressed. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 2, after identifying the location of the defects 51 on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50, the defects 51 may be removed by irradiating each defect 51 with laser light La. In other words, the defects 51 may be removed based on mapping information. In this case, based on the mapping information, for example, the stage 22 is used to move the defects 51 to the irradiation position of the laser light La. Furthermore, the defect removal apparatus 10 can also remove the defects 51 using mapping information obtained by measuring the defects 51 on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50 with a separate device, such as a surface defect measuring device, as shown in Figure 2. In this case, the surface defect measuring unit 15 and the detection process become unnecessary, and adjustment of the optical axis between the incident light Ls and the laser light La also becomes unnecessary.

[0052] In the defect removal method, when using a container section 39 (see Figure 3), it is preferable to have a step of cleaning the inside of the container section 39. Specifically, the cleaning step involves supplying a carrier gas into the container section 39 and heating the inside of the container section 39 using a heater to perform a flushing treatment before transporting the semiconductor substrate 50 into the container section 39. The cleaning step removes foreign matter such as ablated deposits or adsorbed gases from inside the container section 39. Furthermore, the defect removal device is not limited to the defect removal device 10 shown in Figure 1, but can also be used with the defect removal devices shown below.

[0053] [Second example of a defect removal device] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing a second example of a defect removal device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the defect removal device 10a shown in Figure 4, the same components as those in the defect removal device 10 shown in Figure 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their detailed descriptions are omitted. The defect removal device 10a shown in Figure 4 has a surface defect measuring unit 60 and a removal unit 62, which will be described in detail later. The defect removal device 10a, similar to the defect removal device 10 shown in Figure 1, measures the presence or absence of defects on the semiconductor substrate 50 and removes defects on the semiconductor substrate. The defect removal device 10a has a first transport chamber 63a, a measurement chamber 63b, a second transport chamber 63c, and a removal chamber 63d, which are arranged in a continuous order. The first transport chamber 63a, the measurement chamber 63b, the second transport chamber 63c, and the removal chamber 63d are each partitioned by walls 63h, but doors (not shown) or the like are provided to allow the semiconductor substrate 50 to be measured to move, and the doors may be opened when the semiconductor substrate 50 is to pass through.

[0054] In the defect removal apparatus 10a, the semiconductor substrate 50 is transported from outside the defect removal apparatus 10a to the first transport chamber 63a, then transported from the first transport chamber 63a to the measurement chamber 63b, where surface defects of the semiconductor substrate 50 are measured. Next, the semiconductor substrate 50, whose surface defects have been measured, is transported from the measurement chamber 63b to the second transport chamber 63c, and further transported to the removal chamber 63d, where the removal unit 62 removes surface defects of the semiconductor substrate 50 based on the measurement results of the surface defect measurement unit 60 regarding the presence or absence of defects on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50. In the defect removal apparatus 10a, the first transport chamber 63a, the measurement chamber 63b, the second transport chamber 63c, and the removal chamber 63d can be kept in a specific atmosphere to prevent the semiconductor substrate 50 from being exposed to the outside air. For example, a vacuum pump may be installed to exhaust the gas from inside the first transport chamber 63a, the measurement chamber 63b, the second transport chamber 63c, and the removal chamber 63d, creating a reduced-pressure atmosphere. Alternatively, an inert gas such as nitrogen gas may be supplied to the inside of the first transport chamber 63a, the measurement chamber 63b, the second transport chamber 63c, and the removal chamber 63d, creating an inert gas atmosphere inside.

[0055] The first transport chamber 63a transports the semiconductor substrate 50, which has been transported from outside the defect removal device 10a, to the measurement chamber 63b. The first transport chamber 63a has an introduction section 63g on its side. A storage container 64 is installed in the introduction section 63g. The introduction section 63g is provided with a sealing member (not shown) to maintain airtightness with the storage container 64. The storage container 64, for example, houses multiple semiconductor substrates 50 arranged in a shelf-like configuration inside. The semiconductor substrates 50 are, for example, disc-shaped substrates. The storage container 64 is, for example, a FOUP (Fault-Only Up). By using the storage container 64, the semiconductor substrate 50 can be transported to the defect removal device 10a in a sealed state without being exposed to the outside air. This suppresses contamination of the semiconductor substrate 50.

