System and method for process-induced distortion prediction during wafer deposition

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10475712-B2
Application number	US-201715707927-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 18, 2017
Priority date	Sep 30, 2016
Publication date	Nov 12, 2019
Grant date	Nov 12, 2019

Abstract

A system is disclosed. The system includes a tool cluster. The tool cluster includes a first deposition tool configured to deposit a first layer on a wafer. The tool cluster additionally includes an interferometer tool configured to obtain one or more measurements of the wafer. The tool cluster additionally includes a second deposition tool configured to deposit a second layer on the wafer. The tool cluster additionally includes a vacuum assembly. One or more correctables configured to adjust at least one of the first deposition tool or the second deposition tool are determined based on the one or more measurements. The one or more measurements are obtained between the deposition of the first layer and the deposition of the second layer without breaking the vacuum generated by the vacuum assembly.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A system, comprising:
a tool cluster; the tool cluster comprising:
a first deposition tool configured to deposit a first layer on a wafer;
an interferometer tool configured to obtain one or more measurements of the wafer, wherein the one or more measurements include one or more out-of-plane distortion (OPD) measurements of the wafer;
a second deposition tool configured to deposit a second layer on the wafer; and
a vacuum assembly,

wherein one or more correctables configured to adjust at least one of the first deposition tool or the second deposition tool are determined based on the one or more measurements,
wherein the one or more measurements are obtained between the deposition of the first layer and the deposition of the second layer without breaking the vacuum generated by the vacuum assembly.

2. The system in claim 1 , wherein the interferometer tool comprises a dual wavelength dual interferometer.

3. The system in claim 2 , wherein the dual wavelength dual interferometer obtains the one or more measurements by illuminating one or more surfaces of the wafer.

4. The system in claim 3 , wherein the dual wavelength dual interferometer holds the wafer within a cavity between a set of substantially parallel reference plates.

5. The system in claim 4 , wherein the dual wavelength dual interferometer holds the wafer within a cavity between a set of substantially parallel reference plates in a substantially vertical orientation.

6. The system in claim 4 , wherein the dual wavelength dual interferometer holds the wafer within a cavity between a set of substantially parallel reference plates in a substantially horizontal orientation.

7. The system in claim 2 , wherein the dual wavelength dual interferometer includes a controller, wherein the controller includes one or more processors, wherein the controller includes memory configured to store one or more sets of program instructions, wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute the one or more sets of program instructions.

8. The system in claim 7 , wherein the controller estimates one or more in-plane distortions (IPD) of the wafer based on the one or more OPD of the wafer.

9. The system in claim 8 , wherein the controller determines the one or more correctables configured to adjust at least one of the first deposition tool or the second deposition tool based on the estimated one or more IPD of the wafer.

10. The system in claim 9 , wherein the controller provides the one or more correctables to adjust the first deposition tool via a feed forward loop.

11. The system in claim 10 , wherein a deposition recipe of the first deposition tool corresponding to the first layer is adjustable based on the provided one or more correctables prior to depositing the first layer on a second wafer.

12. The system in claim 11 , wherein the adjusting the deposition recipe corresponding to the first layer reduces one or more errors in the first layer deposited by the first deposition tool during deposition of the first layer on the second wafer.

13. The system in claim 9 , wherein the controller provides the one or more correctables to adjust the second deposition tool via a feedback loop.

14. The system in claim 13 , wherein a deposition recipe of the second deposition tool corresponding to the second layer is adjustable based on the provided one or more correctables prior to depositing the second layer on the wafer.

15. The system in claim 14 , wherein the adjusting the deposition recipe corresponding to the second layer compensates for one or more errors in the first layer deposited by the first deposition tool during deposition of the second layer on the wafer.

16. The system in claim 1 , further comprising:
a controller, wherein the controller includes one or more processors, wherein the controller includes memory configured to store one or more sets of program instructions, wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute the one or more sets of program instructions,
wherein the controller is communicatively coupled to at least one of the first deposition tool, the interferometer tool, or the second deposition tool.

17. A method, comprising:
depositing a first layer on a wafer via a first deposition tool of a tool cluster;
obtaining one or more measurements of the first layer on the wafer via an interferometer tool of the tool cluster, wherein the one or more measurements include one or more out-of-plane distortions;
estimating one or more in-plane distortions for the first layer on the wafer via a controller of the interferometer tool of the tool cluster, wherein the one or more in-plane distortions are estimated based on the one or more out-of-plane distortions;
determining one or more correctables for the wafer via the controller of the interferometer tool of the tool cluster, wherein the one or more correctables are determined based on the one or more in-plane distortions; and
providing the one or more correctables to adjust at least one of the first deposition tool or a second deposition tool of the tool cluster,
wherein the tool cluster includes a vacuum assembly,
wherein the one or more measurements are obtained between the deposition of the first layer and the deposition of a second layer without breaking the vacuum of the vacuum assembly.

18. The method in claim 17 , further comprising:
providing the one or more correctables to adjust the first deposition tool via a feed forward loop.

19. The method in claim 18 , further comprising:
depositing the first layer on a second wafer via the first deposition tool,
wherein a deposition recipe of the first deposition tool corresponding to the first layer is adjustable based on the provided one or more correctables prior to depositing the first layer on the second wafer.

20. The method in claim 19 , wherein the adjusting the deposition recipe corresponding to the first layer reduces one or more errors in the first layer deposited by the first deposition tool during deposition of the first layer on the second wafer.

21. The method in claim 17 , further comprising:
providing the one or more correctables to adjust the second deposition tool via a feedback loop.

22. The method in claim 21 , further comprising:
depositing the second layer on the wafer via the second deposition tool,
wherein a deposition recipe of the second deposition tool corresponding to the second layer is adjustable based on the provided one or more correctables prior to depositing the second layer on the wafer.

23. The method in claim 22 , wherein the adjusting the deposition recipe corresponding to the second layer compensates for one or more errors in the first layer deposited by the first deposition tool during deposition of the second layer on the wafer.

Assignees

• Kla Tencor Corp

Inventors

• Levy Ady
• Smith Mark D

Classifications

• H10P74/203

  Structural properties, e.g. testing or measuring thicknesses, line widths, warpage, bond strengths or physical defects · CPC title

• H10P74/23

  characterised by multiple measurements, corrections, marking or sorting processes · CPC title

• H10P72/0616

  Monitoring of warpages, curvatures, damages, defects or the like · CPC title

• H10P72/0604

  Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring · CPC title

• H10P72/0452

  characterised by the layout of the process chambers · CPC title