Generation of a map of a substrate using iterative calculations of non-measured attribute data

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10503850-B2
Application number	US-201715484436-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 11, 2017
Priority date	Nov 22, 2016
Publication date	Dec 10, 2019
Grant date	Dec 10, 2019

Abstract

Described herein are technologies to facilitate the generation and presentation of a map of an attribute of a substrate, such as a semiconductor wafer. Using the data of measured attribute (e.g., thickness, temperature, etc.) of a substrate, one or more of the described implementations generate data of non-measured (i.e., calculated) attributes to complete a map of the substrate using model parameters and a correlations model, such as a squared exponential Gaussian process model.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method that facilitates generation of map of an attribute of a substrate, the method comprising:
obtaining measured attribute data of a substrate, the measured attribute data representing measured attributes of the substrate, and including measurements of locations outside a periphery of the substrate;
determining model parameters of a correlation model;
processing the measured attribute data to generate the correlation model;
iteratively calculating non-measured attribute data of the substrate, wherein the non-measured attribute data of the substrate represents attributes of the substrate that are calculated based on the correlation model and the model parameters, and includes calculations of locations outside the periphery of the substrate;
presenting a map of the substrate for viewing by a user, the map including the measured and non-measured attribute data.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising determining calculation errors with each iteration of the iterative calculations, wherein the iterative calculations are performed until the calculation errors fall within a specified error range.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising determining calculation errors with each iteration of the iterative calculations, wherein calculation errors are determined based on a comparison of subsequent iterative calculations.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising determining calculation errors with each iteration of the iterative calculations, wherein the iterative calculations are performed until the calculation errors meet a specified error criterion.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the correlation model is a squared exponential Gaussian process model.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the presenting includes storing a map of the substrate in a memory of a computer system.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the presenting includes storing a topographical map of the substrate in a memory of a computer system.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the presenting includes displaying a map of the substrate on a visual display system.

9. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein attributes represented by the measured and non-measured attribute data are selected from a group consisting of thickness of the substrate or a portion thereof, roughness of the substrate or a portion thereof, resistivity of the substrate or a portion thereof, temperature of the substrate or a portion thereof, and cross-section of the substrate or a portion thereof.

10. One or more computer-readable media storing instructions thereon that, when executed by one or more processors, direct the one or more processors to perform operations that facilitate generation of map of an attribute of a substrate, the operations comprising:
obtaining measured attribute data of a substrate, the measured attribute data representing measured attributes of the substrate, and including measurements of locations outside a periphery of the substrate;
determining model parameters of a correlation model;
processing the measured attribute data to generate the correlation model;
iteratively calculating non-measured attribute data of the substrate, wherein the non-measured attribute data of the substrate represents attributes of the substrate that are calculated based on the correlation model and the model parameters, and includes calculations of locations outside the periphery of the substrate;
presenting a map of the substrate for viewing by a user, the map including the measured and non-measured attribute data.

11. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise determining calculation errors with each iteration of the iterative calculations, wherein the iterative calculations are performed until the calculation errors fall within specified error range.

12. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise determining calculation errors with each iteration of the iterative calculations, wherein calculation errors are determined based on a comparison of subsequent iterative calculations.

13. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise determining calculation errors with each iteration of the iterative calculations, wherein the iterative calculations are performed until the calculation errors meet a specified error criterion.

14. A method that facilitates generation of map of an attribute of a substrate, the method comprising:
obtaining measured attribute data of a substrate, the measured attribute data representing measured attributes of the substrate, and including measurements of locations outside a periphery of the substrate;
determining model parameters of a correlation model, the correlation model being a squared exponential Gaussian process model;
processing the measured attribute data to generate the correlation model;
iteratively calculating non-measured attribute data of the substrate, wherein the non-measured attribute data of the substrate represents attributes of the substrate that are calculated based on the squared exponential Gaussian process model and the model parameters, and includes calculations of locations outside the periphery of the substrate;
determining calculation errors with each iteration of the iterative calculations, wherein the iterative calculations are performed until the calculation errors fall within specified error range;
presenting a map of the substrate for viewing by a user, the map including the measured and non-measured attribute data.

15. The method as recited in claim 14 , wherein calculation errors are determined based on a comparison of subsequent iterative calculations.

16. The method as recited in claim 14 , wherein the presenting includes storing a map of the substrate in a memory of a computer system.

17. The method as recited in claim 14 , wherein attributes represented by the measured and non-measured attribute data is selected from a group consisting of thickness of the substrate or a portion thereof, roughness of the substrate or a portion thereof, resistivity of the substrate or a portion thereof, temperature of the substrate or a portion thereof, and cross-section of the substrate or a portion thereof.

Assignees

• Tokyo Electron Ltd

Inventors

• Morvay Daniel
• Han Taejoon

Classifications

• H10P72/0604

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

• H10P72/0602

  Temperature monitoring · CPC title

• G03F7/70

  Microphotolithographic exposure; Apparatus therefor (photo-masks G03F1/00) · CPC title

• G06F2111/10

  Numerical modelling · CPC title

• G03F7/70875

  Temperature, e.g. temperature control of masks or workpieces via control of stage temperature · CPC title