In-situ real-time sensing and compensation of non-uniformity in substrate processing systems

Abstract

SOLUTION: To provide disclosed system and method executing in situ sensing and real-time compensation of various non-uniformities in a substrate processing system, in which plasma non-uniformities are sensed by determining the temperature distribution across a matrix of multiple micro-heaters arranged on a substrate support, and alternatively, plasma non-uniformities are sensed by determining the heat flux through the substrate support using a matrix heater and one or more heaters used to heat one or more zones of the substrate support, and plasma non-uniformities are compensated for by adjusting one or more parameters such as the power supplied to the matrix heater, the RF power supplied to generate the plasma, the chemistry and / or flow rate of the gas used to generate the plasma, the settings of the thermal controller or chiller, and non-uniformities inherent in the substrate support are sensed using the zone and matrix heaters and compensated for by adjusting one or more parameters.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] [Cross - Reference to Related Applications] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 878,548, filed Jul. 25, 2019. The entire disclosure of the above application is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] This disclosure generally relates to substrate processing systems, and more particularly, to in - situ sensing and real - time compensation for various non - uniformities in substrate processing systems.

Background Art

[0003] The description of the background art herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the content of the disclosure. The inventions of the presently named inventors are not to be regarded as prior art to the disclosure, either explicitly or implicitly, to the extent that they are described in this background art section only and in aspects of the description that do not fall within the scope of what is considered prior art at the time of filing.

[0004] Substrate processing systems typically include a plurality of processing chambers (also referred to as processing modules) for performing deposition, etching, and other processes on substrates such as semiconductor wafers. Examples of processes that can be performed on a substrate include, but are not limited to, plasma - enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) processes, chemical - enhanced plasma vapor deposition (CEPVD) processes, and sputtering physical vapor deposition (PVD) processes. Further examples of processes that can be performed on a substrate include, but are not limited to, etching (e.g., chemical etching, plasma etching, reactive ion etching, etc.) processes and cleaning processes.

[0005] During processing, the substrate is placed on a substrate support (such as a pedestal or electrostatic chuck (ESC)) within the processing chamber of the substrate processing system. During deposition, a gas mixture containing one or more precursors is introduced into the processing chamber, and plasma is ignited to activate the chemical reaction. During etching, a gas mixture containing etching gas is introduced into the processing chamber, and plasma is ignited to activate the chemical reaction. Typically, a computer-controlled robot transports the substrate from one processing chamber to another in the order in which it should be processed. [Overview of the project]

[0006] The substrate processing system comprises a substrate support, a gas source, an RF generator, a power supply, and a controller. The substrate support is configured to support a semiconductor substrate within a processing chamber. The substrate support includes a matrix heater. The matrix heater includes multiple heating elements arranged in a matrix and is configured to control the temperature of the semiconductor substrate during processing. The gas source is configured to supply a processing gas to the processing chamber. The RF generator is configured to supply RF power to the processing chamber to generate plasma within the processing chamber. The power supply is configured to power the multiple heating elements of the matrix heater.

[0007] The controller is configured to perform the following operations: supplying a predetermined power to multiple heating elements of a matrix heater while supplying a process gas and RF power to generate plasma; determining the first resistance of the multiple heating elements; changing one parameter selected from a group consisting of the chemical composition of the process gas, the flow rate of the process gas, and the RF power, while continuing to generate plasma while maintaining the other parameters of that fixed group; determining the second resistance of the multiple heating elements in response to the change in the one parameter; and determining the uniformity of the plasma based on the first and second resistances of the multiple heating elements.

[0008] Other features include the controller being configured to perform the following operations before turning on the gas source and RF generator: determining the heating response of multiple heating elements of the second heater by supplying power to multiple heating elements; increasing the power to the multiple heating elements by N increments (where N is a positive integer) up to a predetermined power; and determining the resistance of the multiple heating elements after each increase. After determining the heating response of the multiple heating elements of the second heater, the controller is configured to determine the uniformity of the plasma based on the heating response of the multiple heating elements as well as the first and second resistances.

[0009] In other features, the controller is configured to determine the temperature distribution across multiple heat sources based on the heating response of the multiple heat sources as well as the first and second resistances. The controller is also configured to determine the uniformity of the plasma based on the temperature distribution across the multiple heat sources.

[0010] In other features, the controller is configured to adjust one or more of the following during semiconductor substrate processing in response to plasma non-uniformity: RF power, chemicals of the processing gas, flow rate of the processing gas, power supplied to one or more of the heating elements, temperature of the coolant supplied to the substrate support by the temperature control device, and flow rate of the coolant supplied to the substrate support by the temperature control device.

[0011] Further features include a substrate processing system comprising a substrate support, a gas source, an RF generator, and a controller. The substrate support is configured to support a semiconductor substrate within a processing chamber. The substrate support includes a first heater and a second heater. The first heater is configured to heat a region of the substrate support adjacent to the semiconductor substrate during semiconductor substrate processing. The second heater is located vertically away from the first heater. The second heater comprises multiple heating elements arranged in a matrix and is configured to control the temperature of the semiconductor substrate during processing. The gas source is configured to supply processing gas to the processing chamber. The RF generator is configured to supply RF power to the processing chamber to generate plasma within the processing chamber.

[0012] The controller is configured to supply processing gas and RF power to generate plasma, determine a first resistance of a first heater indicating a first temperature of the first heater, determine a second resistance of one of the heating elements of a second heater indicating a second temperature of that heating element, determine the heat flux between the first heater and that heating element based on the difference between the first and second temperatures, and determine the uniformity of the plasma based on the heat flux.

[0013] In other features, the controller is configured to adjust one or more of the following during semiconductor substrate processing in response to plasma non-uniformity: RF power, chemicals of the processing gas, flow rate of the processing gas, power supplied to one or more of the heating elements, temperature of the coolant supplied to the substrate support by the temperature control device, and flow rate of the coolant supplied to the substrate support by the temperature control device.

[0014] Further features include a substrate processing system comprising a substrate support, a power supply, and a controller. The substrate support is configured to support a semiconductor substrate within a processing chamber. The substrate support comprises a first heater and a second heater. The first heater is configured to heat a region of the substrate support adjacent to the semiconductor substrate during semiconductor substrate processing. The second heater comprises a matrix of heating elements and is configured to control the temperature of the semiconductor substrate during processing. The power supply is configured to supply power to the first heater and the second heater.

[0015] The controller is configured to perform the following operations: supply a predetermined power to multiple heating elements of the second heater while supplying a first amount of power to the first heater; determine the first resistance of the multiple heating elements; supply a second amount of power to the first heater; determine the second resistance of the multiple heating elements; and determine the non-uniformity of the substrate support based on the first and second resistances of the multiple heating elements.

[0016] Other features include the inclusion of a gas source and an RF generator. The gas source is configured to supply a processing gas to the processing chamber. The RF generator is configured to supply RF power to the processing chamber to generate plasma within the processing chamber. The controller is configured to turn off the gas source and RF generator before supplying power to the first and second heaters until the non-uniformity of the substrate support is determined.

[0017] In other features, the controller is configured to perform the following operations: supply power to multiple heating elements of the second heater before supplying a first amount of power to the first heater; increase the power to the multiple heating elements by N increments up to a predetermined power (where N is a positive integer); determine the resistance of the multiple heating elements after each increase; and determine the heating response of the multiple heating elements based on the resistances determined after each increase. After determining the heating response of the multiple heating elements, the controller is configured to determine the non-uniformity of the substrate support based on the heating response of the multiple heating elements as well as the first and second resistances.

[0018] In other features, the controller is configured to determine the temperature distribution across the multiple heating elements of the second heater based on the heating response of the multiple heating elements of the second heater and the resistances of the first and second heaters. The controller is also configured to determine the non-uniformity of the substrate support based on the temperature distribution across the multiple heating elements.

[0019] In other features, the controller is configured to adjust one or more of the following during semiconductor substrate processing to compensate for non-uniformity of the substrate support: RF power supplied to generate plasma in the processing chamber, chemicals of the processing gas supplied to generate plasma in the processing chamber, flow rate of the processing gas, power supplied to one or more of the heating elements, temperature of the refrigerant supplied to the substrate support by the temperature control device, and flow rate of the refrigerant supplied to the substrate support by the temperature control device.

[0020] Further features include a system with a processor and memory for storing instructions, which configure the processor to stop supplying processing gas and RF power to a processing chamber equipped with a substrate support for supporting a semiconductor substrate when executed by the processor. The instructions configure the processor to control the temperature of the semiconductor substrate during processing by supplying power to a plurality of heating elements arranged in a matrix on the substrate support. The instructions configure the processor to increase the power to the plurality of heating elements by N increments up to a predetermined power (where N is a positive integer). The instructions configure the processor to determine the resistance of the plurality of heating elements after each increase and determine the heating response of the plurality of heating elements based on the resistance.

[0021] The instruction further configures the processor to perform the following actions: supplying a process gas and RF power to generate plasma in a processing chamber while supplying predetermined power to multiple heating elements; determining the first resistance of the multiple heating elements; changing one parameter selected from a group consisting of the chemical composition of the process gas, the flow rate of the process gas, and the RF power, while continuing to generate plasma while maintaining the other parameters of that fixed group; determining the second resistance of the multiple heating elements in response to the change in one parameter; determining the temperature distribution across the multiple heating elements based on the heating response of the multiple heating elements as well as the first and second resistances; and determining the uniformity of the plasma based on the temperature distribution across the multiple heating elements.