[0056] The first transport chamber 63a is equipped with a transport device 65. The transport device 65 transports the semiconductor substrate 50 in the storage container 64 from the first transport chamber 63a to the adjacent measurement chamber 63b. The transport device 65 is not particularly limited as long as it can take the semiconductor substrate 50 out of the storage container 64 and transport it to the stage 22a in the measurement chamber 63b. The transport device 65 shown in Figure 4 has a transport arm 66 that grips the outside of the semiconductor substrate 50 and a drive unit (not shown) that drives the transport arm 66. The transport arm 66 is attached to the mounting part 65a and is rotatable around the rotation axis C1. The transport arm 66 is not particularly limited to one that grips the outside of the semiconductor substrate 50, as long as it can hold and transport the semiconductor substrate 50, and any transport arm used for transporting semiconductor wafers between processes can be used as appropriate. The conveying device 65 has a mounting portion 65a that can move in the height direction V, and the conveying arm 66 can move in the height direction V, which is parallel to the rotation axis C1. By moving the mounting portion 65a in the height direction V, the position of the conveying arm 66 in the height direction V can be changed.

[0057] (Surface defect measurement section) In the measurement chamber 63b, surface defects of the semiconductor substrate 50 are measured as described above. A surface defect measurement unit 60 is provided inside the measurement chamber 63b. The surface defect measurement unit 60 measures the presence or absence of defects on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50 and obtains location information of the defects on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50. The surface defect measurement unit 60 includes a stage 22a on which the semiconductor substrate 50 is placed, an incident unit 68 that irradiates the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50 with incident light Ls, and a focusing lens 69 that focuses the incident light Ls onto the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50. The stage 22a on which the semiconductor substrate 50 is placed is rotatable around the rotation axis C2, allowing the position of the semiconductor substrate 50 in the height direction V to be changed, and also allowing the position in the direction H perpendicular to the height direction V to be changed. Stage 22a allows the irradiation position of the incident light Ls on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50 to be changed. This enables the sequential irradiation of a specific area or the entire surface of the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50 with incident light Ls, making it possible to detect defects such as foreign matter on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50.

[0058] Since the incident section 68 has the same configuration as the first light source section 12 described above, a detailed explanation of it will be omitted. The incident angle of the incident light Ls is defined as 0° in all directions horizontal to the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50, and 90° in directions perpendicular to the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50. In this case, if the incident angle of the incident light Ls is defined from a minimum of 0° to a maximum of 90°, the incident angle of the incident light Ls is 0° or more and 90° or less, and preferably greater than 0° and less than 90°.

[0059] The surface defect measurement unit 60 has a light-receiving unit that receives synchrotron radiation Ld emitted when incident light Ls is reflected or scattered by the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50. In the surface defect measurement unit 60 shown in Figure 4, for example, there are two light-receiving units 24 and 25. If synchrotron radiation Ld is received by either the light-receiving unit 24 or 25, it is determined that there is a defect on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50. If no synchrotron radiation is generated, it is determined that there is no defect on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50. In this way, the presence or absence of defects on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50 is measured. The light-receiving unit 25 is arranged around the semiconductor substrate 50. The light-receiving unit 24 is arranged above the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50. A focusing lens 26 is provided between the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50 and the light-receiving unit 24. The focusing lens 26 focuses the synchrotron radiation generated by the incident light Ls onto the light-receiving unit 24. The focusing lens 26 allows the synchrotron radiation to be efficiently focused onto the light-receiving unit 24. The number of light-receiving units is not particularly limited to two. The surface defect measurement unit 60 may have either one of the light-receiving units 25 or 24, or it may have a configuration with three or more light-receiving units. The light-receiving unit 25 receives the emitted light at a low angle. Receiving light at a low angle means receiving light within the range of 0° to 80° at the incident angle described above. The light-receiving unit 24 receives the emitted light at a high angle. Receiving light at a high angle means receiving light in the range of more than 80° and less than or equal to 90° at the incident angle mentioned above. Since the configurations of the light-receiving units 25 and 24 are as described above, a detailed explanation will be omitted.

[0060] The surface defect measurement unit 60 includes a calculation unit 28 and a storage unit 29. Since the calculation unit 28 and storage unit 29 are as described above, a detailed explanation of them will be omitted. The incident light Ls irradiated by the incident unit 68 is reflected or scattered by defects on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50, and the emitted synchrotron radiation Ld is received by the light receiving units 24 and 25. As described above, the synchrotron radiation is detected as a bright spot in the light receiving units 24 and 25. In the calculation unit 28, the size of the defect that caused the bright spot, i.e., the detected size, is calculated from the size of the bright spot, which includes information on the synchrotron radiation caused by the defects in the light receiving units 24 and 25, based on the size of a standard particle. The calculation of the detected size based on the size of a standard particle is performed by a calculation device provided in a commercially available surface inspection device or by a known calculation method. The calculation unit 28 obtains position information of the irradiation position of the incident light Ls from the control unit 20, and for example, in the light receiving units 24 and 25, based on the information on the synchrotron radiation caused by the defects, obtains information on the position and size of the defect on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50. The obtained information on the position and size of the defect on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50 is stored in the storage unit 29.

