Optimized film deposition and ion implantation to alleviate stress and deformation of the substrate.

Abstract

The disclosed systems and techniques aim to correct the out-of-plane deformation (OPD) of a substrate (e.g., a wafer) by using optical inspection data to identify a profile of the substrate's OPD and performing a polynomial decomposition of the profile to determine polynomial coefficients that characterize an underlying deformation shape of the substrate. The technique further includes identifying characteristics of a stress compensation layer (SCL) for the substrate based on the polynomial coefficients and depositing the SCL on the substrate. The technique further includes performing a statistical simulation to identify settings for non-uniform stress relaxation exposure of the SCL by sampling from one or more statistical distributions associated with previously performed stress relaxation exposures, and performing the non-uniform stress relaxation exposure of the SCL using the identified settings.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to semiconductor manufacturing, including wafer manufacturing.

Background Art

[0002] Modern semiconductor devices such as processing circuits, memory devices, photodetectors, solar cells, and light-emitting semiconductor devices are often fabricated on silicon wafers (or other suitable substrates). A wafer may undergo a large number of processing steps, including physical vapor deposition, chemical vapor deposition, etching, photomasking, polishing, and / or various other processes. In ongoing efforts to reduce the cost of semiconductor devices, multilayer stacks of dies, insulating films, patterned and / or doped semiconductor films, and / or other features are often deposited on a single wafer, resulting in, for example, high aspect ratio devices used in 3D flash memory devices and other applications. Deposition, patterning, etching, polishing, and the like of the multilayer structure stack often apply significant stress to the underlying wafer. Such stress results in both out-of-plane strain and in-plane strain of the features supported by the wafer. These strains can lead to misalignment of the deposited features and can significantly degrade the quality of the fabricated devices.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0003] The present disclosure will be more fully understood from the detailed description given below, and the accompanying drawings of various implementations of the present disclosure.

[0004] [Figure 1] Figures 1A to 1E schematically illustrate a stress correction process for a backside deposited film using additional ion implantation, in accordance with at least one embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows an example of Zernike polynomial decomposition of one actual deformation of a wafer (upper left) in arbitrary units into parabolic curvature deformation (upper right), saddle-type deformation (lower left), and residual deformation (lower right), in accordance with at least one embodiment. [Figure 3]Figure 3 shows stress and deformation relaxation in one exemplary wafer using the process disclosed in relation to Figures 1A-E, according to at least one embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows one exemplary profile of a Gaussian ion beam that may be used to relieve stress and deformation in a wafer, according to at least one embodiment. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows an exemplary silicon wafer on which a silicon nitride film having saddle deformation is deposited, according to at least one embodiment. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process for stress and deformation relaxation of a wafer according to at least one embodiment. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process of ion implantation performed for wafer deformation and stress relief according to at least one embodiment. [Figure 8A] Figure 8A shows the dependence of the number of vacancies created (per angstrom of distance the ions travel) as a function of depth by the ion implantation species in the silicon nitride film, according to at least one embodiment. [Figure 8B] Figure 8B shows the estimated response of a 200 nm silicon nitride film to various doses of ion implantation species according to at least one embodiment. [Figure 9] Figure 9 shows the dependence of the number of vacancies generated as a function of depth by different types of ions in at least one embodiment. [Figure 10] Figure 10 shows the response of a 200 nm silicon nitride film as a function of ionic doses of various types of ions, according to at least one embodiment. [Figure 11] Figure 11 shows the ion distribution with depth for implantation of different types of atoms according to at least one embodiment. [Figure 12A] Figure 12A shows the distribution of implanted ions incident at various angles according to at least one embodiment. [Figure 12B]Figure 12B shows, as a function of depth, the number of vacancies created by ion incidence at various angles (per angstrom of distance traveled by the ions) according to at least one embodiment. [Figure 12C] Figure 12C shows the response of an exemplary silicon nitride film as a function of ionic dose for various types of ions, according to at least one embodiment. [Figure 13] Figure 13A schematically shows an ion implantation system capable of implanting ions into a stress compensation layer according to at least one embodiment. Figure 13B shows the delivery of ions to a wafer at an arbitrary incidence angle by the ion implantation system of Figure 13A according to at least one embodiment. [Figure 14] Figure 14 is a block diagram of an exemplary computer system capable of supporting the operation of the present disclosure, according to at least one embodiment. [Overview of the project]

[0005] In one implementation configuration, a method for compensating for out-of-plane deformation of a substrate is disclosed, which includes identifying a profile of the out-of-plane deformation of the substrate using optical inspection data. The method further includes performing a polynomial decomposition of the identified profile to determine a plurality of polynomial coefficients, each of which characterizes a corresponding one of a plurality of basic deformation shapes of the substrate. The method further includes identifying one or more features of a stress compensation layer (SCL) for the substrate based on at least one subset of the plurality of polynomial coefficients. The method further includes depositing the SCL onto the substrate and performing a plurality of statistical simulations to identify settings for heterogeneous stress relaxation irradiation of the SCL, the execution of which includes sampling from one or more statistical distributions associated with previously performed stress relaxation irradiations. The method further includes performing heterogeneous stress relaxation irradiation of the SCL using the identified settings, the heterogeneous stress relaxation irradiation being performed using at least a first setting for a first region of the SCL and a second setting for a second region of the SCL.

[0006] In another implementation, a system is disclosed comprising a memory and a processing device communicatively coupled to the memory. The processing device uses optical inspection data to identify a profile of out-of-plane deformation of the substrate. The processing device further performs a polynomial decomposition of the identified profile to determine a plurality of polynomial coefficients, each of which characterizes one of a plurality of basic deformation shapes of the substrate. The processing device further identifies one or more features of a stress compensation layer (SCL) for the substrate based on at least one subset of the plurality of polynomial coefficients. The processing device further deposits the SCL onto the substrate. The processing device further performs a plurality of statistical simulations to identify settings for heterogeneous stress relaxation irradiation of the SCL, which includes sampling from one or more statistical distributions associated with previously performed stress relaxation irradiations. The processing device further performs heterogeneous stress relaxation irradiation of the SCL using the identified settings, which is performed using at least a first setting for a first region of the SCL and a second setting for a second region of the SCL.

