Integrated system, integrated system operation method and film treatment method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10840102-B2
Application number	US-201314091630-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 27, 2013
Priority date	Nov 27, 2013
Publication date	Nov 17, 2020
Grant date	Nov 17, 2020

Abstract

An integrated system operation method is disclosed that includes the following steps: the film of a substrate is measured by a metrology apparatus to obtain a film information. The substrate is moved from the metrology apparatus to a process apparatus adjacent to the transfer apparatus. The film information is sent to the process apparatus. A film treatment is applied to the substrate in accordance with the film information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An integrated system comprising:
at least one port configured to receive a substrate;
a process apparatus configured to apply a film treatment to the substrate;
a metrology apparatus configured to measure a film of the substrate and comprising a receiver configured to receive a light reflected by the film of the substrate for obtaining a film information;
a transfer apparatus electrically connected to the process apparatus and the metrology apparatus, having opposite first and second sides, and configured to move in a linear direction between the process apparatus and the metrology apparatus to move the substrate between the process apparatus and the metrology apparatus, wherein the process apparatus is disposed at the first side of the transfer apparatus and the second side of the transfer apparatus is free of a process apparatus;
a buffer chamber present adjacent to the process apparatus and accommodating the transfer apparatus and the metrology apparatus therein, wherein the at least one port forms a first interface with the buffer chamber, the process apparatus forms a second interface with the buffer chamber;
a film analysis unit configured to automatically select a recipe in accordance with the film information; and
a control system configured to send measuring information to the metrology apparatus to measure the film of the substrate with the metrology apparatus, and the metrology apparatus being further configured to send a first film information of a measured property of the film of the substrate to the process apparatus while sending a second film information of the measured property of the film of the substrate to the control system synchronously, wherein the first and second film information have substantially identical information.

2. The integrated system of claim 1 , wherein the metrology apparatus comprises:
a transmitter configured to emit the light to the film of the substrate and electrically connected to the receiver.

3. The integrated system of claim 1 , wherein the film analysis unit is located within the metrology apparatus or the process apparatus.

4. The integrated system of claim 1 , wherein the metrology apparatus comprises:
a stage configured to support the substrate; and
a motor connected to the stage and configured to rotate the stage.

5. An integrated system operation method comprising:
transferring a substrate from a port to a metrology apparatus;
measuring a thickness of a film of a substrate with the metrology apparatus;
synchronously sending a first film information of the measured thickness of the film of the substrate to the process apparatus and a second film information of the measured thickness of the film of the substrate to the control system, wherein the first and second film information have substantially identical information;
moving the substrate from the metrology apparatus to a process apparatus by moving a transfer apparatus in a linear direction from the metrology apparatus to the process apparatus, wherein the transfer apparatus has opposite first and second sides, the process apparatus is disposed at the first side of the transfer apparatus, and the second side of the transfer apparatus is free of a process apparatus;
selecting a first recipe for modifying the thickness of the film based on information of the measured thickness of the film with the process apparatus; and
applying a first film treatment to the substrate in accordance with the selected first recipe, such that the thickness of the film of the substrate is modified by the process apparatus.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein measuring the thickness of the film of the substrate further comprises:
driving a transmitter and a receiver to obtain the information of the measured thickness of the film of the substrate.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein measuring the thickness of the film of the substrate further comprises:
rotating a stage that supports the substrate.

8. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
sending the information to a control system that is electrically connected to the process apparatus and the metrology apparatus.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein measuring the thickness of the film of the substrate further comprises:
emitting a light to the film of the substrate through the transmitter.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein measuring the first thickness of the film of the substrate further comprises:
receiving the light reflected by the film of the substrate through the receiver.

11. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
unloading the substrate from the process apparatus to the metrology apparatus or the port by a transfer apparatus.

12. An integrated system operation method, comprising:
transferring a substrate from a port to a metrology apparatus;
sending measuring information to the metrology apparatus with a control system;
measuring a property of a film of the substrate with the metrology apparatus based on the measuring information;
moving a transfer apparatus in a linear direction to move the substrate from the metrology apparatus to a process apparatus, wherein the transfer apparatus has opposite first and second sides, the process apparatus is disposed at the first side of the transfer apparatus, and the second side of the transfer apparatus is free of a process apparatus;
synchronously sending a first film information of the measured property of the film of the substrate to the process apparatus and a second film information of the measured property of the film of the substrate to the control system with the metrology apparatus, wherein the first and second film information have substantially identical information;
selecting a first recipe with the process apparatus for modifying the property of the film based on the film information;
applying a film treatment to the substrate with the process apparatus in accordance with the selected first recipe such that the property of the film of the substrate is modified by the process apparatus; and
measuring the modified property of the film of the substrate with the metrology apparatus.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising the control system sending process information to the process apparatus such that the substrate is moved from the process apparatus back to the metrology apparatus or the port.

14. The integrated system of claim 1 , wherein the metrology apparatus is disposed at the first side of the transfer apparatus.

15. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
after applying the first film treatment, transferring the substrate from the process apparatus to the metrology apparatus by the transfer apparatus;
measuring the modified thickness of the film with the metrology apparatus;
when the modified thickness of the film does not reach a target value, selecting a second recipe based on the measured modified thickness of the film; and
applying a second film treatment to the substrate in accordance with the selected second recipe by the process apparatus, such that the modified thickness of the film is modified again to reach the target value.

16. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
after applying the first film treatment, transferring the substrate from the process apparatus to the metrology apparatus by the transfer apparatus;
measuring the modified thickness of the film with the metrology apparatus;
when the modified thickness of the film does not reach a target value, selecting a second recipe based on the measured modified thickness of the film; and
applying a second film treatment to the substrate

Assignees

• Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yu Weibo
• Ku Wen-Yu
• Chuang Kuo-Sheng
• Lin Chin-Hsiang

Classifications

• H10P74/203 Primary

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

• H10P74/23 Primary

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

• H10P72/0604 Primary

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

• H10P50/642 Primary

  Chemical etching · CPC title

• G01B11/0641

  with measurement of polarization · CPC title