Fast and continuous eddy-current metrology of a conductive film

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10234261-B2
Application number	US-201313998741-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 29, 2013
Priority date	Jun 12, 2013
Publication date	Mar 19, 2019
Grant date	Mar 19, 2019

Abstract

A measurement tool includes a rotation stage supporting an workpiece support, a thickness sensor overlying a workpiece support surface; a translation actuator coupled to the thickness sensor for translation of the thickness sensor relative to the workpiece support surface; and a computer coupled to control the rotation actuator and the translation actuator, and coupled to receive an output of the thickness sensor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a workpiece support having a workpiece support surface;
a tray to support plural thickness calibration samples, said tray being adjacent to said workpiece support surface;
a thickness sensor held on a sensor support;
a rotation actuator coupled for rotation of one of said workpiece support and said thickness sensor relative to the other of said workpiece support and said thickness sensor;
a translation actuator comprising a swing arm having a first end coupled to a rotation motor and a second end coupled to said sensor support to move said sensor support laterally in an arc across the workpiece support and between a first position in which said thickness sensor overlies said workpiece support and a second position in which said thickness sensor overlies said tray, and wherein said translation actuator is configured to provide lateral translation of said thickness sensor along said arc relative to said workpiece support during measurement of a workpiece on said workpiece support surface;
a computer coupled to continuously receive an output signal of said thickness sensor, wherein said computer is programmed to construct a thickness distribution of metal film thickness on a workpiece as a function of location on said workpiece based upon: (a) said output signal of said thickness sensor, (b) rotational position of said rotation actuator and (c) radial positioning by said translation actuator; and
a metal plating tool comprising inputs controlling radial distribution of metal deposition rate on said workpiece, said computer connected to said inputs and programmed to adjust said inputs in response to said thickness distribution.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said thickness sensor comprises an eddy current sensor.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising:
a displacement distance transducer coupled to said thickness sensor for adjustment of displacement distance between said thickness sensor and a surface of a workpiece held on said workpiece support surface; and
a displacement sensor in said transducer for sensing said displacement distance.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said computer is coupled to said displacement distance transducer and to said displacement sensor.

5. The system of claim 3 wherein said computer is programmed to operate with said displacement sensor and said transducer as a feedback control loop.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said computer is programmed to adjust thickness data from said thickness sensor based upon a displacement distance sensed by said displacement sensor.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said thickness sensor comprises plural individual thickness sensors arranged side-by-side in a line, each of said plural individual thickness sensors being coupled to provide an individual output to said computer.

8. The system of claim 1 further comprising a notch detector adjacent an edge of said workpiece support surface, said computer being responsive to said notch detector.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein said thickness sensor has an arcuate footprint.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said arcuate footprint corresponds to an arc having a radius extending from an axis of symmetry of said workpiece.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein said translation actuator comprises:
a post; and
said swing arm being rotatable about an axis of said post by said translation actuator.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Budiarto Edward W
• Dzilno Dmitry A
• Egan Todd J
• Hudgens Jeffrey C
• Merry Nir

Classifications

• G01R31/2656

  using non-ionising electromagnetic radiation, e.g. optical radiation · CPC title

• G01R31/2653

  using electron beams · CPC title

• C25D17/001

  Apparatus specially adapted for electrolytic coating of wafers, e.g. semiconductors or solar cells · CPC title

• C25D7/123

  Semiconductors first coated with a seed layer or a conductive layer · CPC title

• G01N27/20

  Investigating the presence of flaws · CPC title