[0007] In another implementation, a semiconductor manufacturing system is disclosed comprising one or more processing chambers for processing a substrate and a computing device. The computing device uses optical inspection data to identify an out-of-plane deformation profile of the substrate and performs a polynomial decomposition of the identified profile to determine a plurality of polynomial coefficients, each of which characterizes one of a plurality of basic deformation shapes of the substrate. The computing device further identifies one or more features of a stress compensation layer (SCL) for the substrate based on at least one subset of the plurality of polynomial coefficients, the SCL being deposited on the substrate. The computing device further performs a plurality of statistical simulations to identify settings for heterogeneous stress relaxation irradiation of the SCL, the execution of the plurality of statistical simulations includes sampling from one or more statistical distributions associated with previously performed stress relaxation irradiations. The computing device further performs heterogeneous stress relaxation irradiation of the SCL using the identified settings, the heterogeneous stress relaxation irradiation is performed using at least a first setting for a first region of the SCL and a second setting for a second region of the SCL.

[0008] In yet another implementation, a non-temporary computer-readable memory for storing instructions is disclosed, which, when executed by a processing device, causes the processing device to perform a process including identifying an out-of-plane deformation profile of a substrate using optical inspection data. The process further includes performing a polynomial decomposition of the identified profile to determine a plurality of polynomial coefficients, each of which characterizes one of a plurality of basic deformation shapes of the substrate. The process further includes identifying one or more features of a stress compensation layer (SCL) for the substrate based on at least one subset of the plurality of polynomial coefficients. The process further includes depositing the SCL onto the substrate. The process further includes performing a plurality of statistical simulations to identify a setting for heterogeneous stress relaxation irradiation of the SCL, the execution of the plurality of statistical simulations including sampling from one or more statistical distributions associated with previously performed stress relaxation irradiations. The process further includes performing heterogeneous stress relaxation irradiation of the SCL using specified settings, the heterogeneous stress relaxation irradiation being performed using at least a first setting for a first region of the SCL and a second setting for a second region of the SCL. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Existing technologies include many methods for addressing deformation of substrates or wafers. For example, a deformed (warped) substrate, such as a silicon wafer, with various films and features deposited on one side (referred to herein as the front side, top side, or main side), can be coated on the opposite side (referred to herein as the back side or bottom side) with a film that applies compressive or tensile stress to the wafer. Such back-side deposited deformation-correcting films, also referred herein as stress-compensating layers, typically impart uniform (or global) stress to the entire wafer and cannot compensate for local stress adjustment and / or anisotropic stress. Additional compensation can be achieved by implanting ions into the stress-compensating layer, for example, by using an ion beam that impacts the stress-compensating layer, thereby adjusting the stress in the stress-compensating layer and, as a result, further mitigating the deformation of the underlying wafer.

[0010] As used herein, “wafer” refers to any substrate or any material surface formed on a substrate on which a film treatment is performed during a manufacturing process. For example, wafer surfaces on which treatment can be performed include, depending on the application, materials such as silicon, silicon oxide, silicon nitride, strained silicon, silicon-on-insulator, carbon-doped silicon oxide, amorphous silicon, doped silicon, germanium, gallium arsenide, glass, sapphire, and any other materials such as metals, metal nitrides, metal alloys, and other conductive materials. In some cases, a wafer may include a plastic substrate. A wafer includes, but is not limited to, a semiconductor wafer. A wafer may be exposed to a pretreatment process to polish, etch, reduce, oxidize, hydroxylate, anneal, UV cure, electron beam (e-beam) cure, and / or bake the substrate surface. In addition to film treatment directly on the surface of the wafer itself, any of the disclosed film treatment steps may also be performed on underlying layers formed on the wafer, which are disclosed in more detail below. The term “wafer surface” is intended to include such underlying layers, as the context indicates. Therefore, for example, if a film / layer or partial film / layer is deposited on the wafer surface, the exposed surface of the newly deposited film / layer becomes the wafer surface. In some embodiments, the wafer has a thickness in the range of 0.25 mm to 1.5 mm, or in the range of 0.5 mm to 1.25 mm, or in the range of 0.75 mm to 1.0 mm, or greater. In some embodiments, the wafer has a diameter of about 10 cm, 20 cm, 30 cm, or greater.

[0011] The deposition of stress compensation layers by ion implantation is uniform and isotropic. It may be very efficient to correct TIFF0007934052000001.tif6170. On the other hand, Relieving stresses that vary by TIFF0007934052000002.tif6170 or both is a much more difficult problem. Certain feature patterns, as shown in Figure 5, for example, are in one direction, for example TIFF0007934052000003.tif7170 can generate a tensile stress along it. Such features may arise, for example, in the patterning of stacks of materials with directional patterning, such as the patterning of word lines in flash memory devices. Reliably correcting for anisotropic and / or non-uniform stress and the resulting wafer deformation remains a challenging task.

[0012] Aspects and implementations of the present disclosure address these and other shortcomings of current semiconductor manufacturing technologies by providing systems and techniques that can mitigate non-uniform and / or anisotropic stress and deformation of wafers. In one embodiment, the wafer deformation TIFF0007934052000004.tif6170 can be measured using optical metrology techniques. For example, TIFF0007934052000005.tif6170 interference can be obtained using optical interferometry measurements. Then, via several parameters that qualitatively and quantitatively characterize the geometry of the wafer deformation, TIFF0007934052000006.tif6170 can be represented. In some embodiments, a set of Zernike (or a similar set of) polynomials may be used to represent the wafer profile as follows, TIFF0007934052000007.tif13170 where TIFF0007934052000008.tif5170 is the radial coordinate in the (average) plane of the wafer, TIFF0007934052000009.tif6170 is the angular coordinate. TIFF0007934052000010.tif6170 the corresponding TIFF0007934052000011.tif6170 represents the weight of a specific geometric feature (fundamental deformation) of the wafer described by it. The first three coefficients correspond to the uniform shift of the wafer TIFF0007934052000012.tif6170 No deformation equivalent to rotation around TIFF0007934052000013.tif6170 and can be eliminated by realignment of coordinate axes TIFF0007934052000014.tif6170 No deformation equivalent to rotation around TIFF0007934052000016.tif6170 will be described, so the importance is low. TIFF0007934052000017.tif7170 and is associated with isotropic parabolic deformation ("curvature"). TIFF0007934052000018.tif6170 The coefficients are respectively TIFF0007934052000019.tif7170 and is associated with saddle-shaped deformation to characterize it. TIFF0007934052000020.tif6170 curves to, TIFF0007934052000021.tif6170 to characterize the saddle shape that curves to. TIFF0007934052000022.tif6170 curves to, TIFF0007934052000023.tif6170 to characterize the saddle shape that curves to. TIFF0007934052000024.tif6170 of the wafer along the radial direction, azimuthal direction, or both TIFF0007934052000025.tif6170 to characterize the progressively faster variation, collectively TIFF0007934052000026.tif8170 represents. Figure 2 shows, according to at least one embodiment, one actual TIFF0007934052000027.tif6170 in arbitrary units, TIFF0007934052000028.tif12170 shows an example of Zernike polynomial decomposition 200.