[0061] In the surface defect measurement unit 60, the stage 22a and the injection unit 68 are controlled by the control unit 20. The calculation unit 28 is also controlled by the control unit 20. The control unit 20 acquires positional information of the incident light Ls irradiated by the incident unit 68 on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50. The control unit 20 drives the stage 22a to irradiate areas on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50 that have not been irradiated with incident light Ls, thereby changing the irradiation position of the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50. In the surface defect measurement unit 60, incident light Ls is irradiated over the entire surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50, and based on the information of the synchrotron radiation received by, for example, two light receiving units 24 and 25, information on the location and size of defects on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50 at each irradiation position is obtained. This allows information on the location and size of defects across the entire surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50. In other words, two-dimensional information on the location and size of defects on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50 is obtained. When measuring with the surface defect measurement unit 60, the atmosphere in the measurement chamber 63b is not particularly limited and may be a reduced-pressure atmosphere or a nitrogen gas atmosphere as described above. Furthermore, for example, a surface inspection device (SurfScanSP5; manufactured by KLA Corporation) can be used in the surface defect measurement unit 60.

[0062] The second transport chamber 63c is equipped with a transport device 67. The transport device 67 transports the semiconductor substrate 50, whose surface defects have been measured by the surface defect measurement unit 60 in the measurement chamber 63b, from the measurement chamber 63b to the removal chamber 63d. The transport device 67 can be the same configuration as the transport device 65 described above. The transport device 67 has a transport arm 66 that grips the outside of the semiconductor substrate 50 and a drive unit (not shown) that drives the transport arm 66. The transport arm 66 is attached to the mounting part 67a and is rotatable around the rotation axis C1. The conveying device 67 has a mounting portion 67a that can move in the height direction V, which is parallel to the rotation axis C1. The conveying arm 66 can change its position in the height direction V by moving the mounting portion 67a to which the conveying arm 66 is attached in the height direction V.

[0063] (Removal part) The removal chamber 63d has a removal unit 62 inside. The removal unit 62 removes defects 51 by irradiating the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50 with laser light La. The removal unit 62 includes a stage 22b on which the semiconductor substrate 50 is placed, and a container unit 39 for housing the semiconductor substrate 50 placed on the stage 22b. The stage 22b on which the semiconductor substrate 50 is placed is rotatable around the rotation axis C3, allowing the position of the semiconductor substrate 50 in the height direction V to be changed, and also allowing the position in the direction H perpendicular to the height direction V to be changed. Stage 22b is controlled by the control unit 20. The control unit 20 drives stage 22b to change the irradiation position on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50 in order to irradiate defects 51 on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50 with laser light La.

[0064] The removal unit 62 has a second light source unit 16 that irradiates the defects 51 on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50, which have been measured by the surface defect measurement unit 60, with laser light La. A focusing lens 37a is provided between the second light source unit 16 and the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50 to focus the laser light La onto the defects 51 on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50. The second light source unit 16 and the focusing lens 37a are located outside the container unit 39. The container unit 39 is provided with a window (not shown) through which the laser light La can pass, allowing the laser light La to pass into the interior.

[0065] The removal unit 62 has a supply unit 38 that supplies carrier gas into the container unit 39. The supply unit 38 is connected to the container unit 39 via piping 38a. Furthermore, the container section 39 is provided with an outlet section 38b that allows the carrier gas to flow out from inside the container section 39 to the outside. The outlet section 38b allows the carrier gas to flow out from inside the container section 39 to the outside. As the container section 39, the outlet section 38b, and the carrier gas are as described above, a detailed explanation thereof will be omitted.

[0066] The defect removal apparatus 10a shown in Figure 4 has a control unit 20. Based on the location and size information of defects such as foreign matter on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50 that have been detected, the control unit 20 drives the stage 22b of the removal unit 62 or changes the irradiation position of the laser beam La to irradiate the defects 51 on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50 with the laser beam La. This allows for the accurate removal of defects 51 from the semiconductor substrate 50. Furthermore, the defect removal device 10a can remove defects 51 on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50 using the removal unit 62 while the entire semiconductor substrate 50 is housed in the container unit 39.

[0067] [Second example of a defect removal method] The defect removal method comprises the steps of measuring the presence or absence of defects on a semiconductor substrate and obtaining location information of the defects on the semiconductor substrate, and removing the defects by irradiating the semiconductor substrate with laser light based on the location information of the defects on the semiconductor substrate. The defect removal method will be described in detail below.

