Methods and apparatus for processing a substrate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12138742-B2
Application number	US-202117176839-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 16, 2021
Priority date	Feb 16, 2021
Publication date	Nov 12, 2024
Grant date	Nov 12, 2024

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for processing a substrate are provided herein. For example, a method of processing a substrate using extended spectroscopic ellipsometry (ESE) includes directing a beam from an extended spectroscopic ellipsometer toward a surface of a substrate for determining in-situ ESE data therefrom during substrate processing, measuring a change of phase and amplitude in determined in-situ ESE data, and determining various aspects of the surface of the substrate using simultaneously complex dielectric function, optical conductivity, and electronic correlations from a measured change of phase and amplitude in the in-situ ESE data.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of processing a substrate using extended spectroscopic ellipsometry (ESE), comprising:
directing a beam from an extended spectroscopic ellipsometer toward a surface of a first layer of a substrate for determining in-situ ESE data therefrom during substrate processing;
measuring a change of phase and amplitude in determined in-situ ESE data; and
prior to depositing a second layer atop the first layer, determining a level of contamination of the surface of the substrate using simultaneously complex dielectric function, optical conductivity, and electronic correlations from a measured change of phase and amplitude in the in-situ ESE data to provide an active endpoint feedback to ensure that there is minimum to no contact resistance between the second layer and the first layer.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the in-situ ESE data comprises a change of a phase and an amplitude of a reflected beam.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising correlating the level of contamination to at least one of a level of contact resistance or a level of leakage current.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein directing the beam comprises directing the beam toward the surface of the substrate at an incident angle of about 0° to about 70°.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein directing the beam comprises directing the beam toward the surface of the substrate at an incident angle of about 45° to about 50°.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the beam has a photon energy of about 1 eV to about 10 eV.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the beam has a photon energy of about 3.2 eV to about 6 eV.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein substrate processing comprises at least one of performing a pre-clean process, a wet etch process, or a chemical mechanical polishing process.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises one of aluminum, copper, tantalum, titanium, or a polymer.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the surface of the substrate comprises at least one of vias, trenches, or interconnects.

11. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions that when executed by a processor perform a method for processing a substrate using extended spectroscopic ellipsometry (ESE), the method comprising:
directing a beam from an extended spectroscopic ellipsometer toward a surface of a first layer of a substrate for determining in-situ ESE data therefrom during substrate processing;
measuring a change of phase and amplitude in determined in-situ ESE data; and
prior to depositing a second layer atop the first layer, determining a level of contamination of the surface of the substrate using simultaneously complex dielectric function, optical conductivity, and electronic correlations from a measured change of phase and amplitude in the in-situ ESE data to provide an active endpoint feedback to ensure that there is minimum to no contact resistance between the second layer and the first layer.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the in-situ ESE data comprises a change of a phase and an amplitude of a reflected beam.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 , further comprising correlating the level of contamination to at least one of a level of contact resistance or a level of leakage current.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein directing the beam comprises directing the beam toward the surface of the substrate at an incident angle of about 0° to about 70°.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein directing the beam comprises directing the beam toward the surface of the substrate at an incident angle of about 45° to about 50°.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the beam has a photon energy of about 1 eV to about 10 eV.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the beam has a photon energy of about 3.2 eV to about 6 eV.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein substrate processing comprises at least one of performing a pre-clean process, a wet etch process, or a chemical mechanical polishing process.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the substrate comprises one of aluminum, copper, tantalum, titanium, or a polymer.

20. An apparatus for processing a substrate, comprising:
a processing platform for processing a substrate; and
an extended spectroscopic ellipsometer operably coupled to a controller of the processing platform and the controller programmed to direct a beam toward a surface of a first layer of the substrate for determining in-situ ESE data therefrom during substrate processing, measure a change in determined in-situ ESE data, and prior to depositing a second layer atop the first layer, determine a level of contamination of the surface of the substrate using simultaneously complex dielectric function, optical conductivity, and electronic correlations from a measured change of phase and amplitude in the in-situ ESE data to provide an active endpoint feedback to ensure that there is minimum to no contact resistance between the second layer and the first layer.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc
• Nat Univ Singapore

Inventors

• Lianto Prayudi
• See Guan Huei
• Sundarrajan Arvind
• Rusydi Andrivo
• Naradipa Muhammad Avicenna

Classifications

• G01N21/211 Primary

  Ellipsometry (optical thickness measurement G01B11/06) · CPC title

• G01N2021/213

  Spectrometric ellipsometry · CPC title

• B24B57/02 Primary

  for feeding of fluid, sprayed, pulverised, or liquefied grinding, polishing or lapping agents · CPC title

• G01N21/9501

  Semiconductor wafers (manufacturing processes per se of semiconductor devices implementing a measuring step H10P74/20) · CPC title

• G01N21/94

  Investigating contamination, e.g. dust (G01N21/85 takes precedence) · CPC title