[0013] In some embodiments, the deformation compensation film This can be done based on TIFF0007934052000029.tif6170. Figures 1A-E schematically show a stress correction process for a back-side deposited film using additional ion implantation according to at least one embodiment. Figure 1A depicts a wafer 102 having deformation, which includes parabolic curvature deformation. TIFF0007934052000030.tif6170 and other deformations may include, for example, saddle deformation and residual deformation (neither of which are shown in Figures 1A-E for brevity and clarity). The wafer 102 has a front side 104 and a back side 106. The front side 104 can have any number of features (e.g., deposition patterns and / or etching patterns), dies, photomasks, and / or any other structures deposited or etched onto it. In some embodiments, the back side 106 may be free of deposited / etched features / structures. In some embodiments, the back side 106 may have one or more deposited / etched features / structures. Figure 1B shows a schematic deposition of a stress compensation layer on the back side of the wafer 102. In some embodiments, the stress compensation layer 108 may include one or more films of different materials. Individual films may have thicknesses ranging from 10 nm to 200 nm, or from 20 nm to 180 nm, or from 30 nm to 160 nm, or from 40 nm to 140 nm, or greater. The total thickness of the stress compensation layer may be at most a few microns, or greater. In some embodiments, the stress compensation layer 108 is deposited at a temperature ranging from 100°C to 500°C, or higher.

[0014] The material (type) of the stress compensation layer 108 is: It can be selected based on the code of TIFF0007934052000031.tif6170. For example, The stress compensation layer 108 can be selected to have tensile stress (as illustrated in Figures 1A-E). In the case of a silicon wafer, such a film can be a silicon nitride (Si3N4) film. Conversely, The stress compensation layer 108 may be selected to have tensile stress (not shown in Figures 1A-E). The stress compensation layer 108 can be deposited using any suitable deposition technique, including physical vapor deposition (e.g., sputtering), chemical vapor deposition (e.g., plasma-assisted deposition), epitaxy, and / or delamination. Deposition can be carried out at room temperature or at a temperature different from room temperature (e.g., high temperature). In some embodiments, the stress compensation layer 108 TIFF0007934052000034.tif6170 For example, it is possible to choose to overcompensate for deformation to some extent, as shown in Figure 1C, where negative parabolic curvature becomes positive parabolic curvature. This depends on the thickness. It changes to TIFF0007934052000035.tif6170: TIFF0007934052000036.tif5170

[0015] Overcompensation is selected in conjunction with the injection type, energy, and dose to ensure the maximum compensation effect from stress compensation. Overcompensation allows the composite structure of wafer 102 and stress compensation layer 108 to further control stress (and consequently the wafer) It becomes susceptible to the effects of TIFF0007934052000037.tif6170). As shown in Figure 1D, the ion beam implanter 110 can generate an ion beam 112 that collides with the stress compensation layer 108 and deposits ions therein. The ion beam 112 can carry silicon ions, phosphorus ions, argon ions, neon ions, xenon ions, and / or krypton ions, etc. In some embodiments, the energy and type of ions in the ion beam 112 can be selected so as to limit the implanted ions to the volume of the stress compensation layer 108 without allowing the ions to reach the wafer 102. Ions present in the stress compensation layer 108 create substitution defects within it. In addition, the ions leave a trail of vacancy defects along their propagation path within the stress compensation layer 108. The substitution defects and / or vacancies can correct (e.g., reduce) the stress in the stress compensation layer 108 and reduce the degree of stress overcompensation caused by film deposition. This flattens the combination of the wafer 102 and the stress compensation layer 108.

[0016] Specifically, the stress relaxation beam used to correct stresses within the stress compensation layer 108 is referred to as an ion beam (e.g., ion beam 112) throughout this disclosure, but the stress relaxation beam may include other material particles (e.g., electrons), electromagnetic waves (e.g., UV light, visible light, infrared light, etc.), and / or appropriate combinations thereof. The stress relaxation beam collides with the stress compensation layer 108 and alters the coupling network of the stress compensation layer 108. For example, a low-energy stress relaxation beam may interact with surface atoms of the stress compensation layer 108, for example, removing some of the surface atoms and effectively performing etching of the surface region of the stress compensation layer 108. The effectiveness of such etching can be controlled by the selection of ion species / radicals / ambient gas. In another example, a high-energy stress relaxation beam may deposit ions inside the stress compensation layer 108. Ions and / or photons can break the bonds in the coupling network (or crystal lattice) of the stress compensation layer 108, forming vacancies inside, which can further induce annealing by local heating, UV curing, and / or other effects.