[0022] In other features, the instruction further configures the processor to adjust one or more of the following during semiconductor substrate processing in response to the non-uniformity of the plasma, in order to compensate for the non-uniformity of the plasma: RF power, chemicals of the processing gas, flow rate of the processing gas, power supplied to one or more of the heating elements, temperature of the coolant supplied to the substrate support by the temperature control device, and flow rate of the coolant supplied to the substrate support by the temperature control device.

[0023] Further features include a system comprising a processor and memory for storing instructions, which, when executed by the processor, configure the processor to supply processing gas and RF power to the processing chamber to generate plasma within the processing chamber. The processing chamber comprises a substrate support for supporting a semiconductor substrate during semiconductor substrate processing. An instruction configures the processor to determine a first resistance of a first heater placed on the substrate support to heat a region of the substrate support adjacent to the semiconductor substrate during semiconductor substrate processing, the first resistance indicating a first temperature of the first heater. An instruction configures the processor to determine a second resistance of one of a plurality of heating elements arranged in a matrix on the substrate support to control the temperature of the semiconductor substrate during processing. The second resistance indicates a second temperature of one of the plurality of heating elements. An instruction configures the processor to determine the heat flux between the first heater and one of the plurality of heating elements based on the difference between the first and second temperatures. An instruction configures the processor to determine the uniformity of the plasma based on the heat flux.

[0024] In other features, the instruction further configures the processor to adjust one or more of the following during semiconductor substrate processing in response to the non-uniformity of the plasma, in order to compensate for the non-uniformity of the plasma: RF power, chemicals of the processing gas, flow rate of the processing gas, power supplied to one or more of the heating elements, temperature of the coolant supplied to the substrate support by the temperature control device, and flow rate of the coolant supplied to the substrate support by the temperature control device.

[0025] In still other features, the system includes a processor and a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, configure the processor to turn off power to a first heater disposed on a substrate support to heat a region of the substrate support adjacent to a semiconductor substrate disposed on the substrate support during semiconductor substrate processing in a processing chamber. The instructions configure the processor to turn off the supply of processing gas and RF power to the processing chamber. The instructions configure the processor to supply power to a plurality of heating elements arranged in a matrix on the substrate support to control the temperature of the semiconductor substrate during processing. The instructions configure the processor to increase the power to the plurality of heating elements by N to a predetermined power (N is a positive integer). The instructions configure the processor to determine the resistance of the plurality of heating elements after each increase and to determine the heating response of the plurality of heating elements based on the resistance.

[0026] The instructions further configure the processor to perform an operation of supplying a first amount of electrical power to the first heater while supplying a predetermined power to the plurality of heating elements, an operation of determining a first resistance of the plurality of heating elements, an operation of supplying a second amount of electrical power to the first heater, an operation of determining a second resistance of the plurality of heating elements, an operation of determining a temperature distribution across the plurality of heating elements based on the heating response and the first and second resistances of the plurality of heating elements, and an operation of determining non-uniformity of the substrate support based on the temperature distribution across the plurality of heating elements.

[0027] In other features, the instructions further configure the processor to adjust one or more of RF power supplied to generate plasma in the processing chamber, a chemical of the processing gas supplied to generate plasma in the processing chamber, a flow rate of the processing gas, power supplied to one or more of the plurality of heating elements, a temperature of a coolant supplied to the substrate support by a thermal control device, and a flow rate of the coolant supplied to the substrate support by the thermal control device to compensate for non-uniformity of the substrate support during semiconductor substrate processing.

[0028] Further applicable fields of the present disclosure will become apparent from the embodiments for carrying out the invention, the claims, and the drawings. The embodiments for carrying out the invention and specific examples are intended for only illustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0029] The present disclosure will be more deeply understood from the embodiments for carrying out the invention and the accompanying drawings.

[0030] [Figure 1] Functional block diagram of a substrate processing system including a processing chamber that uses inductively coupled plasma to etch a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer.

[0031] [Figure 2] Schematic diagram showing the processing chamber and other components of the substrate processing system of FIG. 1.

[0032] [Figure 3A] Example of a pedestal including a plurality of heater zones. [Figure 3B] Example of a pedestal including a plurality of heater zones. [Figure 3C] Example of a pedestal including a plurality of heater zones.

[0033] [Figure 4A] Example of a matrix heater used in a substrate support. [Figure 4B] Example of a matrix heater used in a substrate support.

[0034] [Figure 5A] Possible arrangements of multi-zone heaters and matrix heaters in a substrate support. [Figure 5B] Possible arrangements of multi-zone heaters and matrix heaters in a substrate support.

[0035] [Figure 6]A flowchart of a first method for sensing and compensating for plasma non-uniformity.

[0036] [Figure 7A] A flowchart for a second method of sensing and compensating for plasma non-uniformity. [Figure 7B] A flowchart for a second method of sensing and compensating for plasma non-uniformity.

[0037] [Figure 8] A flowchart of a third method for sensing and compensating for non-uniformity inherent in a substrate support.

[0038] [Figure 9A] Functional block diagram of an exemplary heating system according to this disclosure. [Figure 9B] Functional block diagram of an exemplary heating system according to this disclosure.

[0039] In drawings, reference numbers may be used repeatedly to identify similar and / or identical elements. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0040] This disclosure relates to systems and methods for in situ sensing and real-time compensation of various non-uniformities in substrate processing systems. For example, as will be described in detail below, plasma non-uniformity can be sensed by determining the temperature distribution across a matrix of multiple microheaters (hereinafter referred to as matrix heaters) arranged on a substrate support. Alternatively, plasma non-uniformity can be sensed by determining the heat flux through the substrate support using the matrix heaters and one or more heaters (hereinafter referred to as multizone heaters) used to heat one or more zones of the substrate support. Plasma non-uniformity can be compensated by adjusting one or more parameters, such as the power supplied to the matrix heaters (hereinafter referred to as heater power), the RF power supplied to generate the plasma, the chemicals and / or flow rate of the gas used to generate the plasma, and the settings used for a thermal control unit (TCU) (also called a chiller).

[0041] In addition, inherent non-uniformity in the substrate support (hereinafter referred to as ESC non-uniformity) can be sensed using multizone heaters and matrix heaters and compensated for by adjusting one or more of the above parameters. For example, ESC non-uniformity may exist due to nonlinearity associated with multizone heaters. Furthermore, ESC non-uniformity may exist due to various connections (e.g., wiring) used to connect heaters, electrodes (e.g., clamp electrodes), sensors (e.g., temperature sensors), etc., to the substrate support in order to control electronic equipment and power supplies. As described below, the systems and methods for sensing these non-uniformity are self-referential, thus eliminating the need for various complex calibration procedures that are typically used. Due to their self-referential nature, these systems and methods provide inter-chamber and inter-wafer matching that reduces variability and improves yield.

[0042] Generally, uniformity of processing temperature is one of the critical parameters determining the yield of processing dies during semiconductor wafer processing in etching tools. Non-uniformity in etching tools can have multiple sources, including electrostatic chuck (ESC), plasma-related non-uniformity, and wafer pattern. Non-uniformity in the ESC can be caused by the heater, non-uniformity related to the heat flux through the ESC, and non-uniformity in the cooling system. Plasma can introduce considerable non-uniformity, which is difficult to control and measure. Plasma non-uniformity can be caused by RF non-uniformity and gas injection non-uniformity. Process wafers may have specific patterns that can lead to temperature non-uniformity due to chemical reactions with the processing gas. These reactions can be either exothermic or endothermic, depending on the nature of the chemical reactions between the material on the wafer and the gas in the chamber. Sensors can be used at two different depths of the ESC to calculate the heat flux through the ESC. Measuring heat flux against temperature has the advantage of being a different measurement method unaffected by local thermal variations. The heat flux method provides a direct method for estimating the thermal load of the plasma. These and other features of the system and method are described in more detail below.

[0043] This disclosure is structured as follows. Before describing the system and method of this disclosure, examples of substrate processing systems and processing chambers in which this system and method can be implemented are shown and described with reference to Figure 1. The problems solved by the system and method of this disclosure are described using schematic diagrams of the processing chamber and other components of the substrate processing system shown in Figure 2. Examples of heaters placed on the substrate support are shown and described with reference to Figures 3A to 3B. The solutions provided by the system and method of this disclosure are described with reference to Figures 6 to 9B.

[0044] Figure 1 shows an example of a substrate processing system 10 according to the present disclosure. The substrate processing system 10 comprises a coil drive circuit 11. In some examples, the coil drive circuit 11 includes an RF source 12, a pulse circuit 14, and a tuning circuit (i.e., a matching circuit) 13. The pulse circuit 14 controls the transformer-coupled plasma (TCP) envelope of the RF signal generated by the RF source 12, and changes the duty cycle of the TCP envelope from 1% to 99% during operation. As can be understood, the pulse circuit 14 and the RF source 12 may be integrated or separated.