[0068] In the defect removal method, for example, a storage container 64 containing multiple semiconductor substrates 50 is connected to the introduction section 63g on the side of the first transport chamber 63a of the defect removal apparatus 10a shown in Figure 4. The lid of the storage container 64 is opened to allow the semiconductor substrates 50 to be removed from the storage container 64. Next, the semiconductor substrate 50 is removed from the storage container 64 using the transport device 65 in the first transport chamber 63a and transported to the stage 22a in the measurement chamber 63b. By transporting the semiconductor substrate 50 from the storage container 64 to the stage 22a in the measurement chamber 63b as described above, contamination of the semiconductor substrate 50 is suppressed even if the semiconductor substrate 50 is transported from outside the defect removal device 10a. With the contamination of the semiconductor substrate 50 suppressed, surface defects of the semiconductor substrate 50 can be measured by the surface defect measurement unit 60.

[0069] Next, in the measurement chamber 63b, incident light Ls is irradiated onto the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50 from the incident part 68 of the surface defect measurement unit 60 to measure surface defects of the semiconductor substrate 50. This detects the location and size of defects such as foreign matter on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50. For example, mapping information is obtained in which a defect 51 is shown on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50, as shown in Figure 2.

[0070] Next, the semiconductor substrate 50, whose surface defects have been measured, is transported from the measurement chamber 63b to the removal chamber 63d by the transport device 67 in the second transport chamber 63c shown in Figure 4. Next, in the removal chamber 63d, the removal unit 62 removes the defects 51 on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50 based on location information and size information, i.e., mapping information. The removal of the defects 51 is performed, for example, with the entire semiconductor substrate 50 housed in the container unit 39 and carrier gas supplied to the container unit 39 from the supply unit 38. During removal, the location of the defects 51 is identified based on the mapping information, and for example, the semiconductor substrate 50 is moved to the position where the defects 51 are irradiated by the laser light La using the stage 22b. Next, the defects 51 on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50 are irradiated with laser light La from the second light source unit 16 to remove the defects 51. This allows for the precise removal of defects 51 from the semiconductor substrate 50.

[0071] In the defect removal method, the inside of the container section 39 may be cleaned using a carrier gas before the removal process. Specifically, the cleaning process involves supplying a carrier gas into the container section 39 and heating the inside of the container section 39 using a heater to perform a flushing process before transporting the semiconductor substrate 50 into the container section 39. The cleaning process removes foreign matter such as ablated deposits or adsorbed gases from inside the container section 39. Although the removal section 62 is configured to include a container section 39, it is not limited to this configuration, and the removal section 62 may also be configured without a container section 39.

[0072] Furthermore, while the defect removal device 10a measures surface defects of the semiconductor substrate 50 using the surface defect measurement unit 60, it is not limited to this. The surface defect measurement unit 60 is not particularly limited to the configuration shown in Figure 4. Alternatively, a different device from the surface defect measurement unit 60, such as a surface defect measurement device 70, may be used to measure defects 51 on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50 and acquire mapping information as shown in Figure 2. In this case, the mapping information acquired by the surface defect measurement device 70 is supplied to the storage unit 29. The semiconductor substrate 50, from which defects 51 have been measured by the surface defect measuring device 70, is transported to the defect removal device 10a, for example, using a storage container 64. The semiconductor substrate 50 is then transported to the removal chamber 63d via the first transport chamber 63a, the measuring chamber 63b, and the second transport chamber 63c. Next, the control unit 20 reads mapping information from the storage unit 29 and identifies the location of the defect 51 on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50 based on the mapping information. Next, the control unit 20 controls the removal unit 62 to move the semiconductor substrate 50 to the irradiation position of the laser light La where the defect 51 is located using the stage 22b. Next, the laser light La from the second light source unit 16 can be irradiated onto the defect 51 on the surface 50a of the semiconductor substrate 50 to remove the defect 51. In this case as well, the defect 51 of the semiconductor substrate 50 can be removed with high precision. For example, the removal of the defect 51 is performed while a carrier gas is supplied.

[0073] As described above, when using mapping information measured by a device other than the defect removal device 10a, for example, the surface defect measurement device 70, the surface defect measurement unit 60 is not necessarily required in the defect removal device 10a, and the defect removal device 10a may be configured without the surface defect measurement unit 60. In this case, the defect removal device 10a will have a configuration that only includes the removal unit 62.