[0017] In some embodiments, TIFF0007934052000038.tif6170 Overcorrected by saddle deformation, residual deformation, and deposition of stress compensation layer 108 Corrected version that may include a portion of TIFF0007934052000039.tif6170 The desired ion can be determined using a simulation based on local values ​​of TIFF0007934052000040.tif6170 (which will be carried out as described in more detail below). TIFF0007934052000041.tif6170 Ion beam 112 It can be supplied by controlling TIFF0007934052000042.tif5170. In some embodiments, the ion beam 112 has a profile that can be approximated by a Gaussian function, for example, The filename is TIFF0007934052000043.tif6170. TIFF0007934052000044.tif6170 is in Cartesian coordinates, TIFF0007934052000045.tif6170 is the maximum ion flux at the center of the beam. TIFF0007934052000046.tif5170 Each of them, This is a characteristic beam spread along TIFF0007934052000047.tif6170. Correspondingly, from the path of the beam's center... The point located at TIFF0007934052000048.tif6170 receives an ionic dose containing the following number of ions: TIFF0007934052000049.tif15170 In response to this, By reducing TIFF0007934052000050.tif5170, the number of ions received by various regions of the stress compensation layer 108 can be increased, and vice versa. In addition, the ion beam 112 can be averaged to the target dose at various points in the stress compensation layer 108. To receive multiple ion doses from TIFF0007934052000051.tif6170, Multiple scans can be performed with TIFF0007934052000052.tif6170. For example, each scan can be performed from the center of ion beam 112. TIFF0007934052000053.tif6170 Ion beam implantation device 110 each After passing through TIFF0007934052000054.tif6170 n times, the total ion dose received by this area is as follows: As shown in Figure 1E, the injection layer 114 formed as part of the stress compensation layer 108 results in a significant reduction in the deformation of the wafer 102, particularly its saddle-shaped and residual portions.

[0018] Figure 3 shows stress and deformation relaxation 300 in one exemplary wafer using the process disclosed in relation to Figures 1A-E, according to at least one embodiment. As shown in Figure 3, A 30cm silicon wafer 102 having TIFF0007934052000056.tif6170 was first used with a silicon nitride tensile stress compensation layer 108. The maximum deformation of TIFF0007934052000057.tif6170 is overcorrected. Then, the stress in the stress compensation layer 108 is reduced by the formation of the injection layer 114 using an ion beam, and the final maximum deformation is The filename is TIFF0007934052000058.tif6170. Figure 4 shows one exemplary profile of a Gauss ion beam 112 that may be used to relieve stress and deformation in a wafer according to at least one embodiment.

[0019] The techniques for mitigating strain and deformation shown in Figures 1-3 are: The method can also be applied to wafers with complex deformations such that TIFF0007934052000059.tif6170 has different symbols and causes saddle deformation in the wafer. Figure 5 shows an exemplary wafer 500 having saddle deformation (e.g., a silicon wafer with a silicon nitride film deposited on top) according to at least one embodiment. TIFF0007934052000060.tif6170 The film deposited on the back side of the wafer (bottom layer) may be lower on the wafer (top layer). Conversely, The TIFF0007934052000061.tif6170 film may be higher within the wafer. In some embodiments, the stress state within the wafer can be represented by a position-dependent stress tensor, which can be approximated by the following equation: TIFF0007934052000062.tif15170 Since wafers are typically in a purely bent state and are independent of shear stresses represented by off-diagonal terms in the stress tensor, this structure of the stress tensor is usually a good approximation. Correction for the saddle shape requires special handling in the calculation and optimization of the dose map to ensure that additional residual terms are not introduced into the wafer as a result.

[0020] Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process 600 for the relaxation of wafer stress and deformation according to at least one embodiment. Process 600 can be carried out using a semiconductor manufacturing system that includes one or more processing chambers, for example, one or more deposition chambers, one or more plasma chambers, one or more etching chambers, one or more polishing chambers, one or more film removal chambers, one or more beam irradiation chambers, and / or one or more optical inspection chambers. The processing chambers can be connected to one or more transfer chambers that can be equipped with one or more robots for handling wafers, for example, for loading and unloading wafers into and out of the processing chambers. The transfer chambers can further be connected to load lock chambers (front-end interfaces) that can be connected to one or more FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod) carriers that hold bare wafers, processed wafers, and / or partially processed wafers. The operations carried out by the semiconductor manufacturing system, including any, some, or all of the steps of process 600, can be carried out in response to instructions issued by a suitable computing device having memory for storing processing logic and instructions.

[0021] In block 610, process 600 determines the shape of the wafer, for example, the displacement of the wafer surface (e.g., top surface), using several in-plane coordinates (e.g., This includes measuring as a function of TIFF0007934052000063.tif6170 or any other suitable coordinates. In block 620, process 600 decomposes the determined shape into a suitable set of polynomials, e.g., Zernike polynomials, and sets of coefficients of the polynomial expansion. This includes obtaining TIFF0007934052000064.tif6170, where each coefficient in the set evaluates the degree of presence of the geometric shape of a particular element in the deformation of the wafer. In decision block 625, process 600 includes determining the type of deformation compensation film to be used on the wafer. In some embodiments, this decision is a coefficient that determines the degree of parabolic deformation, for example, This can be done based on TIFF0007934052000065.tif6170. If the wafer is curved downward (towards the back side of the wafer), process 600 may select a compression layer for backside deposition and stress relief in block 630. If the wafer is curved upward (towards the top side of the wafer), process 600 may select a tension layer for backside deposition and stress relief in block 632.

[0022] In block 640, process 600 determines the type of material of the deformation compensation film to be deposited and The decision for TIFF0007934052000066.tif5170 can be made. As shown by the dashed arrow in Figure 6, in some embodiments the decision in block 640 is Multiple expansion coefficients from TIFF0007934052000067.tif6170 This can be done based on TIFF0007934052000068.tif6170. In one specific non-limiting example, TIFF0007934052000069.tif5170 can be determined as follows: First, sufficient to overcompensate for the measured wafer deformation. TIFF0007934052000070.tif6170 can be determined, for example, The following conditions may be met for TIFF0007934052000071.tif6170. TIFF0007934052000072.tif12170 In other words, It can be selected to be large enough to compensate for TIFF0007934052000073.tif11170. In some embodiments, TIFF0007934052000074.tif6170 At least, it exceeds the minimum value required to overcompensate for wafer deformation. You can choose to have TIFF0007934052000075.tif6170, for example as follows: TIFF0007934052000076.tif6170TIFF0007934052000077.tif6170 It can be empirically selected and may depend on the specific material used for the deformation compensation film.