[0045] The tuning circuit 13 may be directly connected to the induction coil 16. The substrate processing system 10 uses one coil, but some substrate processing systems may use multiple coils (e.g., an inner coil and an outer coil). The tuning circuit 13 tunes the output of the RF source 12 to a desired frequency and / or phase and matches the impedance of the coil 16.

[0046] A dielectric window 24 is positioned along the top surface of the processing chamber 28. The processing chamber 28 further includes a substrate support (or base) 32 for supporting the substrate 34. The substrate support 32 may include an electrostatic chuck (ESC), a mechanical chuck, or other types of chucks. A processing gas is supplied to the processing chamber 28, and plasma 40 is generated inside the processing chamber 28. The plasma 40 etches the exposed surface of the substrate 34. An RF power supply 53, including an RF source 50, a pulse circuit 51, and a bias matching circuit 52, may be used to bias the substrate support 32 and control its ion energy during operation.

[0047] A gas supply system 56 may be used to supply the process gas mixture to the process chamber 28. The gas supply system 56 may include a process gas / inert gas source 57, a gas metering system 58 such as valves and a mass flow controller, and a manifold 59. A gas injector 63 may be located in the center of the dielectric window 24 and is used to inject the gas mixture from the gas supply system 56 into the process chamber 28. In addition, or alternatively, the gas mixture may be injected from the side of the process chamber 28.

[0048] A heater / cooler 64 may be used to heat / cool the substrate support 32 to a predetermined temperature. The exhaust system 65 includes a valve 66 and a pump 67 to control the pressure in the processing chamber and / or to remove reactants from the processing chamber 28 by purging or exhausting.

[0049] The controller 54 may be used to control the etching process. The controller 54 monitors system parameters and controls the supply of the gas mixture, ignition, maintenance and extinction of the plasma, removal of reactants, supply of cooling fluid, temperature control of the heater / cooler 64, etc. In addition, the controller 54 may control various aspects such as the coil drive circuit 11, the RF source 50, and the bias matching circuit 52, as described below.

[0050] The user interface (UI) 68 may be connected to the controller 54 and the substrate support 32. The UI 68 can be used to monitor and control the processes carried out in the processing chamber 28. For example, the UI 68 can receive data from sensors on the substrate support 32 and allow the controller 54 to set process parameters. The UI can directly control the temperature of the substrate 34, or it can be controlled indirectly by the controller 54.

[0051] Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of the processing chamber 200 (e.g., processing chamber 28 in Figure 1) and other components (e.g., power supply and UI) of a substrate processing system (e.g., system 10 in Figure 1). For example, the processing chamber 200 includes an ESC 202 supporting a substrate 204. The ESC 202 includes one or more clamp electrodes 206, a heater 208, and one or more temperature sensors 210. For example, the heater 208 includes one or more multizone heaters and multiple matrix heaters, each individually controllable. Examples of multizone heaters and matrix heaters are shown and described with reference to Figures 3A to 5B.

[0052] The processing chamber 200 further includes a control circuit 212 for power management, heater control, and temperature sensing. A heater power supply 214 supplies power to the heater 208 through an RF filter 218 and the control circuit 212. A power supply 216 supplies power to the control circuit 212 through an RF filter 218. Power supplies 214 and 216 use separate RF filters, and usually multiple RF filters. A user interface (e.g., UI68 in Figure 1) connects to the control circuit 212. An RF power supply 53 supplies RF power to generate the plasma 40.

[0053] The RF plasma 40 is used to process the substrate 204. To enable processing, a so-called RF high-temperature environment or RF high-temperature region is formed where very high RF voltages (both amplitude and frequency) are present during processing. The RF high-temperature region includes assemblies such as the anode, ESC 202, and ESC control circuit 212. Outside the RF high-temperature region is a so-called RF low-temperature environment or RF low-temperature region where the RF voltages during processing are relatively lower compared to the RF high-temperature region. The RF low-temperature region includes assemblies such as the system's power supplies and controls (e.g., power supplies 214 and 216, and UI 68).

[0054] Power supplied by power supplies 214 and 216 is transmitted to ESC 202 and control circuit 212 via copper cables. UI 68 communicates with control circuit 212 via fiber optic cables. Because light is inherently unaffected by RF interference, fiber optic cables are generally used for direct data communication across the entire RF high-temperature and RF low-temperature regions.

[0055] The voltages in the RF high-temperature and RF low-temperature regions can typically range from several kilovolts to tens of kilovolts in amplitude and from several MHz to tens of MHz in frequency. To prevent RF pickup by power supplies 214 and 216, the copper cable extending from the RF high-temperature region to the RF low-temperature region is filtered by RF filter 218.

[0056] Figures 3A–3C show various examples of zones in a substrate support containing multi-zone heaters. While specific examples are shown, other zone layouts may also be used. In Figure 3A, the substrate support 310 (e.g., ESC202 in Figure 2) comprises concentric zones including zone 1, zone 2, and zone 3. Each zone includes a resistive heater (e.g., heater 208 in Figure 2). In Figure 3B, the substrate support 350 (e.g., ESC202 in Figure 2) includes resistive heater coils (e.g., heater 208 in Figure 2) defining inner zone 360 ​​and outer zone 362. In Figure 3C, in the substrate support 370, inner zone 1 is surrounded by circumferential outer zone 2, outer zone 3, outer zone 4, and outer zone 5. Each zone includes a resistive heater (e.g., heater 208 in Figure 2). As can be understood, other zone layouts including each resistive heater may be used.

[0057] Figures 4A and 4B show examples of matrix heaters. In Figure 4A, multiple resistive heaters 402 (also called heating elements 402) are arranged in a matrix (i.e., array or grid arrangement) on a substrate support (e.g., ESC202 in Figure 2) to form a matrix heater. Throughout the following description, the resistive heaters (i.e., heating elements) 402 of the matrix heater will be simply referred to as matrix heater 402 for readability and to easily distinguish them from multizone heaters without the need to specify "heating elements 402 of the matrix heater" each time. Therefore, all subsequent references to matrix heater 402 should be understood as heating elements 402 of the matrix heater.

[0058] Each matrix heater 402 can be controlled independently. Each matrix heater 402 is connected to a power line 404 and a power return line 406. There are no two matrix heaters 402 that share the same pair of power lines 404 and power return line 406. The pair of power lines 404 and power return line 406 are connected to a power source (e.g., element 214 shown in Figure 2) by a suitable electrical switching device. Thus, only one matrix heater 402 connected to the pair of power lines 404 and power return line 406 can be turned on at any given time. The time-averaged heating power of each matrix heater 402 can be individually adjusted by time-division multiplexing.

[0059] To prevent crosstalk between the matrix heaters 402, a rectifier 410 (e.g., a diode) may be connected in series between each matrix heater 402 and the power line 404 connected thereto (as shown in Figure 4A), or between each matrix heater 402 and the power return line 406 connected thereto (as shown in Figure 4B). The rectifier 410 may be installed on the heating plate comprising the matrix heaters 402, or at any other suitable location. Alternatively, any other current blocking device, such as a fixed switch, may be used to prevent crosstalk. The control circuit (e.g., element 212 shown in Figure 2) selects a pair of power lines 404 and power return lines 406 to operate one matrix heater 402 at a time.

[0060] Figures 5A and 5B show two possible arrangements of multizone heaters and matrix heaters. In Figure 5A, one or more multizone heaters 502 are arranged along a first plane parallel to the substrate 204 on the substrate support (e.g., ESC202). The first plane is located at a first distance from the top surface of the substrate support on which the substrate 204 is placed during processing. Multiple matrix heaters 402 are arranged along a second plane parallel to the substrate 204. The second plane is located at a second distance from the top surface of the substrate support on which the substrate 204 is placed during processing. In other words, the multizone heaters 502 are closer to the top surface of the substrate support than the matrix heaters 402.

[0061] Figure 5B shows an arrangement in which the positions of the multizone heater 502 and the matrix heater 402 are reversed. The multizone heater 502 and the matrix heater 402 are collectively referred to as heater 208. As described below, any arrangement of heater 208 is suitable for sensing and compensating for non-uniformity by this disclosure.

[0062] In substrate processing systems (e.g., element 10 shown in Figure 1), plasma etching uniformity (or RF and processing gas uniformity) is a critical parameter for wafer processing. Currently, plasma uniformity measurements are available, but few are available in situ and in real time. For example, a Langmuir probe can be used to measure plasma uniformity, but it is rarely used outside of product development (i.e., during manufacturing). During manufacturing, in-line inspection of process results (limit dimensions, etching rate, and etching uniformity, etc.) is used to evaluate the uniformity of the entire processing chamber (i.e., a combination of plasma uniformity and temperature uniformity) and provide feedback for adjustment. Alternatively, a temperature-sensing wafer can be used as an indicator of plasma uniformity.

[0063] These existing methods for measuring plasma uniformity have drawbacks. For example, in-line inspection feedback is not real-time. Yield losses can occur if conditions change between inspection points. Langmuir probes are an inadequate solution and unsuitable for manufacturing environments. Temperature-sensing wafers are expensive and may not be suitable for certain plasma chemicals. Like Langmuir probes, temperature-sensing wafers do not provide real-time feedback during wafer processing.