[0074] [Third example of a defect removal device] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, the removal unit 62 may be made into a removal device 72, and the defect removal device 10b may have the above-described surface defect measuring device 70 and the removal device 72. The removal device 72 has the above-described removal unit 62. In the defect removal apparatus 10b, the surface defect measuring device 70 and the removal device 72 are separate devices and not integrated. Therefore, in the defect removal apparatus 10b, the semiconductor substrate 50, whose surface defects 51 have been measured by the surface defect measuring device 70, is transported to the removal device 72, for example, by being placed in a storage container 64. In the removal device 72, the semiconductor substrate 50 is removed from the storage container 64 and placed on the stage 22b. Based on the mapping information, the removal device 72 irradiates the defects 51 with laser light La to remove the defects 51. Even in this case, the defects 51 of the semiconductor substrate 50 can be removed with high accuracy. For example, the removal of defects 51 is performed while a carrier gas is supplied. Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing a third example of a defect removal device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the defect removal device 10b shown in Figure 5, the same components as those in the defect removal device 10a shown in Figure 4 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their detailed descriptions are omitted.

[0075] (Semiconductor substrate) The semiconductor substrate is not particularly limited, and various types of semiconductor substrates can be used, such as silicon (Si) substrates, sapphire substrates, SiC substrates, GaP substrates, GaAs substrates, InP substrates, or GaN substrates. Silicon semiconductor substrates are the most commonly used.

[0076] [Pattern formation method and method for manufacturing electronic devices] Using the semiconductor substrate 50 from which foreign matter has been removed by the defect removal method described above, a pattern is formed on the semiconductor substrate 50. In the pattern formation method, the pattern can be formed using a known pattern formation manufacturing process, except that a semiconductor substrate from which defects have been removed by the defect removal method described above is used. The pattern formation method comprises the steps of forming a resist film on the surface of a semiconductor substrate and forming a pattern on the resist film. The resist film can be any resist film used in the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices. Similarly, the photolithography method can be any photolithography method used in the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices. For pattern formation, general lithography methods can be used. For example, the resist pattern is exposed using lithography with a light source such as EUV (Extreme ultraviolet), ArF, or KrF, and then developed. If the resist film is positive type, the exposed areas are dissolved; if the resist film is negative type, the unexposed areas are dissolved to obtain the resist pattern.

[0077] Furthermore, using the semiconductor substrate 50 from which foreign matter has been removed by the defect removal method described above, an electronic device is formed on the semiconductor substrate 50. Photolithography is also used in the manufacturing of the electronic device. A method for manufacturing an electronic device comprises the steps of forming a resist film on the surface of a semiconductor substrate and forming a pattern for an electronic device on the resist film. Furthermore, it may also include a step of forming an electronic device on the semiconductor substrate based on the pattern for the electronic device. In a method for manufacturing an electronic device, an electronic device can be manufactured using known electronic device manufacturing processes, except that a semiconductor substrate from which defects have been removed by the above-described defect removal method is used. The pattern of an electronic device varies depending on the electronic device being formed. Furthermore, the pattern of an electronic device also includes the patterns of its constituent elements, such as transistors and inductors. Examples of electronic devices include the following:

[0078] (Electronic devices) Examples of electronic devices include logic LSIs (Large Scale Integration) (e.g., ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays), ASSPs (Application Specific Standard Products), etc.), microprocessors (e.g., CPUs (Central Processing Units), GPUs (Graphics Processing Units), etc.), memory (e.g., DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), HMCs (Hybrid Memory Cubes), MRAMs (Magnetic RAMs), PCMs (Phase-Change Memory), ReRAMs (Resistive RAMs), FeRAMs (Ferroelectric RAMs), flash memory (NAND flash), etc.), LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) (e.g., microflash in mobile devices, automotive applications, projector light sources, LCD backlights, general lighting, etc.), power devices, analog ICs (Integrated Circuits) (e.g., DC-DC). Current converters, insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs), etc., MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) (e.g., accelerometers, pressure sensors, oscillators, gyroscopes, etc.), wireless (e.g., GPS (Global Positioning System), FM (Frequency Modulation), NFC (Nearfield Communication), RFEM (RF Expansion Module), MMIC (Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit), WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network), etc.), discrete components, BSI (Back Side Illumination), CIS (Contact Image)Sensor, camera module, CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor), passive device, SAW (Surface Acoustic Wave) filter, RF (Radio Frequency) filter, RFIPD (Radio Frequency Integrated Passive Devices), BB (Broadband), etc.

[0079] The present invention is basically configured as described above. As described above, the defect removal device, defect removal method, pattern formation method, and manufacturing method of an electronic device of the present invention have been described in detail. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various improvements or modifications can of course be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

Example

[0080] The present invention will be described in more detail below based on examples. The materials, amounts used, ratios, processing details, processing procedures, etc. shown in the following examples can be appropriately changed as long as they do not depart from the gist of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be construed as being limited by the examples shown below. Examples 1 to 4 will be described below.