[0023] Target parabolic deformation TIFF0007934052000078.tif6170 can be selected using calibration data that is represented in a tabular format or defined in other ways. In some embodiments, TIFF0007934052000079.tif6170 may be a nonlinear function. In some embodiments, TIFF0007934052000080.tif6170 Determined based on mathematical modeling of the elastic equation, empirical calibration, or any combination thereof. In block 650, selected A deformation compensation film of TIFF0007934052000081.tif5170 is deposited on the back side of the wafer. In block 660, the ion implantation dose is calculated. In some embodiments, the ion dose is Based on TIFF0007934052000082.tif6170 (to compensate for saddle deformation), and It is calculated based on TIFF0007934052000083.tif5170 (to compensate for residual deformation). In some embodiments, after block 650 (not shown in Figure 6), and Following the re-determination of TIFF0007934052000084.tif6170, the ion dose is calculated after a new measurement of wafer deformation is performed. Then, in block 670, the calculated ion dose is applied to the deposited film.

[0024] Figure 7 is a flowchart showing an exemplary process 700 of ion implantation performed for wafer deformation and stress relief according to at least one embodiment. Process 700 can be performed as part of blocks 660-670 of process 600. In block 710, process 700 may include identifying saddle deformation and residual deformation of the wafer after the stress compensation layer has been deposited on the wafer. In some embodiments, saddle deformation TIFF0007934052000085.tif6170 and residual deformation TIFF0007934052000086.tif6170 can be estimated using shape measurements performed before film deposition, based on the assumption that parabolic curvature deformation is strongly influenced by film deposition, while saddle deformation and residual deformation are not significantly influenced by film arrangement. In some embodiments, for further accuracy, saddle deformation and residual deformation are determined based on shape measurements performed after film deposition.

[0025] In block 720, process 700 may include performing Monte Carlo simulations on the wafer and the deposited film. The Monte Carlo simulations are used for deposition and specific The simulation can be performed on a film fabricated from an actual material (or material compound) having TIFF0007934052000087.tif5170. The initial Monte Carlo simulation can be performed against specific baseline (default) conditions for ion implantation (e.g., default settings of the ion implanter). Baseline conditions may include default ion types, default ion energies, and default ion doses applied to the film (e.g., default scan rate and default scan pattern). The Monte Carlo simulation can use measurement data (calibration data)722 collected for actual ion implantation performed against various ion energies, ion types, film types and materials, and / or ion incidence angles on the film.

[0026] Measurement data 722 can include an evaluation of the number of vacancies generated by ions of different types and energies. Figure 8A shows the dependence of the number of vacancies generated (per angstrom of distance the ion travels) as a function of depth by the ion implantation species in a silicon nitride film, according to at least one embodiment. Different curves correspond to different energies of phosphorus ions, e.g., 30 keV (low energy, solid line), 65 keV (medium energy, dashed line), and 100 keV (high energy, dotted line). This example is non-limiting, and it should be understood that a variety of ions (e.g., silicon, arsenic, gallium, argon, boron, and carbon, etc.) can be used at different energies (e.g., 10 to 500 keV and above). As the ion energy increases, the number of vacancies generated shifts to greater depths. Figure 8B shows the estimated response of a 200 nm silicon nitride film to various doses of ion implantation species, according to at least one embodiment. The estimated response (the ratio of the change in curvature to the initial curvature) is, in one non-limiting example, for different energies of phosphate ions, e.g., 30 keV (low energy, solid line), 65 keV (medium energy, dashed line), and 100 keV (high energy, dotted line). This describes the stresses (e.g., tensile stresses) induced within the membrane by implanting various ion doses in TIFF0007934052000088.tif6170. The response is linear at low ion doses (the slope increases with ion energy) and tends to saturate as the ion dose increases.

[0027] As shown in Figure 8A, most ions with medium and high energies can pass through the 100 nm film and remain on the wafer as substitutional impurities. This can adversely affect the electrical (or mechanical) properties of the wafer. This situation can be prevented by changing the type of ions. In some embodiments, ion implantation can be performed using ions of the same type as the wafer material, for example, silicon ions.

[0028] Figure 9 shows the dependence of the number of vacancies generated as a function of depth by different types of ions in at least one embodiment. Different curves correspond to different types of ions with AMUs in the ranges of 10 (low mass), 30 (medium mass), and 100 (high mass), and all ions have the same energy. These examples are non-limiting, and it should be understood that many other types of ions (e.g., hydrogen, silicon, arsenic, gallium, argon, boron, carbon, and krypton, etc.) can be used at different energies (e.g., 10 to 500 keV and above).

[0029] Figure 10 shows the response of a 200 nm silicon nitride film as a function of ionic doses of various types of ions, according to at least one embodiment.

[0030] Figure 11 shows the ion distribution with depth for the implantation of different types of atoms according to at least one embodiment. The ion distribution is measured in units of the number of implanted atoms per cubic centimeter.

[0031] The measurement data 722 may further include an evaluation of the number of vacancies created by ions incident at different angles. Figure 12A shows the distribution of implanted ions incident at various angles according to at least one embodiment. Different curves correspond to phosphorus ion incident angles of 0 degrees (normal incidence), 30 degrees, 45 degrees, and 60 degrees. Figure 12B shows the number of vacancies created by ion incidence at various angles (per angstrom of distance traveled by the ion) as a function of depth according to at least one embodiment. Different curves correspond to phosphorus ions incident at angles of 0 degrees, 30 degrees, 45 degrees, and 60 degrees. As shown in Figures 12A and 12B, increasing the incident angle decreases the ion implantation depth and increases the number of ions deposited and vacancies created within the shallow region near the surface of the wafer. Figure 12C shows the response of a 200 nm silicon nitride film as a function of ion dose for various types of ions according to at least one embodiment.

[0032] Continuing to refer to Figure 7, the Monte Carlo simulation performed in block 720 can use the measurement data 722 described above and any additional data. In some embodiments, the measurement data 722 can be statistically pre-processed. For example, various measurement data (e.g., the data shown in Figures 8 to 12 and similar data) can be collected for multiple film materials, ion types, incident angles, and / or other parameters. The statistically processed measurement data can be stored in the form of probability distributions of various quantities (e.g., in the memory of the processing device performing the Monte Carlo simulation), which include, but are not limited to: • Distribution of ion implantation density at depth with respect to different ion types, ion energies, and angles of incidence; • Distribution of the number of vacancies (per unit of ion travel distance) generated at different depths for different ion types, ion energies, and angles of incidence; • Distribution of stress generated by implanted ions for different ion implantation densities and / or number of vacancies created.