[0064] This disclosure proposes using a heater inside a substrate support (e.g., an ESC) to sense plasma and other non-uniformities. The plasma heats the heater inside the ESC. The heater's resistance changes with temperature (due to the resistivity temperature coefficient or TCR effect). The rate of resistance change is linear with respect to temperature. A uniform plasma is expected to result in uniform heating of the matrix heater and subsequently a uniform rate of resistance change of the matrix heater. Any plasma non-uniformity can cause non-uniform heating of the matrix heater and subsequently a non-uniform rate of resistance change of the matrix heater. Therefore, the plasma heating effect on the matrix heater can be measured by measuring the resistance of the matrix heater. The matrix heater resistance measurement is used for ambient temperature measurement. The ambient temperature measurement is used as an approximation of plasma uniformity. Thus, the plasma heating effect can be analyzed spatially, and an indicator of plasma-induced temperature change or plasma uniformity can be inferred.

[0065] The systems and methods of this disclosure offer numerous advantages. For example, since the resistance measurement of the matrix heater is available, it can be easily used for resistance measurement, and plasma uniformity can be measured from there without additional hardware or equipment. Furthermore, plasma uniformity can be measured in situ near the wafer location. In other words, from the wafer's perspective, plasma uniformity measurement is more direct. Moreover, plasma uniformity measurement is performed in real time. Plasma inhomogeneities induced by RF power, gaseous chemicals, or other uncertainties can be addressed in the same manner, as described below. In addition, closed-loop real-time compensation for plasma inhomogeneities can be implemented, and yield can be improved by reducing variability through chamber-to-chamber and wafer-to-wafer matching.

[0066] Plasma inhomogeneity can be sensed by determining the temperature distribution across the matrix heater 402 or by determining the heat flux through the ESC (e.g., ESC202). All sensed inhomogeneities in the plasma are sensed and used as feedback to adjust one or more parameters, as described below with reference to Figures 6-7B. To determine plasma inhomogeneity using the temperature distribution method shown in Figure 6, only the matrix heater 402 is used, and the multizone heater 502 is not used. To determine plasma inhomogeneity using the heat flux method shown in Figures 7A and 7B, both the matrix heater 402 and the multizone heater 502 are used. Similarly, inhomogeneities inherent in the ESC are determined using both the matrix heater 402 and the multizone heater 502, as described below with reference to Figure 8.

[0067] Figure 6 shows an exemplary method 600 for sensing and compensating for plasma non-uniformity. Method 600 uses the temperature distribution across the matrix heater to determine the plasma non-uniformity. For example, Method 600 is carried out by the controller 900 shown in Figures 9A and 9B below. In Method 602, Method 600 turns off the multizone heater. In addition, the gas supply to the processing chamber and RF power are also turned off (i.e., no plasma is generated).

[0068] In 604, method 600 supplies power to the matrix heater in a series of stepwise increasing steps. For example, in the first step, method 600 supplies 5% of the total power to the matrix heater, and in the second step, method 600 supplies 10% of the total power to the matrix heater. The increase does not have to be 5% each time; any other percentage can be used instead.

[0069] In 606, Method 600 measures the resistance of the matrix heater after each step described in 604. After each step, Method 600 measures the resistance of the matrix heater by sensing the current through the matrix heater and the voltage across the matrix heater. In 608, Method 600 determines the reference heating response of the matrix heater without plasma based on the resistance measurements performed in the steps described in 604 and 606.

[0070] In 610, method 600 turns on the gas supply to the processing chamber. In 612, method 600 maintains a constant chemical and flow rate of the gas. In 614, method 600 supplies a first amount of RF power to generate plasma in the processing chamber, while maintaining the power to the matrix heater in the final increment step of 604 (e.g., 15%). In 616, method 600 measures the resistance of the matrix heater by sensing the current through the matrix heater and the voltage across the matrix heater. In 618, method 600 supplies a second amount of RF power, while maintaining the power to the matrix heater in the final increment step of 604 (e.g., 15%). For example, the second amount may be greater than the first amount. In 620, method 600 measures the resistance of the matrix heater by sensing the current through the matrix heater and the voltage across the matrix heater.

[0071] In 622, method 600 determines the overall temperature distribution of the matrix heater based on the change in resistance measured while supplying the first and second RF powers (i.e., ΔR rather than the actual resistance value), and based on the heating response of the matrix heater determined in 608. In 624, method 600 determines the plasma heterogeneity based on the overall temperature distribution of the matrix heater. In 626, method 600 determines by how much one or more parameters of the substrate processing system need to be adjusted to compensate for the plasma heterogeneity.

[0072] For example, method 600 may adjust one or more of the following: RF power, power supplied to multizone heaters and / or matrix heaters, chemical and / or flow rates of the gas used to generate the plasma, and settings of the TCU (chiller) (e.g., element 64 shown in Figure 1). For example, the TCU settings include the temperature and / or flow rate of the coolant circulated by the TCU through the cooling channel of the ESC (e.g., element 220 shown in Figure 7A). In this way, a uniform temperature can be maintained across the entire substrate by the temperature profile determined for the recipe used to process the substrate.

[0073] In method 600, the RF power is modified for illustrative purposes only. In some embodiments, the RF power may be constant, and the chemicals and / or flow rates of the gas used to generate the plasma may instead be modified in 614 and 618. Similarly, other variables or parameters used to generate the plasma may also be modified.

[0074] Furthermore, in method 600, the number of stepwise increasing steps in 604 may include multiple steps. In addition, the number of times the RF power (or other factors affecting plasma generation) is changed may be more than two. The resolution for measuring the temperature distribution and the resolution for measuring plasma uniformity can be increased by increasing the number of stepwise increasing steps in 604 and / or by increasing the number of times the factors affecting plasma generation are changed.

[0075] Figures 7A and 7B illustrate a system and method for sensing the heat flux of the ESC202 using both a matrix heater 402 and a multizone heater 502, and for compensating for plasma non-uniformity based on the heat flux. Figure 7A shows a system comprising two sensors (e.g., a matrix heater 402 and a multizone heater 502) located at two different depths within the ESC202. For example, the first sensor (e.g., the multizone heater 502) is located near the top surface of the ESC202, and the second sensor (e.g., the matrix heater 402) is located further away from the top surface of the ESC202 (i.e., deeper).

[0076] During wafer processing, the plasma incident on the upper surface of the ESC202 is the energy source, while the ESC202 itself acts as an energy sink. The ESC202 is an energy sink due to a cooling channel 220 located on the base plate of the ESC202 through which a coolant flows via a TCU (e.g., element 64 shown in Figure 1) to extract heat from the ESC202. Two sensors, one positioned near the energy source and the other near the energy sink, can be used to calculate the heat flux through the ESC202. Measuring heat flux against temperature has the advantage of being a differential measurement that is not affected by local thermal changes.

[0077] This method provides a direct way to estimate the thermal load of a plasma. For example, assume that two sensors are located at positions 1 and 2 as shown in Figure 7A. The heat flowing through these positions is expressed in terms of heat flux as follows:

number

[0078] The heat flux at a specific location within the ESC is a target parameter in substrate processing. Two sensors separated by materials with known thermal conductivity can be used to determine the amount of energy supplied by the plasma at a specific location within the ESC, providing spatial resolution to the supplied power.

[0079] Specifically, a first sensor (e.g., a multizone heater 502) can provide a first temperature at a first location on the ESC (e.g., near the top surface of the ESC). A second sensor (e.g., a matrix heater 402) can provide a second temperature at a second location on the ESC that is further away (i.e., deeper) than the top surface of the ESC. By knowing the delta (i.e., difference) between these two temperatures at the two locations, and the thermal conductivity of the material between the two sensor locations, the heat flux between the two locations can be calculated. The heat flux can be used for various purposes, including chamber optimization and compensation for non-uniformity.

[0080] The heat flux method is based on energy flux, which is a vector quantity. In contrast, method 600 is based on temperature, which is a scalar quantity. Because it is based on differential measurement, the heat flux method is free from (i.e., unaffected by) the various inhomogeneities inherent in ESC.

[0081] Figure 7B shows a method 700 for sensing the heat flux in the ESC and using the heat flux in the ESC to compensate for plasma non-uniformity. Method 700 determines the plasma non-uniformity using the heat flux passing through the ESC. For example, method 700 is carried out by a controller 900 shown in Figures 9A and 9B below. In 702, method 700 generates plasma in a processing chamber having two temperature sensors placed on the substrate support (e.g., ESC) of the processing chamber. For example, the first temperature sensor may comprise one or more multizone heaters arranged along a first plane of the ESC, and the second temperature sensor may comprise one or more matrix heaters arranged along a second plane of the ESC. The first and second planes are parallel to each other and parallel to the upper surface of the ESC on which a substrate may be placed during processing.

[0082] The two temperature sensors are positioned at different depths inside the ESC. For example, the multizone heater may be near the top surface of the ESC, while the matrix heater may be further away from the top surface or deeper inside the ESC. For example, as shown in Figure 7A, the two heaters (i.e., two temperature sensors) are separated by a distance d along an axis perpendicular to the plane in which the two temperature sensors are located. When plasma is incident on the top surface of the ESC during substrate processing, the upper heater or top heater (e.g., the multizone heater) absorbs more energy from the plasma and heats up to a higher temperature than the lower heater or bottom heater (e.g., the matrix heater).