[0081] (Examples 1, 2) In Examples 1 and 2, a dispersion liquid containing Fe nanoparticles with a particle size of 10 to 100 nm was prepared. The dispersion liquid was diluted and adjusted so that there was 1 particle / cm 2 on a silicon substrate with a diameter of 300 mm. Using an electrostatic spraying device, the adjusted dispersion liquid was applied onto a silicon substrate with a diameter of 300 mm. The particle size of the Fe nanoparticles with a particle size of 10 to 100 nm was obtained as follows. A separate silicon substrate was prepared in addition to the silicon substrate mentioned above. A dispersion containing nanoparticles was applied to the silicon substrate, and the particle size was measured using an optical defect inspection device SP7 manufactured by KLA Corporation. Furthermore, in cases where particles of the desired particle size could not be detected due to the resolution of the measuring device, the size was defined using the method described in paragraphs 0015 to 0067 of Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2009-188333. That is, SiO was deposited onto the substrate by CVD (chemical vapor deposition). X A layer was formed, and then a dispersion liquid layer containing nanoparticles was formed to cover the above layer. Next, the above SiO X A composite layer having a layer and a dispersion layer coated thereon was dry-etched, the resulting protrusions were irradiated with light, the scattered light was detected, the volume of the protrusions was calculated from the scattered light, and the particle size of Fe nanoparticles was calculated from the volume of the protrusions. Prior to defect removal using the defect removal device 10 shown in Figure 1, the number of defects on the silicon substrate was measured by irradiating it with incident light using the defect removal device 10 shown in Figure 1. In the defect removal process using the defect removal apparatus 10 shown in Figure 1, the optical axes of the incident light Ls and the laser light La were aligned beforehand. The incident light was a continuous wave. The laser light was a pulsed wave, and a femtosecond laser was used.

[0082] Next, defect detection was performed using incident light to obtain the location and size of defects on the silicon substrate, and these were stored in the memory unit. One defect was selected from among several defects. In Example 1, the size of the selected defect was 14.5 nm. The size of this selected defect is shown in the "Selected Defect" column of Table 1 below. Next, on the silicon substrates that had been measured for defects, we attempted to remove the selected defects by irradiating them with laser light. The results of the defect removal are recorded in the "Defect Inspection Results After Defect Removal" column of Table 1 below.

[0083] Next, the silicon substrate defects were measured again using incident light to confirm whether the selected defects in the silicon substrate had been removed. In Example 1, defects were removed while a carrier gas was supplied to the surface of a semiconductor substrate. In Example 1, argon gas was used as the carrier gas. The carrier gas flow rate was 8.45 × 10⁻⁶. -2 Pa·m 3 The time was set to / sec (50 sccm).

[0084] In Example 2, defects were removed without supplying a carrier gas to the surface of the semiconductor substrate. In Example 2, one defect was selected. The size of the selected defect was 15.1 nm. The size of this selected defect is shown in the "Selected Defect" column of Table 1 below. The results of the defect removal are also shown in the "Defect Inspection Results After Defect Removal" column of Table 1 below.

[0085] [Table 1]

[0086] As shown in Table 1, both Example 1 and Example 2 were able to eliminate the selected defects. In Example 1, where a carrier gas was supplied during defect removal, it was confirmed that the adhesion of ablation products and other substances inside the chamber could be prevented, and that dry cleaning of minute nanoparticles could be performed. In Example 2, it was confirmed that selected defects could be removed and that dry cleaning of minute nanoparticles could be performed. In Example 2, since no carrier gas was supplied, the adhesion of ablation products and other materials was observed inside the chamber.

[0087] (Implementation 3, 4) In Example 3, a dispersion containing Fe nanoparticles with a particle size of 10-200 nm was prepared. The dispersion was diluted and laid on a silicon substrate with a diameter of 300 mm, with a particle density of 1 particle / cm². 2 The mixture was adjusted to achieve the desired result. The adjusted dispersion was then applied to a silicon substrate with a diameter of 300 mm using an electrostatic spraying device. The particle size of the Fe nanoparticles with a particle size of 10 to 200 nm in Example 3 described above was obtained in the same manner as the particle size of the Fe nanoparticles with a particle size of 10 to 200 nm in Examples 1 and 2 described above. The defect removal apparatus 10 shown in Figure 1 was used. The optical axes of the incident light Ls and the laser light La were pre-aligned. The incident light was a continuous wave. The laser light was a pulsed wave, and a femtosecond laser was used. Defect detection was performed using incident light to obtain the location and size of defects on the silicon substrate, and these were stored in a memory unit. Next, the defects in the silicon substrate, which had been measured for defects, were removed by irradiating them with laser light while a carrier gas was supplied. A shutter was placed in front of the focusing lens during defect removal. Next, the incident light was shone again to confirm that the defect had been removed. Argon gas was used as the carrier gas. The carrier gas flow rate was 8.45 × 10⁻⁶. -2 Pa·m 3 The time was set to / sec (50 sccm). The above-mentioned defect removal and verification of defect removal were carried out for all defects. The above-mentioned defects were removed and their removal was verified on 100 lots of silicon substrates. Each lot consists of 25 silicon substrates.