[0033] Performing a Monte Carlo simulation involves sampling from a stored distribution and determining the target stress relaxation (for example, as described above in conjunction with process 600 shown in Figure 6). This may include identifying what can be achieved with default ion implantation settings for a given deformation compensation film in TIFF0007934052000089.tif5170. Process 700 may include several verification steps designed to determine whether the target stress can be achieved without adversely affecting the wafer properties. For example, in block 725, process 700 may include verifying whether the penetration depth of the selected (e.g., default) type of ions is sufficient. For example, the penetration depth must be at least a certain percentage of the thickness of the stress compensation layer, e.g., 20%, 30%, 50%, 80% of its thickness, or greater. In some embodiments, the penetration depth may be up to 100% of the thickness. If the energy is insufficient, process 700 may, in block 730, check whether the ion beam implanter 110 can output higher energy ions. If higher energy is available, process 700 may then increase the ion energy (block 740) and repeat the Monte Carlo simulation for the increased energy. If the ion beam implanter 110 has already reached its maximum energy, process 700 can then proceed to replace ions with different types of ions (block 750), for example, replacing silicon ions with ions such as boron, carbon, or fluorine, and repeat the Monte Carlo simulation for the new types of ions.

[0034] In block 755, process 700 may include verifying whether the expected number of formed vacancies is sufficient. To verify that it is sufficient, process 700 can evaluate the stress relaxation caused by the formed vacancies. In one embodiment, process 700 can start with some value of stress in the stress compensation layer, e.g., -3.0 GPa or some other suitable value (a negative sign indicating compressive stress), and use ion implantation to relax this stress toward a neutral point of 0.0 GPa at various locations in the stress compensation layer.

[0035] If the number of vacancies is insufficient, process 700 may include increasing the ion dose (block 760) and repeating the Monte Carlo simulation for the increased dose.

[0036] In block 765, process 700 ensures that the void reaches a target depth, for example, TIFF0007934052000090.tif6170 or a certain percentage of the film, for example, TIFF0007934052000091.tif5170 or may include ensuring that ions are positioned within some other empirically set value to prevent them from penetrating the wafer and affecting the wafer's properties. If vacancies are formed to a depth exceeding the target depth, process 700 may include increasing the incidence angle of the ion dose (the inclination of the ion beam implanter 110) (in block 770) to keep the vacancies (and substitution impurities) in a shallower region of the film.

[0037] Blocks 725-765 can be repeated multiple times, for example, until the reduction of the tensile stress in the deformation compensation film is eliminated or reduced to an acceptable level, until the Monte Carlo simulation predicts that the desired stress relaxation can be achieved. The final ion implantation settings (block 780) determined from the Monte Carlo simulation can then be used for ion implantation (block 790).

[0038] To compensate for saddle deformation and residual deformation, Monte Carlo simulations were performed separately for different regions of the wafer. TIFF0007934052000092.tif7170 is the same or nearly the same uniform This can be reliably relaxed to TIFF0007934052000093.tif6170. Accordingly, different regions of the deformation compensation film can receive different doses of ions. In some cases, different regions of the deformation compensation film can receive ions in different incident directions.

[0039] Figure 13A schematically shows an ion implantation system 1300 capable of performing ion implantation into a stress compensation layer according to at least one embodiment. The ion implantation system 1300 may be or may include the ion beam implanter 110 of Figure 1. Specifically, the stress relaxation beam used to correct stress in the stress compensation layer 108 is called an ion beam (e.g., ion beam 112) in some embodiments, but the stress relaxation beam may include other material particles (e.g., electrons), electromagnetic waves (e.g., UV light, visible light, infrared light, etc.), and / or appropriate combinations thereof. The ion implantation system 1300 may include an ion source 1302 for generating an ion beam 1304. The ion source 1302 may include a chamber (e.g., a plasma chamber) for generating ions. The ion source 1302 may be powered by a power supply 1306 and may include an extraction electrode assembly (not shown). The ion implantation system 1300 may include a mass spectrometer 1308 and a collimating and focusing column 1310. The collimating and focusing column 1310 can direct the ion beam 112 onto the wafer 102. The wafer 102 can be supported by a support stage 1312. In some embodiments, the support stage 1312 and the wafer 102 may remain stationary during scanning of the wafer 102 by the ion beam 112, but the components of the ion implantation system 1300 can be repositioned relative to the wafer 102. In some embodiments, the ion implantation system 1300 may remain stationary, but the support stage 1312 can reposition the wafer 102. Scanning by the ion beam 112 may occur along multiple directions according to any suitable predetermined pattern, for example, This can be done around TIFF0007934052000094.tif6170, and in helical patterns, etc. In various embodiments, the ion beam 112 can be scanned at frequencies of several Hz, tens of Hz, hundreds of Hz, thousands of Hz, or higher.

[0040] The operation of the ion implantation system 1300 can be controlled by a controller 1314, which may include any suitable computing device having a processor, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), and / or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a microcontroller, or other processing device, as well as memory devices, such as random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), and / or flash memory, or any combination thereof. The controller 1314 can control the operation of the power supply 1306, the support stage 1312, and / or various other components and modules of the ion implantation system 1300. The controller 1314 may include an ion beam simulation module 1316 that can perform simulations as described above in relation to Figures 7 to 12. In some embodiments, for example, as shown in Figure 13B, the support stage 1312 can be tilted in one or two spatial directions relative to the wafer 102 to change the incidence angle of the ion beam 112 to the wafer 102. In some embodiments, instead of tilting the wafer 102, the controller 1314 can tilt the ion implantation system 1300 relative to the wafer 102.

[0041] Figure 14 shows a block diagram of an exemplary computer system 1400 capable of supporting the operations of the present disclosure according to at least one embodiment. In various embodiments, the exemplary computer system 1400 may be the controller 1314 in Figure 13, or may include the controller 1114. The computer system 1400 may be connected to other computer systems in a local area network (LAN), intranet, extranet, and / or internet. The computer system 1400 may operate within the capacity of a server in a client-server network environment. The computer system 1400 may be a personal computer (PC), a set-top box (STB), a server, a network router, a switch or bridge, or any device capable of implementing a set of instructions (sequential or otherwise) that specifies the operations to be performed by the device. Furthermore, although only a single exemplary computer system is shown, the term “computer” should also be understood to include any collection of computers that individually or collectively implement a set of instructions (or more instruction sets) to perform one or more of the methods described herein.