[0083] In 704, method 700 measures the first resistance of the first temperature sensor by measuring the current and voltage passing through the first temperature sensor. The first resistance represents the first temperature of the first temperature sensor. In 706, method 700 measures the second resistance of the second temperature sensor by measuring the current and voltage passing through the second temperature sensor. The second resistance represents the second temperature of the second temperature sensor.

[0084] In 708, method 700 determines the difference between the first temperature and the second temperature of a first temperature sensor and a second temperature sensor. In 710, method 700 determines the heat flux between the two temperature sensors based on the difference between the first temperature and the second temperature of a first temperature sensor and a second temperature sensor, and based on the known thermal conductivity of the ESC material between the two temperature sensors.

[0085] In 712, method 700 determines plasma heterogeneity based on the heat flux between two temperature sensors. In 714, method 700 determines by how much one or more parameters of the substrate processing system need to be adjusted to compensate for the plasma heterogeneity.

[0086] For example, Method 700 may adjust one or more of the following: the RF power used to generate the plasma, the power supplied to the multizone heater and / or matrix heater, the chemical and / or flow rate of the gas used to generate the plasma, and the settings of the TCU (chiller) (e.g., element 64 shown in Figure 1). For example, the TCU settings include the temperature and / or flow rate of the coolant circulated by the TCU through the cooling channel of the ESC (e.g., element 220 shown in Figure 7A). In this way, a uniform temperature can be maintained across the entire substrate by the temperature profile determined for the recipe used to process the substrate.

[0087] Figure 8 shows an exemplary method 800 for sensing and compensating for ESC non-uniformity. Method 800 uses both a matrix heater 402 and a multizone heater 502 to sense the non-uniformity inherent in the ESC. Throughout Method 800, no plasma is generated. In Method 802, Method 800 turns off the multizone heater. In addition, the gas supply to the processing chamber and RF power are also turned off (i.e., no plasma is generated).

[0088] In 804, method 800 supplies power to the matrix heater in a series of stepwise increasing steps. For example, in the first step, method 800 supplies 5% of the total power to the matrix heater, and in the second step, method 800 supplies 10% of the total power to the matrix heater. The increase does not have to be 5% each time; any other percentage can be used instead.

[0089] In 806, Method 800 measures the resistance of the matrix heater after each step described in 804. After each step, Method 800 measures the resistance of the matrix heater by sensing the current flowing through the matrix heater and the voltage across the matrix heater. In 808, Method 800 determines the reference heating response of the matrix heater based on the resistance measurements performed in the steps described in 804 and 806.

[0090] In 810, method 800 supplies a first amount of energy to the multizone heater while maintaining the power supply to the matrix heater in the final increment of 804 (e.g., 15%). In 812, method 800 measures the resistance of the matrix heater by sensing the current flowing through the matrix heater and the voltage across the matrix heater. In 814, method 800 supplies a second amount of energy to the multizone heater while maintaining the power supply to the matrix heater in the final increment of 604 (e.g., 15%). For example, the second amount may be greater than the first amount. In 816, method 800 measures the resistance of the matrix heater by sensing the current flowing through the matrix heater and the voltage across the matrix heater.

[0091] In 818, method 800 determines the temperature distribution across the matrix heater based on the change in resistance (i.e., ΔR rather than the actual resistance value) measured while supplying the first and second energy quantities to the multizone heater, and based on the heating response of the matrix heater determined in 808. In 820, method 800 determines the non-uniformity of the ESC based on the temperature distribution across the matrix heater. In 822, method 800 determines by how much one or more parameters of the substrate processing system need to be adjusted to compensate for the non-uniformity of the ESC.

[0092] For example, method 800 may adjust one or more of the following: the power supplied to the multizone heater and / or matrix heater, and the settings of the TCU (chiller). For example, the TCU settings include the temperature and / or flow rate of the coolant circulated by the TCU through the cooling channel of the ESC (e.g., element 220 shown in Figure 7A). In this way, heat can be uniformly transferred from the ESC to the substrate, and a uniform temperature can be maintained across the substrate by a temperature profile determined for the recipe used to process the substrate.

[0093] Therefore, the systems and methods of this disclosure can detect temperature or heat flux non-uniformity due to actual ESC non-uniformity and RF-induced non-uniformity, and can compensate for the non-uniformity by adjusting one or more of the RF power, gas supply, heater power, and TCU settings.

[0094] In particular, the systems and methods of this disclosure employ self-referential procedures to sense various heterogeneities. That is, no reference temperature is used in the above methods; rather, a temperature change is used instead of an actual temperature. Consequently, these methods greatly simplify the complex calibration procedures that are typically used to sense these heterogeneities. The complexity of these calibration procedures is exacerbated by the fact that the calibration tools used in these procedures also need to be calibrated. The systems and methods of this disclosure resolve these problems. Furthermore, the self-referential processes used by the systems and methods of this disclosure facilitate the alignment between chambers, which is usually a complex task.

[0095] Figures 9A and 9B show a controller 900 that can be used to control the multizone heater 502 and matrix heater 402 (collectively, heater 208) by performing the methods of Figures 6-8, and to sense and compensate for various non-uniformities. For example, the controller 900 shown in Figures 9A and 9B may be implemented by the controller 54 shown in Figure 1. Other elements besides the heater 208 shown in Figures 9A and 9B may be implemented by the element 212 shown in Figure 2, the controller 54 shown in Figure 1, or a combination thereof.

[0096] In Figure 9A, the heater driver 902 may be used to supply power to the heater 208 selected by the selector 906 under the control of the controller 900. For example, the heater driver 902 may include the heater power supply 214 shown in Figure 2. For example, the heater 208 may include a multizone heater 502 and a matrix heater 402. A current sensor 908 may be used to sense the current supplied to the heater 208 by the heater driver 902. A voltage sensor 910 may be used to sense the voltage supplied to the heater 208 by the heater driver 902. The controller 900 determines the resistance of each heater 208 based on the respective current and / or voltage measurements from the current sensor 908 and / or the voltage sensor 910.

[0097] Figure 9B shows that the controller 900 monitors the duty cycle of the heater 208 and uses a resistance estimator 912 to estimate the resistance of the heater 208 based on the corresponding duty cycle. In this example, it is assumed that the voltage or current is constant and the duty cycle of the current or voltage changes. That is, the controller 900 estimates the resistance based on the known voltage or current and the duty cycle of the current or voltage. Therefore, the current sensor 908 and the voltage sensor 910 are omitted in this example.

[0098] Methods 600, 700, or 800 can be applied before processing individual wafers or before processing multiple wafers. The choice of when to apply Method 600, 700, or 800 is based on a trade-off between wafer processing throughput and the ability to compensate for non-uniformity in real time. Methods 600, 700, or 800 take some time to complete. Customers may prefer to have less application of Method 600, 700, or 800 because they want the significant tool time spent on actual wafer processing to have higher throughput (more profit). If the customer's recipe is not very susceptible to non-uniformity, or if the cause of non-uniformity does not change, it is important to apply Method 600, 700, or 800 less frequently. Otherwise, the customer would have to apply Method 600, 700, or 800 more frequently to ensure that the finished wafers are not affected by changes in non-uniformity. This trade-off can be determined during recipe development.

[0099] Furthermore, in Method 600 or Method 800, steps 604–608 or 804–808 may be omitted if the non-uniformity of the matrix heater itself is constant. Between tool conditions, two sets of measurements of the matrix heater operation (e.g., voltage / current) are taken within a specific time interval. If the two sets of measurements do not show a statistically significant difference, it can be inferred that the non-uniformity of the matrix heater is constant.

[0100] Instead of measuring the resistance of the matrix heater by measuring the current and voltage, direct sensing of the matrix heater temperature is not practical, but a temperature sensor can be directly installed inside each heater of the matrix heater, and the temperature measurement can be used in Method 600, Method 700, or Method 800.

[0101] The system and method of this disclosure provide a method for measuring plasma uniformity in situ, in real time, and near the wafer without adding additional hardware / cost. Existing methods are either not real time, have low resolution, or are expensive. Plasma uniformity measurements performed using the system and method of this disclosure can be used to perform health checks on substrate processing systems. Furthermore, closed-loop real-time compensation for plasma non-uniformity is enabled by the system and method of this disclosure. Such real-time compensation improves chamber-to-chamber and wafer-to-wafer matching, as well as wafer yield.

[0102] Furthermore, the systems and methods of this disclosure address many other causes of thermal non-uniformity in wafers, such as control of the ESC's multi-zone heater and gas injection. Real-time compensation for these causes reduces the manufacturing process of various subassemblies in the substrate processing system, thereby lowering the overall system cost. The systems and methods provide engineers (e.g., RF engineers, gas supply engineers, ESC engineers, etc.) with data to improve the design of each subassembly, resulting in a substrate processing system with improved overall performance.

[0103] The foregoing is essentially descriptive and is not intended to limit the Disclosure, its application, or its use in any way. The broad teachings of this Disclosure can be implemented in various forms. Thus, although this Disclosure includes certain examples, the true scope of this Disclosure should not be so limited, as other variations become apparent when considering these drawings, this Specification, and the following Claims. It should be understood that one or more steps within the Method may be performed in a different order (or simultaneously) without altering the principles of this Disclosure.