[0088] In Example 3, after performing defect removal and confirmation of defect removal on 10 lots, a dispersion containing Fe nanoparticles with a particle size of 20 nm was prepared. The dispersion was diluted and placed on a silicon substrate with a diameter of 300 mm, with a particle density of 1 particle / cm². 2 I adjusted it so that it would work. In addition, the particle size of the 20 nm Fe nanoparticles in Example 3 described above was measured using an optical defect inspection device SP7 manufactured by KLA Corporation after preparing a separate silicon substrate from the silicon substrate described above, coating the silicon substrate with a dispersion containing nanoparticles, and then measuring the particle size. Next, we attempted to measure defects with a particle size of 20 nm on the silicon substrate using incident light. In Example 3, we confirmed that it is possible to measure defects of 20 nm. Furthermore, after performing defect removal and confirmation of defect removal on 100 lots, a dispersion containing Fe nanoparticles with a particle size of 20 nm was prepared. The dispersion was diluted and placed on a silicon substrate with a diameter of 300 mm, with a particle density of 1 particle / cm². 2 I adjusted it so that it would work. Next, we attempted to measure defects with a particle size of 20 nm on the silicon substrate using incident light. In Example 3, we confirmed that it is possible to measure defects of 20 nm.

[0089] In Example 4, compared to Example 3, the shutter was not placed in front of the condensing lens during defect removal. In other words, it was the same as Example 3 except that the shutter was not closed. In Example 4, after performing defect removal and confirmation of defect removal on 10 lots and 100 lots, a dispersion containing 20 nm Fe nanoparticles was prepared. The dispersion was diluted and placed on a silicon substrate with a diameter of 300 mm, with a particle density of 1 particle / cm². 2 I adjusted it so that it would work. In addition, the particle size of the 20 nm Fe nanoparticles in Example 4 described above was measured using an optical defect inspection device SP7 manufactured by KLA Corporation, after which a separate silicon substrate was prepared in addition to the silicon substrate described above, and a dispersion containing the nanoparticles was applied to the silicon substrate, similar to the particle size of the 20 nm Fe nanoparticles in Example 3 described above. Next, we attempted to measure 20nm defects on the silicon substrate using incident light. In Example 4, we confirmed that it was not possible to measure 20nm defects.

[0090] [Table 2]

[0091] As shown in Table 2, in both Example 3 and Example 4, 20 nm defects, i.e., nanoparticles, were detected in 10 lots. Even after processing a large number of samples (100 batches), Example 3, which used a shutter to protect the focusing lens, was able to detect defects of 20 nm. [Explanation of symbols]

[0092] 10, 10a, 10b Defect removal device 11 chambers 12 1st light source section 14 Detection unit 16 Second light source section 18 Alignment Section 20 Control Unit Stages 22, 22a, and 22b 24, 25 Light receiving part 26 Focusing lens 27 Shutter 28 Arithmetic section 29 Memory section 30 First Mirror 30a Mirror 30b Mirror 32 Optical Circumference 32a 1st entrance plane 32b Output surface 32c 2nd entrance plane 32d surface 32e Transmissive reflective surface 34 Second Mirror 34a Miller 34b Miller 36 Photodetector 37 Focusing lens 38 Supply section 38a Piping 38b Outlet 39 Container section 50 Semiconductor substrates 50a surface 51 Defects 51a Evaporated 60 Surface defect measurement section 62 Removal part 63a First transport room 63b Measurement room 63c Second transport room 63d Removal chamber 63g introduction 63h wall 64 Storage Containers 65 Conveying device 65a Mounting part 66 Transport Arm 67 Conveying device 67a Mounting part 68 Incidence part 69 Focusing lens 70 Surface defect measuring device 72 Removal device C, C1, C2, C3 rotation axes H direction La laser light La1 2nd separated light Ld synchrotron radiation Ls incident light Ls1 1st separated light V (height direction)

Claims

1. A defect removal device that uses location information of defects on a semiconductor substrate, The semiconductor substrate has a surface defect measuring unit that measures the presence or absence of the defects on the semiconductor substrate and obtains the positional information of the defects on the semiconductor substrate. Based on the positional information of the defects on the semiconductor substrate, the semiconductor substrate has a removal unit that irradiates the semiconductor substrate with laser light to remove the defects, The surface defect measurement unit includes a first light source unit that emits incident light for detecting the defects on the semiconductor substrate, and a light receiving unit that receives the emitted light caused by the reflection or scattering of the incident light by the defects on the semiconductor substrate. The aforementioned defect is a foreign object, and the defect removal device.

