Semiconductor substrate processing apparatus and semiconductor substrate measuring apparatus using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12165933-B2
Application number	US-202117180343-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 19, 2021
Priority date	Jul 31, 2020
Publication date	Dec 10, 2024
Grant date	Dec 10, 2024

Abstract

A semiconductor substrate processing apparatus includes: a metastructure layer divided into a plurality of microstructures by grooves, a light-transmitting dielectric substrate that supports the plurality of microstructures and is configured to allow an electromagnetic wave to be transmitted therethrough, and a frame including an exhaust hole configured to receive gas introduced from the grooves such as to provide suction force to the semiconductor substrate, wherein each of the plurality of microstructures has a smaller width than a wavelength of the electromagnetic wave, and each of the grooves has a smaller width than the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A semiconductor substrate processing apparatus, comprising:
a metastructure layer comprising a first surface on which a semiconductor substrate is mounted and a second surface, opposite to the first surface, and the metastructure layer divided into a plurality of microstructures by grooves passing through the first surface and the second surface;
a light-transmitting dielectric substrate comprising a third surface that faces the second surface and supports the plurality of microstructures, and a fourth surface, opposite to the third surface, and the light-transmitting dielectric substrate configured to allow an electromagnetic wave incident through the fourth surface to be transmitted to the third surface; and
a frame surrounding an external side surface of the metastructure layer and an external side surface of the light-transmitting dielectric substrate, and comprising an exhaust hole disposed in a region corresponding to the external side surface of the light-transmitting dielectric substrate such as to communicate with the grooves, the exhaust hole configured to receive gas introduced from the grooves such as to provide suction force to the semiconductor substrate,
wherein each of the plurality of microstructures has a smaller width than a wavelength of the electromagnetic wave, and each of the grooves has a smaller width than the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave.

2. The semiconductor substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the metastructure layer comprises at least one from among a metal material and a dielectric material.

3. The semiconductor substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a surface area of the first surface of the metastructure layer is larger than a surface area of the semiconductor substrate that is in contact with the first surface.

4. The semiconductor substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a vacuum source connected to the exhaust hole.

5. The semiconductor substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the light-transmitting dielectric substrate further comprises a plurality of support portions that protrudes on the third surface such as to correspond to the plurality of microstructures of the metastructure layer.

6. The semiconductor substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of microstructures has a shape comprising at least one from among a polygonal pillar shape, a cylindrical shape, and a stripe shape.

7. The semiconductor substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the light-transmitting dielectric substrate further comprises:
a first light-transmitting dielectric substrate that comprises the third surface; and
a second light-transmitting dielectric substrate that comprises the fourth surface.

8. The semiconductor substrate processing apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the first light-transmitting dielectric substrate further comprises air intake holes that communicate with the exhaust hole and are disposed in regions corresponding to the grooves.

9. The semiconductor substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first to fourth surfaces are parallel to each other.

10. A semiconductor substrate processing apparatus, comprising:
a light-transmitting dielectric substrate comprising a first surface that is configured to have an electromagnetic wave incident thereon, and a second surface, opposite to the first surface; and
a metastructure layer comprising a third surface in contact with the second surface, and a fourth surface opposite to the third surface, and the metastructure layer is divided into a plurality of microstructures by grooves passing through the third surface and the fourth surface,
wherein adjacent grooves of the grooves are spaced a part from each other at a distance that is smaller than a wavelength of the electromagnetic wave, and each of the grooves has a width that is smaller than the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave.

11. The semiconductor substrate processing apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising a cover layer covering the plurality of microstructures.

12. The semiconductor substrate processing apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the cover layer is formed of a light-transmitting material.

13. The semiconductor substrate processing apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising a power supply connected to the metastructure layer and configured to apply electrostatic force to the metastructure layer.

14. A semiconductor substrate measuring apparatus, comprising:
a transmitter configured to emit an electromagnetic wave;
a light-transmitting dielectric substrate comprising a first surface that is disposed such as to have the electromagnetic wave incident thereon, and a second surface opposite to the first surface;
a metastructure layer comprising a third surface, in contact with the second surface, and a fourth surface opposite to the third surface that is configured to have a semiconductor substrate mounted thereon, and the metastructure layer is divided into a plurality of microstructures by grooves passing through the third surface and the fourth surface, each of the plurality of microstructures having a smaller width than a size of a wavelength of the electromagnetic wave and spaced apart by a distance smaller than the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave; and
a receiver configured to detect the electromagnetic wave after the electromagnetic wave passes through the semiconductor substrate.

15. The semiconductor substrate measuring apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the electromagnetic wave is any one from among visible light, infrared light, a millimeter wave, and a terahertz wave (THz wave).

16. The semiconductor substrate measuring apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising a frame surrounding an external side surface of the metastructure layer and an external side surface of the light-transmitting dielectric substrate, and the frame comprising an exhaust hole disposed in a region corresponding to the external side surface of the light-transmitting dielectric substrate such as to communicate with the grooves, the exhaust hole configured to receive gas introduced from the grooves such as to provide suction force to the semiconductor substrate.

17. The semiconductor substrate measuring apparatus of claim 14 , wherein a surface area of the fourth surface of the metastructure layer is larger than a surface area of the semiconductor substrate that is in contact with the fourth surface.

18. The semiconductor substrate measuring apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising a polarizer disposed between the transmitter and the light-transmitting dielectric substrate and configured to phase-convert the electromagnetic wave emitted from the transmitter to a plane wave with respect to the first surface.

19. The semiconductor substrate measuring apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the transmitter and the receiver are disposed such as to face each other.

20. The semiconductor substrate measuring apparatus of claim 14 , wherein
the light-transmitting dielectric substrate further comprises:
a first light-transmitting dielectric substrate that comprises the second surface; and
a second light-transmitting dielectric substrate that comprises the first surface, and

wherein the first light-transmitting dielectric substrate and the second light-transmitting dielectric substrate are formed of a same material.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Baek Inkeun
• Koo Namil
• Park Suhwan
• Park Junbum

Classifications

• H10P74/238

  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

• H10P74/27

  Structural arrangements therefor · CPC title

• H10P72/78 Primary

  using vacuum or suction, e.g. Bernoulli chucks · CPC title

• H10P72/72

  using electrostatic chucks · CPC title