[0104] Furthermore, while each embodiment is described above to have specific features, any one or more of those features described in relation to the embodiments of this disclosure may be implemented in other embodiments and / or in combination with features of other embodiments (even if such combination is not explicitly stated). In other words, the embodiments described are not mutually exclusive, and rearrangements of one or more embodiments remain within the scope of this disclosure.

[0105] The spatial and functional relationships between elements (e.g., between modules, between circuit elements, between semiconductor layers, etc.) are described using a variety of terms, including “connected,” “engaged,” “joined,” “adjacent,” “proximity,” “above,” “upward,” “downward,” and “positioned.” When a relationship between a first element and a second element is described in the above disclosure, unless it is explicitly stated to be “direct,” the relationship may be a direct relationship in which there are no other intervening elements between the first and second elements, or it may be an indirect relationship in which one or more intervening elements (spatially or functionally) exist between the first and second elements.

[0106] The expression "at least one of A, B, and C" as used herein should be interpreted as meaning the non-exclusive logic OR (A OR B OR C), and not as meaning "at least one of A, at least one of B, and at least one of C."

[0107] In some embodiments, the controller is part of a system that may be part of the examples described above. Such a system may include a semiconductor processing apparatus comprising processing tools, chambers, processing platforms, and / or specific processing components (such as wafer pedestals and gas flow systems). These systems may be integrated with electronic equipment for controlling pre-processing, in-processing, and post-processing operations of semiconductor wafers or substrates.

[0108] These electronic devices may be referred to as “controllers” that can control various components or sub-components of the system. Depending on the processing requirements and / or the type of system, the controllers may be programmed to control any of the processes disclosed herein, including the supply of processing gases, temperature settings (e.g., heating and / or cooling), pressure settings, vacuum settings, power settings, radio frequency (RF) generator settings, RF matching circuit settings, frequency settings, flow rate settings, fluid supply settings, position operation settings, and wafer loading and unloading to and from tools and other transport tools and / or load locks connected to or coupled to a particular system.

[0109] Generally, a controller may be defined as an electronic device having various integrated circuits, logic, memory, and / or software that receive and issue instructions, control operations, enable cleaning operations, enable endpoint measurements, etc. An integrated circuit may include a firmware-type chip that stores program instructions, a chip defined as a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and / or one or more microprocessors or microcontrollers that execute program instructions (e.g., software).

[0110] Program instructions are instructions transmitted to the controller in the form of various individual settings (or program files) that may define operational parameters for executing a specific process on or for a semiconductor wafer or for a system. In some embodiments, the operational parameters may be part of a recipe defined by a process engineer to realize one or more layers, materials, metals, oxides, silicon, silicon dioxide, surfaces, circuits, and / or processing steps during the manufacturing of a wafer die.

[0111] In some embodiments, the controller may be part of a computer integrated with or coupled to the system, or otherwise networked to the system, or a combination thereof, or coupled to such a computer. For example, the controller may be in a “cloud” that enables remote access to wafer processing, or it may be all or part of a fab host computer system. The computer may enable remote access to the system to monitor the progress of manufacturing operations, review the history of past manufacturing operations, investigate trends or performance criteria from multiple manufacturing operations, modify the parameters of the current process, set up subsequent processing steps for the current process, or start a new process.

[0112] In some examples, a remote computer (e.g., a server) can provide process recipes to the system over a network that may include a local network or the internet. The remote computer may include a user interface that enables the entry or programming of parameters and / or settings that are then transmitted from the remote computer to the system. In some examples, the controller receives instructions in a data format that specify the parameters of each process step performed during one or more operations. It should be understood that the parameters may be specific to the type of process being performed and the type of tool that the controller is configured to connect to or control.

[0113] Therefore, as described above, the controllers may be distributed by, for example, including one or more separate controllers that are networked together, and by cooperating toward a common purpose, such as the processes and control described herein. An example of controllers distributed toward such a purpose would be one or more integrated circuits on a chamber that are located remotely (for example, at the platform level or as part of a remote computer) and communicate with one or more integrated circuits that cooperate to control the processes in the chamber.

[0114] Rather than being limiting, the exemplary systems may include plasma etching chambers or modules, deposition chambers or modules, spin rinse chambers or modules, metal plating chambers or modules, cleaning chambers or modules, bevel edge etching chambers or modules, physical vapor deposition (PVD) chambers or modules, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chambers or modules, atomic layer deposition (ALD) chambers or modules, atomic layer etching (ALE) chambers or modules, ion implantation chambers or modules, track chambers or modules, and other semiconductor processing systems that may be related to or used in the fabrication and / or manufacture of semiconductor wafers.