2. A first light source unit that emits incident light for detecting defects on a semiconductor substrate, A surface defect measurement unit having a detection unit that detects defects on the semiconductor substrate based on synchrotron radiation emitted when the incident light is reflected or scattered by defects on the semiconductor substrate, The semiconductor substrate is provided with a removal unit that irradiates it with laser light to remove the defects, It has an alignment unit that adjusts the optical axis between the incident light and the laser light, The surface defect measurement unit has a light receiving unit that receives the synchrotron radiation and a focusing lens that focuses the synchrotron radiation onto the light receiving unit. When emitting the laser light to the aforementioned defect, the system includes a shutter positioned between the focusing lens and the surface of the semiconductor substrate, A defect removal device in which the optical axes of the incident light and the laser light are adjusted by the alignment unit and emitted onto the semiconductor substrate.

3. A first light source unit that emits incident light for detecting defects on a semiconductor substrate, A surface defect measurement unit having a detection unit that detects defects on the semiconductor substrate based on synchrotron radiation emitted when the incident light is reflected or scattered by defects on the semiconductor substrate, The semiconductor substrate is provided with a removal unit that irradiates it with laser light to remove the defects, It has an alignment unit that adjusts the optical axis between the incident light and the laser light, The alignment section is, An optical element into which the incident light and the laser light are incident, which causes the incident light and the laser light to be emitted in the same direction, and which separates the incident light and the laser light to emit a first separated beam from which the incident light is separated and a second separated beam from which the laser light is separated in the same direction, A first mirror that directs the incident light onto the optical element, A second mirror that directs the laser light onto the optical element, The optical element separates the first separated light of the incident light and the second separated light of the laser light, and the optical element separates the first separated light and the second separated light of the laser light. The first mirror and the second mirror are adjustable in tilt. A defect removal device in which the optical axes of the incident light and the laser light are adjusted by the alignment unit and emitted onto the semiconductor substrate.

4. The defect removal apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the removal unit emits the laser light to defects detected by the surface defect measurement unit.

5. The defect removal apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the incident light and the laser light are adjusted to the same optical axis by the alignment unit and emitted onto the semiconductor substrate.

6. The defect removal apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the surface defect measurement unit obtains location information of the defect on the semiconductor substrate.

7. The defect removal apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the surface defect measuring unit has a storage unit for storing the position information.

8. The defect removal apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a supply unit for supplying a carrier gas onto the surface of the semiconductor substrate.

9. The defect removal apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the incident light is a continuously oscillating laser light.

10. The defect removal apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the laser light is a pulsed laser light.

11. A detection step involves emitting incident light to detect defects on a semiconductor substrate, and detecting defects on the semiconductor substrate. The process includes a removal step of emitting laser light, whose optical axis is aligned with the incident light, onto the semiconductor substrate to remove the defects, The detection step involves detecting defects on the semiconductor substrate using a light-receiving unit that receives synchrotron radiation emitted when the incident light is reflected or scattered by the defects on the semiconductor substrate, and a focusing lens that focuses the synchrotron radiation onto the light-receiving unit. The removal step is a defect removal method in which a shutter is placed between the focusing lens and the surface of the semiconductor substrate, and the laser light is emitted towards the detected defect.

12. The defect removal method according to claim 11, wherein the removal step involves emitting the laser light in the same optical axis as the incident light to the defect detected in the detection step.

13. The defect removal method according to claim 11, further comprising an adjustment step of adjusting the optical axis between the incident light and the laser light before the detection step or the removal step.

14. The defect removal method according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein the removal step removes the defect while supplying a carrier gas onto the surface of the semiconductor substrate.

15. The defect removal method according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein the detection step obtains location information of the defect on the semiconductor substrate.

16. The defect removal method according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein the incident light is a continuously oscillating laser light.

17. The defect removal method according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein the laser light is a pulsed laser light.

18. A step of forming a resist film on the surface of a semiconductor substrate using a semiconductor substrate from which surface defects have been removed by a defect removal method according to any one of claims 11 to 17, A method for forming a pattern, comprising the step of forming a pattern on the resist film.

19. A step of forming a resist film on the surface of a semiconductor substrate using a semiconductor substrate from which surface defects have been removed by a defect removal method according to any one of claims 11 to 17, A method for manufacturing an electronic device, comprising the steps of forming a pattern for an electronic device on the resist film.

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