[0042] An exemplary computer system 1400 may include processing devices 1402 (also called processors or CPUs), main memory 1404 (e.g., read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), and other dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static memory 1406 (e.g., flash memory, static random access memory (SRAM), etc.), and auxiliary memory (e.g., data storage device 1418), all of which can communicate with each other via a bus 1430.

[0043] The processing device 1402 represents one or more general-purpose processing devices, such as a microprocessor or a central processing unit. The processing device 1402 includes processing logic 1426. The processing device 1402 may be a composite instruction set arithmetic (CISC) microprocessor, a reduced instruction set arithmetic (RISC) microprocessor, a very long instruction word (VLIW) microprocessor, a processor implementing another instruction set, or a processor implementing a combination of instruction sets. The processing device 1402 may also be one or more special-purpose processing devices, such as an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a digital signal processor (DSP), or a network processor. According to one or more aspects of this disclosure, the processing device 1402 may be configured to execute instructions to perform an exemplary process 600 for stress and deformation relief of a wafer and / or an exemplary process 700 for ion implantation performed for stress and deformation relief of a wafer.

[0044] The exemplary computer system 1400 may further include a network interface device 1408 that can be communicatively connected to a network 1420. The exemplary computer system 1400 may further include a video display 1410 (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD), a touchscreen, or a cathode ray tube (CRT)), an alphanumeric input device 1412 (e.g., a keyboard), a cursor control device 1414 (e.g., a mouse), and an acoustic signal generator 1416 (e.g., a speaker).

[0045] The data storage device 1418 may include a computer-readable storage medium (or more specifically, a non-temporary computer-readable storage medium) 1424 storing one or more sets of executable instructions 1422. According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, the executable instructions 1422 may include executable instructions that perform an exemplary process 600 for stress and deformation relief of a wafer and / or an exemplary process 700 for ion implantation performed for stress and deformation relief of a wafer.

[0046] The executable instruction 1422 may also reside in main memory 1404 and / or processing device 1402 while being executed, in whole or at least in part, by the exemplary computer system 1400, the main memory 1404 and processing device 1402 also constitute a computer-readable storage medium. The executable instruction 1422 may further be transmitted or received over a network via network interface device 1408.

[0047] Although Figure 14 shows the computer-readable storage medium 1424 as a single medium, the term “computer-readable storage medium” should be interpreted to include a single medium or multiple mediums that store one or more sets of operational instructions (e.g., a centralized or distributed database, and / or associated caches and servers). The term “computer-readable storage medium” should also be interpreted to include any medium capable of storing or encoding a set of instructions to be executed by a machine, which causes the machine to execute any one or more of the methods described herein. Therefore, the term “computer-readable storage medium” should be interpreted to include, but not be limited to, solid memory and optical and magnetic media.

[0048] Parts of the detailed description above are presented in terms of algorithms and symbolism of operations on data bits in computer memory. The description and representation of these algorithms are means used by those skilled in the field of data processing to most effectively convey the content of the invention to others skilled in the art. Herein, and generally, an algorithm is considered a set of self-consistent steps that lead to a desired result. These steps are steps that require the physical handling of quantities. These quantities are usually, though not always, in the form of electrical or magnetic signals that can be stored, transferred, combined, compared, and otherwise manipulated. It has proven that referring to these signals as bits, values, elements, symbols, characters, terms, or digits, etc., can be convenient, primarily for reasons of common use.

[0049] However, it should be noted that all these terms and similar terms should be associated with appropriate quantities and are merely convenient symbols applied to those quantities. As will be clear from the following explanation, unless otherwise stated, explanations throughout this document using terms such as “identifying,” “determining,” “storing,” “adjusting,” “causing,” “returning,” “comparing,” “creating,” “stopping,” “loading,” “copying,” “throwing,” “replacing,” or “performing” should be understood to refer to the operation and processes of a computer system or similar electronic computing device. Such a computer system or similar electronic computing device manipulates data represented as physical (electronic) quantities in the computer system’s registers and memory and converts it into other data represented as physical (electrical) quantities in the computer system’s memory or registers or in such other information storage, transmission, or display devices.

[0050] The embodiments of this disclosure also relate to apparatus for carrying out the methods described herein. This apparatus may be specifically constructed for a required purpose, or it may be a general-purpose computer system selectively programmed by a computer program stored in the computer system. Such a computer program may be stored in computer-readable storage media, such as any type of disk, including, but not limited to, optical disks, CD-ROMs, and magneto-optical disks, each connected to a computer system bus, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), EPROM, EEPROM, magnetic disk storage media, optical storage media, flash memory devices, other types of machine-accessible storage media, or any type of medium suitable for storing electronic instructions.

[0051] The methods and displays presented herein are not inherently related to any particular computer or other device. Various general-purpose systems may be used with the program according to the teachings herein, or it may be convenient to construct more specialized devices to carry out the required method steps. The structures required for various such systems will become apparent as shown below. In addition, the scope of this disclosure is not limited to any particular programming language. It should be understood that the teachings of this disclosure can be carried out using a variety of programming languages.

[0052] The above description should be understood as illustrative, not limiting. Many other implementation examples will be obvious to those skilled in the art who have read and understood the above description. While this disclosure describes specific embodiments, it will be recognized that the systems and methods of this disclosure are not limited to the embodiments described herein and can be implemented with modifications within the scope of the claims. Therefore, this specification and the drawings should be considered illustrative, not limiting. Accordingly, the scope of this disclosure should be determined by reference to the claims and the entire scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

Claims

1. A method for correcting out-of-plane deformation of a substrate, Using optical inspection data, identify the profile of the out-of-plane deformation of the substrate, Performing a polynomial decomposition of the identified profile to determine a plurality of polynomial coefficients, wherein each of the plurality of polynomial coefficients characterizes one of the plurality of basic deformation shapes of the substrate, Identifying one or more features of the stress compensation layer (SCL) for the substrate based on at least one subset of the plurality of polynomial coefficients, Depositing the aforementioned SCL onto the substrate, Performing multiple statistical simulations to identify the settings for the non-uniform stress relaxation irradiation of the SCL, wherein performing multiple statistical simulations includes performing multiple statistical simulations that involve sampling from one or more statistical distributions associated with previously performed stress relaxation irradiations. Performing the heterogeneous stress relaxation irradiation of the SCL using the specified settings, wherein the heterogeneous stress relaxation irradiation is performed using at least a first setting for a first region of the SCL and a second setting for a second region of the SCL. A method that includes this.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of basic deformation shapes of the substrate include parabolic deformation of the substrate and saddle deformation of the substrate.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the polynomial decomposition of the identified profile includes a decomposition of the identified profile by a Zernike polynomial.