[0115] As described above, the controller may communicate with one or more of the following, depending on the processing steps performed by the tool: other tool circuits or modules, other tool components, cluster tools, other tool interfaces, adjacent tools, nearby tools, tools installed throughout the factory, a main computer, another controller, or tools used for material transport to load and unload wafer containers to and from tool locations and / or load ports in a semiconductor manufacturing plant. The present invention can also be realized in the following embodiments, for example. Application Example 1: A substrate processing system, A substrate support configured to support a semiconductor substrate within a processing chamber, A matrix heater disposed within the substrate support, comprising a plurality of heating elements arranged in a matrix, and configured to control the temperature of the semiconductor substrate during processing, A gas source configured to supply processing gas to the processing chamber, An RF generator configured to supply RF power to the processing chamber in order to generate plasma in the processing chamber, A power supply configured to supply power to the plurality of heating elements of the matrix heater, A controller that supplies predetermined power to the plurality of heating elements of the matrix heater, To generate the plasma, the processing gas and the RF power are supplied. Determine the first resistance of the plurality of heating elements, The plasma is continuously generated by changing one parameter selected from the group consisting of the chemical substance of the processing gas, the flow rate of the processing gas, and the RF power, while maintaining the other parameters from the fixed group. In response to the change of the aforementioned one parameter, the second resistance of the plurality of heating elements is determined. A controller configured to determine the uniformity of the plasma based on the first and second resistances of the plurality of heating elements, A substrate processing system comprising: Application example 2: The substrate processing system described in Application Example 1, The aforementioned controller, Before turning on the gas source and the RF generator, By supplying power to the plurality of heating elements, the heating response of the plurality of heating elements is determined. The power supplied to the plurality of heating elements is increased by N increments until it reaches the predetermined power. The resistance of the multiple heating elements is determined after each increase, where N is a positive integer. A substrate processing system configured to determine the uniformity of the plasma based on the heating responses of the plurality of heating elements, as well as the first and second resistances, after determining the heating responses of the plurality of heating elements. Application Example 3: The substrate processing system described in Application Example 2, The aforementioned controller, Based on the heating response of the plurality of heating elements and the first and second resistances, the temperature distribution across the plurality of heating elements is determined. A substrate processing system configured to determine the uniformity of the plasma based on the temperature distribution across the plurality of heating elements. Application Example 4: The substrate processing system described in Application Example 1, In response to the non-uniformity of the plasma, the controller, in order to compensate for the non-uniformity of the plasma, during the processing of the semiconductor substrate, The aforementioned RF power, The chemical substance of the aforementioned processing gas, The flow rate of the processing gas, The power supplied to one or more of the plurality of heating elements, The temperature of the refrigerant supplied to the substrate support by the thermal control device, and The flow rate of the refrigerant supplied to the substrate support by the thermal control device, A circuit board processing system configured to adjust one or more of the following. Application Example 5: A substrate processing system, A substrate support configured to support a semiconductor substrate within a processing chamber, During the processing of the semiconductor substrate, a first heater is configured to heat a region of the substrate support adjacent to the semiconductor substrate, A substrate support comprising: a second heater perpendicularly separated from the first heater, comprising a plurality of heating elements arranged in a matrix, and configured to control the temperature of the semiconductor substrate during processing; A gas source configured to supply processing gas to the processing chamber, An RF generator configured to supply RF power to the processing chamber in order to generate plasma in the processing chamber, It is a controller, The processing gas and RF power are supplied to generate the plasma. Determine the first resistance of the first heater, which indicates the first temperature of the first heater. Determine the second resistance of one of the multiple heating elements of the second heater, which indicates the second temperature of one of the multiple heating elements. Based on the difference between the first temperature and the second temperature, the heat flux between the first heater and one of the plurality of heating elements is determined. A controller configured to determine the uniformity of the plasma based on the heat flux, A substrate processing system comprising: Application example 6: The substrate processing system described in Application Example 5, In response to the non-uniformity of the plasma, the controller, in order to compensate for the non-uniformity of the plasma, during the processing of the semiconductor substrate, The aforementioned RF power, The chemical substances of the aforementioned processed gas, Flow rate of the aforementioned processing gas, Power supplied to one or more of the aforementioned heating elements, The temperature of the refrigerant supplied to the substrate support by the thermal control device, and The flow rate of the refrigerant supplied to the substrate support by the thermal control device, A circuit board processing system configured to adjust one or more of the following. Application example 7: A substrate processing system, A substrate support configured to support a semiconductor substrate within a processing chamber, During the processing of the semiconductor substrate, a first heater is configured to heat a region of the substrate support adjacent to the semiconductor substrate, A substrate support comprising: a second heater having multiple heating elements arranged in a matrix and configured to control the temperature of the semiconductor substrate during processing; A power supply configured to supply power to the first heater and the second heater, A controller that supplies predetermined power to the plurality of heating elements of the second heater, A first amount of power is supplied to the first heater, Determine the first resistance of the plurality of heating elements, A second amount of power is supplied to the first heater, Determine the second resistance of the plurality of heating elements, A controller configured to determine the non-uniformity of the substrate support based on the first and second resistances of the plurality of heating elements, A substrate processing system comprising: Application Example 8: The substrate processing system described in Application Example 7, further, A gas source configured to supply processing gas to the processing chamber, The system comprises an RF generator configured to supply RF power to the processing chamber in order to generate plasma within the processing chamber, A substrate processing system in which the controller is configured to turn off the gas source and the RF generator before supplying power to the first heater and the second heater until the non-uniformity of the substrate support is determined. Application example 9: The substrate processing system described in Application Example 7, The aforementioned controller, Before supplying the first amount of power to the first heater, Power is supplied to the plurality of heating elements of the second heater, The power supplied to the plurality of heating elements is increased by N increments up to the predetermined power, where N is a positive integer. After each increase, the resistance of the multiple heating elements is determined. Based on the resistance of the plurality of heating elements determined after each increase, the heating response of the plurality of heating elements is determined. A substrate processing system configured to determine the non-uniformity of the substrate support based on the heating response of the plurality of heating elements, as well as the first and second resistances, after determining the heating response of the plurality of heating elements. Application Example 10: The substrate processing system described in Application Example 9, The aforementioned controller, Based on the heating response of the plurality of heating elements and the resistances of the first and second elements, the temperature distribution of the second heater across the plurality of heating elements is determined. A substrate processing system configured to determine the non-uniformity of the substrate support based on the temperature distribution across the plurality of heating elements. Application Example 11: The substrate processing system described in Application Example 7, The controller, in order to compensate for the non-uniformity of the substrate support, during the processing of the semiconductor substrate, RF power supplied to generate plasma in the processing chamber, The chemical substances of the processing gas supplied to generate the plasma in the processing chamber, Flow rate of the aforementioned processing gas, The power supplied to one or more of the plurality of heating elements, The temperature of the refrigerant supplied to the substrate support by the thermal control device, and The flow rate of the refrigerant supplied to the substrate support by the thermal control device, A circuit board processing system configured to adjust one or more of the following. Application Example 12: It is a system, Processor and A memory for storing instructions, wherein when an instruction is executed by the processor, The supply of processing gas and RF power to the processing chamber, which is equipped with a substrate support for supporting a semiconductor substrate, is turned off. To control the temperature of the semiconductor substrate during processing, power is supplied to a plurality of heating elements arranged in a matrix on the substrate support. The power supplied to the plurality of heating elements is increased by N increments until a predetermined power is reached, where N is a positive integer. After each increase, the resistance of the multiple heating elements is determined. Based on the resistance, the heating response of the plurality of heating elements is determined. While supplying the predetermined power to the plurality of heating elements, The processing gas and RF power are supplied to generate plasma within the processing chamber. Determine the first resistance of the plurality of heating elements, The plasma is continuously generated by changing one parameter selected from the group consisting of the chemical substance of the processing gas, the flow rate of the processing gas, and the RF power, while maintaining the other parameters from the fixed group. In response to the change of the aforementioned one parameter, the second resistance of the plurality of heating elements is determined. Based on the heating response of the plurality of heating elements and the first and second resistances, the temperature distribution across the plurality of heating elements is determined. A memory that configures the processor to determine the uniformity of the plasma based on the temperature distribution across the plurality of heating elements, A system equipped with these features. Application Example 13: The system described in Application Example 12, In response to the non-uniformity of the plasma, the instruction further, in order to compensate for the non-uniformity of the plasma, during the processing of the semiconductor substrate, The aforementioned RF power, The chemical substance of the aforementioned processing gas, The flow rate of the processing gas, The power supplied to one or more of the plurality of heating elements, The temperature of the refrigerant supplied to the substrate support by the thermal control device, and The flow rate of the refrigerant supplied to the substrate support by the thermal control device, A system that configures the processor to adjust one or more of the following. Application Example 14: It is a system, Processor and A memory for storing instructions, wherein when an instruction is executed by the processor, To generate plasma in a processing chamber equipped with a substrate support for supporting the semiconductor substrate during processing of the semiconductor substrate, a processing gas and RF power are supplied to the processing chamber. During the processing of the semiconductor substrate, a first resistance of a first heater placed on the substrate support is determined in order to heat a region of the substrate support adjacent to the semiconductor substrate, and the first resistance indicates a first temperature of the first heater. To control the temperature of the semiconductor substrate during processing, a second resistance is determined for one of a plurality of heating elements arranged in a matrix on the substrate support, and the second resistance indicates the second temperature of the one of the plurality of heating elements. Based on the difference between the first temperature and the second temperature, the heat flux between the first heater and one of the plurality of heating elements is determined. A memory that configures the processor to determine the uniformity of the plasma based on the heat flux, A system equipped with these features. Application Example 15: The system described in Application Example 14, In response to the non-uniformity of the plasma, the instruction further, in order to compensate for the non-uniformity of the plasma, during the processing of the semiconductor substrate, The aforementioned RF power, The chemical substances of the aforementioned processed gas, Flow rate of the aforementioned processing gas, Power supplied to one or more of the aforementioned heating elements, The temperature of the refrigerant supplied to the substrate support by the thermal control device, and The flow rate of the refrigerant supplied to the substrate support by the thermal control device, A system that configures the processor to adjust one or more of the following. Application Example 16: It is a system, Processor and A memory for storing instructions, wherein when an instruction is executed by the processor, During the processing of the semiconductor substrate in the processing chamber, the power supply to the first heater located on the substrate support is turned off in order to heat the region of the substrate support adjacent to the semiconductor substrate placed on the substrate support. The supply of processing gas and RF power to the processing chamber is turned off. To control the temperature of the semiconductor substrate during processing, power is supplied to a plurality of heating elements arranged in a matrix on the substrate support. The power supplied to the plurality of heating elements is increased by N increments until a predetermined power is reached, where N is a positive integer. After each increase, the resistance of the multiple heating elements is determined. Based on the resistance, the heating response of the plurality of heating elements is determined. While supplying the predetermined power to the plurality of heating elements, A first amount of power is supplied to the first heater, Determine the first resistance of the plurality of heating elements, A second amount of power is supplied to the first heater, Determine the second resistance of the plurality of heating elements, Based on the heating response of the plurality of heating elements and the first and second resistances, the temperature distribution across the plurality of heating elements is determined. A memory that configures the processor to determine the non-uniformity of the substrate support based on the temperature distribution across the plurality of heating elements, A system equipped with these features. Application Example 17: The system described in Application Example 16, The instruction further includes, in order to compensate for the non-uniformity of the substrate support, during the processing of the semiconductor substrate, The RF power supplied to generate plasma in the processing chamber, The chemical substances of the processing gas supplied to generate the plasma in the processing chamber, Flow rate of the aforementioned processing gas, The power supplied to one or more of the plurality of heating elements, The temperature of the refrigerant supplied to the substrate support by the thermal control device, and The flow rate of the refrigerant supplied to the substrate support by the thermal control device, A system that configures the processor to adjust one or more of the following.

Claims

1. A substrate processing system, A matrix heater disposed within a substrate support, comprising a plurality of heating elements arranged in a matrix to control the temperature of a semiconductor substrate during processing, A controller that supplies predetermined power to the plurality of heating elements of the matrix heater, and generates plasma during the process, Determine the first resistance of the plurality of heating elements, While maintaining the other parameters from the group consisting of a fixed set of chemicals of the processing gas supplied to generate the plasma, the flow rate of the processing gas, the RF power supplied to generate the plasma, the power supplied to the matrix heater, and the settings of a thermal control device that controls the temperature of the semiconductor substrate, one parameter selected from the group is changed. In response to the change of the aforementioned one parameter, the second resistance of the plurality of heating elements is determined. A controller configured to determine the uniformity of the plasma based on the first and second resistances of the plurality of heating elements, A substrate processing system comprising the above.

2. A substrate processing system according to claim 1, The aforementioned controller, During the process, before generating the plasma, By supplying power to the plurality of heating elements, the heating response of the plurality of heating elements is determined. The power supplied to the plurality of heating elements is increased by N increments up to the predetermined power. The resistance of the multiple heating elements is determined after each increase, where N is a positive integer. A substrate processing system configured to determine the uniformity of the plasma based on the heating responses of the plurality of heating elements, as well as the first and second resistances, after determining the heating responses of the plurality of heating elements.

3. A substrate processing system according to claim 2, The aforementioned controller, Based on the heating response of the plurality of heating elements and the first and second resistances, the temperature distribution across the plurality of heating elements is determined. A substrate processing system configured to determine the uniformity of the plasma based on the temperature distribution across the plurality of heating elements.

