Semiconductor manufacturing apparatus and method of manufacturing semiconductor device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11688653-B2
Application number	US-202017017404-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 10, 2020
Priority date	Mar 6, 2020
Publication date	Jun 27, 2023
Grant date	Jun 27, 2023

Abstract

In one embodiment, a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus includes a polisher configured to polish a film provided on a substrate. The apparatus further includes a thickness measurement module configured to measure a thickness of the film while the substrate is being conveyed before the polishing. The apparatus further includes a controller configured to control the polishing of the film by the polisher based on the thickness measured by the thickness measurement module.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus comprising:
a polisher configured to polish a film provided on a substrate;
a thickness measurement module configured to measure a thickness of the film while the substrate is being conveyed before the polishing; and
a controller configured to control the polishing of the film by the polisher based on the thickness measured by the thickness measurement module.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the thickness measurement module measures the thickness at a plurality of portions of the film.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller sets a polishing condition in which the polisher polishes the film, based on the thickness measured by the thickness measurement module.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a conveyance module configured to hold and convey the substrate,
wherein the thickness measurement module is provided in the conveyance module.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein
the conveyance module includes a first member positioned under the substrate during the conveyance of the substrate, and
the thickness measurement module is provided in the first member.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein
the conveyance module includes a second member positioned above the substrate during the conveyance of the substrate, and
the thickness measurement module is provided in the second member.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the thickness measurement module measures the thickness while the substrate is moving.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the thickness measurement module measures the thickness when the substrate passes through a predetermined point in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a transporter configured to transport the substrate in a polishing chamber provided with the polisher,
wherein the thickness measurement module is provided in the transporter.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a reversing module configured to reverse orientations of a first face and a second face of the substrate,
wherein the thickness measurement module is provided in the reversing module.

11. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein
the polisher includes an airbag that presses the substrate against a polishing pad, and
the thickness measurement module measures the thickness at the plurality of portions, a number of the portions being equal to or greater than a number of airbag zones of the airbag.

12. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising:
measuring a thickness of a film provided on a substrate by a thickness measurement module while the substrate is being conveyed before polishing by a polisher;
polishing the film by the polisher; and
controlling, by a controller, the polishing of the film by the polisher based on the thickness measured by the thickness measurement module.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the thickness measurement module measures the thickness at a plurality of portions of the film.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the controller sets a polishing condition in which the polisher polishes the film, based on the thickness measured by the thickness measurement module.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising holding and conveying the substrate by a conveyance module,
wherein the thickness measurement module is provided in the conveyance module.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein
the polisher includes an airbag that presses the substrate against a polishing pad, and
the thickness measurement module measures the thickness at the plurality of portions, a number of the portions being equal to or greater than a number of airbag zones of the airbag.

17. A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus comprising:
a processing module configured to process a film provided on a substrate;
a thickness measurement module configured to measure a thickness of the film while the substrate is being conveyed before the processing; and
a controller configured to control the processing of the film by the processing module based on the thickness measured by the thickness measurement module.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the processing of the film is polishing or etching of the film.

19. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising:
measuring a thickness of a film provided on a substrate by a thickness measurement module while the substrate is being conveyed before processing by a processing module;
processing the film by the processing module; and
controlling, by a controller, the processing of the film by the processing module based on the thickness measured by the thickness measurement module.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the processing of the film is polishing or etching of the film.

Assignees

• Kioxia Corp

Inventors

• Takagi Jun

Classifications

• H10P52/402

  of semiconductor materials · CPC title

• H10P74/238 Primary

  comprising acting in response to an ongoing measurement without interruption of processing, e.g. endpoint detection or in-situ thickness measurement · CPC title

• 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

• B24B37/013 Primary

  Devices or means for detecting lapping completion · CPC title