4. The one or more features of the SCL are, The material of the aforementioned SCL, or The thickness of the aforementioned SCL The method according to claim 1, comprising one or more of the above.

5. The identified setting is The type of particles in the stress relaxation beam used for the non-uniform stress relaxation irradiation of the SCL, The energy of the particles in the stress relaxation beam, or The incidence angle of the particles of the stress relaxation beam to the SCL The method according to claim 1, comprising one or more of the above.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the SCL causes the substrate to overcompensate for the out-of-plane deformation of the substrate, and the non-uniform stress relaxation irradiation causes the relaxation of the overcompensated out-of-plane deformation of the substrate.

7. The non-uniform stress relaxation irradiation of the SCL includes ion implantation, and the one or more statistical distributions are The distribution of the depth of ion implantation with respect to one or more types of ions and / or the energy of one or more of the ions, or Distribution of the number of vacancies generated for one or more types of ions and / or for the energy of one or more of those ions. The method according to claim 1, comprising at least one of the following.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein one or more of the distribution of depth or the distribution of the number of vacancies generated depend on the angle of incidence of the ions on the SCL.

9. Memory and A processing device that is communicably connected to the aforementioned memory and A system comprising, wherein the processing device is Using optical inspection data, identify the out-of-plane deformation profile of the substrate, Performing a polynomial decomposition of the identified profile to determine a plurality of polynomial coefficients, wherein each of the plurality of polynomial coefficients characterizes one of the plurality of basic deformation shapes of the substrate, Identifying one or more features of the stress compensation layer (SCL) for the substrate based on at least one subset of the plurality of polynomial coefficients, Depositing the aforementioned SCL onto the substrate, Performing multiple statistical simulations to identify the settings for the non-uniform stress relaxation irradiation of the SCL, wherein performing multiple statistical simulations includes performing multiple statistical simulations that involve sampling from one or more statistical distributions associated with previously performed stress relaxation irradiations. Performing the heterogeneous stress relaxation irradiation of the SCL using the specified settings, wherein the heterogeneous stress relaxation irradiation is performed using at least a first setting for a first region of the SCL and a second setting for a second region of the SCL. A system that performs this task.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the plurality of basic deformation shapes of the substrate include parabolic deformation of the substrate and saddle deformation of the substrate.

11. The system according to claim 9, wherein the polynomial decomposition of the identified profile includes a decomposition of the identified profile by a Zernike polynomial.

12. The one or more features of the SCL are, The material of the aforementioned SCL, or The thickness of the aforementioned SCL The system according to claim 9, comprising one or more of the above.

13. The identified setting is The type of particles in the stress relaxation beam used for the non-uniform stress relaxation irradiation of the SCL, The energy of the particles in the stress relaxation beam, or The incidence angle of the particles of the stress relaxation beam to the SCL The system according to claim 9, comprising one or more of the above.

14. The system according to claim 9, wherein the SCL causes the substrate to overcompensate for the out-of-plane deformation of the substrate, and the non-uniform stress relaxation irradiation causes the relaxation of the overcompensated out-of-plane deformation of the substrate.

15. The non-uniform stress relaxation irradiation of the SCL includes ion implantation, and the one or more statistical distributions are The distribution of the depth of ion implantation with respect to one or more types of ions and / or the energy of one or more ions, or Distribution of the number of vacancies generated for one or more types of ions and / or for the energy of one or more of those ions. The system according to claim 9, comprising at least one of the following.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein one or more of the depth distribution or the distribution of the number of generated vacancies depend on the angle of incidence of the ions on the SCL.

17. One or more processing chambers for processing substrates, Computing device and A semiconductor manufacturing system comprising, the computing device, Using optical inspection data, identify the out-of-plane deformation profile of the substrate, Performing a polynomial decomposition of the identified profile to determine a plurality of polynomial coefficients, wherein each of the plurality of polynomial coefficients characterizes one of the plurality of basic deformation shapes of the substrate, Identifying one or more features of the stress compensation layer (SCL) for the substrate based on at least one subset of the plurality of polynomial coefficients, Depositing the aforementioned SCL onto the substrate, Performing multiple statistical simulations to identify the settings for the non-uniform stress relaxation irradiation of the SCL, wherein performing multiple statistical simulations includes performing multiple statistical simulations that involve sampling from one or more statistical distributions associated with previously performed stress relaxation irradiations. Performing the heterogeneous stress relaxation irradiation of the SCL using the specified settings, wherein the heterogeneous stress relaxation irradiation is performed using at least a first setting for a first region of the SCL and a second setting for a second region of the SCL. A semiconductor manufacturing system that performs this task.

18. The one or more features of the SCL are, The material of the aforementioned SCL, or The thickness of the aforementioned SCL The semiconductor manufacturing system according to claim 17, comprising one or more of the above.

19. The identified setting is The type of particles in the stress relaxation beam used for the non-uniform stress relaxation irradiation of the SCL, The energy of the particles in the stress relaxation beam, or The incidence angle of the particles of the stress relaxation beam to the SCL The semiconductor manufacturing system according to claim 17, comprising one or more of the above.

20. The non-uniform stress relaxation irradiation of the SCL includes ion implantation, and the one or more statistical distributions are The distribution of ion implantation depth for one or more types of ions and / or the energy of one or more ions, or Distribution of the number of vacancies generated for one or more types of ions and / or for the energy of one or more of those ions. A semiconductor manufacturing system according to claim 17, comprising at least one of the following.

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