4. A substrate processing system according to claim 1, In response to the non-uniformity of the plasma, the controller, in order to compensate for the non-uniformity of the plasma, during the processing of the semiconductor substrate, The RF power supplied to generate the plasma, The chemical substances of the processing gas supplied to generate the plasma, The flow rate of the processing gas, Power supplied to one or more of the aforementioned heating elements, The temperature of the refrigerant supplied to the substrate support by the thermal control device, and The flow rate of the refrigerant supplied to the substrate support by the thermal control device, A circuit board processing system configured to adjust one or more of the following.

5. A substrate processing system, A first heater, which is positioned on the substrate support to heat a region of the substrate support adjacent to a semiconductor substrate positioned on the substrate support during processing, A second heater disposed on the substrate support, the second heater comprising a plurality of heating elements arranged in a matrix so as to control the temperature of the semiconductor substrate during processing, perpendicularly separated from the first heater, It is a controller, Plasma is generated during the aforementioned process, Determine the first resistance of the first heater, which indicates the first temperature of the first heater. The second resistance of one of the multiple heating elements of the second heater is determined to indicate the second temperature of one of the multiple heating elements. Based on the difference between the first temperature and the second temperature, the heat flux between the first heater and one of the plurality of heating elements is determined. A controller configured to determine the uniformity of the plasma based on the heat flux, A substrate processing system comprising the above.

6. A substrate processing system according to claim 5, In response to the non-uniformity of the plasma, the controller, in order to compensate for the non-uniformity of the plasma, during the processing of the semiconductor substrate, RF power supplied to generate the aforementioned plasma, The chemical substances of the processing gas supplied to generate the aforementioned plasma, Flow rate of the aforementioned processing gas, Power supplied to one or more of the aforementioned heating elements, The temperature of the refrigerant supplied to the substrate support by the thermal control device, and The flow rate of the refrigerant supplied to the substrate support by the thermal control device, A circuit board processing system configured to adjust one or more of the following.

7. A substrate processing system, A first heater, which is positioned on the substrate support to heat a region of the substrate support adjacent to a semiconductor substrate positioned on the substrate support during processing, A second heater comprising a plurality of heating elements arranged in a matrix to control the temperature of the semiconductor substrate during processing, which are disposed on the substrate support. A controller that supplies predetermined power to the plurality of heating elements of the second heater, A first amount of power is supplied to the first heater, Determine the first resistance of the plurality of heating elements, A second amount of power is supplied to the first heater, Determine the second resistance of the plurality of heating elements, Based on the first and second resistances of the plurality of heating elements, the temperature distribution across the plurality of heating elements is determined. A controller configured to determine the non-uniformity of the substrate support based on the temperature distribution, A substrate processing system comprising the above.

8. A substrate processing system according to claim 7, further, A gas source configured to supply processing gas to a processing chamber, The system includes an RF generator configured to supply RF power to the processing chamber in order to generate plasma within the processing chamber, A substrate processing system in which the controller is configured to turn off the gas source and the RF generator before supplying power to the first heater and the second heater until the non-uniformity of the substrate support is determined.

9. A substrate processing system according to claim 7, The aforementioned controller, Before supplying the first amount of power to the first heater, Power is supplied to the plurality of heating elements of the second heater, The power supplied to the plurality of heating elements is increased by N increments up to the predetermined power, where N is a positive integer. After each increase, the resistance of the multiple heating elements is determined. Based on the resistance of the plurality of heating elements determined after each increase, the heating response of the plurality of heating elements is determined. A substrate processing system configured to determine the non-uniformity of the substrate support based on the heating response of the plurality of heating elements, the heating response of the plurality of heating elements, and the first and second resistances, after determining the heating response of the plurality of heating elements.

10. A substrate processing system according to claim 9, The aforementioned controller, Based on the heating response of the plurality of heating elements and the first and second resistances, the temperature distribution of the second heater across the plurality of heating elements is determined. A substrate processing system configured to determine the non-uniformity of the substrate support based on the temperature distribution across the plurality of heating elements.

11. A substrate processing system according to claim 7, The controller, in order to compensate for the non-uniformity of the substrate support, during the processing of the semiconductor substrate, RF power supplied to generate plasma within the processing chamber, The chemical substances of the processing gas supplied to generate the plasma in the processing chamber, Flow rate of the aforementioned processing gas, Power supplied to one or more of the aforementioned heating elements, The temperature of the refrigerant supplied to the substrate support by the thermal control device, and The flow rate of the refrigerant supplied to the substrate support by the thermal control device, A circuit board processing system configured to adjust one or more of the following.

12. It is a system, Processor and A memory for storing instructions, wherein when an instruction is executed by the processor, The plasma used to process the semiconductor substrate placed on the substrate support is turned off. To control the temperature of the semiconductor substrate during processing, power is supplied to a plurality of heating elements arranged in a matrix on the substrate support. The power supplied to the plurality of heating elements is increased by N increments until a predetermined power is reached, where N is a positive integer. After each increase, the resistance of the multiple heating elements is determined. Based on the resistance, the heating response of the plurality of heating elements is determined. While supplying the predetermined power to the plurality of heating elements, Plasma is generated in the processing chamber, Determine the first resistance of the plurality of heating elements, While maintaining the other parameters from the group consisting of a fixed chemical substance of the processing gas used to generate the plasma, the flow rate of the processing gas, the RF power used to generate the plasma, the power supplied to the matrix heater, and the settings of the thermal control device that controls the temperature of the semiconductor substrate, one parameter selected from the group is changed. In response to the change of the aforementioned one parameter, the second resistance of the plurality of heating elements is determined. Based on the heating response of the plurality of heating elements and the first and second resistances, the temperature distribution across the plurality of heating elements is determined. A memory that configures the processor to determine the uniformity of the plasma based on the temperature distribution across the plurality of heating elements, A system that includes these features.

13. The system according to claim 12, In response to the non-uniformity of the plasma, the instruction further, in order to compensate for the non-uniformity of the plasma, during the processing of the semiconductor substrate, The RF power used to generate the plasma, The chemical substance of the processing gas used to generate the plasma, The flow rate of the processing gas, The power supplied to one or more of the plurality of heating elements, The temperature of the refrigerant supplied to the substrate support by the thermal control device, and The flow rate of the refrigerant supplied to the substrate support by the thermal control device, A system that configures the processor to adjust one or more of the following.

14. It is a system, Processor and A memory for storing instructions, wherein when an instruction is executed by the processor, A plasma is generated to process a semiconductor substrate placed on a substrate support. During processing, a first resistance of a first heater placed on the substrate support is determined in order to heat the region of the substrate support adjacent to the semiconductor substrate, and the first resistance indicates a first temperature of the first heater. To control the temperature of the semiconductor substrate during processing, a second resistance is determined for one of a plurality of heating elements arranged in a matrix on the substrate support, and the second resistance indicates the second temperature of the one of the plurality of heating elements. Based on the difference between the first temperature and the second temperature, the heat flux between the first heater and one of the plurality of heating elements is determined. A memory that configures the processor to determine the uniformity of the plasma based on the heat flux, A system that includes these features.

15. The system according to claim 14, In response to the non-uniformity of the plasma, the instruction further, in order to compensate for the non-uniformity of the plasma, during the processing of the semiconductor substrate, RF power used to generate the aforementioned plasma, The chemical substances of the processing gas used to generate the aforementioned plasma, Flow rate of the aforementioned processing gas, Power supplied to one or more of the aforementioned heating elements, The temperature of the refrigerant supplied to the substrate support by the thermal control device, and The flow rate of the refrigerant supplied to the substrate support by the thermal control device, A system that configures the processor to adjust one or more of the following.

16. It is a system, Processor and A memory for storing instructions, wherein when an instruction is executed by the processor, The power supply to a first heater located on the substrate support is turned off, and the first heater is configured to heat a region of the substrate support adjacent to a semiconductor substrate located on the substrate support during the plasma-based processing. Turn off the plasma as described above. To control the temperature of the semiconductor substrate during processing, power is supplied to a plurality of heating elements arranged in a matrix on the substrate support. The power supplied to the plurality of heating elements is increased by N increments until a predetermined power is reached, where N is a positive integer. After each increase, the resistance of the multiple heating elements is determined. Based on the resistance, the heating response of the plurality of heating elements is determined. While supplying the predetermined power to the plurality of heating elements, A first amount of power is supplied to the first heater, Determine the first resistance of the plurality of heating elements, A second amount of power is supplied to the first heater, Determine the second resistance of the plurality of heating elements, Based on the heating response of the plurality of heating elements and the first and second resistances, the temperature distribution across the plurality of heating elements is determined. A memory that configures the processor to determine the non-uniformity of the substrate support based on the temperature distribution across the plurality of heating elements, A system that includes these features.

17. The system according to claim 16, The instruction further states that, in order to compensate for the non-uniformity of the substrate support, during the processing of the semiconductor substrate, RF power supplied to generate the plasma in the processing chamber, The chemical substances of the processing gas supplied to generate the plasma in the processing chamber, Flow rate of the aforementioned processing gas, The power supplied to one or more of the plurality of heating elements, The temperature of the refrigerant supplied to the substrate support by the thermal control device, and The flow rate of the refrigerant supplied to the substrate support by the thermal control device, A system that configures the processor to adjust one or more of the following.

Images